In the article "Challenging Disaster Administration: Toward Community-Based Resilience", by Lisa Ireni-Saban, the author analyzes the emergency management techniques of three different countries and their response to their own catastrophic events. Each country 's emergency management organization performed in a different manner with varying levels of effectiveness. The author utilizes the community-based disaster resilience model to explain the role of the community and the administration 's obligation to promote advocacy, inclusion and competency in response to the recovery efforts, following a disaster (Ireni-Saban, 2012).
Advocacy
The Action for Advocacy in 2002 defined advocacy as "taking action to help people say what they …show more content…
In New Orleans, Louisiana, before the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina, the community consisted of a majority of African American people, with a unique style of music, food, and history, integrated into the New Orleans culture. In the aftermath of the West Sumatra Earthquake, the indigenous people of the Nias Islands hold their history and cultural assets in the highest regard, seeking to repair their museums and cultural centers rather than institute emergency management techniques for preparedness (Ireni-Saban, 2012). In the Qiang community cultural preservation was included as a "special recovery need". When an earthquake struck China in the Sichuan area, large numbers of the cultural community were affected (Ireni-Saban, 2012). Training programs were implemented to train new people in the arts and skills of the region to preserve the skills, craftsmanship and culture of the …show more content…
On the Nias Islands, administrative and government efforts did not include rebuilding cultural landmarks that were so integral to the cultural identity of the people. The local administrators acted as poor advocates of the wants and needs of the community in their effort to rebuild. It is the recommendation of the author that public officials provide a greater cultural sensitivity in order to build a trust and open communications with a region (Ireni-Saban, 2012)
Summary of Findings- Competency
Following the Hurricane Katrina disaster, local and federal relief efforts were slowed drastically when both agencies failed to communicate efforts to provide rescue efforts and transportation out of the disaster area (FEDERALISM: Lessons of Katrina). If not for the benefit of nonprofit groups, aid may have taken much longer to arrive. Officials often get in the way of nonprofit or community-based organizations. Perhaps the best recommendation is to allow volunteers from the community and nonprofit groups within that community to control much of the relief and recovery efforts, leaving administrators and local governments to provide the supplies and support the facilitation by nonprofit groups. The people most affected in the community will have the most dedication to the job (Ireni-Saban,