Where will the next US disaster unfold?

What can be learned about women's resilience in past disasters?

The insidious erosion of indigenous cultures, sustainable ways of living, people's capacity for self-protection and women's resilience to crisis receives far less attention than warranted, compared to the visible destruction wrought by "sudden onset" disasters–the events that seem "unexpected" or "extreme," but which are in fact embedded in our ordinary ways of life. We are 'designing' the disasters of the future directly and indirectly. Women can work to help prevent this.

Would you volunteer to maintain a page on how women in your community are affected by "slow motion" disasters and working together to limit or prevent their impact? We solicit lnks to academic and policy reports, community materials and photos, first-hand accounts from women, and information on how women's organizations at all levels respond to these hazards and disasters.

Development patterns, social trends, geopolitics and especially climate change in the US are further endangering many US people and places, increasing the risk of future disasters.Women are rarely at the decision-making tables but certainly on the forefront when we reap the consequences of these unsustainable and unjust "choices."

Would you volunteer to maintain a page on how women are working to mitigate new hazards, prepare for disaster or coping with the challenges of climate change and other forces already in play? We solicit links to academic and policy reports, community materials and photos, first-hand accounts from women, and information on how women's organizations at all levels respond to these hazards and disasters.

Sadly, the history of our nation is replete with disastrous, even catastrophic, events and a legacy of "unlearned lessons." Women who lived through these events have a lot to offer though their views are rarely solicited. This is an important part of women's history and a positive resource for the national effort to reduce the risk of future disasters of all kinds.

Would you volunteer to develop and maintain a webpage on the gender dimensions of past disasters? Please send us links to academic and policy reports, community materials and photos, first-hand accounts from women, and information on how women's organizations at all levels respond to these hazards and disasters to usgdra@gmail.com.