Posted by cakfu @ 11:49 on January 21st 2008

Special Needs of Disabled People in Disaster Situation

Disasters not only have an impact on persons with existing disabilities but may also create a new generation of disabled. Disabled people are recognised in humanitarian assistance as a vulnerable group, together with other vulnerable groups such as women, children, elderly people, and people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH/A). Each vulnerable group may suffer specific disadvantages in coping with a disaster and may face physical, cultural, and social barrier in accessing the services and support to which they are entitled.

Further, these conditions bring about different characteristics which influence the ways assistance is rendered in a crisis situation. The characteristics of vulnerable groups are often based on their different and specific needs which relate to the context of the local culture, religion and geographical location. Therefore, special care must be taken to protect and provide for all vulnerable groups accordingly.

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Posted by cakfu @ 11:47 on January 21st 2008

Disabled People and Comprehensive Security

The needs of disabled survivors can be analysed using the six dimensions of comprehensive security. to show that there is indeed a lack of these security elements in their lives. Comprehensive security is defined as the absence of threats against the physical and functional well-being and their form of political and social organisation.
The first dimension is political security which can be defined, in terms of disability, as a position of disabled people in the state. This comes from the idea that a disabled person is personally a member of the state who has the same rights as other citizens. Citizenship, with equal participation in a national community, is one means of achieving social and political integration, either through the general acceptance of common values or through the negotiation of divisive inequalities. Therefore, the absence of needs of disabled people in Aceh after the Tsunami can be seen as a failure of the state to fulfil its responsibilities to disabled people. In addition, it is assumed that the government does not carry out the needs of disabled people in Aceh because disabled survivors are powerless and lack bargaining position at the political level.
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Posted by cakfu @ 11:44 on January 21st 2008

Framework Analysis of Comprehensive Security

There are two approaches used in the analytical framework of Comprehensive Security, based on the strategic interaction among the actors – the Normative Approach and the Subjective Approach . The Normative (Top-Down) point of view is based on the ideal of achieving universal values like human rights, freedom from fear and freedom from wants. The problem here is that sometimes the universal values such as human rights, civil society, etc are not applicable to every culture. Taking an example from human security using the normative point of view, the value of human rights which is based on Western culture focuses more on respect for the individual freedom, while in Eastern culture, collectivity is taken to be the main value in the most social activities. Thus, cultural respect should be taken into account in applying the normative model of comprehensive security.
The second approach is the subjective (bottom-up) point of view that is established on the objective condition of society. This model defines that comprehensive security as the main goal can only be reached if the basic needs of society are fulfilled. This concept generates a question: in what ways can the basic needs (human security) of society be fulfilled when the state security is absent, since state security such as stability of the state is required to ensure human security.
Comprehensive Security comprises two inter-related components: five core concepts and six core dimensions. These components help in analysing complex situations of comprehensive security. This framework analyses the disaster situation in two ways – by looking at the diagnostic problem and the intervention problem. In both cases, it has to be clarified as to who or what exactly is affected by the disaster or the intervention at a particular moment. Further, the framework elaborates five core concepts (actor, goals, resources, interactions, and institutions) with six dimensions of comprehensive security (political security, economic security, environmental security, heath security, food security, and social security) to answer these questions.
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Posted by cakfu @ 11:41 on January 21st 2008

Comprehensive Security

The concept of comprehensive security has changed with developments in the international situation. The global market issue and issue of universality (Human Rights, Gender, Civil Society, etc) have influenced the awareness of the people around the world concerning individual freedom. The debate of security emerged in the 17th century when it defined that the state had the rights to protect its citizenship. Traditionally, the notion of security is described as the state’s ability to counter external threats, and this is documented in Chapter VII of the UN Charter 1945. In the classical formulation, security is about how states use force to manage threats to their territorial integrity, their autonomy, and their domestic political order, primarily from other states. Therefore, a critic would take issue with this classical definition that the notion of security is unilateralist which is restricted to the military threat from the rival state. The other criticism is that the meaning of security in the classical formulation implicitly points to the protection and the welfare of the state. With this, the question arises as to how the state welfare can be reached when the welfare and the protection of individuals or citizens are not ensured.
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Posted by cakfu @ 11:40 on January 21st 2008

Definition of Disability

In order to give a clear understanding on this pilot project, the definition of disabled people will be discussed first. There is dissimilarity among scientists in the definition of disability. This dissimilarity causes differences in defining the data of disabled people which are published by institutions. For instance, data from medical institutions often refer to the medical term while social institutions use a broader definition which includes the social condition of the disabled person such as ability to perform normally in a society. Lexically, disability is defined as: 1) a physical or mental condition which means that you cannot use a part of your body completely or easily. 2) The state of not being able to use a part of your body completely or easily; the state of not being able to learn easily. Further, Oxford dictionary specifies the definition of disability in terms of the causes of being disabled. Disabled is defined as ‘unable to use a part of the body completely or easily because of a physical condition, illness, injury, etcetera; unable to learn easily, mentally disabled’. These definitions are normally used in common conversations when people refer to the definition of disability or disabled people.
Scientists have also given a social definition on disability. Handicap is a state of disadvantage for a given individual resulting from an impairment or disability that limits or prevents the fulfilment of a role that is normal (depending on age, sex, and social as well as cultural factors). In this definition, handicap is related to the cultural condition of the given person, which describes his social and also economic roles in the society compared to other members. Further, the status of the disabled is linked to the interaction of the persons with specific circumstances and culture. Someone who is considered a handicap in a certain society may not be considered as one in another society.
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Posted by cakfu @ 12:02 on October 28th 2007

Globalization and Cultural Dialog

The collapse of WTC in New York could be seen by every people in the world. Children in remote area of Indonesia could see the kissing of Madona and Britney Spears. That is globalization. Globalization is not only an issue but also a reality that cannot be ignored by every body. Like virus, globalization spread easily and speedily trough every part of the world. It is difficult to answer when actually globalization was started. In reality, globalization has influenced – sometimes has changed – culture and also tradition in society. Some societies do not take granted the globalization, but they tray to negotiate with globalization.

Basically, globalization is not a recent phenomenon. It has happened since Western people went to Asia and Africa. Western people have brought several parts of their culture to non-Western through military forces in the past, but now information technology has played a main role in this part. As if there is no border between West and non- West; everything is similar. Today people both in the East and in the West experience the same thing. Mc. Donald, Coca Cola can be enjoyed in the East and also in West at the same time. Moreover, mass media such as television, radio, news paper, and internet have supported globalization to be main actor in society.
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Posted by cakfu @ 02:27 on September 27th 2006

I am a Difable Person not a Disabled Person

Normally persons who have a different physical or mental condition are called as a disabled person. It is not clear the root of the term of disabled people is created. But in the reality disabled people seems to be the right word to describe the condition of persons who have – according to common people- difficulties to perform their daily life. The common people have a negative perception toward disabled people that they are unable to perform their daily activities without help of other persons. In addition, disabled persons are also regarded neither as ineffective nor inefficient individuals. Therefore, it can be assumed that this negative perception perhaps becomes the reason where the term of disability comes from.
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Posted by cakfu @ 02:25 on September 27th 2006

Disability – From Individual to Social Model

Traditionally, disability is viewed as a medical problem rather than a social problem and therefore, medical treatments are perceived as the best way to solve the problems of disability. This view focuses on bodily abnormality, disorder or deficiency, and the way in which this in turn causes some degree of disability or functional limitations. In this medical model, disability is seen as a contrast to the notion of normalcy, a state that an average human being should be in. In addition, this model also places people with impairment in a dependent position. Furthermore, disabled people are even assumed not to be able to make decisions by themselves.
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Posted by cakfu @ 18:00 on September 8th 2006

Psychological Effects of Disabled Victims on Aceh Tsunami 2004

I. Introduction.

It is not deniable that during disasters happen some survivors becoming disabled. At the time of struggle to save their life some of them can be lose parts of their body (leg, arm, etc) and also psychologically may suffer from trauma. Particularly for disabled victims –people who become disabled during the disaster-, they are not only physically injury but also deals with psychological problem as well as social problem which are a consequence of their disabilities.

Sometimes the disabled victims more suffer from social problem than their disabilities itself. In the traditional communities they couldn’t be accepted fully by the society and their family as other able body. The society views disabled people as an invaluable person who is less capability and dependent. This view affects psychologically to disabled victims who become lose self confidence and self-esteem and it becomes a barrier of them to participate in the social activities. Shortly, disabled victims challenge a harder challenge in the society then other survivors after the disaster.
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