We’re already halfway through the first full month of 2025. Wow! I’ve been posting to my personal “X” account almost every day regarding my work or thoughts regarding IDRN. I thought it would be interesting to see how AI might make sense of my various posts. Note, I’ve been writing on whatever is striking me...
There is a very real and recurring challenge that almost always comes up during any larger disaster event and the subsequent response efforts. The challenge is when “regular people” bump into the professional responders. This is not always a problem. Most of the time, there is a way to minimize friction and get everyone working...
Here’s a commitment I recently made to an audience in Seoul: I promise that before we are able to activate the basic functionality of the new version of IDRN, there will be major events that will highlight what the International Disaster Response Network seeks to address. It’s disheartening to see that prediction come to fruition...
To attend the December 6-10, 2024, International Disaster Response Network (IDRN) Gathering in Istanbul, Turkey, each attendee must complete and submit the following form. DETAILS PLEASE NOTE the VENUE has changed AS OF NOVEMBER 23, 2024. Please disregard previous venue information and use this information below! Our meetings will BEGIN on Friday, December 6th, with dinner and END on Tuesday,...
We congratulate IDRN South Korea and Together International for a great meeting! The August 27-30, 2024 gathering in Seoul, South Korea, concluded this past Friday. We will hopefully be seeing official stats and media in the coming days, but we want to acknowledge the hard work, resources, and love you poured into this event. We...
If you encountered the previous POST entitled “Spin Up Time” – consider this the second verse of that song – just with some additional detail you can use in setting your own expectations. Setting Expectations Everyone has expectations – whether they realize it or not. After hearing our vision, you may not need any additional...
Disappointment often stems from unmet expectations. We’ve all experienced it: feeling let down when someone is rude or when a meal doesn’t live up to the hype. While unexpected events can bring joy, it’s hard to be truly disappointed if you had no expectations to begin with. That’s why it’s important to set realistic expectations...
IDRN’s desire to foster “new and better collaboration” involves far more than meets the eye. Growing up in west Texas, you could drive for miles without seeing another car. When you did, it was customary to wave—a simple act of politeness. A friend from the former USSR found this inconceivable, leading to some laughs. However, this...
Q: IDRN emphasizes the grassroots aspect of our network. Why? A: Most disaster response efforts could benefit from more informed grassroots engagement. First, let us revisit things that are opposite of grassroots. Top-down. Highly structured. Corporate. Government. Elite. An establishment or power structure proactively shaping a culture or society with an agenda. Whatever word one...
May 2024 is an important month as we are consolidating what has been learned from the past 8 months of meetings, travel, and introductions. We will be working to significantly increase and improve the clarity of what the International Disaster Response Network (IDRN) will look like in the future. The initial and specific plans we...