HIEA114 WEEK 1 Post

How can Solnit’s description of a community coming together post-Katrina in the United States or Cooke’s reflection on covid 19 be brought together with the examples of community resiliency that are discussed in the post (and linked videos) of the Disaster Archipelago blog? How might some of these insights help us navigate the times we are in right now?

In Solnit’s description of a community coming together, she investigates the various organizations, victims, volunteers, and witnesses involved in the Hurricane Katrina incident. She mentions how bureaucracy and administration up top failed to respond to the needs of the victims in time and sufficiently. The response to these victims mainly involved groups unrelated to disaster response such as the Blank Panthers, various Church groups, and other small community organizations. As well as that, organizations like Common Ground emerged from the disaster. These people, driven more humanely by a shared belief that tied, them together were able to provide support to the people. This parallels with the response to the Disaster Archipelago in the sense that upper bureaucracy failed to properly tend to the victims of the incident. Victims who solely suffered a loss of property were acknowledged as those who suffered psychological and physical damage through other accidents and loss of loved ones were overlooked. From this, is was the response of smaller groups of common work and staff that helped to set up support, shelter, and supplies to the victims rather than the big government programs. Solnit also recounts the difference in emotion of different people involved in the disaster. Volunteers were full of energy to help out while victims appeared solemn and defeated realizing the travesty of the disaster. Similarly, the Disaster Archipelago displays a variety of responses of those that were deeply afflicted and those who were optimistic and hopeful. In both situations, people of all emotions will all together be impacted by their incidents for the rest of their lives.

In Cooke’s reflection on Covid-19, she explains how the affect of the virus will not just be the medical and health effect on the population but as well as the lasting social and psychological effects it will have on society for the years to come. She states that many different groups and social change will emerge from this time, and that there were be many incidents and stories of the vice and virtue of humanity. From this all, she emphasizes that this will be a time were the community must come together and help those in their small communities. We will ultimately spend more time with our loved ones and remain on standby to assist others in need. This relates to the Disaster Archipelago as there was also many lasting social and psychological effects within Japan that transcended just the physical disaster. It will sit in the minds of the multitudes of victims such feelings of loss and abandonment but also hope and optimism. As well as that, the smaller communities did not need to be called upon in the Disaster Archipelago and went right away to assisting those afflicted just as those suffering from the Covid-19 virus are rallying together. In times like these, it is that optimism and “paradise from hell” that we can hope for to emerge that brings people together and disregards the petty differences.

All three of these readings provide significant and pertinent insight into the times we are in now. They all express the mentality and psychology of those under disaster and how it can result in panic and sorrow. Cooke warns about the social changes and revolution that will ensue as well as the fraudsters and exploiters that will emerge. The articles express how the underprivileged, marginalized, and impoverished will mostly suffer. These are all things that parallel with uncanny accuracy. Hoarders have emerged sweeping out supermarkets, racial tensions have increased towards the minority asian population in many countries, and those of low-income are being severely affected by this virus. Although it may seem all negative at the moment, it is true about how smaller groups have come to respond and provide help when the government has failed to in many cases. People have begun donating and making masks, facilities hold patients, and medical responders and volunteers are rushing to attend to those with symptoms and test those who are wary of their possible infection. The community has shown its resiliency alongside its darkness in response to disaster. I believe the past must inspire change for the future to avoid repetition of disaster. We must use the knowledge from the past to inspire solidarity, support, and community to unite use all together. A disaster has once again revealed the holes in our social and administrative systems that we must use to inspire revolution and change for the future.

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