On May 25, Devex honored Japan’s relief community at a networking event in Tokyo. More than 130 participants gathered to exchange ideas with featured guest speakers about ways to respond to the devastating earthquake and tsunami that rocked the country in March.
Participants came from the public and private sectors and included representatives from international aid organizations, development consulting firms and private companies.
Unlike past Devex International Development Happy Hours, this event featured presentations on the situation in Tohoku as well as strategies for rebuilding this region in northeastern Honshu, which was most affected by the March 11 quake and its aftermath.
Presenters included staff from international NGOs which normally conduct relief operations in less developed countries, as well as others who decided just after the fateful day in March to start supporting people in Tohoku on a voluntary basis through a variety of efforts, such as gathering scholarship funds for affected students or using social media to organize assistance.
Event participants wrote messages to the people in Tohoku that will be delivered in the coming days by NGOs working on the ground there. Devex is donating part of the event’s admissions fees to a support fund.
More news on Japan relief:
Coordinating Japan Emergency Relief: A Conversation with JACL’s Floyd Mori
1 Month After the Quake: A Devex Update About Japan Relief Efforts
Ways to Donate to Japan, Pacific Relief Efforts
Read more Japan development news.
