Wheaton College Alumni Magazine Spring 2014 | Page 8

WHEATON news

HDI Equips Churches to Respond to Typhoon
months before the
“As a result of the conference, pastors
strongest and deadliest Philippine typhoon
and NGOs have reported they are better
on record made landfall,Wheaton’s
equipped to respond to the immediate
Humanitarian Disaster Institute (HDI)
needs of the disaster,” says Dr. Jamie
led a Solidarity in Disaster Management
Aten, HDI’s founder and co-director.
Conference in the Philippines in
“Conference participants have also stated
partnership with the Philippine Council
they are thankful for the new relationships
of Evangelical Churches (PCEC), Micah
formed at the conference that allowed
Network, Integral Alliance, and World
them to work together more effectively in
Evangelical Alliance.
responding to the disaster.”
With about 160 church leaders from 16
The conference was part of a larger
different countries throughout Southeast
HDI project, funded by the Maclellan
Asia in attendance, conference presenters,
Foundation, that aimed to equip local
including HDI Co-Director Dr. David
churches for disaster-related ministries and
Boan, HDI Faculty Fellow Dr. George
to test tools for improving coordination
Kalantzis, and Hazel Rosete Psy.D. ’17,
during a disaster. The project launched just
encouraged solidarity between local
before Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) hit the
churches, Christian non-governmental
Philippines, and it adapted accordingly.
organizations (NGOs), and parachurch
“HDI, working with the PCEC and
ministries in preparing for and responding
other PCEC supporters, changed the
to disasters. The conference concluded
project approach and began focusing on
with all members endorsing a written
supporting the disaster relief effort, while
commitment to pursue greater solidarity
simultaneously building in strategies that
among Christian ministries by networking would continue after the relief effort,”
and sharing resources.
says Dr. Boan. “This meant focusing in
three areas: data collection and sharing
Less than two

(l to r) HDI
Faculty Fellow
Dr. George
Kalantzis,
Hazel Rosete
Psy.D. '17, and
HDI Co-Director
Dr. David Boan

about resources and needs, emotional and
spiritual care of survivors, and care of
relief workers.”
A matching grant from the Maclellan
Foundation has enabled HDI to continue
assisting churches affected by Haiyan.
HDI returned to the Philippines in
February to provide ongoing training and
to pilot new technology tools to increase
coordination efforts between local
churches and Christian NGOs responding
to the disaster.
Register for HDI’s 2nd Annual Disaster
Leadership Workshop taking place at
Wheaton College, June 10-12, 2014, at
wheaton.edu/hdi.

N

JAMIE ATEN

“Many Filipino pastors who at tended this 5-day consultation

have been directly impacted by Typhoon Haiyan ( Yolanda),
the Bohol /Cebu ear thquake, and the ongoing Zamboanga
Muslim rebel situation. The disa ster management training
they received before these recent events ha s been
invaluable.” — Mark McLeod, chaplain /adviser, World
م