Children and preservation of collective memory
The theme also sends a reminder to all parties concerned that significant investment on disaster reduction initiatives should be made in schools. Furthermore, children and schools are the main actors for achieving sustainability.
Artificiality and collective memory
Disaster reduction is intended to minimize the vulnerability of communities under threat of natural hazards. It entails several components like early warning system, awareness, preparedness, as well as mitigation. The presence of high technology will be deemed obsolete if the real beneficiaries -- the people in general -- are ignorant of any preparedness measures at individual and community level.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. In our disaster-prone country, the government as well as donor communities have been playing a significant role in reducing the impact of potential disasters which threaten the people at regular intervals. Many initiatives and programs have been introduced, and have begun to bear fruit lately. Studies show that the level of coping mechanisms, awareness, and preparedness is considerably higher than it was in the past. Various accounts mention that many were more prepared during the 2004 flood than during the 1988 one.
Somehow, like other development dilemmas, at the end of the day, most of those concepts will be used by the common people. In other words, its sustainability is reflected by the ability and willingness of community members in duplicating those initiatives.
Unfortunately, those initiatives bear a risk of failure which is caused by artificiality of the concepts. Common disaster preparedness concepts like local level action plan on disaster, participatory vulnerability assessment, focus group discussion are examples of systemic tools which are introduced to beneficiaries in order to stimulate and nurture awareness and preparedness at community level.
Like it or not, these concepts are a set of new items which were not born in the community. These concepts need extra expertise, time, and energy to operationalize them. Thus, only during the project implementation will one see their smooth operationalization, but after the project the concepts will likely go into oblivion.
Therefore, an alternative way should be sought to make sure that disaster reduction becomes an inherent part of the life of the community. This alternative should be taken from the community itself, by using their own daily practices, daily words, daily nomenclature. Concepts of disaster reduction should naturally emanate from the community because only a natural product will have its own mechanism of preservation.
Take the following examples: Shortly after the earthquake hit the northern coast of Sumatra on December 26, 2004, people in Aceh and surrounding regions made no effort to remove themselves to hilly area. In fact, many went to the city centre to check the immediate impact of the earthquake, and were trapped in the Aceh tsunami which came 30 minutes after the quake.
Meanwhile, in Simelue Island, a backwater island of Aceh, as soon as the sea level receded after that earthquake, people along the coastline rushed to the adjacent hills and waited for the horror that came toward their coast. History has recorded that only a handful of people in Simeulue died due to the tsunami.
Why? Because, in Simelue, there's a famous folk tale about the tsunami. The tale says that once the sea level suddenly decreases, it will be followed by the coming of a huge tidal wave toward the island. This story is based on the January 4, 1907 tsunami which hit Simelue, and has been handed over to succeeding generations. It proved to be a vital element in saving the people of Simelue on that fateful day.
Another example is the community fire fighters group in Japan. Even until today community members in Japan maintain their community-based fire-fighters groups, despite the fact that today's fire brigade teams have been heavily modernized. Rather than being involved in the real fire fighting action, these community groups maintain their collective memory through cultural activities related to fire fighting. Each group masters its stair climbing skills which have developed it into traditional art. Annually, stair-climbing festivals are organized among community fire-fighters groups.
The two examples illustrate a community's own initiative for preparedness, awareness, and survival mechanisms with minimal role of external actors. The two examples come by default. It is already in the blood of the community and is guaranteed to be reproduced naturally every time it is required.
Preservation of collective memory
Without any pretension to be simplistic, the writer argues that preservation of collective memory will yield satisfying results by starting from schools, and making children the primary recipients.
No one is more capable of absorbing and preserving all of these than children. With all their uniqueness, children are blessed with better capacity than the elders in adopting new values.
Pride is a distinct Bengal identity. A strong literary tradition, constant reference to traditional art, and high respect for the liberation movement are examples of the existence of certain collective memories which have been preserved among Bangladeshi people.
All of those samples are widely subscribed as they are taken from the core of the community, which is the identity, the existence, and the meaning of being Bangladeshi.
And, more importantly, all of them have been preserved through class rooms, as the end of an assembly line called "National Education System." It entails curriculum system, text books, trainings, songs, and other symbols.
What is needed now is to incorporate them into disaster reduction purposes. As present-day schools have acquired as important a status as the family in disseminating messages, school should be directed to create a disaster reduction culture.
Just like any other civic values that we have known since kindergarten days, like the importance of courtesy to other people, being honest, and being clean, messages on disaster reduction should be instilled at a very young age.
Like other good messages and habits that we have learned in younger days, and still practice today, disaster reduction initiatives will be immortalized in millions of students and teachers, and replicated at any given time, naturally and automatically.