Photo By Rufino Ballesteros | A group of approximately 30 civilian and military experts in disaster response...... read more read more
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii – More than 30 civilian and military experts in disaster response gathered Sept. 3-5 for the fifth iteration of FOCUS IN, an event hosted by Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (CFE-DM) in Honolulu.
The three-day event included group discussions with experts from international civilian and regional organizations, academia, and military experts to discuss future needs and challenges for Disaster Response in the Indo-Pacific Region.
This year’s event focuses on Future Need and Opportunities for Civilian-Military Coordination in the Indo-Pacific.
With a growing interest in the changing landscape of foreign disaster response processes, structure, and capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region, FOCUS IN 2025 provided a platform to facilitate these dialogues bringing together professionals from vital civilian and military sectors.
Day 1 moderator-led discussions included topics such as “Building Resilience in a Volatile World: Adapting to Evolving Disaster Landscapes;” “Beyond Training: Developing Expertise for Complex Crises Response;” and “DOD Foreign Disaster Response.”
Day 2 topics included, “Deconstructing the Disaster Response Ecosystem: Identifying Gaps and Overlaps in Civ-Mil Coordination;” “Re-Engineering Collaboration: Building a Unified Framework for Civ-Mil Disaster Response;” “A Conversation with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement;” and “AI-Powered CMCoord: Hype vs. Reality in the Disaster Zone.”
Day 3 topics included “Beyond the Algorithm: Collaboration in an AI-Driven Disaster Response.”
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), Australian Civil-Military Centre (ACMC), International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the World Food Programme (WFP) also provided Partner Briefs to give military partners a better understanding of the civilian organization’s roles and responsibilities.
The first FOCUS IN event dates back to 2014 when Joseph Martin, CFE-DM Director, wanted to create an event to initiate dialogue and get like-minded individuals in a room to discuss civil-military topics.
"I want to thank all of you for your thoughtful and engaging conversations over these past three days," said Martin. "It’s not often that we can get people from these agencies together in one room to discuss these important topics."
Experts from the following organizations attended: U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; U.S. Pacific Fleet; U.S. Army Pacific; U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific; Pacific Air Forces; Pacific Disaster Center; U.S. Department of Defense Under Secretary of Defense for Policy; Special Operations Command Pacific; Australian Civil-Military Centre; International Committee of the Red Cross; International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Office for Asia and the Pacific; World Food Programme; U.S. State Department Stabilization Office; and the U.S. Coast Guard.
| Date Taken: | 09.09.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.09.2025 20:00 |
| Story ID: | 547708 |
| Location: | HONOLULU, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 71 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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