1.8 - Role of Crisis in Social Connectedness
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Introduction to CBDRM and its Framework
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Today, we are going to discuss Community-Driven Disaster Risk Management, or CBDRM. It focuses on empowering local communities to manage hazards effectively. Can anyone tell me why local involvement might be important in disaster management?
I think local people know their problems better.
Exactly! Local knowledge is crucial. The Gerando process highlights this, with its six stages for enhancing community capacities. Who can name one of these stages?
Establishing a local DRM committee?
Correct! Establishing a local committee is the first step. This is followed by identifying shocks. Can someone give examples of potential shocks?
Droughts and floods could be examples.
Right! Those shocks can drastically impact communities. It’s essential to recognize them early.
How do you recognize them?
Great question! Identifying scientific and traditional early warning indicators is key. This brings us to the next step of the Gerando process. Let's explore that more!
The Importance of Social Networks
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We often overlook informal networks in disaster management. Why do you think these networks are important?
They can respond quickly without waiting for official help.
Exactly! These networks might facilitate vital actions like distributing food or providing shelter during crises. What do you think are some barriers these networks face?
Maybe they get ignored by official organizations?
Correct! Often, they are undervalued. This underscores the importance of social capital and why we need to respect local capacities. Can anyone describe what social capital means?
I think it’s about the relationships and trust within a community.
Exactly! That trust can help communities weather crises together. Let's move on to see how crises can generate social connectedness.
Crises and Social Connectedness
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How might a crisis improve social connectedness in a community?
People come together to help each other out?
Precisely! Crises often encourage collaboration and mutual support. This collaborative spirit can have lasting effects. Can anyone assume how transparency, trust, and time are crucial in these processes?
Transparency helps everyone understand what's happening, right?
Exactly! Transparency fosters trust, which is essential when communities collaborate. The three Ts — Transparency, Time, and Trust — are vital in building community resilience.
Can you repeat the three Ts?
Of course! The three Ts are: Transparency, Time, and Trust. Remembering these can help us understand the importance of successful participation in CBDRM!
Challenges in CBDRM
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Involving everyone in CBDRM can be challenging. Why do you think it’s difficult to include all community members?
Different people have different levels of influence and power.
Exactly! Addressing power dynamics is crucial for inclusivity. How can we ensure that the voices of the most vulnerable are heard?
By actively seeking out their opinions and including them in discussions.
That's right! Active inclusion is vital for effective disaster management. What are some methods we can use to facilitate this?
We could hold community meetings and workshops!
Great idea! Engaging the community in participatory methods enhances buy-in and support. Let’s wrap up with our key takeaways today.
Reflection and Summary of Key Points
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Today, we explored how crises impact social connectedness through the lens of CBDRM. Can anyone summarize what we've learned?
We learned about the Gerando process, the importance of social capital, and how crises can bring people together.
Exactly! Remember that crises, while challenging, can create opportunities for stronger social ties. The three Ts—Transparency, Time, and Trust—are essential for effective participation in managing those challenges.
And we should not forget about including vulnerable groups in the process!
Right! Inclusion is key to a resilient community. Great job summarizing today's learning. Let's stay engaged and continue to think about how we can apply these concepts in the real world.
Introduction & Overview
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Quick Overview
Standard
The section discusses how crises can foster social connectedness among communities through the framework of community-driven disaster risk management (CBDRM). It highlights the importance of local capacities, social capital, transparency, trust, and inclusivity in enhancing community resilience during disasters and fostering strong relationships among community members.
Detailed
Role of Crisis in Social Connectedness
This section delves into the critical role that crises can play in fostering social connectedness within communities. It references the Gerando process, a method designed to enhance local capacities for disaster risk management (DRM). Key aspects include:
- Gerando Process: Involves establishing local DRM committees and conducting assessments to identify vulnerabilities and risks faced by communities. This structured approach consists of six interrelated stages aimed at enhancing community resilience against hazards such as droughts and natural disasters.
- Step 1: Establish a local DRM committee.
- Step 2: Identify significant shocks (e.g., drought, famine).
- Step 3: Conduct vulnerability and capacity assessments.
- Step 4: Identify early warning indicators based on both scientific and indigenous knowledge.
- Step 5: Develop mitigation and community disaster preparedness plans.
- Community Networks: The section emphasizes the value of informal social organizations, such as kinship groups and neighborhood networks, which are often undervalued by official disaster management organizations. The activities undertaken by these groups, like search and rescue or food distribution, should not be disregarded as irrelevant.
- Social Capital: Introduced as a vital resource involving networks, trust, and community relationships, social capital helps communities confront challenges collectively.
- Role of Crises: Crises can catalyze social connectedness by bringing people together, creating bonds of trust, and fostering an environment of participation and inclusion.
- Three Ts of Effective Participation: Transparency, Time, and Trust are crucial for involving community members effectively in CBDRM initiatives. This entails promoting openness and accountability, facilitating meaningful interactions, and nurturing trust through shared goals.
- Challenges and Inclusion: Discusses the inclusivity of vulnerable populations in CBDRM, recognizing the importance of addressing power dynamics within communities to ensure participation of all members, especially those who are marginalized.
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Understanding Social Capital
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Chapter Content
The term social capital; if you refer to Putnam's work on, it says the social resources which people draw upon to pursue their objectives, these comprise networks and connections between individuals, membership of groups and relationships of trust and exchange, it could be a horizontal capital, it could be a vertical capital, it could be a network within a group, it could be across groups.
Detailed Explanation
Social capital refers to the value derived from social networks, relationships, and trust among individuals in a community. According to Robert Putnam, this concept includes resources that people leverage to achieve their goals through connections and mutual support. Social capital can be vertical, such as relationships between different levels of a hierarchy, or horizontal, like peer-to-peer interactions within the same level.
Examples & Analogies
Consider a group of neighbors working together to create a community garden. They build social capital as they form relationships, share resources, and cultivate trust. Over time, they rely on each other not just for garden-related tasks but also for support in various life situations, thereby thriving collectively.
Crisis as a Catalyst for Connection
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Chapter Content
One has to understand, when you are in a crisis, it actually brings people together and stimulates stronger and lasting social connectedness so, this is a crisis also gives an opportunity to bring people together.
Detailed Explanation
During a crisis, such as a natural disaster or a public health emergency, people tend to unite, overcoming personal differences to assist one another. This collective effort fosters social connectedness, leading to stronger bonds that may outlast the crisis itself. When faced with adversity, communities often discover new strengths and connections that weren't present before.
Examples & Analogies
Think of how communities often gather to help victims after a hurricane. Neighbors who may not have interacted before come together to provide food, shelter, and support, forming lifelong friendships and a supportive community network as a result of a shared experience.
The Importance of Inclusion and Participation
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Chapter Content
Inclusion and expectations and that is where the participation, whom to include, how to include and because they have all different expectations and this is where the participatory methods play an important role if you are talking about participation that there is also a note of successful 3 T’s.
Detailed Explanation
In a crisis situation, it’s vital to determine who should be included in decision-making processes and how to involve them effectively. Different individuals and groups have varying expectations from the crisis response. The 3 T’s refer to Transparency, Time, and Trust, all of which contribute to successful participation. Being clear about processes, investing time in relationships, and building trust shapes a stronger community response.
Examples & Analogies
Imagine organizing a town hall meeting after a flood to discuss recovery efforts. By ensuring that all affected community members know about the meeting (transparency), allowing ample time for discussions and building rapport (time), and creating an atmosphere where everyone feels valued and trusted (trust), the response can become much more effective and cohesive.
Challenges of Inclusivity in CBDRM
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Chapter Content
But the question is; is it practical to involve everyone all the time in CBDRM activities? This is very difficult question; this is very difficult task for any NGO to address it.
Detailed Explanation
In Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM), involving every individual consistently poses significant challenges due to varying levels of engagement, availability, and the complexity of issues at hand. Organizations often struggle to balance comprehensive involvement while ensuring effectiveness in decision-making and resource allocation.
Examples & Analogies
Think of an NGO attempting to engage every community member in a recovery program after a disaster. While the goal is to be inclusive, logistical hurdles such as differing schedules, interests, and levels of willingness may mean that not everyone can participate at all times, leading to a compromise in the quality of community engagement.
Empowering the Vulnerable through Information
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Chapter Content
Some of the key tools, involving the most vulnerable so, who are all affected, who are frequently targeted or who are under threat, try to involve them as much as possible that is one of the important step.
Detailed Explanation
One of the crucial aspects of effective disaster management is ensuring that the most vulnerable populations, who are often the first to be affected by crises, are included in the planning and decision-making processes. This inclusion ensures that their specific needs are acknowledged and addressed, empowering them and providing them with a voice in the decisions affecting their lives.
Examples & Analogies
In a program aimed at earthquake preparedness, community organizers might hold workshops specifically tailored for marginalized groups, such as the elderly or individuals with disabilities. By inviting their input and involving them in planning, the program can create tailored solutions like accessible emergency evacuation routes that cater to their unique needs.
Key Concepts
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Gerando Process: A structured approach to empowering local communities in disaster management.
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Social Capital: The importance of networks and relationships in enhancing community resilience during crises.
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Three Ts: Transparency, Time, and Trust are essential factors in effective community engagement.
Examples & Applications
An example of the Gerando process in action would be establishing a local DRM committee in a village to plan for flood risks.
Community networks, like local kinship groups, providing support during a disaster can showcase the power of social capital.
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Rhymes
In a crisis, together we stand, with social bonds that are truly grand.
Stories
Imagine a village facing a flood. The community comes together, forming human chains to save neighbors, highlighting the power of their social networks.
Memory Tools
Remember the Three Ts: T for Transparency, T for Time, T for Trust, helping the community to adjust.
Acronyms
C in CBDRM stands for Community, B for Build capacity, D for Disaster management, R for Response, M for Mitigation.
Flash Cards
Glossary
- Gerando
A process of supporting local capacities to identify, predict, and manage hazard impacts through structured disaster risk management.
- CBDRM
Community-Driven Disaster Risk Management, focuses on empowering local communities to manage disaster risks.
- Social Capital
The networks, relationships, and norms that facilitate cooperation and support among individuals and communities.
- Vulnerability Assessment
The process of evaluating the susceptibility of a community to hazards and understanding their capacities to cope with these hazards.
- Early Warning Indicators
Signs or signals used to predict and alert communities about potential hazards or crises.
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