Lisa Smirl Centre for International Studies & Emmanuel College Reconstruction Sites Lisa Smirl Centre for International Studies & Emmanuel College

Observations As disasters become more frequent, reconstruction becomes an increasingly prominent aspect of the international development discourse And, I argue, is an important part of the OECD countries constructing themselves as ethical international actors, with not only a responsibility but a right to intervention.

Research: Looking at how the international community approaches the reconstruction of large scale disasters. What can a spatial lens tell us about these sites? : Locally - Is reconstruction successful when judged against it’s own criteria for success? Globally - What is the impact on the discourse of north-south relations

Hypothesis: There are technologies of reconstruction that can be seen across reconstruction sites These technologies are the result of spatial practices of the international community (the way in which the conduct, house, transport themselves in the reconstruction sites) Result of a particular approach to reconstruction (competitive) which fragments the reconstructive project. These technologies are remarkably similar across reconstruction sites

Two levels of investigation: A - Local circumstance What is built How is it used

Two levels of investigation: A - Local circumstance What is built How is it used B - Western influence International processes & technologies of reconstruction Physical presence of international in reconstruction zones

Case Studies Primary: South East Asian Tsunami Aceh (Banda Aceh & Meulaboh) South Sri Lanka Selected: Katrina (on housing) Kosovo, Rwanda, BiH (on international compounds) Various UN missions (exchange of reconstruction expertise) Who I am

Local circumstances Idea of the reconstruction of the house Why does the concept of the house, or home occupy the central aspect of the reconstruction discourse? Concept of the Western reconstruction of the home Issues surrounding the design, construction, use of the house No accountability, and very little follow through. If we look at the situation in Aceh - the focus was almost exclusively on the number or houses being built - primary indicator of success whereas in Europe, or England, if there was to be a large scale reconstruction undertaken, it would be directed by government, or a central agency, in ‘Tsunami land’ it was seen to be acceptable to have NGOs and agencies not specialized, or even experienced in reconstruction, go into communities, and begin to build houses - to reshape the spatial fabric, the built landscape of a place. True, this is done with nominal consultation, but this too is mediated through a lens of Western modernity - the systems that are used to plan, are Western planning methods; the participants who are most active will often be those with the best command of English, or previous experience with NGOs - (Teddy and his desire to work for an NGO). …but these are standard complaints of the development/humanitarian enterprise.

Fig.1 - Habitat for Humanity house design, Aceh

Why? A) Partly attributable to the dynamics/processes of the international humanitarian approach: Competition amongst NGOs Normative associations Short attention span of international viewers

Why…cont’d B) Partly attributable to the physical situation of Western humanitarian workers in these situations: In specific sites As a global flow

Compounding Crisis? In country situation of humanitarian & development workers live and work within compounds Travel in land rovers Set up parallel delivery systems and transport networks

Impacts of Western Presence Perpetuation of a neo-colonial power relationship (viz. Duffield) But am also interested in how the observed spatial inequalities impact the way in which reconstruction takes place On the ground At the level of international discourse

Impact of Western Presence - Transnational Within discourses of globalization theory there was much talk about transnational flows, the creation of a global identity (viz. Sassen) Interested in how these grounded, enclosed experiences of the international development are transferred between reconstruction sites

When we look at the way in which the reconstruction sites/efforts are discussed and represented with the practitioners discourse, it is common to group together both natural and political reconstructive sites Acknowledging that CHUs include both natural & political dimensions, (e.g. Aceh, Sri Lanka, Sudan) it is still important to understand the development and transmission of reconstructive expertise across zones

FIN.