RedR
Encyclopedia
RedR is an international NGO whose stated mission is to “rebuild lives in times of disaster by training, supporting and providing aid workers to relief programmes across the world.” It was originally an acronym for Register of Engineers for Disaster Relief, although it is no longer used as such.
RedR delivers training to relief organisations and their staff, enabling them to respond to the needs of disaster hit communities, efficiently and safely. In order to improve future response, RedR focuses on capacity building
and disaster risk reduction
for communities affected by natural and man-made disasters.
They further help to ensure that skilled professionals are always available to respond to major global emergencies through an aid worker recruitment service and by advising and training potential new relief workers.
RedR provides a free Technical Support Service to all relief organisations and aid workers around the world. The Technical Support Service consists of a panel of over 150 experts in a range of fields who aim to respond to any query within 24–48 hours.
RedR UK is part of a federation of national accredited RedR organisations who all share a common vision and mission. As well as RedR UK, there are currently RedR organisations in Australia
, Canada
, India
, Malaysia, New Zealand
and South Africa
.
in 1982 by engineer Peter Guthrie following time spent delivering aid during the Vietnamese Boat People Crisis. Mr. Guthrie said: “When I returned [from the refugee crisis in Malaysia] I saw the pressing need for engineers to help in this sort of work and compiled a register of engineers who could be called upon at short notice to work with frontline relief agencies.”
On the advice of Oxfam
’s chief engineer Jim Howard
, Oxfam provided seed funding and RedR was formally registered as a charity
.
In 1985, RedR faced its first major challenge with the onset of the Ethiopian Famine. A significant number of RedR Members were required to work on relief programmes in Ethiopia
and neighbouring Sudan
. In 1988 The Princess Royal
became President of RedR, a position she still holds today.
In 1994 the Rwanda crisis erupted and over 100 RedR Members were deployed to the Great Lakes region, while RedR New Zealand was established. A year later the first ever edition of ‘Engineering in Emergencies: A Practical Guide for Relief Workers’ by RedR Members Jan Davies and Robert Lambert was published.
In 1998 RedR launched its Technical Support Service for relief workers in the field and the following year their first regional training – Security Management - in Tirana
, Albania
.
In 2005, in response to the Asian Tsunami, RedR launched a ‘Learning Support and Capacity Building Programme’ in Sri Lanka
and commenced a similar programme in Pakistan
following the 2005 earthquake. In the same year RedR established a programme in Darfur
, Sudan
, in response to the country’s civil war and trained 4,000 national and international aid workers over the next five years.
RedR became involved in the UN Cluster approach in 2006. RedR leads the training of aid workers within a number of cluster groups, including WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), Emergency Shelter, Health and Nutrition.
In 2009 RedR linked with Oxford Brookes University
to offer credit-rated courses in six of its training courses.
Following the Haiti Earthquake in 2010, RedR established a programme and trained 1,000 relief workers to support the response. 91% of trainees were Haitian nationals. RedR Lanka was also established in its own right to help assist in long term capacity building in Sri Lanka
.
In 2011 RedR set up a country programme in South Sudan
to assist with ongoing insecurity in the region.
in an effort to further professionalise the humanitarian sector
.
Course subjects delivered include: safety, security, logistics, shelter, WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene), project management, and training of trainers.
, South Sudan, Kenya and Pakistan. These programmes have been set up in response to the ongoing humanitarian crises in these regions and the needs of the various humanitarian organisations operating there. With high levels of insecurity, there is a focus on security training for aid agencies working in the field.
RedR set up a new training programme in Islamabad
in 2010 to support the humanitarian community within the country following the ongoing internal conflict in the North-West
of the country. This follows a previous programme set up in response to the 2005 earthquake, which ran until June 2006.
Courses currently delivered focus on security management, humanitarian training and humanitarian practice and principles.
RedR established its Sudan
Programme in 2005, specialising in safety and security training for aid workers due to the ongoing conflict in Darfur
. It provides Staff Welfare and Critical Incident Training to humanitarian staff to help workers move on from traumatic experiences faced in insecure environments. As well as security training, RedR delivers a range of courses aimed at improving the capacity of both local and international aid agencies.
RedR set up a new operation in South Sudan
in preparation for the country’s separation from Sudan
in July 2011. The training programme is based in the capital Juba
and is unique to the country.
RedR opened its humanitarian training centre in Nairobi
, Kenya
in September 2011. This was in response to the Horn of Africa
Food Crisis
in the summer of 2011. Funds for the project were raised partly through RedR’s East Africa Appeal.
RedR tailor their existing modules or devise new courses to meet the needs of an organisation they are training. RedR trainers go to these organisations wherever they around the world
, as opposed to RedR Country Programmes.
In 2010/2011 RedR delivered 51 bespoke
courses in 21 countries worldwide; training 1,417 people.
companies responding to major disasters through its Member’s register, which currently has a pool of about 1,700 specialists. RedR’s recruitment register focuses on all areas of the humanitarian sector
, but specialises in engineering
, health
, logistics
, security
, and management consultants.
technical advice to humanitarian agencies and aid workers worldwide. This service gives access to 150 technical experts – including aid workers, academics and specialists from the corporate sector - who aim to reply to any query within 24–48 hours.
is a ‘world in which sufficient competent and committed personnel are available and responding to humanitarian needs.’
RedR believes in the provision of humanitarian assistance to people wherever it is needed to relieve suffering
and sickness
.
A key idea they integrate when responding to disasters is that people
and communities affected by disasters themselves should be empowered to develop skills for immediate and future disaster response
.
RedR delivers training to relief organisations and their staff, enabling them to respond to the needs of disaster hit communities, efficiently and safely. In order to improve future response, RedR focuses on capacity building
Capacity building
Capacity building also referred to as capacity development is a conceptual approach to development that focuses on understanding the obstacles that inhibit people, governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations from realizing their developmental goals while enhancing...
and disaster risk reduction
Disaster risk reduction
Disaster Risk Reduction is a systematic approach to identifying, assessing and reducing the risks of disaster. It aims to reduce socio-economic vulnerabilities to disaster as well as dealing with the environmental and other hazards that trigger them: here it has been strongly influenced by the...
for communities affected by natural and man-made disasters.
They further help to ensure that skilled professionals are always available to respond to major global emergencies through an aid worker recruitment service and by advising and training potential new relief workers.
RedR provides a free Technical Support Service to all relief organisations and aid workers around the world. The Technical Support Service consists of a panel of over 150 experts in a range of fields who aim to respond to any query within 24–48 hours.
RedR UK is part of a federation of national accredited RedR organisations who all share a common vision and mission. As well as RedR UK, there are currently RedR organisations in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Malaysia, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
1980s
RedR was founded in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1982 by engineer Peter Guthrie following time spent delivering aid during the Vietnamese Boat People Crisis. Mr. Guthrie said: “When I returned [from the refugee crisis in Malaysia] I saw the pressing need for engineers to help in this sort of work and compiled a register of engineers who could be called upon at short notice to work with frontline relief agencies.”
On the advice of Oxfam
Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
’s chief engineer Jim Howard
Jim Howard
James Allen Howard is a retired American high jumper.He finished second at the 1985 IAAF World Cup, tenth at the 1987 World Indoor Championships and at the 1988 Summer Olympics. He won the US national title in 1984....
, Oxfam provided seed funding and RedR was formally registered as a charity
Charity
-Concepts and practices:* Charity , the practice of benevolent giving and caring* Charity , the Christian theological concept of unlimited love and kindness* Principle of charity in philosophy and rhetoric...
.
In 1985, RedR faced its first major challenge with the onset of the Ethiopian Famine. A significant number of RedR Members were required to work on relief programmes in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
and neighbouring Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
. In 1988 The Princess Royal
Anne, Princess Royal
Princess Anne, Princess Royal , is the only daughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
became President of RedR, a position she still holds today.
1990s
In 1991 RedR UK’s training programme began. RedR Australia was founded the following year.In 1994 the Rwanda crisis erupted and over 100 RedR Members were deployed to the Great Lakes region, while RedR New Zealand was established. A year later the first ever edition of ‘Engineering in Emergencies: A Practical Guide for Relief Workers’ by RedR Members Jan Davies and Robert Lambert was published.
In 1998 RedR launched its Technical Support Service for relief workers in the field and the following year their first regional training – Security Management - in Tirana
Tirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
, Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
.
2000s
In 2003 RedR merged with International Health Exchange (IHE), an organisation that improved the preparation and recruitment of health professionals for overseas emergency situations. RedR set up a programme office for the first time in East Africa.In 2005, in response to the Asian Tsunami, RedR launched a ‘Learning Support and Capacity Building Programme’ in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and commenced a similar programme in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
following the 2005 earthquake. In the same year RedR established a programme in Darfur
Darfur
Darfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
, Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, in response to the country’s civil war and trained 4,000 national and international aid workers over the next five years.
RedR became involved in the UN Cluster approach in 2006. RedR leads the training of aid workers within a number of cluster groups, including WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), Emergency Shelter, Health and Nutrition.
In 2009 RedR linked with Oxford Brookes University
Oxford Brookes University
Oxford Brookes University is a new university in Oxford, England. It was named to honour the school's founding principal, John Brookes. It has been ranked as the best new university by the Sunday Times University Guide 10 years in a row...
to offer credit-rated courses in six of its training courses.
Following the Haiti Earthquake in 2010, RedR established a programme and trained 1,000 relief workers to support the response. 91% of trainees were Haitian nationals. RedR Lanka was also established in its own right to help assist in long term capacity building in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
.
In 2011 RedR set up a country programme in South Sudan
South Sudan
South Sudan , officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country located in the Sahel region of northeastern Africa. It is also part of the North Africa UN sub-region. Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city; the capital city is planned to be moved to the more...
to assist with ongoing insecurity in the region.
Training
Though RedR started as a register of engineers for disaster relief, it now focuses on training relief organisations and their staff worldwide. In 2010/2011 RedR trained 6,124 aid workers.UK Programme
RedR’s UK programme delivers a range of training courses, from a basic introduction to the sector to specialist courses for professional aid workers. RedR offers credit rated courses in partnership with Oxford Brookes UniversityOxford Brookes University
Oxford Brookes University is a new university in Oxford, England. It was named to honour the school's founding principal, John Brookes. It has been ranked as the best new university by the Sunday Times University Guide 10 years in a row...
in an effort to further professionalise the humanitarian sector
Humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to humanitarian crises including natural disaster and man-made disaster. The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity...
.
Course subjects delivered include: safety, security, logistics, shelter, WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene), project management, and training of trainers.
Country Programmes
RedR has country programmes in SudanSudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, South Sudan, Kenya and Pakistan. These programmes have been set up in response to the ongoing humanitarian crises in these regions and the needs of the various humanitarian organisations operating there. With high levels of insecurity, there is a focus on security training for aid agencies working in the field.
Pakistan
RedR set up a new training programme in Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
in 2010 to support the humanitarian community within the country following the ongoing internal conflict in the North-West
North-West Frontier Province
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province and various other names, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan, located in the north-west of the country...
of the country. This follows a previous programme set up in response to the 2005 earthquake, which ran until June 2006.
Courses currently delivered focus on security management, humanitarian training and humanitarian practice and principles.
Sudan
RedR established its Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
Programme in 2005, specialising in safety and security training for aid workers due to the ongoing conflict in Darfur
Darfur
Darfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
. It provides Staff Welfare and Critical Incident Training to humanitarian staff to help workers move on from traumatic experiences faced in insecure environments. As well as security training, RedR delivers a range of courses aimed at improving the capacity of both local and international aid agencies.
South Sudan
RedR set up a new operation in South Sudan
South Sudan
South Sudan , officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country located in the Sahel region of northeastern Africa. It is also part of the North Africa UN sub-region. Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city; the capital city is planned to be moved to the more...
in preparation for the country’s separation from Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
in July 2011. The training programme is based in the capital Juba
Juba
- Locations :* Juba, the capital of South Sudan* Juba, Estonia, a village in Võru Parish, Võru County, Estonia- People :* Juba I of Numidia * Juba II of Numidia * Juba of Mauretania...
and is unique to the country.
East Africa
RedR opened its humanitarian training centre in Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
in September 2011. This was in response to the Horn of Africa
Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
Food Crisis
2011 East Africa drought
Since mid-July 2011, a severe drought has been affecting the entire East Africa region. Said to be "the worst in 60 years", the drought has caused a severe food crisis across Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya that threatens the livelihood of more than 13.3 million people...
in the summer of 2011. Funds for the project were raised partly through RedR’s East Africa Appeal.
Bespoke Training
RedR provides an international bespoke training and consultancy service, covering all major aspects of humanitarian work. Disciplines include: Security Management, Personal Security, Training of Trainers for the Humanitarian Sector, Project Management in Emergencies, and Logistics.RedR tailor their existing modules or devise new courses to meet the needs of an organisation they are training. RedR trainers go to these organisations wherever they around the world
World
World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
, as opposed to RedR Country Programmes.
In 2010/2011 RedR delivered 51 bespoke
Bespoke
Bespoke is a term employed in a variety of applications to mean an item custom-made to the buyer's specification...
courses in 21 countries worldwide; training 1,417 people.
Recruitment Service
RedR provides a recruitment service for aid agencies, governments and private sectorPrivate sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
companies responding to major disasters through its Member’s register, which currently has a pool of about 1,700 specialists. RedR’s recruitment register focuses on all areas of the humanitarian sector
Humanitarianism
In its most general form, humanitarianism is an ethic of kindness, benevolence and sympathy extended universally and impartially to all human beings. Humanitarianism has been an evolving concept historically but universality is a common element in its evolution...
, but specialises in engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
, logistics
Logistics
Logistics is the management of the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of destination in order to meet the requirements of customers or corporations. Logistics involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, warehousing, material handling, and packaging, and...
, security
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
, and management consultants.
- Following the Asian Tsunami 2004, RedR provided 79 people within the first three months.
- Following the Pakistan Earthquake 2005, RedR provided 80 people within the first three months.
- Following Cyclone NargisCyclone NargisCyclone Nargis , was a strong tropical cyclone that caused the worst natural disaster in the recorded history of Burma. The cyclone made landfall in Burma on Friday, May 2, 2008, causing catastrophic destruction and at least 138,000 fatalities...
, MyanmarMyanmarBurma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
2008, 140 RedR members were waiting to be deployed as and when they were needed.
Technical Support Service
RedR provides free onlineONLINE
ONLINE is a magazine for information systems first published in 1977. The publisher Online, Inc. was founded the year before. In May 2002, Information Today, Inc. acquired the assets of Online Inc....
technical advice to humanitarian agencies and aid workers worldwide. This service gives access to 150 technical experts – including aid workers, academics and specialists from the corporate sector - who aim to reply to any query within 24–48 hours.
Vision, Mission and Values
RedR states its visionVision
Vision or visions may refer to:* Visual perception, interpreting what is seen* Visual system, the sensory mechanism of eyesight* Vision , inspirational experiences* Hallucination, vivid conscious perception in the absence of a stimulus...
is a ‘world in which sufficient competent and committed personnel are available and responding to humanitarian needs.’
RedR believes in the provision of humanitarian assistance to people wherever it is needed to relieve suffering
Suffering
Suffering, or pain in a broad sense, is an individual's basic affective experience of unpleasantness and aversion associated with harm or threat of harm. Suffering may be qualified as physical or mental. It may come in all degrees of intensity, from mild to intolerable. Factors of duration and...
and sickness
Sickness
Sickness may refer to:* Illness* Disease* Nausea* Sickness behaviorIn popular culture:* The Sickness, an album by Disturbed* The Sickness , a book in the Animorphs series...
.
A key idea they integrate when responding to disasters is that people
People
People is a plurality of human beings or other beings possessing enough qualities constituting personhood. It has two usages:* as the plural of person or a group of people People is a plurality of human beings or other beings possessing enough qualities constituting personhood. It has two usages:*...
and communities affected by disasters themselves should be empowered to develop skills for immediate and future disaster response
Disaster response
Disaster response is a phase of the disaster management cycle. Its preceding cycles aim to reduce the need for a disaster response, or to avoid it altogether.The level of disaster response depends on a number of factors and particular situation awareness...
.
Other RedR Organisations
- RedR Australia (1992)
- RedR New Zealand (1994)
- RedR Canada (2001)
- RedR India (2003)
- RedR South Africa (2005)
- RedR Malaysia (2005)
- RedR Lanka (2010)