How can community be better involved in disaster prep & recovery?

Join Deputy Mayor Dr Sarah Redshaw, Prof Amanda Howard, Michael Morris and community voices to explore shared responsibility, what we have learned, and how communities are responding to an escalation of climate disasters.

• Beyond the Street: the need to develop the level of community?
• Contemplating risk, mutual understanding and shared responsibility as an individual, a carer, a responder and a researcher.
• How have communities been responding in recent years – has anything changed? What can we do better?

Dr Sarah Redshaw is a freelance researcher/research fellow currently at Charles Sturt University with the School of Education. Her research has centred on relational perspectives in social research particularly drawing on feminist work. Her PhD was on the social philosophy and ethics of Spinoza. She has published research articles in the area of social and cultural practices of driving and the dominance of masculinities in shaping infrastructure, and community resilience. She published a book from her driving research In the Company of Cars: driving as a social and cultural practice with Ashgate (now Routledge) in 2008 as well as numerous journal articles. She is currently a councillor with the Greens on Blue Mountains City Council.

Michael Morris is a lifelong learner, applying systems thinking and a continuous improvement mindset to understand complex systems and provide sound strategic advice and evidence-informed solutions for enhancing community safety, organisational capability and operational excellence. With extensive experience across Emergency Services, Community Services and Health Consumer Advocacy sectors and as a company director, Michael’s practical experience is supported by postgraduate qualifications, including a Master of Business Administration and Graduate Diplomas in Executive Leadership and Community Services. Michael is a Churchill Fellow and is currently completing a PhD at the University of Sydney Centre for Disability Policy and Research.

Amanda Howard is Associate Professor and Program Director, Bachelor of Social Work at the University of Sydney. Her research is focused on communities as complex systems, community development, community led and action research, disasters and climate change and inclusion. Current projects include action research on community led disaster resilience building in rural and regional Australia, social housing and disaster preparedness, the role of community service organisations in disasters and community led climate change action.

This FREE workshop is part of ReIMAGINE – a headline Festival of Resilience event. For more information or to RSVP click here.