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Crop Failure in Dalocha, Ethiopia: A Participatory Emergency Response
Author(s) -
Howell Philippa
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
disasters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.744
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1467-7717
pISSN - 0361-3666
DOI - 10.1111/1467-7717.00075
Subject(s) - citizen journalism , context (archaeology) , relevance (law) , government (linguistics) , community participation , environmental planning , process (computing) , focus group , participatory action research , business , political science , public relations , environmental resource management , economic growth , socioeconomics , geography , sociology , marketing , economics , computer science , linguistics , philosophy , archaeology , law , operating system
This case study of an NGO’s response to a food crisis due to crop failure focuses on the extent of active community participation at each stage of the project. With the current debate on the relationship between relief and development, and in particular the focus on encouraging more active community participation in relief responses, this study has relevance both in the Ethiopian context and beyond. In this example the participation process was greatly facilitated by the prior relationship between the international NGO and the communities, and also by the high level of staff input into the project. Where resources or conditions are less favourable, as might be the case in similar responses by local NGOs or government agencies, the paper suggests that the participatory approach can be adapted or partially implemented and still result in a more effective and locally relevant operation.