DOCSLIB.ORG

Rebuilding Lives a Reflection on the Experiences of Disaster Affected Poor People Published 2009

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Rebuilding Lives a Reflection on the Experiences of Disaster Affected Poor People Published 2009 Rebuilding Lives a reflection on the experiences of disaster affected poor people Published 2009 Report compiled by Bijay Kumar (formerly the ActionAid Tsunami Management Team Convener and ActionAid Sri Lanka Country Director) and Moira O’Leary (formerly the ActionAid Tsunami Policy Director). contents Preface ..............................................................................................................................5 Introduction ........................................................................................................................7 1. People’s voices ............................................................................................................11 1.1 Affected people’s experience of disaster response .............................................11 1.1.1 Introduction ...............................................................................................11 1.1.2 Violence against women ...........................................................................11 1.1.3 Land rights and adequate housing ...........................................................13 1.1.4 Livelihoods ................................................................................................16 1.1.5 Disaster risk reduction ..............................................................................18 1.1.6 Governance ..............................................................................................19 1.2 Analysis of laws, policies & institutional frameworks for disaster management ..21 1.2.1 Violence against women ...........................................................................22 1.2.2 Land rights and adequate housing ...........................................................22 1.2.3 Livelihoods ................................................................................................25 1.2.4 Disaster Risk Reduction ...........................................................................26 2. Learning from practice .................................................................................................29 2.1 Rights-based approach in disaster management ...............................................29 2.1.1 Rights-based approach ............................................................................29 2.1.2 Rights-based approach in disaster situations ...........................................30 (i) Identity and exclusion..................................................................................30 (ii) Political analysis of land and housing rights ..............................................33 2.2 People-centred policy work .................................................................................36 2.2.1 Process .....................................................................................................36 2.2.2 A model to connect grassroots women’s concerns to policy makers ........36 2.3 Accountability to rights-holders ...........................................................................39 2.3.1 Introduction ...............................................................................................39 2.3.2 Mechanisms of accountability ...................................................................39 (i) Issues in operationalising accountability ....................................................39 (ii) Community Led Participatory Change Plans (CLPCP) ..............................40 (iii) Well-being ranking ....................................................................................40 3 (iv) Social audit ...............................................................................................41 (v) Community review .....................................................................................42 (vi) Public hearing ...........................................................................................44 (vii) Economic Literacy and Budget Accountability for Governance (ELBAG) ......44 2.4 Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) ..........................................................................45 contents 2.4.1 Community-led DRR .................................................................................45 2.4.2 Disaster free South Asia - policy work ......................................................47 Appendix: Methodology for the People’s Reports and field studies ................................50 4 © ActionAid India © a reflection on the experiences of disaster affected poor people a reflection on the experiences of disaster affected india: Fisherfolk were forced to fight for both their livelihoods and homestead land rights. Rebuilding lives: preface Disasters are not inevitable, nor are inequities was to go beyond the provision of support to meet in disaster response interventions. Communities basic needs and to respond in ways which could can increase their resilience to hazards and simultaneously facilitate the empowerment of prevent them from becoming disasters if they women and excluded social groups, enabling them have the necessary knowledge, skills, financial to claim their rights. We understand that a long- resources, infrastructure, institutions and term perspective is critical in disaster response linkages. The evidence clearly suggests that poor if the available resources are to be employed and excluded people – particularly women – are to support change rather than to merely restore disproportionately affected by disasters. people to their pre-disaster level of poverty. To address this inequality, those intervening must Learning how to institutionalise these lessons is take sides with people who are poor and excluded an outstanding challenge. Numerous evaluation if their vulnerability is to be reduced and their rights reports from a wide range of disaster responses fulfilled. in different locations reveal that too often what is practiced is not congruent with what is aspired This report, Rebuilding Lives: a reflection on the to in international conventions, national laws experiences of disaster affected poor people, and policies, standards and codes of conduct. reflects upon the experience of ActionAid While international laws are binding on signatory International’s Tsunami Response Programme, governments and multilateral and bilateral which covered India, Indonesia, the Maldives, institutions, and NGOs are committed to codes Somalia (Puntland) and Sri Lanka. It was compiled of conduct and standards such as the Sphere by Bijay Kumar and Moira O’Leary (formerly the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in ActionAid Tsunami Management Team Convener Disaster Response, it is evident that there is much and ActionAid Sri Lanka Country Director, and the to be desired to translate these into practice. ActionAid Tsunami Policy Director respectively). We must continue to learn and discern the Rebuilding Lives draws primarily from People’s processes and mechanisms and the accompanying Reports on violence against women; disaster risk attitudes and behaviours to ensure the space reduction; land rights and adequate housing; and for communities, their institutions and local civil fisheries-based livelihoods in the response to the society to take a central role in rebuilding lives and Indian Ocean Tsunami, prepared by alliances of livelihoods. around 350 organisations in the above countries. Richard Miller The reports and studies document the post- International Director, Human Security 5 disaster experience of poor and excluded ActionAid people and highlight the persistent structural Executive Director discrimination they face, even after disasters. This ActionAid UK discrimination may in fact be intensified through policies and practices which perceive the disaster preface to be an opportunity for economic investment and large-scale development projects, which in turn increase the vulnerability of poor people. Rebuilding Lives describes some of ActionAid’s experiences in operationalising a rights-based approach in the disaster response. The endeavour 6 © Jacobo Quintanilla/ActionAid Sri Lanka a reflection on the experiences of disaster affected poor people a reflection on the experiences of disaster affected Sri Lanka: Community reviews were held in affected villages to ensure public accountability of programmes. Rebuilding lives: introduction This report draws on affected people’s and droughts (CRED 2007). Developing countries, experiences and practitioners’ reflections of disaster many of which are already the most vulnerable to response. It is distinctive in its focus on poor and natural disasters, will be particularly affected by excluded people and the operationalisation of a climate change. The occurrence of disasters can rights-based approach in the post-disaster context. also be attributed to government policy (for example, Response interventions, while assisting affected promoting inappropriate “development”), population poor people to obtain their basic needs/rights, had growth, ad hoc urbanisation and community-level a simultaneous purpose to support affected poor resilience to natural disaster, all of which contribute people to organise and mobilise with others, have a to the degree of vulnerability that people experience voice and develop their power to negotiate in order (CRED 2007). to claim, secure and enjoy their human rights. The connection between poverty and vulnerability to The importance of reflecting and learning from hazards is clear, and the fact that disasters have the previous disaster response is crucial in light of the greatest
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Actionaid Sierra Leone 2020 Fourth Quarter Report Reporting Period
    ActionAid Sierra Leone 2020 Fourth Quarter Report Reporting Period: October to December 2020 pg. 1 Introduction/Context: Briefly describe the context of your work for the reporting period looking at major changes in context or events which have affected your work in the reporting period only (e.g. disasters, livelihoods, security, power relations etc.); and key action (s) taken as a response. In summary provide information on the LRP’s/Unit’s priorities, population and community targeted and inputs (financial resources) by AAISL as applicable. The global pandemic stalled every aspect of individual and county development. It touched and disturbed private and public lives in diverse ways. Whilst the pandemic wrecked economic activities because of state regulations to be able to manage an alarming transmission rate, the condition kept the nation’s population at bay – either unable to get her daily bread or being put under what is referred to as a shadow pandemic. Many had said, it was never again the corona but rather the hunger, starvation, limited freedom particularly around movements internally and externally. The state was arrested, and government was under pressure by its people to reverse such a horrible situation. Following a distressing condition in the last two quarters of the year (quarters 2 and 3), this quarter showed some glimmer of hope, courage and a stronger belief of bouncing back from stress and shock albeit slowly. In this period especially in October and November, cases of corona were as low as COVID-19 Confirmed & Death Rates 2020 single digits and in many cases pegged at zero – an indication of 800 looking ahead for a Christmas 700 600 vacation with attributes of 500 fearlessness, rigid state measures 400 300 that would have contradicted an Numbers Numbers 200 enjoyable Xmas jamboree.
    [Show full text]
  • Loss and Damage from Climate Change: the Cost for Poor People in Developing Countries
    Zuhra Mai by the remains of her house, one of the 1.8 million homes damaged or destroyed in Pakistan’s 2010 fl oods. PHOTO: ACTIONAID Loss and damage from climate change: the cost for poor people in developing countries Discussion Paper Loss and damage from climate change: the cost for poor people in developing countries Discussion Paper 2 Loss and damage from climate change: the cost for poor people in developing countries Contents Abbreviations 3 Introduction 4 1 Defi nitions and scale 6 2 Compensation for loss and damage 16 3 Proposals for dealing with loss and damage 21 Conclusion and recommendations 27 Notes 29 3 Loss and damage from climate change: the cost for poor people in developing countries Abbreviations ABI Association of British Insurers AOSIS Alliance of Small Island States CCFM Climate Change Funding Mechanism CCRIF Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility CERF Central Emergency Response Fund GDP Gross domestic product IOPC International Oil Pollution Compensation MCII Munich Climate Insurance Initiative NGO Non-governmental organisation NPV Net present value UN United Nations UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UN-OCHA United Nations Offi ce for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 4 Loss and damage from climate change: the cost for poor people in developing countries Introduction Debates on climate fi nance for developing disproportionately contributed to the impacts countries tend to be limited to low carbon of climate change being felt by developing development, mitigation and adaptation, how countries. much each will cost, and what the respective • A loss and damage debt – where climate fi nancial mechanisms should be.
    [Show full text]
  • Shifting Power to Young People in Humanitarian Action
    1 Shifting power to young people in humanitarian action Shifting power to young people – How young people can lead and drive solutions in humanitarian action Shifting Power to Young People – How young people can lead and drive solutions in humanitarian action, ActionAid & Restless Development, 2019 © ActionAid © Restless Development This report is written by Annie Hoban, Jenny Bowie, Lois Aspinall, Rachel Litster and Rachel Proefke with contributions from youth researchers Mohamed B Bah, Abu Bakarr Jalloh, Reena Shakya and Suzeena Shrestha as well as young people from across the world. Particular thanks goes to the many ActionAid and Restless Development teams that contributed, including Milima Dangol, Sallieu Timbo, Dinesh Gurung, David Habba, Zynab Kamara, Khin Win Khyi, Lafir Mohamed, Clement Chesire, Will Gray, Amani Mustafa, Mai Al-Qaisi, Abdul Alim, Tanjir Hossein, Claire Grant, Carol Angir, Rebecca Murphy, Grace Ireri, Francisco Yermo, Katherine Robinson, Kate Carroll, Paras Tamang, Anjana Luitel and Mary Ndiritu, Hammam Masri, Sesheeni Joud Selvaratnam, Chikondi Chabvuta and Sonya Ruparel. This report has been funded by Danida and published by ActionAid, who is entirely responsible for the content of the report. Year: 2019 Authors: Annie Hoban, Rachel Lister, Jenny Bowie, Lois Aspinall and Rachel Proefke Editors: Helle Q. Joensen, Ellen Emilie Madsen and Kirsten Hjørnholm Design: Leo Scherfig Publication Copyright COVER PHOTO: Dalia, a 18-year-old girl, standing in her family’ house in Gaza, where her and the rest of the family almost got killed by a fire from their candles. The electricity supply in Gaza is sporadic and often lasts between four and six hours a day.
    [Show full text]
  • Rights to End Poverty Actionaid International Strategy 2005–2010
    Rights to end poverty ActionAid International strategy 2005–2010 Page number Contents Foreword 2 Section one: Introduction 3 What’s new? 5 Poverty eradication goals 5 Strategic priorities 2005-2010 5 Section two: Power, poverty and injustice 6 Section three: Our distinctive organisation 10 Our identity 10 Distinctive approach: past, present and future 11 Core interventions 12 Section four: Our strategic priorities Women’s rights 14 The right to education 14 The right to food 15 The right to human security in conflict and 15 emergencies The right to life and dignity in the face of 16 HIV and AIDS The right to just and democratic governance 16 17 Geographical focus 18 Section five: Organisational implications 19 Organisational objectives: • strengthen our governance and deepen accountability 19 • strengthen staff capacity 20 • strengthen our structures and systems 20 • strengthen our communications and campaigns 21 • increase our supporters and mobilise supporters and partners behind our mission 21 • increase and diversify income 22 Section six: Making it happen 24 Rights to end poverty, ActionAid International strategy, 2005-2010 Page 1 of 24 Foreword This new strategy, Rights to end poverty, is our We set ambitions for making a significant impact renewed commitment to fight poverty and at the international level because we believe that injustice. progress at the local and national level cannot be achieved or sustained without changing the world It is our call for collective action to take sides with order that is dictated by powerful nations and poor and excluded people and communities and international institutions. to support their ideas, aspirations and actions.
    [Show full text]
  • Sierra Leone: Imf Crisis Solution Report
    ActionAid International Sierra Leone SIERRA LEONE: IMF CRISIS SOLUTION REPORT Samuel Jamiru Braima Senior Lecturer & Head Department of Economics & Commerce Fourah Bay College,University of Sierra Leone 2011 IMF Crisis Solution SL Acknowledgements I would like to thank ActionAid International Sierra Leone (AAISL) for providing the opportunity for undertaking this research to determine the nature of responses provided by International Financial Institutions (IFIs)to the solutions of the Financial crisis, particularly the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the implications for poverty reduction efforts in Sierra Leone. I would like to extend sincere thanks to AAISL field officers and Ministry of Finance staff whose efforts have been invaluable in the collection of field data and constructive comments that have contributed immensely in the lead up to the preparation of this report. This is also to acknowledge the communities – Local Councils and ordinary residents – for their support in providing the responses required that helped determine the trend in information on poverty related spending on the part of Government and how this translates to poor people’s lives in their various communities. Many thanks also go to the study team whose efforts and dedication in overall documents review, undertaking field work and supporting the information analysis has been invaluable. This work will never be complete, if Mr.Patrick Zombo’s original insistence on how to go about the study and dedication to seeing this study done in the light of AAISL is not put down in black and white. You have just started the long race; I hope you will be able to sustain it.
    [Show full text]
  • Gender Responsive Public Services and Macro-Economic Policy in Ghana
    ActionAid Briefing Paper Gender Responsive Public Services and Macro-Economic Policy in Ghana 1 This paper was written by Dr Eric Osei-Assibey and Nancy Kachingwe, with the critical contribution of Amadeus Bringmann, Yanyuan He, Shay Howard and Natalie Jones, master’s degree students at the London School of Economics. Baishali Chatterjee coordinated the process with Margaret Brew-Ward. Valuable comments and inputs were provided at various stages by Emma Burgisser (Bretton Woods Project), Kasia Staszewska, David Archer, Soren Ambrose, Wangari Kinoti and Neelanjana Mukhia. We are grateful to Sumaila Rahman and the ActionAid Ghana team. Special thanks to members of the young urban women’s movement in Ghana who provided crucial insights from their everyday experiences. Foreword ActionAid works with 10 partners and over 7,000 young women across 13 cities in Ghana, Kenya, India and South Africa through its Young Urban Women: Life Choices and Livelihoods Programme. The programme provides a platform for collectives of young women in urban areas to share knowledge and experiences and take action to claim their rights. Across these cities, young women are organizing in multiple ways to confront the lack of quality public services and infrastructure as the main reason behind their unpaid care and domestic work burden, and as a key impediment to their bodily integrity, their ability to access decent work opportunities and simply live lives of dignity. At the root of their experiences is the reality of macro-economic policies, largely imposed by international finance institutions, that effectively erect structural barriers to social and economic rights while exploiting women’s paid and unpaid labour.
    [Show full text]
  • Practices and Lessons Regarding Effective Lobby and Advocacy 1 FGG Alliance 2011 – 2015
    Practices and Lessons Regarding Effective Lobby and Advocacy 1 FGG Alliance 2011 – 2015 Photos: ActionAid Practices and Lessons Regarding Effective Lobby and Advocacy Reflection from the Fair Green and Global (FGG) Programme Phase 1, October 2015 Report by Fons van der Velden * Context, International Cooperation Utrecht, the Netherlands * The workshop reporters Hachangu Hakalima and Fieke J ägers contributed substantially to the input of this document. Thanks are furthermore due to the workshop participants especially Lillian Matsika (co - facilitator) and Liesbeth van Brink and Kaetlyn Roberts (ActionAid, the Netherlands) Practices and Lessons Regarding Effective Lobby and Advocacy 2 FGG Alliance 2011 – 2015 KEY QUOTES ‘Strengthening the capacity of people is at the centre’. ‘Strengthening communities to advocate on their own, independent from ActionAid is core’. ‘Duty bearers must be held accountable’. Practices and Lessons Regarding Effective Lobby and Advocacy 3 FGG Alliance 2011 – 2015 FOREWORD During the period 2011-2015, AA Kenya, AA Zambia, AA Zimbabwe, AA South Africa, AA Netherlands, the AA IS, and partners through the tax and land campaigns, implemented programmes under the Fair Green and Global (FGG) Programme. This programme was multi-facetted and covered work at national, regional, Dutch and global level on land governance, women and land rights, corporate conduct, communities and extractives and tax justice. During the implementation period, we realized that it was important to share our experiences on campaigning, lobby and advocacy in order to learn about it. In April 2014 a workshop was held with al l FGG partners on advocacy for corporate accountability. This resulted in a trainin g manual.
    [Show full text]
  • Climate Migrants Pushed to the Brink South Asia Is Unprepared to Protect Climate Migrants, Even As It Battles the COVID-19 Crisis
    Climate migrants pushed to the brink South Asia is unprepared to protect climate migrants, even as it battles the COVID-19 crisis Funded by the European Union Implemented by Problem-tree analysis with villagers from Naogaon district, Bangladesh PHOTO: ACTIONAID Executive Summary The world is facing an unprecedented climate This policy brief delves into some of these aspects emergency. Climate change is impacting the world’s and presents the initial findings of research on climate poor adversely, destroying livelihoods and rendering change-induced migration internally in three countries them homeless. People are being displaced and in South Asia — Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. are being forced to move out of their homes. This is the situation when average temperatures have The study was part of the South Asia Migration and already increased by 1.1°C in 2019, compared to Climate (SAMAC) project, funded by the European Union preindustrial levels. Under a business-as-usual scenario, through the International Centre for Migration Policy temperatures are expected to continue to increase, Development (ICMPD) managed project — Improving crossing the 2°C threshold. The impacts will further Migration Management in the Silk Routes Countries — in exacerbate issues people are facing. This raises the Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, implemented by following questions: ActionAid, in collaboration with Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA), and its partners. What happens to climate migrants then? The study finds that people’s livelihoods in South What kinds of social protection are they assured of? Asia are being devastated by intense flooding, chronic drought, sea-level rise and changing weather patterns.
    [Show full text]
  • January 25 2017
    Subscribe Past Issues Translate View this email in your browser FGM in the News 25 January 2017 "We will not rest until women have parity and equity at all levels of leadership in society. We work peacefully while recognizing there is no true peace without justice and equity for all." Nigeria: 68 % Of Imo Women Have Childbirth Complications—UNICEF The United Nations International Children’s Fund, UNICEF, has raised an alarm over the rising cases of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Imo State saying 68 percent of women in the state are affected by the practice. Read more Kenya: Home-Grown Kenyan Solar Energy Protects Girls Subscribe Past Issues The community is buzzing with solar and wind energy, which powers everything from the dispensary and church to shops, homes and even a rescue centre for girls fleeing child marriage and the threat of female genital mutilation. Read More Georgia: Georgia Ushers in Bill to Criminalize FGM The government in the former Soviet republic of Georgia has proposed a bill which will make it a crime to carry out female genital mutilation. The bill comes after a journalist revealed last fall that the practice was still in use in a few villages in the east of the country. Read More Cyprus: European Knowledge Platform for Professionals The project aims to design and develop a web-based knowledge platform on female genital mutilation (FGM) that will gather easily accessible information and support to professionals, to deliver victim support more effectively, help prevent FGM and protect women and girls living with or at risk of FGM and serve as a resource and education center.
    [Show full text]
  • Ngos and Social Movements: a North/South Divide? Alejandro Bendaña
    NGOs and Social Movements A North/South Divide? Alejandro Bendaña Civil Society and Social Movements United Nations Programme Paper Number 22 Research Institute June 2006 for Social Development This United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) Programme Paper has been produced with the support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). UNRISD also thanks the governments of Denmark, Finland, Mexico, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom for their core funding. Copyright © UNRISD. Short extracts from this publication may be reproduced unaltered without authorization on condition that the source is indicated. For rights of reproduction or translation, application should be made to UNRISD, Palais des Nations, 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland. UNRISD welcomes such applications. The designations employed in UNRISD publications, which are in conformity with United Nations practice, and the presentation of material therein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNRISD con- cerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The responsibility for opinions expressed rests solely with the author(s), and publication does not constitute endorse- ment by UNRISD. ISSN 1020-8178 Contents Acronyms ii Summary/Résumé/Resumen iii Summary iii Résumé iii Resumen iv Introduction 1 Whose NGOs? 1 Development NGOs: Attacking Acronyms or Injustice? 3 The Politics of Accountability and Control
    [Show full text]
  • Call to Action on the Domestic Financing of Education
    TEN POINT CALL TO ACTION ON DOMESTIC FINANCING OF EDUCATION POST-COVID We the undersigned 190 organisations from 55 countries endorse this call to action which emerged from a webinar on 28th July 2020 convened by ActionAid with key speakers from UNESCO, Education International, the Global Partnership for Education, the Global Alliance for Tax Justice, the UN Girls’ Education Initiative, Open Society Foundation, Wellspring Philanthropy, The Peter Cundill Foundation – with opening remarks by the Minister of Education from Sierra Leone.i Hundreds of participants from developing country governments, civil society organisations, philanthropic foundations, unions and movements, UN agencies and multi- stakeholder partnerships came together to identify solutions to the coming crisis in domestic financing of public education. This ten-point call for action is based on the critical issues and insights that were shared. Already Covid-19 has thrown 1.5 billion children out of school and with education systems facing a devastating crisis in public financing, it’s unclear how many of them will be able to safely return, or what quality of learning schools will be able to provide to them if they do. UNESCO estimates at least $210 billion will be cut from education budgets next year simply owing to declines in GDP. Pressure to reallocate scarce resources to health and social safety nets, might cut 5% from education budgets amounting to a total loss of $337 billion in education spending – and the World Bank projects that even deeper cuts of 10% could be on the horizon. This is probable but not inevitable. We need political will, bold solutions and urgent action to prevent this health crisis triggering an education calamity that could affect the life prospects of a whole generation of children.
    [Show full text]
  • World Social Forum in a Glimpse By: Amade Sucá, Social Activist with Actionaid
    World Social Forum in a Glimpse By: Amade Sucá, Social activist with ActionAid It is about 4PM in Montreal and 10PM in Mozambique. I am still half asleep but we must rush to Parc la Fountaine from where the big event will start. We first had to go to UQAM1 and do our registration. Soon after that we had to take the metro and then the bus to quickly reach the place we all wanted to be at that time. We were all happy when we noticed we were entering the Park. It was full! About 5.000 people where there with posters, banners and ready for the opening march of the WSF 2016. This is the 12th edition of the WSF since the first one in Porto Alegre, Brazil in 2001. We are there commenting the fact that this is the first time that the WSF is being organized in a northern country. It has been in Brazil, India, Kenya, Senegal, Pakistan, Venezuela, Mali and Tunisia. That itself is a shift. We looked at ourselves and agreed that the WSF is indeed that largest gathering of civil society to find solutions to the problems of our time. Therefore, no place to host the forum is an inappropriate one. All places face the same problems and challenges caused by this enemy called global hyper-capitalism! The WSF is a space to build concrete alternatives to the neoliberal economic model and alternatives to politics based on the exploitation of human beings and nature. At that time we noticed that the sound of the march was going up and up again.
    [Show full text]