I was talking with local church leaders about how to help those displaced by the disaster, and I pulled out IAFR's Continuum of Response and asked if I could share it with them. It saved them a lot of pain and confusion as they responded to the crisis.

Unneeded Tents

"Several other groups brought in tents in an effort to help, but the tents weren't suitable for the local needs or the environment. Most people who had lost their homes moved in with other people in the area. The Continuum of Response helped them to slow down and evaluate what was helpful and necessary in their particular crisis context. It helped them to direct resources to maximize the benefits of the people being served. I share the Continuum with many churches and pastors serving displaced people around the Mediterranean. It's been such an important tool."

Prepared to Evacuate

"We've found it to be similarly useful in holistic decision-making," SJ, my colleague from France, agreed. She and I were teaching a workshop on IAFR's Continuum of Response at the Refugee Highway Partnership Roundtable.

"I was serving with Jonathan House in the Twin Cities during the crisis that followed George Floyd's murder in 2020. Our team had to decide whether to evacuate Jonathan House as the unrest neared our neighborhood. The Continuum of Response helped us realize that we needed to both ensure residents' security (red line) and consider their agency and emotional well-being (green line) in our response.

If we simply said, 'Things are not safe here; we need to leave,' that could retraumatize our forcibly displaced friends. We gathered everyone and explained what was happening in our cities, then asked whether or not people felt safe. We were prepared to evacuate if needed, but when we slowed down to listen, it was humbling to hear that because of both the physical shelter and the relationships of trust, people felt safest at Jonathan House." SJ shared.

When the War Started

"I wish we'd had access to this information two years ago," a Polish church leader involved in the Ukrainian crisis commented. "People were calling us and offering help when the war started, but we didn't feel like we knew what we were doing. We've just struggled through. But this tool helps make so much sense of how the crisis has unfolded and what response should look like in varying phases."

After the workshop, another colleague, Ilir, talked with the Polish man for several hours, offering support and encouragement as they explored the challenges of responding to a prolonged displacement crisis. I went away from our workshop encouraged and reminded that the training we provide helps make a difference for those serving on the front lines of displacement crises around the world.

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