we the ashoka fellows are introducing the concept of appropriate settelment mechinisms , focusing on the landless and othe rvalunarable groups , such like facility will help us a lot in dailague with difffrent groups, early response is requested

I found this forum very usefull and we a group of ashoka fellows apart from other frameworks having interaction with; are involoved in releif and are prepering for rehabilitation; once the severe cold allow reconstruction . we would certainly love to know about the experience of other fellow and diffrent techniques they adopted in rehabilitation after such like sitiuation, as it ranges from emotional health, to improvement in the overall livilihood pattrens and for that holiestic understanding is a continious process, however my genral question is? which can help us and so many other segments in rehabilation as well as in preperdness.

To have a GIS where we can zoom in to such a scale where individual house hold can see his/her house details and the technicians can help them in reconstruction taking care of broader communal intrests, the funding agencies can see the progress and can be minitored and the governments can easily assess the sitiuation for appropriate policy for implimentation and regulatory control.

to link it what is mentioned is the work we can do, I would like to know about its technicalities,and its financial repurcations.

I think it can reflect on better environmntal governance for over all habitat rehabilitation the common challenge we all humen face on the planet.

Fastblood looks like the answer to our prayers. the much needed technological aid to blood donation. the only problem seems to be the limited donor base. but it is gradually picking up. SMS BLOOD to 3636 or log onto www.fastblood.com and help serve the community better

Thank you Anjalina for your queries on the sustainability of social mobilisation approach. Yes, outside agencies such as local government, NGOs or CBDOs should be involved at the beginning for mobilising communities. In the case of Nepal, Local Development Fund Board (LDFB)has been formed in all the districts to look after the social mobilisation activities. Social Mobilisers act as facilitators in this process. Once the community organisations become mature, they themselves develop strategies for their sustainability (See diagram for details).

I read Krishna Karkee's entry titled 'Building Disaster Resistant communities through empowering at-risk communities'. I found the approach of integrating social mobilisation into disaster risk management at community level. It seems very interesting and conceptually clear. But I see one problem in this model that how can this approach be made sustainable without outside interventions? Who will introduce social mobilisation at the beginning? Thank you

John Daniels' submission that to adopting earthquake resistant techniques are indeed much simpler and have been tried makes a strong case for mainstreaming it in all house constructions. Did I not make the same point? I only attempted to leaf out from the historical past to make a case for it. John Daniels' views have been followed by Dr Ing Wilhelm too. Being consulting engineers, their views come with a ready perscription. And why not?

India's capital New Delhi was rocked following the recent Kashmir quake - a provocation enough for me to take on our Science & Technology Minister for his irresonsible remarks. However, the same minister has taken lead in getting a Earthquake Hazard Map developed for the city. A sizeable area, and densely populated too, comes under highest-risk category. The task now will be to ensure that new constructions follow strict regulations and the old construction retro-fitted to protect themselves against potential disasters. But there is long way before that actually happens!

In response to Dr. Sharma's submission: Disaster resistance against earthquake and cyclones is not difficult to achieve for simple houses . With reinforced concrete bands and anchoring of the roof structure and the tiles, this is in the range of 10 % of the building cost. In a 10000 units project co-financed through Germany in the Gujarat reconstruction , we applied those technologies for new houses and retrofitting. A newly introduced hook to anchor the tiles is now available in the market. All requirements for safe construction are laid down in the Indian Standard for non engineered buildings and similar international recommendations, on which the Gujarat guidelines were bases. In principle, there is no lack of information but a problem of the mind set in the field and the necessity to strictly guide and supervise such programmes in order to achieve safe results.

Traditional building are rather well adapted to disasters, for example houses in Turkey, Afghanistan, the round shaped houses in Kutch/ Gujarat called bunghas as well as the traditional wooden houses on stilts in Ache/Indonesia, which are also better in the tsunami performance than any new design I have seen. It is a question to collect and spread those information. In this context , I am also amazed, that no widely applied solutions can be seen , that integrate transitional shelter construction into the permanent houses and that are fit fore self-help completion by the owners. Such solutions are technically not difficult to achieve and should be brought to the filed staring within the first Month after the disaster.

My apologies for delayed response! Regarding Krishna Karkee’s query about the activities for integrating CBDRM into government policy-making and planning, based on my experience in the South East Asian countries, I would suggest the following key activities:

1. Framework development and action planning

1.1 Development of conceptual frameworks on how integration of CBDRM into government policy making and planning is possible in national context based on the national consultation with all stakeholders including key disaster management body of the government (e.g. National Disaster Management Office), line ministries, I/NGOs, local government, line agencies, Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, donors, UN and community representatives.

1.2 Preparation of strategic collaborative action plan on CBDRM for integrating CBDRM into socio-economic development process involving multi- sectoral and multilevel stakeholders. 1.3 Training and orientation workshops on advocacy on institutionalization of CBDRM

1.4 Workshop with international organizations including donors, INGOs and UN on institutionalization of CBDRM in their policies and planning

1.5 Action planning and consultation workshops with business communities on supporting community action for disaster risk management.

2.Research and development of tools and techniques to support decision making 2.1 Assessment of operational and technical capacity of national and local level government authorities to support CBDRM.

2.2 Development of the CBDRM standards of good practice criteria, impact indicators for CBDRM projects and criteria for vulnerability assessment.

2.3 Development and strengthening of national databases on disaster risk management

2.4 Standardizing of existing training curriculum for communities, local government institutions and NGOs/CBOs.

2.5 Preparation of CBDRM handbooks in local languages and their adaptation into community contexts.

3. Strengthening partnerships

3.1 Media orientation workshops in order to develop their orientation on the role of media in supporting community actions and disaster risk management. 3.2 Publication of newsletters, lessons learnt and other disaster risk related publications. 3.3 Form or strengthen the existing networks of CBDRM practitioners in the country. This might include: UN network, NGO network, governmental network, mixed network, regional network and so.

Activities might be slightly different by country context.

Dear Dr. Sudhirendar Sharma,

In your discussion "Incorporate earthquake resistant construction in rehabilitation plans" it confirms that some ancient construction methods stand up to earthquakes and that today's "brittle" building technologies do not.

One of the most ancient technologies was the use of straw and mud "adobe". This method was ideal in earthquakes, but was not in torrential rains.

In our posting "Emergency Shelters That Become Permanent Housing" please note we use compressed agricultural fibre (wheat straw) building panels as our construction material thus giving the "buildings the required flexibility".

Earthquake prone regions like Turkey, Pakistan, Kashmir, Iran and ect., grow enormous amounts of wheat and the straw waste is under utilized.

Again here is an example of a low technology that is environmentally friendly, biodegradable, renewable and sustainable.

Shesh Kanta Kafle mentioned his article titled "Integrating Community Based Disaster Risk Management into Governmental Policy, Planning and Implementation in South East Asia" in a discussion post here on Dec. 2 You may download his newsletter with the article from Partnerships for Disaster Reduction - South East Asia here

I realise this my note is terribly long for a discussion forum such as this, but I thought it's important to share the information put together by us, members of the Alternative Law Forum. Here goes:

Close to a month after the devastating tsunami struck the coastal districts of Andhra, Pondicherry, Kerala and particularly Tamil Nadu, there is an urgent need to evaluate the nature of relief and rehabilitation. Is relief and rehabilitation moving smoothly ensuring succour and restoring some degree of normalcy to all those who were so tragically affected?

Initial assessments particularly by the media seem to be gung ho about how well the relief and rehabilitation process is going. Shashi Kumar in fact argues that, ‘if Tamil Nadu sustains the momentum of its relief and rehabilitation programme , the state can lay claim to the first success story in disaster management(V.K. Shashikumar, Damning the Way of Destruction, 22.01.05, Tehelka). There is evidence to support this upbeat assessment, particularly the swift process by which the Tamil Nadu government has moved to ensure interim compensation, distribution of relief, reopening of schools and other measures to reintroduce a measure of normalcy for which the Tamil Nadu government deserves credit.

However the greatest blindspot of all agencies right from the Central Government to the State Government to the various NGO’s both national and international to academic scholars, is the unwillingness to take on board the fundamental reality of Indian society, caste discrimination and how it plays out in relief and rehabilitation to ensure that Dalits and Adivasis are completely marginalized in these processes.

The caste realities of the coastal districts There is no doubt that the community most severely affected by the tsunami is the fishing community. However it would be irresponsible to assume that all those who form a part of the fishing operations belong to one caste. The fishing community can broadly be understood as composing of three main caste categories – Meenavar Community (Most Backward Caste), Dalits (Scheduled Caste) and Pazhankudi Makkal (Scheduled Tribes), who live in a hierarchical relationship Though these communities might be living in the same village, there is complete segregation between the communities.

While the Meenavar community is the one which takes the boats out to sea the remaining jobs listed below are done by the Dalits and Pazhankudi communities. The other occupations which minimally form a part of the economy of the fishing village are occupations such as: Manual labourers lifting the catch from sea on to the boat itself, lifting the catch on to the shore and sorting it, truck drivers who transport the fish to different regions for export, places of sale, etc., people selling fish on the shore using big baskets /on cycles, those who repair/paint boats etc, those who do the inland fishing, prawn farm labourers, labourers part of the fish packing activities, those involved in construction, basket making etc.

Equally important to the very subsistence of the fishing village are the agricultural operations which are carried out in the immediate hinterland of the fishing area. These include groups such as: Those owning and cultivating land, share croppers on the land, tenants on the land, landless agricultural labourers, those who take lands on lease, etc.

Apart from both these categories of people affected are also those who provide the commercial backbone to the village economy including petty- shop owners and other service providers like barbers, tailors, cobblers etc. There are also the labourers on the other industries like salt pans in Vedaranyam. The extent of havoc the tsunami has wreaked has had its impact on this diverse range of people.

In terms of loss of life, houses and livelihood it is very clear that the fishing community has suffered the most, while the agricultural community has mainly suffered loss of livelihood. The losses suffered by these communities in terms of life and houses have been addressed to some extent in various state government orders extending compensation. However, the crucial issue of rehabilitation of livelihood of those who own nothing, but their labour power ( be it labour with respect to fishing or agriculture) has been completely ignored.

Is relief caste blind? The immediate aftermath of the tsunami witnessed a pouring in of relief on a massive scale. There were truly inspirational acts of solidarity by ordinary people who reached out to a people in enormous distress. However side by side, with these gestures of humanity continued the ritualistic practice of caste discrimination to exclude Dalits from relief. This reality has been documented with great care and sensitivity by Dalit and human rights groups.

In a Report which came out as early as 1.1.05, Annie Namala on behalf of the Fact Finding team, noted: ‘As we watched, trucks of food and clothing came to the village and were getting distributed among the fisher community. The Dalits who ran after the lorries came back empty handed. They further complained that since morning three-four trucks had come to the village and the fisher community did not allow any of them to give any relief to the Dalits. The standard question was- how many deaths are there among you? Some people had brought idli and pongal in the morning, but though it was already past 11a.m., no one in the Dalit colony, not even the children, had anything to eat’(The team consisted of representatives of National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR), Human Rights Forum for Dalit Liberation (HRFDL), Dappu and Safai Karmachari Andolan). As the Report poignantly notes, ‘Can one erect a hierarchy of deaths where death in the fisher family is more costly to the family than a death in the Dalit family or can we grade the dead like we grade the living, along caste lines?

A report from Cuddalore documents how this discrimination is as systematic as it is petty. ‘One social worker showed me a list of affected people and damages sustained by them from Samiarpettai- another large village with several communities. This list was made on the letterhead of the fisher panchayat. The list mentions not one name of people from other communities. When asked about it, they said, when relief comes they will distribute to them what is due to them’ (Email sent by Nityanand Jayaraman an activist working in Cuddalore on file with the authors).

The Citizens Platform for Tsunami Affected, Tamil Nadu, noted, ‘However what is emerging as a pattern across many of the affected coastal regions is the fact that Dalit communities are not being provided relief material. Even when the material (dry rations, clothes, utensils, etc.) are supplied to the affected villages, they are not shared with the dalit families within the village. In some cases these families do not even have the tokens issued by the Panchayat to access relief material. In other cases, though there might be a token given they are not allowed to stand in the queue to collect relief material, which is their right. Not only does these cause hardships leading to starvation of the affected dalit families but also creates the basis for avoidable caste based hostilities to be generated’(Letter sent to the Officer on Special Duty, (Relief and Rehab) In-charge of NGO and Donor coordination,Tamil Nadu by the Citizens Platform for Tsunami Affected, Tamil Nadu, dated 10.1.2005)

That the Dalit community and also the Pazhankudi Makkal community have been on the margins of receiving relief is an issue that has been accepted by most of the groups overseeing relief distribution in the Nagapattinam district. The media has also highlighted this issue to a great extent (Tsunami can’t wash this away: Hatred for Dalits’ , Indian Express, 7.01.2005. Also see ‘Tribal outsiders count tsunami cost’, news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4175131.stm - 44k - 21 Jan 2005).

The Dalit groups working in the area have identified Dalit villages and hamlets that have not yet been enumerated as tsunami-affected. A handful of these villages have been subsequently included in existing processes to ensure that relief reaches the Dalit communities as soon as possible.

Thus while the Government has officially declared the stage of immediate relief as being over, even today, newer and newer hamlets/villages which have been left out of the relief process continue to be identified by Dalit groups such as HRFDL and efforts are on to reach relief to those excluded communities.

The caste and class question in rehabilitation

The government in its orders (GOs) has till now adopted a property-owner centric policy while addressing livelihood issues in its rehabilitation packages and till now has only recognized those who own boats and go out to sea as well as those who own and operate small shops in the villages (See Tamil Nadu G.O. Ms. Nos 574 dated 28.12.2004, 576 dated 28.12.2004, 10dated 6.1.2005 etc).

In terms of the farming community that owns the agricultural lands that were inundated by seawaters, surveys were carried out by the revenue departments of various districts to assess the extent of inundation and the degree of salination. Post this a GO was issued to provide relief to farmers who have lost standing crops.

Be that as it may, it is undeniable that in any formulation of rehabilitation packages for livelihoods the people of the fishing and farming communities that do not own boats, nets or lands generally remain ignored. Equally wherever there have been joint Government/NGO efforts at relief and rehabilitation, even in the various committees formed like livelihood committee, child committee, there is no inclusion of affected Dalit/Adivasi hamlets and hence Dalit/Adivasi children are totally left out of the very conceptualization of the rehabilitation process.

What the various GO’s do not recognize is that the coastal districts like every other part of India are structured hierarchically in terms of caste and class. Those at the bottom of the caste and class hierarchy are the worst placed to cope with and survive a natural disaster.

The next series of questions which follows in the search for an inclusive relief and rehabilitation face is how does one take on board this diverse range of occupations all of which are structurally dependent upon the fishermen - who actually go out to the sea and land owners - who have cultivable land?

Does rehabilitation mean that one restores to the previous level all those who have lost resources and leave those who were socially and economically disadvantaged where they were, i.e. at the bottom of the hierarchy? Or does the policy try and address questions of socio-economic marginalization? Should one resign to saying that this is not the time for ‘social change’? Or should the intention of the rehabilitation policy be to address the social and economic discrimination of Dalits and think of creating resources for those who never owned any property ?

If one merely tried restoring the status quo, would there be a return to status quo or would the hierarchical relationship be more skewed with those who don’t own resources being even more economically marginalized? How would this affect the relationship between those with resources and those without in a post-tsunami rehabilitation scenario?

These are all complex questions meriting a detailed analysis and a clear articulation of policy. What is of grave concern is that these questions of livelihoods of those who are also affected by the tsunami, and do also form a part of the fishing community, has not yet been mentioned in any governmental policy. Even in the NGO sector the focus has been on the property owning fishing communities. What is clear is that those who own no property and are merely dependent on those who do own property merit no attention in rehabilitation efforts.

Existing relief and rehabilitation policy frameworks While Tamil Nadu by itself does not yet have a relief code, other states like Orissa, Rajasthan have a relief code in place and Maharashtra has a disaster management plan However, analysis of the working of these codes seems to reveal that apart from Maharashtra to some minimal extent (The Maharashtra Disaster Management Plan discusses landless labourers and provides that if they have lost their tools of work, the government will replace them), the Governments thus far have not seriously taken on board the concerns of Dalit/Adivasi communities (See Sana Das, A study on Coastal Area Calamities and Vulnerable People’s Entitlements; A critique of the Orissa Relief Code, Sana Das, A critique of Famine Codes in India: A study of the Rajasthan Famine Code and Vulnerable People’s Entitlements).

As Sana Das’s analysis of the Orissa Relief Code reveals, there are in essence two obstacles to the Dalit and Adivasi communities being an integral part of relief and rehabilitation 1) They do not own property and hence are unable to make a legal claim 2) The political economy context of caste based discrimination ensures that access remains limited.

The ownership over means of production determines one’s command over food and other essential commodities. Those social groups which don’t own any means of production consequently are at greater risk of food scarcity/ starvation. If the rehabilitation policy focuses on replacing the means of production which have been lost and does not take into account the needs of those who do not own property , the consequences for those without property can be deadly. As Sana Das notes , ‘ On the contrary, if labour is the only endowment that one possesses, in a disaster situation, if there is no provision for employment where the individual can exchange it for food, then such vulnerability may even lead to succumbing. It may lead to distress sale of labour or even the final exchange i.e., of self, which is the most exploitative exchange, violating Art 23 which is the fundamental right against exploitation and also laws on immoral trafficking.’

Similarly the study brings to the fore the problem of channeling relief/rehabilitation purely through the caste panchayats. There emerge a pattern of discrimination and exclusion of Dalit/Adivasi communities from even the most basic relief. Relief and rehabilitation ends up benefiting the more powerful social groups and the Dalit and Adivasi communities end up in a worse situation post disaster.

Thus it is clear that both caste and class factors have played a major role in ensuring that both relief and rehabilitation remain an inequitable process in past disasters and Government policy has till now been inadequate to take on board the learnings from the past to build a more equitable and inclusive policy.

Towards an inclusive policy on relief and rehabilitation Any relief and rehabilitation policy framed by the State will have to be based on respecting the constitutional framework. This means that key to the policy will have to be solicitude to the weaker sections of Indian society including the SC and ST communities ( Dalit and Adivasi).

The framework of the Indian constitution obligates the Indian state to abide by the rights guaranteed in the Fundamental Rights Chapter to all citizens and to take seriously the Directive Principles of State Policy as being fundamental to the governance of the country.

With respect to Fundamental Rights the state is enjoined to respect among others the right to equality (Art 14), the right to non discrimination on grounds of caste as well as the right to affirmative action ( Art 15 (1) and Art 15(4) respectively) and the right to life (Art 21). The Indian Constitution envisages a notion of substantive equality which includes a scheme for compensatory action in the form of affirmative action for all those who have historically been oppressed by the caste based hierarchy of Indian society. Thus equality in the Indian Constitutional scheme does not just mean treating those of a similar grouping similarly but actually means that a form of compensatory action is envisaged for those who have historically suffered discrimination, particularly the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The right to life has been interpreted by the Supreme Court to include many basic rights including the right to a clean environment, right to health etc. Needless to say these rights too must be implemented keeping in mind the injunction of Art 14 and Art 15.

The Directive Principles such as Art 41 clearly note that the responsibility of the state to secure public assistance in cases of undeserved want. Under Art 39(a) the state has the responsibility to secure the right to livelihood to all its citizens. Under Art 47 of the Directive Principles, the state has the obligation as one of its primary duties, to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living of its people and the improvement of public health.

In the context of a disaster, when a situation of ‘undeserved want’ arises the state’s obligation to provide public assistance to secure the basic rights guaranteed under the Constitution is undisputed. However what is often not taken on board as a matter of state administrative practise/law is that the very provision of relief and the beginning of rehabilitation programes which are aimed at securing the right to livelihood, the right to work, the right to health, the right to education and the right to life, must take into account the Constitutional injunction embodied in Art 14 read with Art 15 and provide in particular for the SC/ST communities. If the Constitution is indeed the guiding post they cannot face a shortfall merely on grounds of belonging to certain communities. In fact the Constitution in Art 17, goes one step further and notes that untouchability is an offence and the practise of which is to be punished in accordance with law. Thus the Constitutional imagination is not to silently acquiesce in existing caste hierarchies but instead to proactively challenge the existing inequitable social order.

Thus the relief and rehabilitation policy will have to be inclusive as well as make special provisions for those at the very bottom of the socio- economic hierarchy. The policy as currently operational in the Tamil Nadu GO’s (See G.O. Ms. Nos., 574 dated 28.12.2004, 575 dated 28.12.2005, 8 dated 5.1.2005, 10 dated 6.1.2005)and the Union Government Relief and Rehabilitation Package, will have to move from a shocking disregard for affected Dalit and Adivasi communities to taking on board their concerns and articulating it through clear policy statements ‘The Union Cabinet approved a Rs 2731 crore relief and rehabilitation package for the victims of the tsunami in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Pondicherry. Under this package announced, Rs 1093 crores has been allocated to help fishermen return to work by providing them with boats, nets, and other equipment: Rs 861.82 crores for provision of foodgrains and other material; Rs752.3 crores for construction of houses; and Rs 23.21 crores for repair of fishing harbours and fish landing places.’ See Jan 19, 2005, The Hindu).

If the Government does indeed move to implement its Constitutional mandate, the following points will have to be specifically considered. It has to be noted that these points are not inclusive but merely indicative of the directions the policy might take. · Most importantly, ensure food security · Implementation of a food for work programme for all affected communities as described above · Provision of gratuitous relief for all those unable to participate in the food for work scheme for various reasons like old age and disability. · Land – based rehabilitation of landless Dalit agricultural labourers. · Training and creation of employment opportunities for affected Dalit/Adivasi people · Creation of assets which can be used to generate livelihood options · Specification of a Minimum Wage for all the affected Dalit/Adivasi communities to prevent their exploitation. · Formation of an inclusive village level committee which includes members from affected Dalit/Adivasi communities to plan the rehabilitation efforts · SC/ST Commission to monitor that the policy is indeed inclusive by appointing Community members to regularly report on the implementation of relief and rehabilitation measures in an inclusive fashion. · Considering that Dalit/Adivasi children form a particularly vulnerable category special efforts are needed to ensure that they are not discriminated against at least for the present in such places which are meant for bringing them back to leading a normal life like the schools, for instance. In the alternative, separate spaces should be created for them so that they can also work their way back to normalcy just as the higher caste children are in a position to do.

----------- Niruj Mohan, Arvind Narrain , Nitin.R, Deepu and Clifton Rozario.

Dear Changemakers,

In response to your Discussion Forum on `Meeting Disaster: Before, During and After,' I must reiterate that “buildings kill, earthquakes don't”, as has been painstakingly demonstrated during all the major quakes in the Indian Sub-Continent in last two decades viz., Latur, Uttarkashi, Bhuj, and Kashmir.

Though disaster relief is undoubtedly important, much could be achieved if earthquake resistant house building could be enforced as a legal condition in all post-quake disaster reconstruction and even otherwise. Shockingly, however, not much has been done in this respect. Responding to the preparedness in the event of a major quake hitting Delhi, the Indian Minister of state for science & technology, Mr Kapil Sibal, had stunned everyone by his remarks in an interview to Outlook magazine,'Your House, Your Problem'. Shockingly, the honorable minister had only echoed the callousness with which earthquakes have been responded to in this country.

In response to the minister's statement I responded with the following (published at www.outlook.com for which each reader can register without charge).

In the context of the Changemakers discussion this should be relevant. I am sure similar architecture would be in vogue in many other earthquake- prone regions in the world. I will appreciate hearing from such regions as well!

From Uttarkashi to Latur and from Bhuj to Kashmir, but for the location, the story has virtually been the same. Did anyone expect the minister to provide any words of wisdom when his ministry's track record in responding to past earthquakes in the country has been woefully inadequate and irresponsive?

Each earthquake comes with a grim reminder: learn to live with the inevitability of the earth shaking beneath you. If only scientists could respond to and learn from it as had our ancestors.

The previous major earthquake that had rocked Kashmir was 120 years ago. The Srinagar earthquake in 1885 had seen the palace and other royal buildings crumble like a pack of cards. Amazingly, the man-made structures that survived the devastation were the unique Dhajji-Diwari buildings. The 1905 Kangra quake was no less devastating either, raging practically everything to the ground but for the Kat-Ki Kunni houses. The age-old Pherols too had survived the Uttarkashi quake of 1991.

Built by masons, who had no formal degrees in structural engineering and architectural design, these structures stand today as the epitome of human creative instincts. Yet, these buildings continue to fascinate modern-day engineers who have spent years unfolding the unique features of these earthquake resistant houses of the past. ragically, however, rarely does this learning translate into constructions based on such masterly designs.

A combination of wood and unreinforced masonry laid on weak mortar gave Dhajji-Diwari buildings the required flexibility. The wooden bands tied the mud mortar walls and imparted ductility to an otherwise brittle structure. The multi-storeyed Kat-Ki Kunni buildings were based on similar principles. Meaning timber-cornered buildings, the Kat-Ki Kunni houses have wood bonding at vertical intervals, both inside and outside the mud masonry, for flexibility and earthquake resistance.

Traditional wisdom helped the entire village of Nandgaon in the Yamunotri valley survive the Uttarkashi quake. With all the Pherols in the village intact, not a single death was reported from this village during the massive quake that rocked the mighty Himalayas in 1991. Raithal, the adjoining village, had paid a heavy price for embracing modern construction.

It wasn't complicated engineering that helped Nandgaon survive in its carefully preserved multi-storeyed Pherols. Wooden tie-bands as beams and timber columns as pins hold the coursed-rubble masonry intact with required flexibility. Use of long stones with flat surfaces distributed the load vertically along the wall, minimising the tendency of the wall stones to push or run outward in the event of a tremor. These multi- stroreyed structures can put the best of structural engineers to shame for their present-day vulnerable construction.

Tragically, however, Dhajji-Diwari, Kat-Ki Kuni and Pherols are all part of history that only interests those who value peoples' knowledge as it has traversed and survived down the ages.Had that not been so, traditional earthquake resistant construction would have become essential reading for engineering graduates as well as a dominant component of all disaster rehabilitation programmes.

Each earthquake comes with a grim reminder: incorporate earthquake resistant construction in the rehabilitation plan. The most-recent Kashmir earthquake has posted the message loud and clear. With over 100,000 people killed across the region and literally all houses and structures flattened, there could not have been a grimmer message for mainstreaming traditional knowledge of earthquake resistant house construction in the rehabilitation shelter policy.

With the latest earthquake having occurred after a span of a century, the communities were taken off-guard. The end result was devastation of unprecedented nature. Instead of educating and making the communities aware about the need for earthquake resistant house construction, the minister has chosen to shrug off the responsibility as if this was the last of the quakes to have hit the country.

The challenge is to mainstream seismic-proof technology as an essential component of all civil construction. Undoubtedly, house construction is routinely a private affair involving local masons in rural areas. Unless these masons learn the art of seismic-proof technology and integrate it into their everyday wage earning, houses constructed in rural areas will stay fragile.

It has been a known fact that the villagers had waited long for getting guidelines on seismic-proof construction in Gujarat villages following the last earthquake. When no guidelines were received for over two months after the quake, they had reverted to building dwellings in a way best understood by them. Needless to say, the situation will get repeated in Kashmir too. With winters fast approaching, communities will have no other option but to go their way. And why not? After all, the honorable minister says `your house, your problem'.

It is indeed tragic that a country where earthquakes occur with increasing frequency and where information on traditional knowledge of seismic-proof house construction is reasonably well documented, village communities have to take ad hoc decisions about their well-being and survival. Clearly, a strategy of mass-awareness as well as a rehabilitation policy for earthquake-prone regions is woefully lacking.

Thanks,

Sudhirendar Sharma (Formerly with the World Bank, I am an Ashoka Fellow & development analyst attached to the Delhi-based The Ecological Foundation.)

I found the comments made by Kafle on the integration of community-based disaster risk management (CBDRM) in planning and governacne very interesting. Could you pls elaborate on the possible key activities for the integration of CBDRM into governmental planning system?

I agree with Lawrence’s opinion that disasters are human-made. Disasters can not be natural. By definition, an event is said to be a disaster only if it causes human or property losses. Otherwise, it is simply a natural process. Disasters happen because there are many vulnerability factors in communities. Disasters happen because of the lack of resiliency in communities to cope with them.

Yes, youth mobilization could be one way of several approaches for psychological support and thereby reducing the disaster losses. To Dr. Andharia, children could be the agent of disaster risk communication. Mobilization of at-risk, semi-risk, no risk communities as well as outside agencies such as NGOs, CBOs, local government, and international organizations are also equally important.

In fact, we do not lack ideas, concepts or models, but we lack their recognition and sustainability in development planning and governance. For instance, social mobilization has been a proven model of poverty alleviation through enhancing social, economic and political empowerment of rural people which ultimately have capacity to cope with various disasters in the SAARC countries. Due to the lack of recognition, sustainability and interests of various stakeholders, this has not been successfully integrated into overall development process of the countries in South Asia. I would like to reiterate that unless and until these concepts, ideas, practices are recognized by governance of a country, the highly successful disaster risk reduction measures will remain a distant matter.

Disasters are man made in whatever form they occur.Many are due to environmental degradation,health hazards etc. If this is the case,there is a need for educating youth allover the world in getting prepared for any disaster that might come during their lifetime. My organization strongly believes that ,during Psychosocial support to youth, disaster preparedness skills can be disseminated. For the event to be conceived perfectly by the youth,their participation is vital. Youth Therapy Groups are recommended as centerpoints for dissemination.

Hi all, I enjoyed reading Dr. Janki Andharia’s thought-provoking opinions on disaster management. As a disaster risk management practitioner in the countries of South and South East Asia, I would like to share some of my experiences and clarifications on the issues raised particularly by Andharia and Graham. 1. Dr. Andharia has rightly pointed out the need of holistic approach of disaster management. Having noticed the urgency of this approach of disaster risk management (DRM), DRM practitioners have recommended and practiced a number of concepts relating to the holistic approach since early 1980s. These include: Total Disaster Risk Management (TDRM), Integrated Disaster Risk Management (IDRM), Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management CDRM), Vulnerability Reduction Approach (Poverty reduction and capacity building), Community Based Disaster Risk Management and Community Based Disaster Preparedness (CBDP), among many others. The intent of all these approaches is the shift from the traditional ‘relief and rescue’ approach to the ‘holistic approach’ which incorporates all phases of a disaster. Various international and national organizations have implemented disaster risk reduction projects using these approaches in many countries. These approaches have been proved effective in reducing disaster damages and losses, however, the projects/activities are in small scale, scattered and one-off. What I have experienced similar with Andharia and Graham is that unless and until these approaches/practices are not integrated into governmental policy-making, planning and programme implementation, disaster risk reduction efforts will not get momentum. Integration into the economic and governance helps to institutionalize as well as approach. The integration of the concept into government policy and planning requires the following as preconditions: 1. Strong political support 2. A nodal organization at all tiers of the governance e.g. centre, district and community level 3. A framework of disaster risk management 4. Institutionalized budget 5. Presence of dedicated, trained and competent staff members 6. Political will As yet, most of the governments in South and South East Asia have given priority to relief and rescue rather than overall disaster risk management approach. This is the reason why all key disaster organizations in most of the countries fall within the Ministry of Interior (home affairs or social security). Maintaining law and order is the key goal of this ministry and disaster management has been a low priority. The scope of the ministry should either be broadened or the responsibility should be handed over to other relevant ministries. 2. Psychological counseling has been one of the most neglected aspects in disaster risk management even among DRM practitioners. In addition, strengthening the local governance, proper documentation and dissemination of indigenous coping mechanisms, effective disaster risk communications and capacity building of at-risk communities are other areas which need further attention of both the DRM practitioners and governmental agencies. 3. Regarding the Arundhati’s query on the role of governmental agency, I would like to suggest some more areas of their role. For this, please see my article entitled ‘Integrating Community Based Disaster Risk Management into Governmental Policy, Planning and Implementation in South East Asia’ at: www.adpc.net/pdrsea/pdrsea3-news-2.pdf 4. To me, ‘disaster and social change’ should not be highlighted even if it is true. It gives pain to the victims! Regarding this I would like to quote one Nepali proverb, which says: ‘there will be no lack of ash if a home is burnt’. ‘Social change’ should not be expected in the expense of human and property losses!!!! Thank you

Thanks, Wendy, for the comprehensive account of work by the Garifunas Committee. There's a lot of wisdom and commonsense in what you write that is too rarely implemented in on-the-ground action when disaster occurs. Has the Committee considered entering the Changemakers competition here? The entire Changemakers community would certainly value your contest entry. Note that the deadline for submitting entries is Dec. 14. Thanks again for your participation and insights!

The Garifuna Emergency Committee was invited by GROOTS to go to India to speak to the women affected by the tsunami and give their suggestions on how to rebuild after a disaster. This is a summary of what the coordinator of the Garifuna Emergency Committee Ana Lucy Bengochea said when she was there, plus concrete examples of what the Garifuna Emergency Committee did in this area after Hurricane Mitch. Perhaps it will help inform your thoughts on Disaster recovery.

1. The grassroots people should organize themselves, and agree to work in a form appropriate for them.

The Garifuna Emergency Committee was founded after Hurricane Mitch to channel aid to Garifunas, an Afro-Indigenous people living on the Coast, who were being left out of other aid programs. The Committee worked with other organized groups within the Garifuna communities such as citizen groups (patronatos), dance clubs, and other organized groups in communities, plus they formed a another structure that would work as their liaison, known as Tool Banks.

Once organized the Garifuna Emergency Committee was able to channel resources to the Garifunas. To become a legal non-profit in Honduras they spent a year learning how to write by-laws, a mission statement, how to apply for a corporate charter under Honduran law, and how to contact funding agencies and write grant proposals.

2. Agencies should work with women. And empower them so that they feel this project is theirs. The women transmit cultural traditions. The women have strong commitment to their children..

The Garifuna Emergency Committee met with Garifuna women in their communities and helped them to become active as liaisons. The organized groups were encouraged to identify projects they wanted to work on and send requests to the GArifuna Emergency Committee for them to implement. For example one community suggested donating orange trees to the communities. The donation of fruit trees was one of the most popular projects.

3. Then the women should define the initiatives that would help them to get on the road to recovery. They should do diagnostic studies directly asking the community residents what they need.

The Garifuna Emergency Committee did these diagnostic studies and the people said that what they needed were vegetative material to replant their crops—manioc root cuttings, small banana and plantain trees, seed roots for traditional yams, sweet potatoes, and malanga. They also identified replacing fishing nets and other fishing gear lost in the storm. The people also said they needed replacement tools for those they had lost in the storm.

4. Identify how they will earn their living, for example agriculture, crafts, or fishing. How can this be done in a sustainable way? How can these projects strengthen the culture?

5. Do not focus just on short term help. There is window of opportunity that comes with disasters to resolve some long standing problems.

Protecting biodiversity has also proved important to help recover from disasters. What has been noted is t hat small ethnic groups maintain t he seeds and genetic material for crops not grown by the ethnic majority or by commercial growers. It is necessary to have seed beds, or nurseries for these rare traditional crops. For example, the Garifuna Emergency Committee worked on obtaining seeds for malanga, white yams, red grow yams, and white and pink sweet potatoes.

For crafts there were plants that had been becoming scarce for years. The disaster brought the opportunity to get funds to start reforestation projects of a rare vine belaire or bayal, used for baskets, and a palm whose wood is used to build houses, yagual. The trees that are used for crafts such as mahogany were also reforested. The disaster coupled with the coconut disease inspired people to do an unusual reforestation project of wild fruits such as cocoplums, sea grapes, river apples, wild almonds, etc.

6. Only accept sustainable projects, not ones that will cause the loss of resources or their culture in the long run.

7. Maintain as an on-going project the training of the people, especially women, who will work in the projects and administer them.

For example, the Garifunas of the Garifuna Emergency Committee learned how to write proposal, use computers and email, how to maintain financial records, and techniques of sustainable agriculture and how to establish and maintain a nursery of hardwoods.

8. Seek out alliances of organizations that can help the local people carry out projects.

The members of the Garifuna Emergency Committee recommend that the organizations that donate money should work directly with the people, instead of only through government. This is partly because the government tends to leave out certain groups of people. Also the local people design projects that are more sustainable, and more holistic. In the same project, communities are likely to include elements of the environment, generating income, rescue of the culture, and strengthening the role of culture.

9. The government should work with communities to meet their needs for changes in infrastructure and for very large projects.

One of the most frustrating cases for the Garifuna Emergency Committee has been the case of Santa Rosa de Aguan. For almost 200 years this community existed peacefully beside the Aguan River, without being disturbed. During Hurricane Mitch, however, the river changed its course and flooded dozens of acres of the towns of Santa Rosa deAguan and Barra de Aguan. With each heavy rain since Mitch, Santa Rosa de Aguan tends to flood. The only way to evacuate people is over the Aguan River which is too dangerous in full flood.

The solutions sought by the people of Santa Rosa de Aguan was to relocate the town 45 minute on foot to the east where the dunes were higher, and the distance from the river was significant. However, funding agencies wanted a road to be built to the new location, and the Honduran government insisted that the Garifunas of Santa Rosa pay for the 100 barrels of gasoline needed to open the unpaved road, even though many other places the road was finished for free to the communities. For 7 years the GArifuna worked to collect the money to open the road, missing opportunities to get post-Hurricane Mitch funding.

Seven years after Hurricane Mitch, the government has finally started the road, but then they did not put a bridge across it. The housing project was started ion 2005, but the people suffered through Hurricanes Wilma and Beta and Tropical Storm Gamma in an unsafe location because the government did not make available aid to this town of almost 3,000 people.

The Garifunas of the Garifuna Emergency Committee paid for land for the community to be relocated to. They tried to help fundraise for the 100 barrels of oil. They did a documentary movie about the Community. They sponsored visits by a newspaper reporter to do articles on the town and its situation.

Yes, a nodal body that coordinates disaster management does exist in India, although the form and structure keeps changing. This is primarily because its activities are constantly in the process of being expanded, and its efficiency, fine-tuned.

Has the response mechanism reached the level of sophistication in that a disaster situation can trigger a well-orchestrated response? The answer is a clear “NO – at least, not yet,” although this is what we’re ultimately hoping for.

Everyone agrees on the urgency for developing greater efficiency and response mechanisms. However, this calls for enormous co-ordination on the ground. Our systems are not always responsive, and our bureaucratic government compounds the problem. On the other hand, I’ve come across some highly dynamic officials who have, at great risk to their careers, taken decisions, for which the citizen has applauded them. We need to acknowledge this. We work closely with the government and have seen what a difference dynamic people can actually make.

Some details of the Indian Disaster Management structure:

In India, the National Crisis Management Committee was set up as the apex body to deal with disaster exigencies. Its primary function was to coordinate natural disaster response mechanisms. The Committee was part of the Department of Agriculture, with the Ministry of Health being pulled in as and when required.

In India, each state has a Disaster Management Authority. There also existed a more reactive than proactive Contingency Action Plan for Natural Calamities, with the mandate of relief, and not preparedness. At present, disaster is a subject dealt with by the Home Ministry (except for drought, which is with Agriculture).

The Union Cabinet set up a High Powered Committee (HPC) on Disaster Management (I think it was in 2001-02) that was given the responsibility of reviewing the existing arrangements for preparedness and mitigation of man-made and natural disasters. HPC has suggested measures to strengthen legal and organisational structures, and how to prepare model disaster management plans at the national, state and district levels.

The National Institute of Disaster Management, Delhi, was established under the aegis of the Home Ministry as a training, research and documentation centre, and to coordinate the actions of various actors involved in disaster response at the national level. State-level disaster management authorities have been created in Gujarat and Orissa states to coordinate state disaster response with support from aid agencies, with a focus on Community-Based Disaster Preparedness.

More recently, a National Authority was set up with General (retd.) Vij as the Chairperson. His position is equivalent to the rank of a Union Cabinet Minister. These mechanisms for disaster management mandated by policy in India appear rudimentary and have not proven their efficacy. It is common knowledge that each year, India spends millions in disaster response, relief and rehabilitation – money that is often misspent, and which does not reach those who need it the most.

Further, disaster monitoring and warning systems are non-existent, and response and rescue work in the immediate aftermath of a disaster continues to be unsatisfactory. The scene after a disaster is typically chaotic, with a variety of actors – the state, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), corporate agencies and civil society – involved in rescue, relief and rehabilitation, though largely in an uncoordinated manner. In the absence of effective systems, coordination, laws, and guidelines governing relief work, this process is characterized by mismanagement, duplication and, even worse, the drawing of political mileage and the willful exclusion of many marginalized communities. Crass opportunism by commercial interests is also evident.

While the idea is not to paint a dismal picture, the reality is that disaster management as envisaged by the state has also remained at the level of aid and relief, with the concepts of development planning, and disaster preparedness and mitigation hardly finding a place in existing disaster policy.

Relationship between disasters, development and corruption:

Disasters have struck India in various forms for decades, and with unusual frequency. Droughts, floods, environmental degradation, civic strife, and communal riots have become routine occurrences. Every major disaster destabilises society, its economy, policies, and puts people through immeasurable hardship, anguish and trauma. What inevitably follows is physical dispossession, emotional and social deprivation, and a threat to family and community relationships in the form of death, disease and migration.

Disasters were presumed to be natural phenomena for a long time. However, studies have now shown that they are peculiar to most developing countries and the link between disaster and development has very clearly been recognised by researchers and policy makers. The roots lie in social, political, economic, as well as geographical factors. If these factors are discerned, analysed and addressed, much can be done about prevention and management of the consequences of disaster.

Disasters can further exacerbate poverty or reverse the progress made by the poor to achieve self-reliant development or, in extreme cases, fuel dependence on outside agencies. It is increasingly recognised that the poor are always the worst affected in a disaster situation as their economic capacity to cope with the disruption and devastation is weak. Disaggregating impact is therefore important and has implications for response in terms of long-term assistance.

One cannot deny that Governments, international aid agencies, voluntary and civil society organisations, and corporate houses swing into disaster relief mode. However, these efforts largely focus on visible and short- term assistance. The emphasis on analysing and mapping the vulnerabilities of people and of regions is a new initiative in India.

It is now well established that disasters must be viewed from a development context in order to reduce the vulnerability of people and regions. This process is intrinsically linked to Development Plans of the region and the livelihood opportunities of people. Recognising this relationship is the first step towards developing an understanding of the need for change in current disaster response practices. The awareness of pre-disaster planning at the national, regional, and local levels is growing. Disaster prevention and mitigation requires developing people’s self-sufficiency and reducing their vulnerability. In the final analysis, people’s ability to take measures to minimize destruction and effects of a hazard, coupled with state responsibility and support, are all crucial in disaster management.

Can we identify watch points for corruption? Yes we can. The important question, however, is: What actions can be taken – or will be taken – and by whom? Accountability, transparency, and maintaining standards in relief and rehabilitation is extremely vital. Imbibing and promoting a culture of prevention demands that we consider these aspects. Indians need to feel confident to ask questions and demand a response, while bureaucrats need to understand the true meaning of `public servants’ and internalize values of accountability and transparency.

The issues are complex and I don’t think I have all the answers. I hope this whets the readers’ appetite for a greater degree of engagement in disasters!!

During disasters communities themselves are the first to respond yet their contribution is rarely counted, counted upon or strengthened by decision makers. Disaster affected communities, particularly women, are perceived as victims rather than citizens whose participation can enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of a disaster mitigation program. In discounting the role of communities in disaster response these policies and programs overlook critical opportunities to empower communities and put in place democratic norms of accountability and transparency which will ultimately strengthen the voices of vulnerable communities. In short, the democratic principles of community participation and decentralized decision making which have come to be an intrinsic part of development appear to have no place in the disaster debate despite the policy rhetoric which claims to integrate development and disaster policy. Over the last decade members of the Groots International network have demonstrated disaster response strategies that have addressed gaps in mainstream disaster programs and have empowered disaster affected women and their communities to influence development processes.

After two the earthquakes (in 1993 in Maharashtra and then in 2001 in Gujarat)women’s groups supported by NGO Swayam Shikshan Prayog acted as intermediaries between their communities and the government by bringing information on entitlements to their communities and participating in dialogue forums to provide feedback to government officials on what was going well and what was going wrong. In addition women were also trained in earthquake –safe construction techniques so that they could monitor construction.

These activities brought women into the public arena for the first time, thus giving them a new role in local decision making and development. Today these women are organized into federations of self help groups who continue to be active in all local development issues. They are in dialogue with village councils, they initiate, operate, manage and monitor basic services and they are part of credit and enterprise activities. In Maharashtra there are over 34,000 women organized into 13 federations while in Gujarat there are approximately 3000 women who are part of 2 federations of self help groups. Women also constructed and managed over 50 information centers.

Similarly in Turkey, following the Marmara earthquake of 1999 were supported by the Foundation for the Support of Women’s Work. The Foundation provided a women’s tent in the relief camps where women could gather, share their problems and work on solutions. The women banded together to improve the food and sanitation in the camps. Later in the prefabricated settlements women organized and managed women and children’s centers where women could meet, organize livelihoods activities and run childcare and pre-school services for their communities. Today there are over ten thousand women associated with eight women-managed centers in the region and similar centers have been created in the permanent settlements that many have moved to. The women have come together to form eight cooperatives that undertake collective micro-finance, enterprise and are exploring housing solutions for families who are renters and thus are not entitled to replacement housing from the Government.

In the Honduras, the Comite de Emergencia Garifuna was a group of eight women and four men who came together in response to Hurricane Mitch. Already isolated and marginalized, no rescue services or relief aid reached these communities for several days and they were left to fend for themselves. After organizing the rescue efforts and pooling their resources to distribute food to families, the Comite began to restore their agricultural activities by pooling together their own meager resources. They farmed together and supplied part of the produce for school children; they organized tool banks to share farm tools and implements and organized seed banks in order to grow indigenous crops such as tubers that can be quickly harvested in the event of a flood to make a bread that lasts for several weeks.

These organizations and communities who continue to expand their capacities, innovate and scale up their work through community-to- community learning exchanges represent grassroots network of experts whose work should be strengthened and whose expertise is being drawn on by other disaster prone communities.

Hi all, I'm using this forum to learn a bit more about disaster management from Dr Andharia (see article "Disasters: It's Time to Take a Holistic View" http://www.changemakers.net/ journal/300510/morris.cfm)

I read Dr Andharia's interview in Changemakers with a great deal of interest. It set me off thinking… Her experience with disaster management undoubtedly offers a rich knowledge base for individuals and organizations connected with the field. She brings up a number of crucial issues relating to disaster preparedness and management, and some more elaboration would be highly instructive for practitioners and governments.

Dr Andharia, as you say, when disaster strikes, “Somebody has to coordinate. Somebody needs to take charge”. My question: does India currently have a nodal body charged with coordinating disaster management? Is there a central facility equipped and empowered to ensure that all necessary services swing into appropriate action immediately? One can visualize it as a single mega-switch that once turned on sends currents of information and instruction alerting and activating an entire circuit board of resources and services. In the wake of a major disaster like the Tsunami, such an entity seems essential.

I would also imagine this same body would have a key role in rural and urban planning to ensure that development activity factors in environmental realities, taking the lead in those areas of activities you identify: the need to conduct comprehensive environmental impact assessments for specific regions, to look at the eco-sensitivity of an area, and to examine the topography of an area. Would you agree with this; and to what extent is this happening in India at the moment?

My other question is not India-specific, but relates to a global challenge when it comes to post-disaster response: corruption. A major obstacle to fighting corruption is the absence of checking mechanisms – systems that enable quick, simple ways to identify and halt corrupt practices. Drawing from your wealth of ground level experience, would you be able to enumerate some of the watchpoints and warning signals that should set off alarm bells? Such a list could prove invaluable practical help for those working in disaster management. I look forward to learning from you.

Arundhati Ray, Freelance writer and journalist

Brian,

Would you please elaborate here on the techniques to be used in the REED Program?

A true account

‘Dil of Dilli’

Time 11.30 pm. Saturday, October 29, 2005 – the day bomb rocks New Delhi, India, at 3 places

I enter AIIMS, the leading government run hospital in New Delhi, India. Pictures on TV were difficult to see. Alka [my wife] and I had left the same place in Sarojini Nagar [receiving maximum damage] just 15-20 minutes before. God was very kind to us. Not to others.

Donors needed. Blood in short supply. Yet no one was picking the extension of Blood Bank at AIIMS. Failing to connect after 45 minutes of consistent attempts, I decide to just walk in.

AIIMS is quiet. The guards for a change do not question my movements. Just two queries and I am standing in front of the information counter of the blood bank. The man at the counter is swift. He guides me to the room. A red form needs to be filled first. An appropriate colour. I hurriedly fill it with my typical bad handwriting. I walk in the big hall. It’s full. Another 10 people are waiting on the side. AIIMS staff is polite. I am asked to wait. Grim faces. All quiet. Sitting and waiting for their turn. Strong determination written on each face, as if saying, “Collecting blood in plastic bags is better than shedding on the roads”. Unspoken understanding. I agree. I can’t resist talking with a young man wearing a blood donation t-shirt. He is part of a voluntary group that motivates people to donate blood. He is wearing this t-shirt to motivate others. He admits that the t-shirt today has no use. People around him are quite motivated. The uncleji sitting next gives vent to his feelings. India is going to dogs. He plans to hold a major rally next year at India gate to unite people. I listen to him patiently. I appreciate him. A person who says has donated blood over a hundred times deserves this respect. My count has not even touched twenty.

The cup shape beds are interesting. No need to take the shoes off. Just jump into them. The young Doctor is very energetic. He is full of smiles. I like him. He is quickly moving around from one bed to another, joking with people, appreciating their efforts, and even serving the tetra pack juices. He is quite skillful. Chatting with me, he puts the needle in my vein. I know that he is trying to divert my attention from the prick. I play along.

Three young men getting into the beds around me are in good spirit. They are joking with each other. Each also trying to convince the Doctor to take more blood from them and take less from their friend. The Doctor, smilingly, treats them the same. Each one, give one. One of them shrieks. Oh no, he is scared of the needle. He stabilizes quickly before his friends start pulling his leg. Sheepishly he admits his two fears – Doctor’s needle and Dog’s bite. He turns out to be a marketing guy from a cellular services company. With a needle, inside, he attempts to convince the Doctor to start using his company’s services. I wish his boss were listening. Sipping juices, releasing blood, we all are smiling at each other. We know we will not meet again. This is not a train journey. We don’t start a polite conversation. We talk about Delhi… the dil of dilli. It’s hurt but will never die. Everyone in the hall nods from his bed.

No time for customary 15 minutes rest after the blood donation. The Doctor requests me to vacate the bed. The next donor has already queued up. I smile at him and get up. The number of donors in the hall has started increasing. The ladies at the desk give me a smile and enquire if I am fine. “Nothing wrong”, I say. An elderly gentleman hands me a card, pats me and I am out saying bye to all the friendly faces I met. I won’t see them again. I don’t want to see them again. Not at AIIMS or any other hospital. Not at such occasions. Not when Delhi bleeds. Not when the heart- less people hurt the hearts of Delhi.

I am happy that they are there. The common people like you and me. Coming when not called for. Coming from far off. They are the unsung faces of Delhi. They don’t want glories. They don’t want stories. They give blood not word. They are the ‘dil of dilli’. The dil beats. The dil fights.

It’s past midnight. A new day. A new hope. I walk out. Inspired. Together we will…

Kris,

Thanks for your comments. I agree that "we need to transform our society into a peace loving society." However, I don't think that the transformation necessarily begins with "the leading nations of the world ... not spreading the arms race." I think it starts with the idea that there is a problem, and the desire to solve that problem. It is not the inequalities themselves that force people to resort to terrorism, but it is the desire to be equal. This equality could take the form of political or economic status, but it is the desire for these forms of equality that corrupt the mind. Ending poverty and hunger is a noble quest, but seeing the wealth of the poor is just as noble.

I think inequalities are essential because these inequalities reveal the diversity in the world - experience, opinion, strengths and weaknesses. The problem arrives when personal self-interest and desire prevent us from considering others opinions and needs turning the 'others' into objects to be manipulated and conquered.

To quote Paolo Freire in "Pedagogy of the Oppressed":

"Violence is initiated by those who oppress, who exploit, who fail to recognize others as persons - not by those who are oppressed, exploited and unrecognized. It is not the unloved who initiate disaffection, but those who cannot love because they love only themselves. It is not the helpless, subject to terror, who initiate terror, but the violent, who with their power create the concrete situation which begets the "rejects of life." It is not the tyrannized who initiate despotism, but the tyrants. It is not the despised who initiate hatred, but those who despise. It is not those whose humanity is denied them who negate humankind, but those who denied that humanity."

Imagine being forced to scream at the top of your lungs that you (in the general sense) have a grievance, and then realize that those that control policy and money neither want to admit you to the discussion table nor care you have a grievance. How do you get their attention? Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr., like Gandhi before them, chose civil disobedience; others choose terrorism. Countering terrorism does not necessarily require more police officers, or larger militaries and national guards, for these tangibles just solidify the wall between the two perspectives. Yes, terrorists choose a reckless and unfortunate path to achieve attention, but there is likely a reason why they chose that path. True empathy and desire to address their grievances through mutual beneficial dialogue is the peaceful way to solve the problem. So therein lies the issue; transforming ourselves into calm, empathetic people willing and able to convince "oppressors" of their inhumanity and the importance of mutually beneficial dialogue, and being willing and able to convince the terrorists to trust that the dialogue is not a ruse.

Selling guns does not kill people, hatred driving the desire to use the guns for personal self-interest kills people.

It's now clear beyond doubt, that no amount of so called security can prevent bomb blasts and terrorism.

The only way such dastardly attacks can be totally stopped is to ban currency circulation the worldover and amke all transactions of all individuals, organizations and governments transparent on the web.

By this all spending on arms and terrorism - state sponsered or terrorist groups sponsored can be totally eliminated and true all round peace and prosperity can prevail.

It is ultimately the inequalities that create people to resort to terrorism. To counter terrorism, we need more military and police and they are a drain on any national resource.

Instead we can spend on peace, alleviating poverty, enriching the lives of citizens, etc.Lest we have to live in constant fear of life, despite the advancements in science and technology.

We need to transform our society into a peace loving society and it must begin with the leading nations of the world in not spreading the arms race!!

Kris Dev http://bancurrency.blogspot.com

Lucy,

I agree.

Please let me know if your Institute would like to evaluate the modules and templates I offer at www.integrative-thinking.com for improving planning and governance with integrity in organisations.

Graham

In disastor preparedness, my belief is that the burden has squarely been left to Governements. However I know that the preparedness should also be a citizenry concern and more so a concern to be activited by those in social justice and philanthropy work. The idea of nationalism unifies citizens especially in response to a common cause. In my country (Kenya) philanthropy has just been introduced as an issue and social justice activism is slowly taking root. Too much however is yet to be done in disaster preparedness world over as real life threatening issues of natural disasters, terrorism, self-inflicted governance issues etc cannot be ignored.

Due to the increasing number of major disasters, it would seem that some consideration needs to be given to pre-packaging and foreward positioning of relief kits. There also needs to be more consideration as regards advance planning for flying cargo-lifters --- such as flying-cranes (helicopters) and giant cargo-lifters (cargo blimps). I would like to know of any group is engaged in the above types of efforts.

Disasters sharpen the focus on what are the fundamental issues - planning and governance - the process by which government, business and civil society organisations gain, exercise and maintain POWER in relation to individual end-consumers/citizens and their physical, social and cultural environments.

Our considerable capacity to plan is what distiguishes us from other species. Improved planning with integrity based on our current scientific understanding of the world and of the needs and behaviours common to human beings can be taught.

Similarly, we can improve governance with integrity in all organisations by training all involved in a bottom-up model of governance embodying trust-enabling tools.

Modern means of transparent communication are making present governance approaches obsolete. Since the Industrial Revolution, organisations have developed governance arrangements in a climate of slow, uncertain, incomplete and often secretive communications to meet mass markets of relatively uninformed individual end-consumers/citizens in independent nation states. Bullying, corruption, poor accountability, poor responsibility, poor stakeholder engagement and lack of transparency are possible and are tolerated as being competitive ways of gaining, exercising and maintaining POWER over people and their physical, social and cultural environments. The cooperative and creative potential of most human beings is seen as inferior to the ultra-competitive nature of some people.

Until we DO something widely about improving planning and governance with integrity we seem destined to continue with unsatisfactory handling of disasters.

In the current issue of OneWorld Perspectives online magazine, Nir Tsuk writes that pre-existing social, political and economic problems are often greatly intensified by a disaster. In the aftermath of a disaster, powerful interest groups sometimes exploit the increased vulnerability of marginalized groups to consolidate their grip on local resources and political power. Tsuk tells a little-reported story of coastal villages in Thailand that were sealed off by money barons immediately after the tsunami because they claimed ownership of beachfront land. For real estate entrepreneurs, the tsunami provided a rare opportunity for a shift in land use—from housing to tourism—and the appropriation of local land holdings became much easier.

Disasters create an upheaval in affected societies that can make life much better or much worse. For example, will the legacy of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans be the forced exodus and scattering of the poorest communities, while casino barons are given a rare opportunity to construct a Gulf Coast “Las Vegas” in the Crescent City? Or will communities and planners work together to create rebuild a healthier, more sustainable city with safer streets, better schools, integrated, cohesive neighborhoods, and 21st century transportation and communications infrastructure?