Publication

Abstract : Risk perception and risk communication literature document how people make decisions to protect themselves and their communities against natural and manmade threats. In this paper the authors introduce the ideas of employing visual and other storytelling techniques and the sharing of community empowered ethnographies as a means of enhancing counter terrorism strategies and risk communication amongst ethnically diverse communities. It is important to note that historically the therapeutic or altruistic communities that lead to increased mutual support functions amongst victims and others are not an anomaly, but a rule. It is believed that proactive and empowered communities will lead to sustainable altruistic behaviors, which typically emerge only for a short time during the traumatic, post-disaster or post-conflict emergency response periods, but soon dissipate. This is vital if we expect multi-ethnic communities to work together in protecting themselves and fighting terrorism as part of their responsibilities of sharing threat, being prepared and exhibiting resilience.