Message-ID: <0098EB9F5AEF9D80.00002B9D@tmar.com> Date: Tue, 11 Apr 1995 14:16:51 EST From: "Chuck B. at Ext. 214" <mailto:chuckb@TMAR.COM> Subject: Emergency response To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L
On April 11 1995, Shaun Walsh wrote (in part):> Sharing of information, operational collaboration, joint assessments
> and (the most complex and sensitive issue) joint fundraising are some
> of the areas NGO's, local and international, need to work closer
> together BEFORE an emergency happens.
> Why am I posting this on the development list? I believe investment
> in collaborative disaster preparedness and response is the first step
> towards development. Every relief worker should see an emergency
> response as a development opportunity IF they are trained accordingly.
Disasters (be they plagues or violent acts of nature) should engender multidisciplinary effort, not an attitude of "It's not my kind of problem"; in fact, because of their frequency and devastating impact, disaster *planning* should be a multidisciplinary process. This concept is reinforced by the facts that, in the short run, disasters (e.g. Kobe) create the need for redevelopment, and in the long run, they can be said to create fresh development opportunities: wildfires and volcanic eruptions are both good examples of and metaphors for this process.
I agree with Shaun that there is a need for discussion groups which recognize a broader perspective; this should be one such.
c.b.