Community Planning and Analysis: FW5770 Project

In December 1999, heavy rains caused extensive damage in northern Venezuela. Landslides and debris flows initiated high on steep hillsides and entered minor and major drainages. Large volumes of sediment, remnants of buildings, and other debris were transported by debris flows and high flood water. (Photo: United States Southern Command) Depending on the resources available, gathering a community for a survey or discussion can be very low tech: posters, fliers, word-of-mouth, but if radio stations and local newspapers are available, consider using popular media for advertising. (Photo: Julie A. Herrick) <Back to Top>

¤ The Motivations: Yours and Theirs     Peace Corps Master's International students are well prepared for facing challenges in developing communities.  Drawing from various backgrounds, targeted coursework, and Peace Corps training, they bring numerous skills to their host communities.  Despite these advantages, a common setback for students is their Western perspective.  Western ideas regarding time schedules and organization are ingrained in many students.  "Time is treated differently there" is a regular warning from Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and students are often forced to develop strategies for dealing with unexpected cultural differences.       Beyond time and organization, Western ideas regarding hazards should also be considered.  During the process of hazard mitigation, it will be important to remain sensitive to local perceptions of hazards.  Coming from a society that expects roads to be plowed, icy lanes salted, warning signs at flooded intersections, and emergency shutoffs on utilities, the ideas that PC/MI students have regarding hazards are based on their sphere of experience- experiences not possible in developing countries.     Before the mitigation process begins, it is important to identify the motivations of the stakeholders.  Stakeholder No.1 is the community at large; stakeholder No.2 is the PC/MI student.  Despite the fact that the student needs to develop the project (a need based on Peace Corps expectations, master's thesis requirements, or personal goals), mitigation work must put the needs of the host community first. This ensures that stakeholder No. 1 takes ownership of the project, addresses their needs, and continues the project  after the PC/MI has left.  Before any assessing, planning, and development take place, be sure to clarify motivations.  It may be necessary to spend extra time discussing the nature of local hazards with your assigned community.  Despite how obvious a hazard may appear to a student, the local perception may be very different.  For those communities that have suffered geologic disasters, they may be ready to spearhead risk mapping and mitigation planning but even communities living in the shadow of a volcano may have developed a surprising perspective.   ¤ The Idea and Early Advice    Why do people live on volcanoes or on floodplains?  Is no other land available; are the resources (e.g. soil, pozzolon, sulfur, minerals, etc.) too valuable to give up; is the view really worth it?  For some communities, the answer to "Why" is not an obvious one.  For example, after the August 2006 activity at Tungurahua, Ecuador locals reported unexpected responses regarding the hazards.  "We have suffered the unspeakable, but we are not going to leave;"  "It will not explode. God does not want that to happen."1 During a crisis situation, it is important to understand that many people might refuse to evacuate.  This is a recurring problem, recently illustrated in Indonesia. Mount Merapi is one of the island nation's most active volcanoes.  To date, the deadliest eruption occurred in 1930 when pyroclastic flows spread far down the flanks and killed 1,369 people.2   During increased activity in May 2006, many farmers defied the government order to evacuate the volcanoes slopes.  When interviewed, a woman from Cangkringan village, explained that "One of the main persons doesn't want to evacuate is the person we call the guardian of the volcano. He's like the captain on the ship, you know so if he leaves its like complete defeat."3     Peace Corps Volunteers will encounter diverse cultures with diverse perceptions of hazards.  It is because of this that The Guide presented here is an integration of methods with a strong emphasis on community participation.  Not only does the community need to take ownership of the mitigation process, the Volunteer must participate with the community in order to understand it well enough to act as a guide in the process.