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Community Resilience: A Global Responsibility?

Is your community ready to handle the next big crisis? This mostly depends on how resilient it is.

Resilience in the context of civil preparedness means how well your community can communicate, support, plan, and work together to solve problems. It is your community’s ability to work together and overcome challenges.

But what if communication breaks down? What if clashing beliefs and political tensions start to ruin relationships? In such situations, will your community still emerge resilient and strong?

Consider, for instance, a community located in a war zone. Their homes are destroyed, families displaced, and access to basic necessities becomes a daily struggle. In order to survive and recover, the community must rely on local capacity, social support, and effective disaster management. They they have to work together and support each other. But that’s not what we always see in reality.

We see this problem in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, where tensions within the community disrupted resilience efforts. Escalating violence not only resulted in physical destruction but also messed up communication channels. This breakdown gave rise to misinformation and mistrust, further fueling the conflict and weakening community resilience. Fake news campaigns and cyber-attacks on communication infrastructures muddled the flow of crucial information. This made it hard for people to coordinate relief efforts, respond to threats, and support each other.

It is the midst of these kinds of situations that international support and cooperation becomes important.

Organizations like the European Union (EU) and NATO are key in facilitating collaboration and building community resilience. In the Russia-Ukraine conflict, for example, pressure and talks from the international community have sometimes led to temporary breaks in fighting, allowing for aid to get through and people to escape.

But beyond Ukraine, the EU and NATO have shown their commitment to resolving tensions by enhancing the security and resilience of member states facing threats. One of their main goals is to keep communication channels open and secure.

They're working hard on two key areas: cybersecurity and dealing with multiple types of threats at once. This work is shown in their joint agreement, the EU-NATO Joint Declaration. It talks about how they're working together on things like defending against cyber attacks, fighting terrorism, and increasing resilience against various threats.

In addition, NATO has also been involved in making Moldova's energy systems stronger against cyber attacks and other threats. It helped launch an exercise called CORE-24 M to help Moldovan energy workers and cyber defenders work better together.

Overall, the resilience of a community, particularly in times of crisis, is a nuanced concept. It's not just about how communities overcome challenges, but also how they maintain effective communication and cooperation. The Russia-Ukraine conflict shows how internal tensions and external attacks can rattle resilience. But it also shows the important role that international organizations like the EU and NATO can play in fostering resilience by promoting security, open communication, and collaboration. Their ongoing efforts to combat a variety of threats, from cyber attacks to terrorism, demonstrate the importance of a multi-pronged and cooperative approach to building and maintaining resilience.

Why is this relevant to you as a professional?

This topic sheds light on the intricate dynamics of community resilience, from the importance of effective communication to the role of international organizations like the EU and NATO in promoting security and collaboration. If you're curious and want to learn more about this topic, check out our newest course, "EU vs NATO: Comparing Resilience in Civil Preparedness." It offers a detailed look at how international organizations contribute to resilience and how their strategies can be applied to enhance community preparedness.

ICYMI: Our Latest Podcast

In this episode of the Crisis Lab Podcast, host Kyle King and climate adaptation and resilience expert, Patrick Marchman, discuss climate-induced relocation, its impacts, and the diverse reactions from governments and communities.

Patrick Marchman, head of KM Sustainability, brings extensive experience in climate adaptation. He has contributed to both public and private sectors by aiding in climate risk assessments and adaptation planning. His portfolio includes international development and climate-induced relocation initiatives. Join us as we explore the complexities of climate relocation and security preparedness.

Listen on the platform of your choice, from Spotify, Apple Podcasts, to YouTube.

Latest Course Released!

Crisis Lab's latest course, 'EU vs NATO: Comparing Resilience in Civil Preparedness', dives into the individual and collective abilities of nations to prepare for, resist, respond to, and recover from disruptions. The course provides a detailed understanding of the EU and NATO's resilience strategies, similarities, differences, and potential for synergy. Upon completion of the course, you will have a far better understanding of how the EU and NATO understand and promote resilience, their role in creating resilient communities, and how effective their strategies are in tackling various challenges.

Would you like to see our full course catalogue?

If you're interested in expanding your knowledge on various topics while also receiving credit for your time and effort, explore the rest of the Crisis Lab course catalogue. With topics ranging from systems thinking to climate migration, there's something for everyone:

New Course Releases Coming in June:

• Harvesting Resilience: A Course on Global Food Security: Explore the complex and evolving landscape of global food systems with Prof. William Chen.
• Principles in Action: Ethical Decision-Making in Disasters: Investigate the ethical aspects of crisis and disaster risk management with Dr. Roman Tandlich.
• Plus, more courses already in development and will be announced soon.

What we're reading

• How to Strengthen Community Resilience in a World Plagued by Crises: Collaborative events like the PLACE Dialogues in Newfoundland and Labrador help rural communities strengthen their resilience by promoting collaboration and resource-sharing. By convening community leaders, these events provide opportunities for meaningful connections, knowledge sharing, and collaborative problem-solving. The principles of convening in local places, creating opportunities for deep connection, and honoring differences among community leaders are crucial for building strong networks and fostering local resilience in the face of social, ecological, and economic challenges.
• What Do We Mean by 'Community Resilience'? A Systematic Literature Review of How It Is Defined in the Literature: Community resilience is a concept that lacks a common, agreed-upon definition but is consistently associated with core elements such as local capacity, social support, and disaster management. This systematic literature review identifies nine core elements, including communication, governance, and preparedness, that are integral to community resilience in disaster situations.
• NATO and Moldova Strengthen Energy Resilience Against Cyber and Hybrid Threats: NATO and Moldova collaborate to enhance the resilience of Moldova's energy infrastructure against cyber and hybrid threats. The CORE-24 M exercise focused on improving collaboration between Moldovan energy operators and cyber defenders, demonstrating NATO's commitment to enhancing Moldova's resilience and security.

Is it time for a career change? Check out these international opportunities!

• Job title: Governorate Electoral Officer
  Location: Iraq Closing Date: June 19, 2024
• Job title: Global Resource and Operations Specialist - International Development
  Location: Germany Closing Date: June 30, 2024
• Job title: Technical Advisor – Primary Education in Crisis Activity
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• Job title: Deputy Chief of Party – Primary Education in Crisis Activity
  Location: Ethiopia Closing Date: July 1, 2024
• Job title: Shelter Technical Coordinator – Kyiv
  Location: Ukraine Closing Date: July 5, 2024
• Job title: Policy & Advocacy Manager
  Location: Belgium Closing Date: August 4, 2024

One last thing before you go - Let’s stay connected.

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