The official launch of the DCHI & RVO humanitarian accelerator programme on energy 2020
Joined by over 80 participants, DCHI together with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs kicked offto accelerate energy transformation for humanitarian aid, during our recent Focal Point Café on 17 September. We are very excited that so manyorganisationshave committed to participating in our programme, taking us a step closer to realising the energy transition in the humanitarian sector.
Following the success of previous programmes, such as AMPERE and Lighting for Learning, DCHI and RVO have launched the second Humanitarian Accelerator Programme (HAP) for Access to Modern Energy (AME). Access to modern and clean energy is a precondition for social wellbeing and economic development. The energy transformation in humanitarian aid is still relatively new, and leaves many unknown aspects to be explored. Luckily, the movement is growing!
Humanitarian needs & solutions
To foster and fuel the energy experts, to enable access for everyone, DCHI and RVO invited humanitarian organization to join their Accelerator Programme. Roza Freriks and Marcel Raats started their presentation with excitement to collaborate with all organisations in the programme. “In the next stages of the programme even more actors will be involved and we will open up for partner engagement to define energy needs and match to solutions.”
During the event, Marriët Schuurman, the Director Stabilisation and Humanitarian Aid at the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs marked the official launch with a highly motivating speech: “I am very pleased to see that so many different actors have joined the coalition, and to see 14 humanitarian organisations have opened themselves up to a new way of working. We are excited to learn with you through this journey.”
We would like to congratulate our 14 participating organisations for joining us on this innovative journey and embracing another way of approaching humanitarian work:
Artsen Zonder Grenzen, CARE, Dorcas, Habitat for Humanity, Kaalo, Mercy Corps, Mercy Ships, Oxfam Novib, Plan, Save the Children, Stichting Vluchteling, Tear, UNICEF en ZOA.
We Have To Act Now
Thomas Fohgrub presented how Global Plan of Action – https://www.humanitarianenergy.org/ – is acting to convert Energy in Displacement Settings into a directive for SDG7.
To open the sustainable energy market and enable its full capabilities and capacity for humanitarian actors UNHCR introduced the Clean Energy Challenge. Prince Jaime de Bourbon de Parme encouraged interdisciplinair and cross-border collaboration in his appealing and strong call to act now. > See the speech here.
Forward Looking
As these organisations enter the next phase of our accelerator programme, there will be an opportunity to contribute to their specific energy challenges. Keep an eye on our website and our social media for more information in the coming months!
Read more about the launch on the RVO site (Dutch)
Access to Modern Energy Programme
Access to Modern Energy is increasingly recognized as an area of humanitarian concern. If communities affected by crises go without proper access to energy, it becomes impossible for them to meet the basic needs of life. The programme enables humanitarian organisations to be the catalysts for tackling specific energy challenges, whilst opening themselves up to receiving the knowledge and business insights from energy experts and private-sector partnerships. Ultimately, the projects will provide local insights for humanitarian partnerships to enable cost efficiency and improve quality of humanitarian work.
