Agire: Italy’s new humanitarian response network

To act and to act fast. Humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters require strong networks of organisations ready to respond with aid and support. Today, thanks to a brand new network called Agire (“act”),Italy is one step closer to the world’s needy. Agire, which has been launched by twelve of the largest humanitarian organisations in the country and hopes to equal other European emergency response networks, brings together the two committees that have, until now, responded to emergencies: Italia Aiuta and the Agenzia italiana per le risposte alle emergenze.

A bit of history

Italia Aiuta was launched during the 2004 emergency in Darfur after Italian civil society mobilized in favour of the African country. It became clear that a permanent committee was needed to respond to wars, natural disasters and other emergencies and in 2006 the Agenzia italiana per le risposte alle emergenze was established as well.

From now on Agire will be the only network, coordinated by such NGOs as ActionAid, Cesvi, Cisp, Coopi, Cosy, Gvc, Intersos, Save the Children, Terre des Hommes, Vis and WWF. An alliance that will also count with the cooperation of strategic corporate partners like the major phone operators (Tim, Telecom, Vodafone, H3g), the media (Rai, La7 and Sky), the Italian Post (Poste italiane), the Banca Populare di Milano and publishing house Feltrinelli.

 “The aim is to create an efficient mechanism to mobilize private funds and that can guarantee maximum transparency”, explains Marco Bertotto, the agency’s neo director. The emergencies network has established a direct line with the media and phone operators that will be activated instantly as soon as Agire decides to launch a fundraising appeal for a particular humanitarian emergency. “The agency aims to be both an efficient fundraising tool and a concrete answer to humanitarian crises, which are estimated to affect 300 million people in the world every year and that, therefore, constitute a problem for the whole world”, explains Bertotto. “Which is why we have decided to count on a wide range of different partners”.  

Francesco Tuffarelli, in charge of international relations at Sky Italia, talks about the “mutual advantage” involved in Agire’s partnerships: “Aid workers on the field have become an important source of information for our news networks as round the clock information from across the world is a huge plus for channels like Sky Tg24. This is even more so during emergencies, where events change rapidly and constant updates are necessary”. Agire has signed an agreement with Sky: “There will be a permanent table and a series of simple procedures that will facilitate cooperation”, explains Tuffarelli.

More good news from the phone companies. “Agire will be able to raise funds through charity text messaging, made more effective by the fact that there will be a single number per cause,” explains Luca Gelli, who is in charge of Telecom Italia’s Csr unit and who is enthusiastic about the launch of a single network for all Italian aid responses. “Our company has developed a complex system of relationships with non profit organizations. Until now any single emergency would mean that several, up to 20 different organizations would apply for separate numbers for the same appeal. Not only is this efficient, it also means that for each application the phone company has to ensure the greatest transparency, which is much more time consuming than having to cope with one account. Increased transparency is at the heart of the new partnership”.

Agire will be made up of an ethical committee – presided by peace expert Gianni Rufini and that will include the president of ActionAid.  Other partners and external representatives from the world of enterprise and the media will also be part of the executive board.

According to Bertotto, “this single network places Italy in line with the rest of Europe”. In particular, with the UK where, he explains, “Dec-Disasters emergency committee has managed to create a strong alliance with the media, particularly the BBC”.

Following the 2004 the tsunami that hit South Asia, private donations in Italy (by text message and other kinds of donations) amounted to 53 million euros. In the UK, Dec raised 270 million single-handedly and through phone messages alone.  

www.agire.it

 

Spotlight on Europe

Switzerland: Swiss solidarity

Encompassing 30 different organisations, a 14 strong secretariat and management costs covered entirely by the bank interests generated by the sums raised, Glueckskette is Switzerland’s answer to global emergencies. Launched following a SBC radio show in 1946, it only became an independent organisation in 1983. Most funds are raised through phone marathons.

www.glueckskette.ch

 

Belgium: Consortium for emergency situations

Their first appeal dates back to 1979 (Somalia) and they raised 54 million euros for the 2004 tsunami. Caritas, Doctors of the World, Handicap International, Oxfam and Unicef Belgium all adhere to it. It is not a stable organization, but a network that is established each time it is required in answer to specific humanitarian emergencies.

www.1212.be

 

Germany: Aktion Deutschland Hilft

One of three German networks and founded in 2001 by ten of the country’s main humanitarian organizations, it deals with national emergencies as well as international ones. It is currently attempting to create a single network by joining forces with the two similar networks that also exist in Germany. In 2008 it raised 4 million euros.

www.aktion-deutschland-hilft.de

 

The Netherlands: Samenwerkende Hulporganisaties

As in Belgium, this network of 8 humanitarian organizations (including the Red Cross, Unicef, Oxfam, Churches and Cordaid) does not have a secretariat noris it a stable organization, rather it is created in order to launchappeals – usually around 2 per year – and to fundraise. 220 million euros were raised in the 2004 tsunami appeal.  

www.samenwerkendehulporganisaties.nl