ABSTRACT
As we come to the end of this book, we wonder: Will it make any difference in a world where there is so much violent conflict and so many corrupt individuals, governments, and institutions? We feel compassion for those caught up in war and silent/quiet/slow violences, anger in the face of corruption, laziness, and malfeasance on the part of officeholders and corporate and nonprofit leaders whose responsibility is people’s safety. We also feel anger when witnessing how people with abilities and local knowledge who could act to protect themselves and others are blocked or hampered by self-interested, powerful individuals or oppressive institutions or simply because of racist, sexist, or elitist disregard for what ordinary people know and think. Weariness comes because of déjà vu. We have seen corruption, incompetence, and dependency for more than 50 years since the current era of “disaster management” began with the creation of the Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief Coordinator.
