Revista de Socialómica

Abstracto

Reconstruction After Tornadoes: As if Children Mattered

Adenrele Awotona

Statement of the Problem: Although children are among the most negatively impacted when disasters strike, they are always left out from, or considered as an afterthought in, the planning process for rebuilding communities after disasters. In order to assist children to cope with disasters of all types, it is essential to identify their needs. It is also vital to work with them and other relevant stakeholders (such as their families, communities, governments at all levels and humanitarian agencies) to incorporate those needs into the formulation and implementation of disaster risk reduction and management plans and policies. Methodology and Theoretical Orientation: We used a Community-based Participatory Action Research approach to identify the needs of children after the April 2011 tornadoes that hit the central and northern parts of the State of Alabama in the United States. Findings, Conclusion and Significance: This presentation analyzes how the University of Massachusetts Boston’s Center for Rebuilding Sustainable Communities after Disasters (CRSCAD) and the University of Alabama’s Department of Educational Studies in Psychology, Research Methodology and Counseling, worked jointly to mobilize stakeholders in the affected communities to develop a Community’s Charter - a Child-Centered Action Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction by the community. The use of this community-based approach to assess the impact of the tornado on the local communities and their needs for rebuilding provides a methodological framework for future post-tornado local development. Recommendations: The participants developed three sets of recommendations for children and their families, schools, and the community.