<b>Relief activities of a Chinese non-governmental organization for victims of the Sichuan huge earthquake in 2008</b>

• Chen Ying

  Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University

• Sugiman Toshio

  Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University

Bibliographic Information

Other Title

• <b>四川大地震被災地における中国NGOの救援活動</b>
• 「NGO備災センター」の事例

Abstract

This paper is a brief report of relief activities extended by a Chinese non-governmental organization (NGO) called the Disaster Preparedness Center (DPC) for victims living in a large temporary community, based on our 15 month participant observation. We began our participant observation three months after the Sichuan huge earthquake that occurred on May 8, 2008 in China and victimized more than 15 million people. Of those, approximately 70,000 were killed.A large scale of relief activities was initiated by the national and local governments. In addition, many voluntary activities were extended by individual citizens and private organizations, referred to as ‘the first year of the volunteer age' by mass media. Attention was especially paid to the relief activities conducted by more than 300 NGOs.<br>　　　Our initial research question was: how did NGOs carry out their relief activities in Chinese society that is characterized by strong governmental control? We found that in general, victims tended to be passive and totally dependent on the government.Also, the relation between the NGO and the victims tended to be similarly unilateral: the NGO was the helper while victims remained passive. However, the DPC persistently maintained their policy i.e. that the victims should try to become active by taking small steps to gain a certain amount of responsibility for their own lives. The DPC named this unique policy the Hanwang model. In the model, five steps were emphasized: (1) Entering into a community, (2) Living in the community, (3) Developing a deep relationship with people in the community, (4) Working and growing with the community, and (5) Leaving the community. Emphasis on working and growing together with victims was a distinguishing trait of the Hanwang model as referred to in (2) - (4). This was in contrast to the usual relationship which characterizes most NGOs, a tendency to provide unilateral support, i.e., (1). The DPC conducted three big projects for disaster relief. First, DPC built a community center as a place where victims could enjoy cultural and leisure activities. This was necessary because they had lost their housing and jobs and thus they were likely to spend time idly. Second, the DPC started an embroidery program for the women victims so that they could work and earn income. Third, the DPC started a livestock (cow or pig) rearing program in which victims whose animal pens were damaged by the quake could resume their husbandry with interest-free financing by the DPC. The results of this study were discussed along with the challenges and problems for the NGOs in China that occurred as the changes progressed.

Journal

• Journal of 'Group Dynamics'

  Journal of 'Group Dynamics' 27 (0), 131-157, 2010

  Japan Institute for Group Dynamics

Keywords

• Sichuan huge earthquake
• non-governmental organization (NGO)
• victims' community
• disaster relief and restoration

Details

• CRID: 1390282680461488000
• NII Article ID: 130004998422
• DOI: 10.11245/jjgd.27.131
• ISSN: 21854718
• Text Lang: ja
• Data Source:
  • JaLC
  • CiNii Articles
  • KAKEN
• Abstract License Flag: Disallowed