Hey there!
I’m Lorraine, a French-German crisis manager based in sunny California, and I’m delighted to welcome you to the first edition of Futurisk, a newsletter in which I merge my bread & butter, crisis management, with my passion for international relations and solving the climate crisis.
Why this, why now
Everywhere we look, rising natural, technological, and man-made hazards are affecting the way we live and work. As the climate changes, populations adapt, and the global world order evolves, we face novel risks that demand better foresight and preparedness.
Yet, to this day, the field of emergency management remains obscure with very few people, including leaders, realizing that a dedicated workforce exists across parts of the world. This workforce aims to limit the impact people and organizations face by pursuing disaster mitigation, preparedness, response & adaptation efforts.
In addition to a lack of visibility (which led me to create the Emergency Management Growth Initiative in 2020), I also believe that our profession, and thus the world, would be better suited if it applied a global lens and were more future-oriented. Nothing happens in a vacuum. New technology, new networks, and new social and political movements are constantly redesigning our everyday life. Looking past our own front yard is key in boosting our imagination and readiness levels.
What kind of community I’m looking to build here
One of my favorite aspects about crisis management is its collaborative nature. Many crisis managers carry the word “coordinator” in their job title. That’s because a big part of our job constitutes coordinating resources, whether it’s physical assets (think fire engines, N-95 masks and body bags) or human assets (people from various backgrounds whose skillsets, once combined, can solve any crisis).
There is so much power in bringing people together. With the nature and magnitude of crises rising in complexity - have you heard the new popular term ‘polycrisis’ yet? - it is vital we improve disaster literacy and work with non-traditional partners, like technologists, lawmakers, urban planners, conservationists, filmmakers, etc. to start effectively managing tomorrow’s threats.
So, whether you come from a crisis management background or you bring a completely different perspective and skillset, I hope you stick around to share and inspire.
Ready to make the jump?
My goal is to post on a monthly basis. Each issue will cover emerging risks and/or how we can improve our capacity to respond to crises. I’ll draw from recent events, podcasts, new policies, and the latest research.
You can subscribe for free and receive all my posts. Or, you can make a financial pledge and… receive all my posts. Either way, thank you very much for following along!