Tag: Oral Session 4M

Shifting the Aid Paradigm: An Exploration into Effective Humanitarian Policy Design through a Case Study analysis of Omnes Volunteer Association

Presenter(s): Momo Wilms-Crowe − Political Science, International Studies

Faculty Mentor(s): Nick Macdonald

Oral Session 4M

Research Area: Social Science

Funding: CURE Travel Grant, Carnegie Global Oregon Summer Research Grant, Oxford Consortium for Human Rights Fellowship.

The aid world has long been characterized by top-down, donor-directed programs based on largely context-nonspecific tenets and universalizable methods. Traditionally, a complex web of bureaucracy has separated the recipients of aid from the decision makers and there has been a stark divide between short-term needs alleviation and long-term development. Yet, in an ever more complex world with changing needs, these mechanisms are increasingly out of date, held into question by scholars, humanitarian workers, major donors, and global leaders alike. This project explores the changing nature of humanitarian aid through a case-study analysis of one organization in Northern Greece working to support Syrian asylum seekers and refugees. In addition, I include a comparison to programs running in Turkey and Jordan that similarly emphasize a linking of relief, rehabilitation, and development (LRRD) model. Drawing on historical research, fieldwork findings, and humanitarian literature, my research investigates the drawbacks of the current aid model as described above, as well as highlights potential solutions to those problems. I conclude by outlining the need for further support of and investment in alternative models of aid, including those supporting local NGOs and innovative grassroots organizations.

Representations of Madness in Zanzibar, Tanzania; An Analysis of Colonial Mental Health Diagnostic Labels

Presenter(s): Anne Peters − International Studies

Faculty Mentor(s): Kristin Yarris, Melissa Graboyes

Oral Session 4M

Research Area: Humanities

Franz Fanon has shown how ideas of mental health and illness reflect historical and political constructs, especially for racialized and colonial subjects and their subjugators. “Confronted with a world configured by the colonizer, the colonized subject is always presumed guilty.” (Fanon, 1961). Drawing on Fanon and other post-colonial scholars, my research asks
the question: what influence did colonial ideas about race and mental illness have on mental health care practices in East Africa during British colonialism? I explore this question by examining primary source materials from archives of the British Superintendent-directed “lunatic asylum” in Zanzibar, Tanzania, from 1914 to 1947. In particular, I conducted a close reading and analysis of the diagnostic labels used during this time, how they were variously applied to African patients (colonial subjects) as compared to patients in British mental hospitals in the same period. My research reveals the colonial motives of the British Protectorate in both the diagnosis and the treatment of patients, and considers the broader political purpose these diagnoses may have served. Not only were the staff in charge inadequate to make such diagnoses, but also it was a commonly held belief that the native populations admitted to the asylum were mentally incapable of having the same diagnoses as their English counterpart. My research also contributes an historical perspective to the broader field of Global Mental Health, as I examine how shifts in psychiatric diagnoses reflect social interests, political power, and racialized ideas.

A Comparative Analysis of Preventive and Post Conflict Action in Refugee Crises

Presenter(s): Maria Pervova − Economics, International Studies

Faculty Mentor(s): Galen Martin

Oral Session 4M

Research Area: Social Science

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, there are currently more than 65 million refugees in the world, a number that does not include internally displaced people, asylum seekers, and stateless persons. This massive and inhumane displacement of people is largely caused by war and political tensions that unjustly affect non-combattants. Not only does this harm individuals and families, but this unnervingly trickles down to limit human potential in terms of educational achievement and economic growth for future generations. Countries not directly involved in these conflicts complain that the influx of refugees and migrants is straining their resources and overall production capacity. As of now, there are not enough successful, preventative measures taken to halt the eruption of refugee crises in their tracks or even before they begin. The United Nations and individual countries alike are hesitant to spend time and energy on building upon preventive methods such as diplomacy and peace building. It is understandable that countries do not want to pay upfront costs for even likely events, especially when they are apt to occur outside their borders. However, conflict resolution costs and refugee services are only a tiny fraction of the military and post-conflict spending needed to end crises. My comparative analysis aims to demonstrate that a greater upfront investment in conflict prevention is more cost effective in terms of human life and economic measures than post conflict expenditures. This will be evaluated through a cost-benefit analysis of recent refugee crises in the Middle East.

A Feasibility Report on the Use of Urine Diverting Container-Based Sanitation Toilets in Post-Earthquake Disaster Scenarios

Presenter(s): Indigo Larson − Planning Public Policy And Management

Faculty Mentor(s): Kory Russel, Josh Bruce

Oral Session 4M

Research Area: Disaster Planning, Sanitation Management

This project investigates the feasibility of using container-based sanitation (CBS) toilets in place of standard toilet and sewer systems in the event of major earthquakes. Container-based sanitation refers to a system where toilets collect human excreta, are sealed and then are transported to a treatment facility. The focus of this project is urine diversion toilets, in which urine and feces are collected in separate sealable containers to be treated separately. Though these toilets were originally implemented in communities where running water is not common, there is evidence to support the idea that these toilets have direct application in the post-earthquake disaster scenarios. The Eugene, Oregon post-Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake scenario projects that piped water systems will be unusable for upwards of a year. Through an examination of the use of these and similar toilets in case studies in Japan, New Zealand and Haiti after large earthquakes, it is clear that urine diverting container based toilets are a viable solution for post-earthquake sanitation management . Researching and understanding proper sanitation management techniques for after natural disasters is crucial for successful public health and environmental and human dignity protection in a particularly vulnerable time. Container-based toilets have the potential to facilitate safe, easy and cost effective sanitation management during disaster recovery periods after major earthquakes in Eugene and throughout the world.