Prompted into existence in 2004 by the humanitarian crisis in Sudan’s Darfur region, The Global Relief Alliance (GRA) is comprised of six North American agencies from AERDO and the Canadian Christian Relief and Development Association (CCRDA) that share their areas of unique expertise and resources in order to collaborate together with the goal of addressing the needs of survivors following a disaster. GRA members are also working to improve disaster preparedness within the alliance and in the communities in which it serves. The GRA members meet once or twice a year to discuss Alliance business and choose who will serve as the annual ‘chair’ agency. The chair is responsible to make the initial decision to bring members together upon the advent of a crisis.

The groups that currently participate in GRA are:

• Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC)
• Food for the Hungry
• MAP International (MAP)
• Medical Teams International (MTI)
• World Concern
• World Relief

GRA members are collectively engaged in three relief projects: West Darfur, Chad and Myanmar.

MTI recently completed Disaster Preparedness Training in Indonesia. This training included GRA members and will establish GRA relationships in the field enhancing future joint disaster planning and implementation.

Johnson & Johnson Corporation provided a small grant to the GRA (MAP is the lead) to conduct a Disaster Risk Reduction training in Central America. A working group is preparing to hold training in mid or late summer 2008 in Nicaragua.

GRA Members have also worked to educate other AERDO members on the fundamentals of relief.