Five minutes with… Elise Belcher

The Salvation Army’s International Emergency Services Team has been busy this year. All the World’s editor, Rebecca Parish caught up with Elise Belcher who has recently returned to work at The Salvation Army and who is sharing her significant experience with the team based at International Headquarters (IHQ).

You’ve recently taken on the role of Strategy, Partnership, Policy and Communications Lead in The Salvation Army’s International Emergency Services team (IES). What brought you to this point in your career? 

Having coordinated The Salvation Army’s community development portfolio for Africa (part of the International Development Services team [IDS]) from 2012 to 2018, I’ve spent the last eight years completing short-term contracts: a year in Uganda with a local child rights organisation; a year with the TSA international development team in Sweden; four years with the Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction (GMDR) and two years working as a consultant for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Oxfam, Medecins Sans Frontiers and others.

I never expected to return to IHQ, but when the new role was advertised, I felt that I had something to offer again.  

Elise at work in different locations during her previous tenure at The Salvation Army

For someone meeting you for the first time, how would you describe yourself away from the job title?

My 104-year-old great uncle once described me as a strong woman! It’s a fairly decent and somewhat accurate description I’d say.

Was there a particular experience or moment that first made you care deeply about humanitarian or emergency work? 

I was nine years old and my family was watching the news. Kate Adie (BBC) was reporting on the genocide taking place in Rwanda, and I remember thinking, even at that age, I wanted to do something to help.  

Emergency response can involve some incredibly difficult stories. What helps you stay hopeful?

A friend, who does not have faith and has worked in some incredibly difficult situations including war zones, recently said to me, ‘I went to a church and sat in silence on the back row. Sitting in a church is the only place I find hope in the world right now.’ That’s helped me stay hopeful, as have other individual moments and words. Zechariah 8:4-5 gives me hope as well: ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each of them with cane in hand because of their age. The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there”.   

My 104-year-old great uncle once described me as a strong woman! It’s a fairly decent and somewhat accurate description I’d say.

Why are good communications so important during an emergency? What can effective storytelling or information-sharing actually change on the ground? 

In a world of misinformation and fake news, it is critical to get the facts straight so the right course of action can be taken. In a world of bite-size news and one-minute snippets, it is essential to engage people in the right way so that stories reach and stay in the public domain. In a world of division and inequality, it is more important than ever to listen to those most affected by disasters. It is their experiences that should be driving any change whether locally, nationally or internationally. Their reality might not change quickly, but effective communication directs policy and practice to improve their situation. Aside from politics, taking time to listen to those in crisis simply can be a source of comfort to them.    

There can sometimes be a tension between telling powerful stories and protecting the dignity of people experiencing trauma. How do you approach that? 

It’s tricky… I guess always asking for consent to share their stories and photos goes a long way; people should know where their picture might end up. I also try to stay clear of portraying people as victims or countries facing disasters as somehow of lower status than other countries. Words used to describe experiences should always be their own. 

On the partnerships side, who does International Emergency Services need to work with for an effective response – within The Salvation Army and beyond it?

Communities must be at the heart of our partnership. Whether we call it locally led, localised or area-based response, the principle is the same: corps (churches) and centres should be equipped with the knowledge, resources and partners needed to respond effectively in their community. That means working alongside churches, faith groups, local organisations and others, with community members themselves represented and empowered to lead.

From an IES perspective, we need strong partnerships with The Salvation Army in countries facing disaster, supporting both preparedness and response. Many others have a role to play too, from those raising funds to those providing technical expertise. By combining our strengths, we can increase our impact and ultimately save more lives.

Partnership must begin before disaster strikes. Building alliances with national and international organisations involved in forecasting, funding and preparedness can enable action to begin as soon as a threat is identified. Just as importantly, we need close links with programmes that build resilience and address underlying risks such as poverty, discrimination, exploitation and inequality. Reducing those vulnerabilities can help prevent hazards becoming disasters and tensions escalating into conflict.

It is more important than ever to listen to those most affected by disasters. It is their experiences that should be driving any change whether locally, nationally or internationally.

What does a strong partnership look like during a disaster, when circumstances are changing rapidly and decisions need to be made quickly? 

It looks like neighbours that have become good friends. It means we already know who we are working with; what they can and can’t offer; what they’re good at; what we’re best placed to do and who to contact. Working out the best way to partner in an emergency before it happens, means that quick decisions and addressing rapidly changing circumstances will happen with far greater ease and lead to far greater impact.

What would surprise people about the work that goes on behind the scenes?

People are surprised at how small our team is at IHQ. We do need more staff capacity, but ultimately, we can remain a tight unit because of a locally-led response which includes an incredible number of expert volunteers around the world who are ready to support whenever and however they are needed.

A Salvation Army Officer in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) displaying the posters created to educate people about the transmission of Ebola

How important is the existing Salvation Army presence in a country when an emergency happens? 

Vital. Not having a presence makes response much harder, but not impossible. Aside from legal restrictions, local and national knowledge, partnerships, capacities and shared experience go a long way in terms of achieving impactful preparedness, response and recovery.

Is there a danger that international attention moves on much faster than communities are able to recover? What happens after the cameras leave?

Yes, unfortunately, when the media attention moves on, funding often follows. Globally, humanitarian funding is insufficient, and disasters or conflict leave complex realities behind. There are extraordinary stories of people overcoming the odds, quieter stories of struggle and recovery, and many others who remain even more vulnerable to future crises.

When the cameras leave, I hope The Salvation Army doesn’t. Whether through funding, time, advocacy or simple acts of kindness, we should stand alongside communities until they no longer need assistance to recover and are able to access their legal, social and democratic rights, strengthen their resilience and shape their own future.

You’ve arrived in this role at an extraordinarily busy time for International Emergency Services. Which current emergencies are particularly occupying the team at the moment? 

In just two months, the team has supported Salvation Army territories responding to earthquakes in Indonesia, the Philippines, Venezuela, Japan and Colombia; an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda; and a forced displacement crisis across South Africa, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, triggered by calls in South Africa for stricter immigration laws.

It has been an exceptionally busy period, even for a team accustomed to emergencies. At times I’ve felt overwhelmed by the scale of it. The loss and damage are devastating, but in just eight weeks The Salvation Army has reached tens of thousands of people at moments when they have needed vital support most.

The earthquakes in Venezuela have caused devastating loss and disruption. What has The Salvation Army response there shown you about the strengths – and challenges – of emergency work?

What stands out most is the strength of partnership. We don’t have a corps in the affected area, but another church has provided our team with a base, internet access, a vehicle and food while they coordinate relief. International partners have also stepped up, providing pallets of desperately needed supplies.

I was sent a video of a man searching the rubble every day for three family members, including a six-year-old child. His story was deeply moving. One of the greatest challenges is knowing that lives have changed forever in an instant, while working out how The Salvation Army can best respond to such a large-scale crisis with limited staff and resources.

Salvation Army volunteers at work following the recent earthquakes in Venezuela

What Beyond the immediate provision of food, water, shelter and other essentials, what are communities likely to need in the weeks and months ahead?

Above all, communities need the opportunity to make their own decisions. Food, water and shelter provide vital relief – a moment to breathe – but, as soon as possible, people affected by disaster and conflict need to be involved in deciding what comes next.

There are extraordinary stories of people overcoming the odds, quieter stories of struggle and recovery, and many others who remain even more vulnerable to future crises.

We’re also seeing flooding, hurricanes and outbreaks of diseases such as Ebola. Are there common principles that underpin The Salvation Army’s response even though every emergency is different? 

Without discrimination. I’m proud to work for an organisation that seeks to support people according to need, rather than locality or affiliation. We also work according to the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence, while remaining accountable to the people we serve.

Climate-related emergencies are becoming an increasingly significant part of humanitarian work. Is that changing the way International Emergency Services thinks about preparedness as well as response?

Yes. Disaster risk reduction and the connection between preparedness, response, recovery and development have become increasingly important across the humanitarian sector. Climate change has pushed us to think beyond simply responding after disaster strikes.

In my previous role with GNDR, I was part of a group exploring how local organisations could undertake anticipatory action – acting before a predicted disaster occurs. I hope to bring more of this thinking into The Salvation Army’s emergency practice. 

What does it mean to you that The Salvation Army is responding as both a humanitarian organisation and a Christian church?

It gives us a profound responsibility to act with accountability, justice and careful stewardship of the resources entrusted to us. It also gives us an extraordinary opportunity to stand alongside communities before, during and after disasters – building resilience and peace and reducing disaster risk. We need to keep exploring how best to embed that within our wider mission.

What do you enjoy doing to relax outside of work?

I play hockey, support Bristol Rovers, run, climb Munros (mountains) and cycle. None of those things is particularly relaxing, but they help me switch off from work! I also love spending time with family and friends.

What’s something about you that your new colleagues at IHQ probably don’t know yet?

I can knit. Sort of. Badly.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Definitely a morning person.

What piece of advice would you give to a young person wanting to pursue a similar career in emergency services?

Watch the news. Understand what is happening in the world, who is making decisions and what consequences those decisions have. Develop skills in people, project and financial management. The work behind the scenes can be just as important as technical expertise.

Volunteer in your community, particularly alongside marginalised people or those needing social support. Above all, learn how to connect with people whose backgrounds and experiences are different from your own. Sharing life with others will shape your outlook more than you can imagine.