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GUIDELINES FOR COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN DISASTER RECOVERY

“Post-disaster recovery processes are often centrally planned and implemented, and they sometimes follow a top-down approach that does not engage affected communities in their own recovery process. Given that post-disaster contexts are particularly difficult environments that can cause large-scale damage and human suffering, demanding speed in the delivery of humanitarian aid and recovery services, community participation can sometimes be perceived as an additional time-consuming process that adds even more to the challenge of dealing with a disaster. Experience shows, however, that recovery interventions can be inappropriate or ineffective when communities are not consulted and involved actively in the process.” (p.5)

“Ultimately the aim [of the Guidelines] is to improve the quality of post-disaster recovery by promoting the active involvement of people and their communities, from the post-disaster needs assessment, to recovery planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. To achieve this, the Guidelines are designed to be practical and action-oriented, providing a variety of case studies that exemplify how community driven participatory approaches have been implemented across a number of countries facing disasters”

[As collections-based institutions reach communities, large and small, through their activities, they can play a key role in facilitating participation of those communities in disaster recovery.]