if you want really "down to earth" lingo, i find that i get the most
positive non-verbal cues (rather than glazed eyes or hints of the need
to walk away) when i talk of the need to: "make decisions about
unacceptable risks".
this is not only great because people seem to latch onto it but
because they seem to latch onto the whole "it". rather than just
saying "disaster risk assessment", "disaster risk reduction",
or "disaster management" and leaving people with 1/3 of the puzzle,
that one phrase seems to incorporate all three "prongs" of disaster
risk management as appropriate for them:
* disaster risk assessment: the need to assess the interaction of
hazard risks with other risks and determine (hopefully in a
participatory manner) what types/levels of risk are
acceptable/unacceptable
* disaster risk reduction: the need to decide which tools will best
meet all locally relevant criteria for preventing/mitigating deemed
unacceptable risks
* (and hopefully also) disaster management: the need for
preparedness/coping and relief/recovery plans for those times when
risks deemed acceptable result in disastrous events
personally, it seems a natural extension for people to make the small
leap from personal risk management decisions of whether or not to
apply sunscreen / shovel the sidewalk / wear a seatbelt to thinking of
disaster risk management on a slightly larger scale when they think
of "making decisions about unacceptable risks". i look forward to
hearing suggestions of others - and hope we can find agree on
something truly engaging.
hopefully,
bob alexander
----- Original Message -----
From: Ilan Kelman <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thursday, February 19, 2004 11:10 am
Subject: The Disaster Name Game
> The activities of our field have many names including disaster risk
> reduction, building resilience, vulnerability reduction, risk
> management,adaptation, mitigation, prevention, pre-disaster
> actions, and variations of
> each phrase, often with other words used including emergency,
> preparedness,prevention, hazard management, and (dare I mention
> it?) the intriguing
> "homeland security". Many of the phrases and the discussions of
their
> meanings are appropriate in professional, scientific, and
> political venues.
>
> I have yet to find a solid, meaningful phrase which can be used for
> publicity--to grab, engage, and maintain the interest of teachers,
> students,professionals in other fields, and people walking down
> the street.
> "Stopping disasters" might be reasonable, but seems contradictory
> because a
> disaster by definition has happened, so it is too late to stop it.
> What
> should be used instead? Suggestions include "Risk Reduction",
> "DisasterMitigation", "Stopping Disaster Impacts", and "Preventing
> Disasters".
> A simple yet powerful phrase, particularly one generally accepted
> by our
> community, would help the media to promote our messages while
> reaching out
> to the majority of the population. I seek neither definitions nor
> justifications of vocabularies; simply words that work.
>
> Or perhaps this ideal is a waste of time to try to achieve because
> (a) it
> trivialises our work, (b) it does not exist, and (c) it would be too
> dependent on the whims of public opinion and public perception
> which cause
> many of the problems we face. Would it be better to retain the
> myriad of
> phrases, with selection each time based on the audience addressed
> and the
> specific interests of the speaker?
>
> Although this debate is in English, suggestions and ideas from other
> languages (preferably with an English explanation--apologies!)
> would be
> highly relevant. Many thanks for any thoughts,
> Ilan
>
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