Launch of the Anticipation Hub – 8th Dec 2020

Acting ahead of disasters reduces losses and suffering, and protects lives and livelihoods.

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The German Red Cross, together with the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are pleased to announce the official launch of the Anticipation Hub that took place today at the Global Dialogue Platform on Anticipatory Humanitarian Action.

The Anticipation Hub is a one-stop-shop for knowledge exchange, learning and guidance on anticipatory action that brings together 60+ partners across the Red Cross Red Crescent movement, universities, research institutes, NGOs, UN agencies, governments and network initiatives, with funding support from the German Federal Foreign Office. These partners include long-established organisations working on anticipatory action, such as START Network, World Food Programme, and UN OCHA, as well as organisations who have more recently entered this community. The Anticipation Hub strongly encourages new partners, including governments, to join us and support this urgent shift of the humanitarian system. Overall, the Anticipation Hub aims to support and empower these actors to jointly enable effective anticipatory humanitarian action in practice, at greater pace and scale, to reduce loss and suffering of communities ahead of disasters.

Read the quotes below to find out more about what happened during the launch session:

“We have reached a stage where we don’t have to prove the relevance and effectiveness of anticipatory approaches; they save lives and mitigate humanitarian impacts more effectively, using less money, and more dignified.”
Thomas Zahneisen, Director Humanitarian Assistance, German Federal Foreign Office

“The hub is really about connecting the experiences on the ground. There is an appetite for anticipation and working together on it.”
Maarten van Aalst, Director, Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre

“More. Better. Together. What’s important is to not only focus on the ‘more’ but as well on the better and together. It is our ambition that the Anticipation Hub will have a key role to play here.”
Christof Johnen, Head of International Cooperation, German Red Cross

“We can and we will do more and better, if we do it together.”
Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)

“The Anticipation Hub is ONLINE! The Hub is by you and for you. I would like to invite you to fill it with knowledge”
Alexandra Rüth, Head of the Anticipation Hub, German Red Cross

The Anticipation Hub is an online space for practitioners, scientists and policymakers to continuously engage, share learnings and exchange knowledge in between the Global and Regional Dialogue events, which took place virtually this year. The Anticipation Hub will stimulate learning, innovation and exchange between those who develop and apply tools, methodologies and evidence related to anticipatory action. It will provide guidance and support connecting different specialists and users to identify solutions. Together with other initiatives such as the Risk-Informed Early Action Partnership (REAP), it will promote lasting change through sustained policy & advocacy efforts to mainstream anticipatory approaches within the development and humanitarian systems.

The online platform includes features such as an interactive global map highlighting anticipatory action related activities on a country by country basis, a centralised database of project reports, publications and methodologies, as well as an overview of different networks, forums and working groups that are facilitating anticipatory action at the global, regional and local level. The Anticipation Hub will facilitate innovation, cross fertilization of ideas and open discussion between users through joint webinars, discussion forums, working groups and more.

The Anticipation Hub welcomes content submissions and new partnerships to help make knowledge on anticipatory action more easily accessible for everyone.

Please get in touch by email if you want to learn more anticipation-hub@drk.de.