Mr Rogers and Disaster

I had the opportunity to hear (on the radio) Dr. Daniel Aldrich - Fulbright research fellow at the University of Tokyo's Economics Department - speak on the topic of disaster recovery.  His family went through Katrina, so he has experienced disaster firsthand.  He has also published a book and several articles on the research he's done on disasters.

The amazing - and, perhaps, not surprising - thing is that it all comes back to Mr. Rogers.   Mr. Rogers told us to be  good neighbors, and Dr. Aldrich has discovered that that is a key component in successful disaster recovery.  Most of the people who save victim's lives are not first responders, but neighbors who know the habits of their neighbors.  Neighbors who know there is an elderly person next door who might need help; neighbors who bring water; neighbors who inform newcomers to the neighborhood how to better protect themselves.  People who know what other people need, are willing to give what is needed, are willing to accept what is being given, willing to trust that it is being given and received and used in the manner intended....

It's about people caring for other people - knowing other people - no matter of the religious background, socioeconomic background, educational background... At the core of disaster, one finds unity. One finds humanity. One finds the way it should be each and every day.

Unfortunately, it's not.

We're too busy worrying about our own - our own families, our own organizations, our own agendas - that we forget about being human and about caring for each other and about the power that comes from joining together. We are too consumed with competition and being the best and having the most, and we neglect to see that so much is lost.

We need a dose of mr. roger's advice - to be kind to our neighbors, to know our neighbors, and we need to pay attention to Dr. Aldrich's research findings  - the neighborhoods that survive disasters best are the neighborhoods that came together and helped each other out. From studying the history of tragic disaster recovery, Dr. Aldrich provides a priceless message.  I'm guessing if we applied the power of coming together before there is a disaster, we would be able to see the same benefits of unity, caring for each other, and making the world a better place.