The Care through Disaster Community of Practice (CoP) is a space for people to explore the ideas presented within the Care through Disaster project. This session focused on the recommendation “do education by conversation and with joy, not just broadcast”.
We were thrilled by the turnout as this CoP grows and develops. Facilitated by Annika Stewart (WHGNE), Amanda Kelly (WHGNE) and Millie Rooney (Australia reMADE), the group was made up of a diverse range of voices. We heard from two speakers doing good work in their regions – Maddy Braddon from Lismore and Jenny Godwin from Yarrawonga. Maddy is Resilient Lismore’s Communications Officer and is dedicated to climate justice and building community resilience through creativity, collaboration and intersectionality. Jenny is Women with Disabilities Victoria’s Moira Hub Liaison Officer and is passionate about community inclusion and equality for everyone.
A standout quote from the session was: “Disasters reflect the societies we live in”. We know from the Care through Disaster report that people need to feel Safe, Seen and Supported before, during and after disaster. By building healthy and resilient communities before disaster, we develop communities that are best prepared for when disaster does strike. If we look for and find space for opportunities to connect with others, to find the glimmers of hope amongst the disaster and to see ourselves reflected in the services and the help we receive, we can build cohesive communities that support one another.
During the session Maddy helped us to see that there are “many ways to have conversations”. Conversations help you to better understand the needs in your community and can range from quick exchanges in the street or at the local store, to broadcasts when disasters hit, to spending time getting to know your neighbours. By getting to know who’s in your community, you can better understand their needs. It made us ask, how can we slow down a little bit and intentionally increase informal touchpoints with our community throughout our everyday lives?
Maddy talked about broadening conversations and making space for people. It is important to have courage to keep doing the work, to keep showing up, to know your community and to not take no for an answer when the bureaucrats roll in. By having an existing cohesive community structure, these conversations can take place.
Jenny spoke to her role at a local hardware store, where she would often see women from the community coming in for items to repair damaged equipment or property. Seeing these women and talking with them gave her great insight into the community more generally. It wasn’t that people directly accessed flood services, they came in to get what they needed which opened conversation chains – there were “side conversations, or circles of conversations that teach us about each other – our needs, wants and how people are tracking”. Jenny also spoke about the benefits of volunteering, having knowledge of the community, and how a chain of communication can develop there, too. Local community members speak to local volunteers, who speak to local organisations, who educate and speak to area command, who then speak to the bureaucrats (who have to listen, though). In following a communication chain, we can also see trust > relationship building > getting asked by local government to contribute to disaster relief/ recovery.
The importance of relationships was reiterated throughout the session. It is important to remember that those at the centre of the experience know what they need! Listen to the voices that aren’t always heard and shift power dynamics, so their voices are heard.
We heard that rupture and conflict at different points of a disaster are normal. So, if there is tension in the community and between community and bureaucracy, listen to the voices of those involved and work through the tension. By knowing the community before disaster strikes, this tension can be reduced or eliminated. The use of conflict management workshops can also help to support this work once the community is out of “disaster mode”.
Another theme that came out in the session was the idea that (generally speaking) men often say they don’t need help but like to be helpful. One of our participants shared that there is a lot of power in inviting men to help – as it makes them feel valued. People generally like to be asked, so invite them to help, speak to them, tap them on the shoulder. If we engage these men in our everyday conversations, we can provide them with a way to show care or even realise when they themselves may need help. We also applied a rural lens here. Farmers, especially men, are less inclined to ask for help. They will continue to “do it tough” to not bother anyone, so we asked the group: “how can we change this?”. A participant spoke of a community event they held – workshops for working dogs – where they also incorporated community services to help build bridges and provide a safe space for men to get support. By running social events with purpose, you can provide a soft entry point for giving and receiving care by bringing people together, putting on a fun day and providing information and support that may not otherwise be sought out.
We also heard about tensions surrounding funding. The funding and policy environment is often a barrier to shifting power. The time and resources it takes to apply for funding is often more than the funding pool is worth, and when the funding stops, connections are lost, and things need rebuilding again (if more funding becomes available). There was discussion around ensuring community-led initiatives are valued more by the bureaucrats, allowing for more proactive funding that supports the needs of community rebuilding, not just what the bureaucrats think the community needs.
In closing, we discussed that to educate by conversation and with joy “we need to slow down, make conversations accessible and invite everyone to speak”. This might look like going where we know people already hang out and where we know they get joy from. It may be promoting positive, uplifting stories, sharing pictures of what you have been up to and providing pathways for participation, running joyful events like skills building or connection over food. People also need to see themselves in the services being provided.