Program Update: International (interdisciplinary) Resilience (research and policy/practice) Program (IRP)

NEXUS | The IGL Newsletter | Spring 2009

Funding support of $14,140 was gratefully received from the Christensen Fund’s Global biocultural initiative – Institutions and Policies: Wisdom and Practice grant program (http://www.christensenfund.org/) to publish and disseminate a special issue of the African Health Sciences journal on the application of Resilience theory to understanding individual, community and environmental resilience in crisis and change as well as upgrade computer and internet access for this important on-line and print journal. This journal is indexed by MEDLINE and Pub-Med, and all volumes are easily accessible online at http://www.ajol.info/viewissue.php?jid=45&id=5939&ab=ahs and http://www.bioline.org.br/toc?id=hs. Dr. Astier Almedom was in Kampala overseeing the final stages of this publication before going to Eritrea where she delivered a public seminar on “Resilience: A basis of sustainability of health and social systems” in Asmara at the invitation of the national youth organization of the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice in January. Also in January, Astier Almedom gave an invited talk and participated in the resilience workshop Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism, Syracuse University moderated by Pat Longstaff. http://insct.syr.edu/events&lectures/Resilience/Events.htm

Astier Almedom addressing questions following her public lecture in Asmara, Eritrea.

Astier Almedom also contributed to the panel discussion on “Speaking innovation to power: The uses and abuses of power in social innovation” moderated by Professor Frances Westley at the Skoll World Forum 2009 http://www.skollworldforum.com/ in March.

Turning to pedagogical activities, Tufts graduating senior Matthew Gordon (International Relations major, Africa and the New World minor) enrolled in an independent research project on resilience focusing on narratives of meaning making in the international humanitarian discourse (spring semester). Jocelyn Grupp Müller successfully defended her doctoral thesis on “Including local voices in global discourse in biodiversity conservation: An ethnobotanical study in Boumba, Niger (Park W).”

Finally, this academic year has witnessed more creative synergy between IRP with other IGL programs including EPIIC, ALLIES, EMPOWER and BUILD on the theme of social resilience. The IGL-IRP co-sponsored the inaugural international conference of the Center for Rebuilding Sustainable Communities at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. Astier Almedom organized, moderated and contributed to a panel on rebuilding community resilience. All participants of Dr. Almedom’s Fletcher class attended this conference in November http://www.rebuilding.umb.edu/rsccfd/abstracts.html. All three of her invited panelists: Mindy Fullilove (Columbia University and Root Shock Institute), Wade Rathke (ACORN – International), and Richard Williams (University of North Glamorgan, Wales) then stayed on to engage with EPIIC on the resilience of cities after disasters focusing on New Orleans, New York City and London.

Dr. Richard Williams shared his knowledge and experience in the British Navy and Psychiatry with members of the ALLIES Program, and Wade Rathke continued to engage with EPIIC, contributing to a panel on resilience at the international symposium in February. Similarly, Dr. Almedom continued to provide specialist research support and advice to RESPE-Ayiti (EMPOWER) and BUILD respectively in February and April.

The IGL-IRP also collaborated with the Tufts Energy and Climate Forum http://environment.tufts.edu/?pid=45&c=60, the Center of International Resource and Environment Policy http://fletcher.tufts.edu/ierp/default.shtml and others in hosting invited speakers involved in resilience research and/or practice internationally: Dr. Robert van Buskirk (The Village Projects, Eritrea) in October, and Dr. Lance Gunderson (Resilience Alliance) in March.

Recent Publications

Articles

• Almedom, A.M. and Tumwine, J.K. (2008) Resilience to Disasters: A Paradigm Shift from Vulnerability to Strength. African Health Sciences 8: S1-4.
• Almedom, A.M. (2008) Resilience research and policy/practice discourse in health, social, behavioral, and environmental sciences over the last ten years. African Health Sciences 8: S5-S13.
• Glandon, D.M., Muller, J., Almedom, A.M. (2008) Resilience in post-Katrina New Orleans, Louisiana: A preliminary study. African Health Sciences 8: S21-S27.
• Strauch, A.M., Muller, J., Almedom, A.M. (2008) Exploring the dynamics of social-ecological resilience in East and West Africa: Preliminary evidence from Tanzania and Niger. African Health Sciences 8: S28-S32.

Book Chapters:

• Almedom, A.M., Brensinger, E.A., Adam, G. M. (2009) Identifying the “Resilience Factor”: An emerging counter narrative to the traditional discourse of vulnerability in ‘social suffering’. (forthcoming).
• Nayr, A., Salh, O.N., Almedom, A.M. (2009) Community organizing to end displacement in Eritrea: A narrative of community and institutional resilience. (forthcoming).