[Field Report] From the Frontlines of the Dormant Deposit Utilization Project (1) Making 'Friendly Evacuation Centers' the Norm. Level-Free Community Building Starting with Disaster Prevention.

The Japan Network for Public Interest Activities (Location: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Masaya Ninomiya; abbreviated as JANPIA) has launched and will regularly publish a series called 'Field Reports'. This series introduces on-the-ground initiatives under the dormant bank deposit utilization system, which supports the resolution of social issues that are difficult for the government to address alone. In the first installment, we introduce the activities of the general incorporated association 'Level Free' in Yamaguchi Prefecture, which is working to create 'Friendly Evacuation Centers' where anyone can evacuate with peace of mind. While evacuation centers during disasters are places to protect lives, they are also places where families with children suffering from food allergies, households with children with developmental disabilities, foreigners, and people with pets often easily feel anxious and bewildered. Because necessary considerations and support do not sufficiently reach them, cases where people hesitate to evacuate or end up isolated are not uncommon. In response to this situation, the general incorporated association Level Free is accumulating concrete initiatives while listening to small voices within the community. ■ Key Points of This Release - Promoting the creation of 'Friendly Evacuation Centers' originating from the anxious voices of people who struggle to receive consideration during disasters. - Co-developed an allergy-friendly soup kitchen kit in collaboration with a regional co-op (Co-op Yamaguchi). - Conducted disaster prevention training where foreign technical interns and local residents learn together. - Carried out overnight-in-car evacuation drills assuming evacuations accompanied by pets. - Forming face-to-face connections among diverse residents triggered by disaster prevention. ■ Background Evacuation centers during disasters are required to be safe and secure places for everyone. In reality, however, many people feel anxious about life in an evacuation center due to various circumstances such as food allergies, disabilities, language barriers, and evacuating with pets. Because these challenges are hard to see during normal times and often only become apparent during a disaster, the understanding and preparation across the community are not yet sufficient. Since there are aspects that the government cannot handle uniformly on its own, flexible and practical initiatives by private organizations have become crucial. ■ Initiatives on the Ground Based in Yamaguchi Prefecture, the general incorporated association Level Free is advancing efforts to spread 'Friendly Evacuation Centers' throughout the community where everyone can evacuate safely. The starting point of the activity was a small voice in daily life: 'My child has a food allergy, and I am worried if there will be food they can eat during a disaster.' From there, it developed into an initiative to rethink what evacuation centers should be like involving the entire community, while facing the feelings and situations of people from various standpoints, such as children with developmental disabilities, foreigners, and pet owners. In this project, they focused on 'Pork Bowl' as a soup kitchen meal that children with food allergies could also eat, and developed a seasoning kit jointly with Co-op Yamaguchi. By providing this along with manuals and display materials, they established a system that community leaders could easily put into practice. They have also rolled out practical applications collaborating with diverse entities, such as disaster prevention training where foreign technical interns and local residents learn together, and drills assuming overnight-in-car evacuations with pets. These initiatives also serve as opportunities to nurture community ties triggered by disaster prevention. Furthermore, based on these practices, they have produced the 'Friendly Evacuation Center Series' leaflets consisting of 'Soup Kitchen Edition', 'Overnight-in-Car Edition', 'Foreigner Edition', and 'Dog Edition', broadening their utilization in the community. ■ Community Ties Expanding from Disaster Prevention In this project, situations are emerging where diverse entities in the community connect newly through disaster prevention efforts. In the training involving foreign technical interns and local residents, relationships deepened as both sides, who initially had few points of contact, repeatedly interacted. This has led to participation in community events even after the training ended, serving as a catalyst for building everyday relationships. By collaborating with diverse entities such as companies, neighborhood associations, and government administration, efforts are being stacked to share voices of distress and accept them as a whole community. This serves as an example where the potential of community building originating from disaster prevention can be felt. ■ Click here for details (Dormant Deposit Utilization Platform) Details of this initiative can be viewed below. ⇒ https://www.kyuplat.com/media-channel/feature-article-levelfree-2603/ ■ Organization Overview Organization Name: General Incorporated Association Level Free Project Name: Project to Consider 'Friendly Evacuation Centers' Accommodating Diversity During Disasters Adopted Project Year: FY2022 General Framework Fund Distributing Organization: Specified Non-profit Corporation Hiroshima NPO Center - Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Tottori Citizens' Activity Activation Center - Specified Non-profit Corporation Yamaguchi Kenmin Net 21 - Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Furusato Shimane Teiju Foundation - Okayama NPO Center ■ Dormant