[Easttimorstudies] Community Development in a Global Risk Society conference - Timor Papers

[Jennifer Drysdale]

Community Development in a Global Risk Society conference




20 - 22 April 2006 - Conference Opening: Evening 19th April 2006

Hotel Y, 489 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne

(a three day conference for academics, 
researchers, community development practitioners and practitioner activists)


The more threatening the shadows that fall on the 
present day from a terrible future looming in the 
distance, the more compelling the shock that can 
be provoked by dramatizing risk today
 
Established risk definitions are thus a magic 
wand with which a stagnant society can terrify 
itself
(Beck, U, 1999,  World Risk Society, pp. 137-8).

A number of social theorists are arguing that we 
now live in a global risk society where the 
identification of risk, risk assessment and risk 
management increasingly frame our everyday lives, 
often regardless of the objective reality of 
risk.  Risk society enjoins us to think about 
threats and opportunities and to take 
responsibility for what happens in the future. 
The construction of risk society has important 
implications for the practice of community 
development. Community development is brought in 
to service civil society and the state, in times 
of disaster, to legitimate state action, and as a 
risk management strategy that offers to combat 
xenophobia and racism. Community development 
projects themselves are increasingly required to 
implement the tools of risk assessment, such as 
audits and evaluations. Community development 
programs also provide sites for creative 
risk-taking, for example, through the work of arts animateurs.

• there will be two separate components to the 
conference running concurrently – academic papers 
and community workshops & forums

Academic Component
The academic section of the conference will 
explore the contemporary contexts of community 
development, particularly the ways in which the 
concept of risk society influences community 
development practice and reflections upon 
contemporary practice issues and dilemmas.

Community Workshops & Forums
The grassroots section of the conference aims to 
draw inspiration and energy from creative 
discussion, specifically for community 
development practitioners to support each other 
to extend the radical impact of community 
development. This section will involve workshops 
and forums with speakers, and ample time for 
discussion. The overall themes of the conference 
will be addressed, in participatory, interactive, facilitated workshops.

http://www.deakin.edu.au/arts/cchr/CD/

NOTE: There will be several papers on Timor-Leste 
(see 
http://www.deakin.edu.au/arts/cchr/CD/Abstracts.php for all the abstracts):

Bemvinda Rodrigus from Baucau Buka Hatene will be 
speaking (abstract not yet posted) and


Public Education About Bird Flue Risks in Timor Leste

Andrew Funston & Ismenio Martins Da Silva
VictoriaUniversity.

"There is mounting concern about the possibility 
of a Bird Flu pandemic, with wiser heads 
emphasising the need to locate and eradicate any 
local outbreaks before bird-to-human or 
human-to-human spread across vast regions. Timor 
Leste is one of the world's poorest countries, 
with most of the population living in villages, 
and with most villagers illiterate or subliterate 
and without ready access to adequate health and 
education services. Poulty plays an important 
role in food security for many villagers. So if 
an outbreak or localised outbreaks occured, and 
if it became necessary to seek out and destroy 
infected birds, and to administer anti-viral 
drugs, and to disinfect local areass... then how 
would the risk be communicated to all of those 
affected? How would crucial information be 
conveyed? What package of communication 
strategies would need to be put in place?"

Regards
Jen Drysdale