During the lectures and workshops both international companies and idealistic organizations came together. On the first and only public day of the symposium they could inform themselves about new ideas for emergency relief during a series of lectures. In talks among the participants attention was devoted to the improvement of the material side and the way in which emergency relief is organized. New initiatives varied from innovative material for emergency shelters to the organization of emergency relief by regions located nearby. Now this is often arranged centrally from the West.
According to symposium director dr.ir. Peter Erkelens the three-day meeting was successful: “We have brought together a number of parties that can complement each other well.” Garrett Connelly, an American participant who introduced an innovative material consisting of cement and biological fibers, is also enthusiastic about ‘Innovative Sheltering’. “The mere fact that a symposium is organized about the issue of emergency relief is of major importance.
We have to realize that there are more people who are destitute than people living in fortunate material circumstances like you and I.”
Presentations of the lectures during ‘Innovative Sheltering’ can be read on www.innovativeshelter.tue.nl.