What happens when the electricity goes out, communications are disrupted, information is conflicting, and people around you need help?
We invite you to join the resilience camp “Know. Act. Be Prepared.” to learn practical skills for responding to crisis situations alongside experienced specialists and strengthen both your own preparedness and that of your community.
If you want to strengthen your own resilience and, in turn, that of your community, sign up by completing a registration form.
From 30 October to 1 November, camp participants will have the opportunity to work with experienced specialists to:
📌 develop practical crisis preparedness skills, including radio communications, first aid and power supply solutions;
📌 learn to distinguish reliable information from misleading information;
📌 take part in a realistic crisis simulation led by LAPAS;
📌 identify the people, skills, locations and material resources available in their communities;
📌 plan how to establish a community safety and support point;
📌 develop a practical plan for applying the knowledge gained in their own communities.
All residents who wish to strengthen both their own preparedness and that of their communities for crises are welcome to apply. The camp is organised by the Civic Alliance of Latvia in cooperation with the association Latvian Platform for Development Cooperation (LAPAS), with the support of Ķekava Municipality.
The camp will focus not only on individual preparedness but also on the community and the resources at its disposal.
“A safe community is not one in which nothing challenging ever happens. A safe community is one where people know one another, are aware of the resources available to them and can act together when everyday life suddenly changes. At the camp, we want to give participants not only knowledge but also an opportunity to put it to the test in practice and then take that experience back to their communities,” says Barbara Freiberga, Administrative Manager of the Civic Alliance of Latvia’s ‘Safe Communities’ programme.
An important part of the camp will be a realistic crisis simulation organised by LAPAS, with the involvement of volunteers. Participants will have the opportunity to put their cooperation, communication and decision-making skills to the test in rapidly changing circumstances where not all the necessary information is available.
Participants will also simulate the establishment of a community safety and support point – a place that can become a centre for information, practical assistance and mutual support in a crisis. The camp will be led by specialists in civil protection, resilience, communication and other fields, all with practical experience in crisis situations.
During the final working groups, participants will develop a practical plan for applying the knowledge, methods and ideas they have gained in their own communities – discussing them with neighbours, identifying local resources, testing different models of cooperation and encouraging discussion about crisis preparedness.
The camp will take place at Daugmale Primary School in Ķekava Municipality. The school will serve not only as the camp venue: in cooperation with the school, members of the local school community are also expected to take part in selected activities.
The camp will conclude on 1 November, but its most important work will begin when participants return home – as the experience they have gained is put into practice in communities across Latvia.
Further information about the camp, its programme and practical arrangements will be published gradually in the resilience camp’s Facebook event.
The “Safe Communities” programme is part of the project “Strengthening Societal Resilience and Promoting Community Self-Organisation”, co-financed by European Union funds and the Latvian state budget.
(Translated with the help of DeepL Translate)
