| |
| |
|
| |
| |
| Mission Statement: |
| The primary purpose of the Center for Rebuilding Sustainable Communities after Disasters (CRSCAD) is to work in close collaboration with practitioners, academics, researchers, policy makers and grassroots organizations in the United States of America and in all the continents of the world in their search for the most appropriate and sustainable ways to rebuild their communities after disasters. Examples of disasters would include bad governance and poverty, environmental pollution, AIDS, wars, conflicts, severe weather-related events, earthquakes, large-scale attacks on civilian populations, technological catastrophes, and influenza pandemics. Scholarship, service, consultancy, workshops and training, outreach and education as well as creative work are key components of CRSCAD’s mission. |
| |
| We will accomplish our mission by: |
- Engaging in multidisciplinary, transdisciplinary and crossdisciplinary research activities
- Engaging external stakeholders in all of our activities
- Promoting bottom-up community participatory approach as a means to improve top- down national policy and program design and implementation
- Organizing and hosting seminars, workshops and conferences on various aspects of post-disaster reconstruction in partnership with public and private sector agencies in all the continents of the world
- Assisting local, national and international agencies as well as the victims of disasters to develop practical, sustainable and long-term solutions to the social, economic and environmental consequences of disasters
- Providing expert advice and training to communities which have been devastated by disasters
- Hosting international scholars, for specified periods of time, who wish to work on the problems which they consider essential to the rebuilding of their communities after disasters
- Ensuring that CRSCAD is a great place for visiting and resident scholars to learn and work
- Assisting in building local capacity in the field of post-disaster reconstruction as well as in technology transfer
- Engaging in innovative research under the following broad themes: Rebuilding sustainable communities for children and their families post-disaster; Rebuilding sustainable communities for the elderly post-disaster; The role of human dignity and human rights for rebuilding sustainable communities; The role of organizations and institutions (legal, social, health, economic, small business developments, early childhood education, housing, sustainable architecture, urban design and higher education) in rebuilding community infrastructure; Revitalizing communities and capacity building through public and private partnerships; The role of women in rebuilding sustainable communities post-disasters; Information technologies for sustainable community revitalization; The social, economic and environmental impact of disaster; Social, Economic and Cultural Policy for building healthier and more equitable communities; Health and sustainable community development; Education and sustainable community development; Institutional framework for sustainable community development; Disaster management and vulnerability; Energy for sustainable community development; and, Gender issues in disaster research, planning and practice
- Building strategic partnerships with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Grassroots organizations, local and international research centers, etc.
|
| |
| Vision: |
| CRSCAD will be, and be recognized and respected as, one of the leading academic centers in the world addressing the issue of the creation of safe communities for vulnerable populations, specifically children, women, the elderly, people with disabilities and the poor, after disasters. It is a dynamic educational unit that cultivates alliances with local, national and international agencies, government and academic institutions, NGOs, as well as with for-profit and not-for-profit bodies which are interested in the field of post-disaster reconstruction around the world. |
| |
| Values: |
| As it strives to accomplish its mission and become a center of excellence, CRSCAD will be imbued with the core values of: |
- Community participation at all levels of policy/program/project formulation, development and implementation for post-disaster reconstruction
- Enrichment of the educational experience of our students
- Contribution to basic and applied knowledge that enhances global disaster studies and the dissemination of this knowledge through teaching, community outreach and service activities
- Excellence in every facet of its activity (such as multidisciplinary, transdisciplinary and multi-sectoral research-based information generation; appropriate and culturally sensitive educational programming; continuing education offerings; technology transfer, amongst others)
- Collaboration with local, national and international agencies as well as the victims of disasters to develop bold, creative, innovative and practical long-term solutions to the social, economic and environmental consequences of disasters
- Promotion of human dignity, social justice and a humiliation-free working environment characterized by mutual respect, mutual empathy and courtesy as CRSCAD jointly develops comprehensive short-, medium- and long-term responses to post-disaster conditions with the survivors, their governments, grassroots organizations as well as other relevant agencies and stakeholders
- Teamwork with local, national and international partners
- Flexibility/adaptability in working with local rebuilding programs in different social and cultural contexts globally
- Diversity as this facilitates the building of a high quality educational environment
- Accountability to our stakeholders and community partners
- Openness to all
|
| |
| Core Competencies: |
| CRSCAD staff, faculty, research fellows, affiliates and consultants will have a knowledge mix that is technological, practice-based, cross-cultural, and entrepreneurial in nature. They will also be proficient in the following areas: resource management (people, time, monetary and physical assets); leadership; change facilitation; communication; decision-making; program development and implementation; resource organization; and, community outreach. |
| |
| Location of the Center: |
| The Center for Rebuilding Sustainable Communities after Disasters is an affiliate of the McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston. |
| |
| For further information, please contact: |
Professor Adenrele Awotona; Founding Director
Jennifer Brunson: Research
Assistant
Mike Cheruiyot Rugutt: Research
Assistant
|
Mailing Address:
Center for Rebuilding Sustainable Communities after Disasters
University of Massachusetts Boston
100 Morrissey Boulevard
Boston, MA 02125
USA
Office Location: McCormack Hall, 3rd floor, Room 612
Telephone: +1 (617) 287-7116
E-Mail: CRSCAD@umb.edu
|
QUICK LINKS
Center home
2008 Conference
on Rebuilding Sustainable Communities
after Disasters
Other Events & Projects
Center Faculty and Staff
Graduate Studies
Graduate Certificates
Master of Science
Doctoral Studies
Visiting the Center
Directions to campus
About Boston
|
