scholarly journals Fostering Children’s Participation in Disaster Risk Reduction Through Play: A Case Study of LEGO and Minecraft

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loïc Le Dé ◽  
JC Gaillard ◽  
Anthony Gampell ◽  
Nickola Loodin ◽  
Graham Hinchliffe
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Risk Reduction ◽  
Video Game ◽  
Disaster Risk Reduction ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Child Centered ◽  
Children’S Participation ◽  
Children's Participation

AbstractThis article focuses on children’s participation in disaster risk reduction. It draws on a 2018 study done in New Zealand with 33 school children who conducted participatory mapping with LEGO and the video game Minecraft to assess disaster risk in their locality and identify ways to be more prepared. The research involved participatory activities with the children actively involved in the co-design, implementation, and evaluation of the initiative. A focus group discussion was also conducted to assess the project from the viewpoint of the schoolteachers. The results indicate that LEGO and Minecraft are playful tools for children to participate in disaster risk reduction. The research identifies four key elements of genuine children’s participation, including the Participants, Play, the Process, and Power (4 Ps). This framework emphasizes that fostering children’s participation in disaster risk reduction requires focusing on the process through which children gain power to influence decisions that matter to them. The process, through play, is child-centered and fosters ownership. The article concludes that Play is essential to ground participation within children’s worldviews and their networks of friends and relatives.

scholarly journals A review of children’s participation in disaster risk reduction

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chipo Muzenda-Mudavanhu
Keyword(s):  
Risk Reduction ◽  
Disaster Risk Reduction ◽  
Community Resilience ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Knowledge Gap ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Potential Value ◽  
Children’S Participation ◽  
Children's Participation

Children are often excluded from disaster risk reduction (DRR) activities, yet they are one of the most vulnerable groups to disasters. As a result, they experience physical, psychological and educational vulnerabilities. There is lack of research on children’s participation in DRR and their potential value in strengthening community resilience has been largely overlooked. Therefore, this article highlights the existing research and knowledge gap in children’s participation in DRR. It highlights the existing research and knowledge gap by reviewing literature on the concept of children’s participation in DRR. The article analyses the different ways in which children’s participation in DRR has been conceptualised, and how this has influenced the way children are involved in DRR. The study will then explore the obstacles to involving children and their potential contribution in DRR.

Participatory child-centered disaster risk reduction education: an innovative Chinese NGO program

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Lu ◽  
Lai Wei ◽  
Binxin Cao ◽  
Jianqiang Li
Keyword(s):  
Risk Reduction ◽  
Education Program ◽  
Disaster Risk Reduction ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
School Based ◽  
Child Centered

PurposeDisaster risk reduction (DRR) researchers and practitioners have found that schools can play a critical role in DRR education, with many Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) developing initiatives to actively involve children in DRR education programs. This paper reports on a case study on an innovative Chinese NGO school-based program focused on participatory child-centered DRR (PCC-DRR) education, from which a PCC-DRR education framework was developed so that similar programs could be replicated, especially in developing countries.Design/methodology/approachAfter nearly a year of research involving follow-up interviews, fieldwork and secondary data collection from annual reports, news reports and official websites, a case study was conducted on the PCC-DRR education program developed by the One Foundation (OF), a resource-rich NGO in China, that focused on its education strategies and project practice in Ya'an following the 2013 Lushan earthquake.FindingsBased on constructivist theory, the OF developed a PCC-DRR education program that had four specific branches: teacher capacity building, child DRR education, campus risk management and campus safety culture, which was then implemented in 115 schools and consequently evaluated as being highly effective.Originality/valueThe innovative OF PCC-DRR education program adds to theoretical and practical DRR education research as a “best practice” case. Because the proposed framework is child-centered, participatory and collaborative, it provides excellent guidance and reference for countries seeking to develop school-based DRR education programs.

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