The Horn of Africa has suffered repeated disasters: wars, drought, famine, mass refugee movements and environmental decline. This book explains the historical and political background to these crises and outlines the prospects for development in the region. Experts on the Horn cover a broad range of topics, including ethnic conflict, gender and refugees, food security, the survival of pastoralism, the future of independent Eritrea, operations of intelligence agencies and the possibilities for regional co-operation.

This is the first in-depth study of Sharpeville, the South African township that was the site of the infamous police massacre of March 21, 1960, the event that prompted the United Nations to declare apartheid a "crime against humanity."

Voices of Sharpeville brings to life the destruction of Sharpeville’s predecessor, Top Location, and the careful planning of its isolated and carceral design by apartheid architects. A unique set of eyewitness testimonies from Sharpeville’s inhabitants reveals how they coped with apartheid and why they rose up to protest this system, narrating this massacre for the first time in the words of the participants themselves. Previously understood only through the iconic photos of fleeing protestors and dead bodies, the timeline is reconstructed using an extensive archive of new documentary and oral sources including unused police records, personal interviews with survivors and their families, and maps and family photos. By identifying nearly all the victims, many omitted from earlier accounts, the authors upend the official narrative of the massacre.

Amid worldwide struggles against racial discrimination and efforts to give voices to protestors and victims of state violence, this book provides a deeper understanding of this pivotal event for a newly engaged international audience.

This book explores the planning knowledge that can be gleaned from the experiences of the urban poor, a group frequently affected by floods. Further, it examines the relationship between lifeworld analysis and adaptation planning through the sociology of knowledge, which plays a significant part in determining the adaptation pathway of the urban poor. The book brings together empirical data to translate self-reflective planning theory into the practical context, examines community planning, and enriches the discourse on urban adaptation. Lastly, it provides an adaptation-planning model that can benefit academics, practitioners and policymakers who wish to provide more socially accepted plans.

This open access book covers comprehensive but fundamental principles and concepts of disaster and accident prevention and mitigation, countermeasures, and recovery from disasters or accidents including treatment and care of the victims. Safety and security problems in our society involve not only engineering but also social, legal, economic, cultural, and psychological issues. The enhancement needed for societal safety includes comprehensive activities of all aspects from precaution to recovery, not only of people but also of governments. In this context, the authors, members of the Faculty of Societal Safety Science, Kansai University, conducted many discussions and concluded that the major strategy is consistent independently of the type and magnitude of disaster or accident, being also the principle of the foundation of our faculty. The topics treated in this book are rather widely distributed but are well organized sequentially to provide a clear understanding of the principles of societal safety. In the first part the fundamental concepts of safety are discussed. The second part deals with risks in the societal and natural environment. Then follows, in the third part, a description of the quantitative estimation of risk and its assessment and management. The fourth part is devoted to disaster prevention, mitigation, and recovery systems. The final, fifth part presents a future perspective of societal safety science. Thorough reading of this introductory volume of societal safety science provides a clear image of the issues. This is largely because the Japanese have suffered often from natural disasters and not only have gained much valuable information about disasters but also have accumulated a store of experience. We are still in the process of reconstruction from the Great East Japan earthquake and the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident. This book is especially valuable therefore in studying the safety and security of people and their societies.

Not many people realize it, but the world is coming apart-and it's probably not going to get better anytime soon. Terrorism, natural disasters, economic collapses, riots, and civil unrest continue to spread throughout cities, states, and nations. It's more important than ever to prepare to survive such events.

David Browne, a Vietnam veteran who was assigned to the CIA and flew out of Udorn Thailand along the Ho Chi Minh trail with Air America, relies on his experiences during the war and after to help you survive the tough times ahead. As the former operator of Pioneer Survival School, he has lived "off the grid" with his family for twelve years, and he's an expert on survival.

This guidebook to family preparedness can teach you how to survive riots and civil unrest; decide when to ignore governmental orders; plan an escape from the city where you live; and protect your family even when you don't have guns.

You'll also learn what foods and other tangible goods to have on hand in order to keep yourself and your loved ones alive. When the going gets tough, this guide can help you to survive this new millennium.

Rev. Emeka Obiezu, OSA has attained a remarkable achievement in his book. Both academics and workers in the field focusing on contemporary Africa, especially Nigeria, as well as those interested in our global reality can all find that Fr. Obiezu speaks clearly and urgently to them. I can think of only one audience who will not gladly welcome these well-researched, well-written pages--those people who now profit from an oppression that causes suffering for others. John Paul Szura, OSA, St. Augustine Center of Studies, Quezon City, Philippines What Emeka Obiezu offers with his particular type of analysis is a Christian political theology applicable to the specific situation of Nigeria, but whose implications are global as well. As I read him, Obiezu seems to be advocating for a more robust political theological action that blends the best of Christian theological views and values of compassion with a realistic approach to the actual situation in Nigeria. Marsha Hewitt, Professor of Ethics and Contemporary Theology, Trinity College, University of Toronto Towards a Politics Compassion. includes a wide range of reading in various different areas: philosophy and theology of suffering and compassion; socio-political theologies of liberation and current socio-political issues in Nigeria. It brings the areas of spirituality, political theology, and socio-moral thought into constructive and integrative dialogue. This is a significant contribution from a fine young scholar. Michael Stoeber, Professor of Spirituality and Pastoral Theology, Regis College, University of Toronto. Emeka's book, Towards a Politics of Compassion., exposes his dogged power of reasoning and down-to-earth response to duty.He typically makes a very strong case for the functionality of compassion in operative theology. Emeka's diligent analysis and illustration, makes Christ's participation in sinful humanity without being a sinner very lucid, and thus compels every reader to participate in the cause of poverty eradication in Nigeria and other lands. I am glad that it is coming to Nigeria now that we need such a powerful proposal to reinvent our nation Nigeria. Bartholomew Chidili, OSA, PhD, Professor of Religious Studies at Kaduna State University, Kaduna, Nigeria. Among other noticeable virtues of Towards a Political Compassion: Socio-political Dimensions of Christian Responses to Suffering are its simplicity of structure and clarity of focus. The case made on behalf of "politics of compassion" is done in the light of two viewpoints: (a) an explicit recognition of the inadequacy - even bankruptcy - of self-interest, ambition and force for achieving political and economic justice, and (b) it takes its stand on a Christian premise: that the "way" of Jesus is in fact the most promising 'way' for empirically healing and advancing genuine community at all levels of human and environmental relationships in Nigeria. Jack Costello, SJ, Adjunct Professor of Philosophy, Regis College, University of Toronto Emeka Xris Obiezu, OSA, an Augustinian priest, is a doctoral student of Political Theology at Regis College, University of Toronto, Canada. He has special interest in issues that relate to the socio-political dimension of the mission of the Church especially the Church's relation with international organizations.

The phenomenon of poverty and its consequences affects the entire world and is on the agenda of many authorities and researchers. The repercussions of the economic and health crisis caused by COVID-19 are perceptible and has led several countries to regress their social indicators to 1990 levels. Economic development and inequality reduction programs have not been able to provide solutions that could minimize the impact of the pandemic on social indicators, even in more advanced economies. The issue prompted authorities to close their borders to avoid displacement, further aggravating regional differences. The phenomenon of poverty, despite being aggravated by the crisis, is recurrent and very harmful in peripheral countries and there seems to be no single solution, as each country faces its specificities, requiring an immersion in its causes and consequences. This book discusses the results of research conducted on the causes of hunger and poverty and how the pandemic has aggravated this problem. It explores the local development initiatives that have been implemented to mitigate the problem and identifies the different causes for the chronic problem of hunger and underdevelopment in the countries studied to present proposals in public policies to intervene, combat and improve poverty situations. It includes points in different scientific areas, such as sociology, economics, management, entrepreneurship, marketing, education, among others, that add to the efforts to combat poverty and current means and methods to modernize countries that are less developed. This book is intended for those who work or study within the scientific fields related to the phenomenon of hunger, poverty and local development, as well as for universities, students, teachers and researchers. Additionally, the book is aimed at policy makers related to the topic under study and practitioners dealing with the problem so that they can utilize the wide range of studies that will be presented in the book, which will also be of interest to the general public.

Emergency Response to Domestic Terrorism analyzes the emergency response to the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995.
Terrorism is a complex threat, and the American government is expected to deter or intervene in every attack. For that reason, the government must be better prepared to respond to acts of terror. One critical element is to understand what constitutes an "effective response."
To answer this key question, the author examined the existing literature and interviewed thirty-one elite participants in the emergency response to the bombing. The result is a unique qualitative case study that analyzes the response efforts undertaken after the bombing to draw conclusions about their relative success or failure.
Emergency Response to Domestic Terrorism looks at the nature and interrelationship of bureaucratic structures involved in the response, the organizational networking between the response bureaucracy, and the impact of bureaucratic culture on the response.
The work contributes to the existing literatures in both emergency response and bureaucracy. First, theoretical arguments about bureaucracies and their function are put to the test as they are applied to a specific crisis situation. Second, interview materials with key individuals who were on the scene of this American terrorist disaster are provided. Third, the emergency response literature is examined to determine whether the Oklahoma City bombing exhibited the anticipated response challenges. In addition, the work provides insights into the extent to which response communities are familiar with federal response guidelines. The overall results of the study are applicable to emergency response to terrorist incidents and to natural disasters.
By bringing together the academic and the practical aspects of emergency response, the work will appeal to students, practitioners, and policymakers. Further, it will foster better understanding of public policy and public administration in general.

This special issue of Studies in Law, Politics, and Society examines the relationship between law and disasters. The papers come from members of the Collaborative Research Network on the Jurisprudence of Disasters within the Law and Society Association. This network was formed in 2012 at a conference held by the International Institute for the Sociology of Law, titled "Workshop on Disasters and Sociolegal Studies." The volume addresses the 'myths' of contemporary disaster law and policy, such as that of society's "invincibility". The papers examine specific cases such as the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster, bushfire management in Australia and wildfire prevention in the Mediterranean, as well as providing broader analysis and comment on global disaster law and policy.

During the 1980's, many Americans participated directly and indirectly in the drama and tragedy of major catastrophes, from volcanic eruptions to air crashes, closing the decade with the devastating Exxon Valdez oil spill, Hurricane Hugo, and the San Francisco earthquake. The objective of this volume is to examine how we have addressed some of the major hazards and, to the extent possible, assess the effectiveness of these efforts. This volume inventories and evaluates the major programs and policies designed to deal with the most common and destructive natural and man-made disasters, dividing them into four categories: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Disaster-types included in the handbook are earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, fires, droughts, hazardous materials accidents, nuclear facility accidents, structural failures, and transportation accidents. Following the analyses of specific disaster-types, the book considers the utility of all-hazard programs, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Integrated Emergency Management System and documents the status of present emergency management efforts in the United States. A list of emergency management organizations is also included.

Each disaster-type is evaluated in terms of the frequency of occurrence, potential for property loss and human casualties, predictability of events, and the history of such disasters in the United States. In addition to analyzing the disasters themselves, the book outlines the development of emergency management efforts by federal, state, and local governments; the major problems in designing policy to respond to the specific risks and hazards, as well as some of the major policy alternatives. The analyses address questions of issue salience, levels of program funding, and technical problems. Due to the wide variety of responses at the state and local levels, the primary focus is on federal emergency management program. This book will serve students, officials, and academic researchers by providing an overview of the major emergency management program areas. The addition of graphs, tables, and maps will assist nonspecialists in understanding the nature of the disasters and risks being discussed.

The methods of disaster research are indistinguishable from those used throughout the social sciences. Yet these methods must be applied under unique circumstances. Researchers new to this field need to understand how the disaster context affects the application of the methods of research. This volume, written by some of the world's leading specialists in disaster research, provides for the first time a primer on disaster research methods. Among the topics covered are qualitative field studies and survey research; underutilized approaches such as cross-national studies, simulations, and historical methods; and newer tools utilizing geographic information systems, the Internet, and economic modeling.

Hazards, Risks, and Disasters in Society provides analyses of environmentally related catastrophes within society in historical, political and economic contexts. Personal and corporate culture mediates how people may become more vulnerable or resilient to hazard exposure. Societies that strengthen themselves, or are strengthened, mitigate decline and resultant further exposure to what are largely human induced risks of environmental, social and economic degradation. This book outlines why it is important to explore in more depth the relationships between environmental hazards, risk and disasters in society. It presents challenges presented by mainstream and non-mainstream approaches to the human side of disaster studies. By hazard categories this book includes critical processes and outcomes that significantly disrupt human wellbeing over brief or long time-frames. Whilst hazards, risks and disasters impact society, individuals, groups, institutions and organisations offset the effects by becoming strong, healthy, resilient, caring and creative. Innovations can arise from social organisation in times of crisis. This volume includes much of use to practitioners and policy makers needing to address both prevention and response activities. Notably, as people better engage prevalent hazards and risks they exercise a process that has become known as disaster risk reduction (DRR). In a context of climatic risks this is also indicative of climate change adaptation (CCA). Ultimately it represents the quest for development of sustainable environmental and societal futures. Throughout the book cases studies are derived from the world of hazards risks and disasters in society.

How did the events of September 11, 2001 come to be thought of as 9/11? The Shock of the News is an authoritative account of post-9/11 political and social processes, offering an in-depth analysis of the media coverage of this momentous event. Brian Monahan demonstrates how 9/11 has been transformed into a morality tale centered on patriotism, victimization, and heroes.

Introducing the idea of "public drama" as a way of making sense of how media processed and packaged the 9/11 attacks for their audiences, Monahan not only illuminates how and why the coverage took shape as it did, but also provides us with new insights into the social, cultural, and political consequences of the attacks and their aftermath. Monahan explains how and why 9/11 became such a potent symbol, exploring how meanings and symbols get created, reinforced, and disseminated in modern society. Ultimately, Monahan offers an important new understanding of this singular event of our time, and his compelling narrative brings the momentous events back into focus.

Think about where you are right now. How well would you and your family fare if today, right now, you were suddenly faced with an enormous disaster-a massive earthquake, a sudden flood, a horrific hurricane, tornado, super storm, or other catastrophic event? If you and your family are not fully prepared to face the events after a disaster and you want to learn how to prepare for and survive when a disaster strikes, this book could save your life ... and the lives of your family. This book details lifesaving information and illustrations for you and your family, to help ensure your survival in the event of a disaster.

When the first missiles rattled Kyiv in February 2021, Kobus Olivier was ready for it. Or so the South African thought.

He knew a war was brewing when thousands of Russian troops gathered at the border, but the locals laughed it off. Fleeing alone was never an option for Kobus.

Not without my dogs tells the remarkable story of how Kobus managed to save himself and his four-legged friends. This book is a testament of the human spirit and how even in times of war, strangers lend a hand.

This book summarizes the most recent and useful information about the public health impact of natural and man-made disasters. It emphasizes the uses of epidemiologic knowledge about different types of disasters. Each chapter is based on a variety of experiences and literature drawn from both developing and industrialized countries.

This is the first English language book that systematically introduces the spatial and temporal patterns of major natural disasters in China from 1949 to 2014. It also reveals natural disaster formation mechanisms and processes, quantifies vulnerability to these disasters, evaluates disaster risks, summarizes the key strategies of integrated disaster risk governance, and analyzes large-scale disaster response cases in recent years in China. The book can be a good reference for researchers, students, and practitioners in the field of natural disaster risk management and risk governance for improving the understanding of natural disasters in China.

This collection explores the ways in which traumatic experience becomes a part of public memory. It explores the premise that traumatic events are realities; they happen in the world, not in the fantasy life of individuals or in the narrative frames of our televisions and cinemas.

The First 72 Hours is the seminal anthology of the perspectives of public and private sector leaders who came together after September 11, 2001 to design more disaster-resilient communities. Under the umbrella of the Suburban Emergency Management Project, these leaders learned from national experts and one another that all disasters are intensely local at first and that most communities are on their own immediately following disaster impact--often for as long as 72 hours. This new awareness mandated updating strategies to improve disaster preparedness, particularly in light of the threat of terrorism. A wide gamut of perspectives are laid out in the book, including those of doctors and hospitals, city managers, police officers, firefighters, paramedics, American Red Cross volunteers, hospital accreditors, the media, business managers, utility companies, emergency managers, public health officials, academics, and elected public officials. to map the myriad organizations involved in local disaster preparedness and response; analyzing, refining and rehearsing local disaster roles; and getting to know individual personalities when in specific roles. The First 72 Hours is an essential resource for professionals and private citizens alike who want to know what kinds of questions must be asked and answered to better prepare their communities to survive future disaster. There's a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, 'tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come: the readiness is all.--Hamlet V, II, William Shakespear

Available Open Access under CC-BY-NC licence. Disasters are an increasingly common and complex combination of environmental, social and cultural factors. Yet existing response frameworks and emergency plans tend to homogenise affected populations as 'victims', overlooking the distinctive experience, capacities and skills of children and young people. Drawing on participatory research with more than 550 children internationally, this book argues for a radical transformation in children's roles and voices in disasters. It shows practitioners, policy-makers and researchers how more child-centred disaster management, that recognises children's capacity to enhance disaster resilience, actually benefits at-risk communities as a whole.

Whether a natural event turns into a disaster depends on the severity of the hazard as well as the condition of the social sphere of its potential victims, i.e., vulnerability. We focus on regional vulnerability considering the fact that regional socioeconomic conditions determine the aspects of the damage and thus the risk management policy. This book provides the theory and methodology to understand and cope with regional vulnerability through an interdisciplinary approach. The fields mainly included in this work are welfare and environmental economics, the planning and management area of civil engineering, and risk management. In particular, we focus on hazard and vulnerability surrounding water issues and provide readers with knowledge of how the regional analysis is incorporated into the vulnerability analysis. Also considered is what risk management should be when the diversified regional background of the vulnerability is taken into account. A feature of this book is that it provides contrastive regional coverage: the vulnerability of a developed country-urban and regional areas of Japan-and that of a developing country, Bangladesh. The contents consist of three parts: (1) Socioeconomic Vulnerability in a Regional Perspective, (2) Evaluation of Regional Vulnerability, and (3) Coping with Regional Vulnerability. This book is highly recommended to researchers who need an up-to-date and interdisciplinary approach to deal with risk management where regional vulnerability plays an important role.