ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the 2017 earthquake in Mexico and to what extent lessons were learned from the previous 1985 earthquake. While the 2017 earthquake revealed corruption and lack of attention to regional needs, it also provides us with hopeful examples, that lessons can be learned and that long-term reconstruction efforts can make a difference on a regional basis.
The organization Mexicans Against Corruption (MCCI) uncovered in extraordinary detail underlying corruption that allowed buildings in Mexico City to collapse despite strict building codes. The chapter also follows the story of a school, Colegio Rebsámen, where 19 children and seven adults perished, and parents strived to bring justice for their children: the director of the school has pleaded guilty.
The final case, that of Haiti, presents a complicated portrait of international organizations and donor countries trying to do good and ultimately failing in their efforts. The chapter stresses the need for civil society involvement in making decisions about what happens in long-term recovery.
