Crisis as an Opportunity: Organizational and Community Responses to Disasters [Paperback]

Natural and human-made disasters appear to be increasing in frequency and scope, commanding extensive media attention. Growing sensitivity to issues of preparedness and community response has created a greater interest among academics and practitioners.

The Asian Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, mudslides in Brazil, earthquakes in Haiti, Chile, Japan, Turkey, China, and other countries have garnered worldwide notice. Human-made disasters, such as terrorist attacks on New York's World Trade Center or in Oklahoma City, Spain, England, Sri Lanka, Iraq, Afghanistan, and various other countries, or attacks on schoolchildren in places such as Columbine and various communities in China, send shockwaves throughout societies.

This book addresses the development of long-term interventions following disasters, emphasizing disadvantaged communities. Attention is given to the role of change agents, such as local and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and psychosocial professionals, to ensure that the window of opportunity is realized, generating immediate help and sustained community development.

Roni Kaufman, Ph.D., is a senior lecturer at the Department of Social Work, Ben Gurion University, Israel. He co-edited Social Disaster as an Opportunity: The Hesed Model with Mirsky and Avgar.

Richard L. Edwards, Ph.D., is dean and professor at the School of Social Work at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and currently serves as interim vice president for academic affairs. He was president of the National Association of Social Workers and a member of the executive committee of the International Federation of Social Workers.

Julia Mirsky, Ph.D., is associate professor at the Department of Social Work, Ben Gurion University and was a visiting scholar at universities in the United States and France. She is a clinical psychologist specializing in the psychological aftermaths of migration.

Amos Avgar, Ph.D., is chief operatlË