Question

QUESTION 14

1. FEMA’s mission is to provide assistance in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters. It is currently involved in increasing community support for disaster preparedness and response. Using the information in Chapter 14, explain two reasons why community involvement is an ethical action.

Answer 1

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE ELEMENT TO ACHIEVING SUSTAINABILITY IN DEALING WITH NATURAL AND MAN-MADE DISASTER RISKS. THE APPROACH SEEKS COMMUNITIES AT RISK TO GET ENGAGED IN ALL OF ITS PHASES: PREVENTION,MITIGATION,PREPAREDNESS,RESPONSE, AND RECOVERY.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT ,THROUGH ENHANCING RESPECT FOR PERSONS AND SHAPING RESEARCH THAT ADDRESSES THE NEEDS AND PRIORITIES OF THE COMMUNITIES,IS ONE WAY TO ADDRESS FUNDAMENTAL ETHICAL PRINCIPLES

COMMUNITY DISASTER RESPONSE SYSTEM:

RESPONSE COMPONENTS AT COMMUNITY LEVEL ARE THE MAIN ELEMENTS WHOSE ACTIVITY IS BECAUSE OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITY OR THEIR INTEREST .RESPONSIBILITY REFERS TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR RESCUE ,RELIEF AND FIRE FIGHTING.

COMMUNITY DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

COMMUNITY -BASED PREPAREDNESS AND PLANNING ALLOW US TO MANAGE THE POTENTIAL HAZARDS FOLLOWING A DISASTER EVENT.

COMMUNITTY PREPAREDNESS WILL IMPROVE THE ABILITY OF INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS TO REDUCE THE EFFECTS OF THE HAZARD IMPACT AND MANAGE THEIR RESOURCES UNTIL ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE .

COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS HELPS TO =RAISING PUBLIC AWARENESS , EFFECTIVE WARNING SYSTEM, EFFECTIVE MESSAGING.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IS AN ETHICAL ACTION BECAUSE - COMMUNITY MEMBERS PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN REDUCING THE IMPACT OF A DISASTER. PEOPLE AT THIS LEVEL ARE OFTEN THE MOST VULNERABLE TO DISASTER AND EXPERIENCE THE GREATEST IMPACTS FOR VARIOUS REASONS. WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE LOCAL GEOLOGY ,THE HAZARD CONTEXT,AND THE LIVELIHOODS OPTIONS AVAILABLE,LOCAL COMMUNITIES MUST BE INVOLVED IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES FROM THE START,AND SUPPORTED BY PROJECTS TO DEVELOP THE CAPACITIES AND LINKAGES THAT HELP OVERCOME.

THE CASES SHOWS THAT FACED WITH A MULTI-FACETED DAILY DISASTER ,LOCAL PEOPLE AND THEIR ORGANIZATIONS DEVELOP THEIR OWN STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING LIVING CONDITIONS, OBTAINING GREATER ACCESS TO RESOURCES AND CHANGING THE CHARACTER OF SOCIAL RELATIONS WITH OTHER GROUPS,PARTICULARLY WITH THE STATE.

ONLY LOCAL PEOPLE KNOW THEIR OWN NEEDS AND ONLY THEY CAN DEFINE THE PRIORITIES FOR MANAGEMENT  WITHIN A GIVEN CONTEXT. MOST COMMUNITIES DO NOT ACT FOR ABSTRACT IDIOLOGICAL REASONS; SPECIFIC LOCAL PROBLEMS ARE NEARLY ALWAYS THE REASON FOR THEIR ACTIONS.FOR MANY, DISASTER MANAGEMENT IS A PERMANENT ACTIVITY AND AN INTEGRAL PERT OF THEIR SURVIVAL STRATEGIES .

2. A COMMUNITY MAY BE UNDERSTOOD AS AGROUP OF PEOPLE LIVING IN THE SAME PLACE OR HAVING A PARTICULAR CHARACTERISTIC IN COMMON ,SUCH AS A COMMON CULTURE, VALUE SYSTEM,INTERESTS, ETC..., IN THESE GUIDELINES, COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION REFERS TO THE PARTICIPATION OF PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THE DISASTER WHO MAY BE INVOLVED IN DISASTER RECOVERY PROCESSES AT THE MOST LOCAL COMMUNITY LEVEL,AS WELL AS THE PARISH ,DISTRICT ,PROVINCIAL OR SUB-REGIONAL LEVEL.

ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL BASES FOR COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT IS THE HUMAN RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE .AN ESSENTIAL PRICIPLE WITHIN THE INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS FRAMEWORK IS THAT EACH AND EVERY PERSON HAS THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN,CONTRIBUTE TO AND ENJOYDEVELOPMENT IN WHICH HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS CAN BE REALIZED. SO COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IS AN ETHICAL ACTION.