Growing the Sphere network in China

Representatives of ten organizations working in China met to discuss collaboration on promoting Sphere standards across the country.

By Chris Wong (*)

Ten organisations involved in humanitarian action gathered in Sichuan Province last November to develop collective plans to promote Sphere principles and standards across the country. Participants shared their current Sphere dissemination work, the development of the Core Humanitarian Standard and the outcomes of a recent visit to the Sphere Project office in Geneva.

Participants in the gathering represented the China NGO Centre for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Institute of Disaster Management and Reconstruction of Sichuan University and Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Mercy Corps, the Narada Foundation, Oxfam Hong Kong, Save the Children, Show You, Win in Life and the Zhuoming Disaster Information Service.

On the basis of an evaluation of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) as well as a stakeholder analysis, participants defined the goals and activities of their joint promotion plan and the structure of the Sphere network in China.

The involved organisations aim to disseminate Sphere among NGOs to help them build a common language and approach to humanitarian standards, as well as to motivate them to put standards into practice. They also expect to introduce Sphere standards to the government and other relevant actors like mass media.

To achieve the above goals, the action plan for 2016 includes organising training activities for local NGOs and an international conference, integrating humanitarian standards in university courses and seminars, developing a learning network among local NGOs and the translation of the Sphere Training Package 2015.

Each action has a lead organisation to coordinate and facilitate its detailed implementation. We will share additional information as the activities are implemented.

(*) Chris Wong is Humanitarian and Disaster Risk Management Programme Officer at the China Programme Unit of Oxfam Hong Kong.