Re: Proposal for a domain

Hi Don
thanks for assisting

I do believe we should try to understand, analyse and define the various
terms, as to use them properly and objectively, ie to create a term of
reference that is acceptable by all as opposed to our subjective preferred
views.

I am not sure my brief description was complete nor accurate, just a
reminder of some of the conversations we had so far on various forums,
somewhere to start from..

(The tsunami was first and emergency and became a disaster
I do not intend to make polemics, but the warning systems wer not in place,
or were not fired, etc, this is why the emergency became a disaser, there
were 2 hours to evacuate etc etc - just examples,)

My  opinion on the state of the disaster mangement sector unfortunately, is
shared by many, who have suffered inefficiencies that could be avoided that
appear deliberatelly built into the system to create business opportunities
for some, at the expenses of others.

some public references here

http://www.transparency.org/content/download/6474/38543/file/working_paper_humanitarian_aid.pdf

 It is a painful, uncomfortable issue that need to be faced sooner or later.


I ll make it a point to expand the proposed draft mission statement to cover
these points when I have a mo

thanks
PDM.



On 6/10/07, Don Cameron <rural.life@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > emergencies properly managed do not escalate,
> > crises are emergencies  gone out of hand,
> > disasters are crises that have gone out of hand,
>
> Paola - I hope to assist.
>
> The practice of emergency management embraces events, crisis and disasters
> of any scope. Emergencies are expected to escalate, and almost always will
> escalate regardless of the effectiveness of management. The function of
> Emergency Management is to restore normality. That an emergency escalates
> is
> not demonstrative of a failing of management process, it's an expected
> part
> of the cycle of emergencies and an aspect incorporated into the field and
> study of emergency management planning.
>
> An emergency is a situation that poses immediate threat to life or serious
> damage to property. An emergency is not constrained by scope. The SE Asian
> Tsunami was an emergency. The storm-surge grounding of the Pasha Bulker
> Tanker on Newcastle beach this week is also an emergency. That one of
> these
> events is beyond the capacity of local resources to control; that one is
> within local capacities is irrelevant to the definition. Both are
> emergencies.
>
> A disaster is an event or crisis that has escalated beyond the capacity of
> local resources to control. The SE Asian Tsunami was a disaster; the
> grounding of the Pasha Bulker Tanker is not.
>
> A crisis is undefined in the context of Emergency management and should
> not
> be interpreted as an 'emergency that has gone out of hand'. This is just
> invention.
>
> > {my personal opinion: disaster management is a money making machine
> (snip)
>
> I do not believe this comment adds real value to the conversation.
>
> Don Cameron.
>
>
>
>


-- 



Paola Di Maio *****
School of Information Technology
Mae Fah Luang University
Chiang Rai - Thailand
*********************************************