Rebuilding sustainable communities for children and their families after disasters

[i]Conference[/i] November 16-19, 2008 College of Public and Community Service University of Massachusetts at Boston Reports from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) make it clear that countless children world-wide are enduring desperate conditions. More than two million have died as a direct result of armed conflict over the last decade. At least six million have been permanently disabled or seriously injured, and more than one million have been orphaned or separated from their families. Millions more have suffered death, disease, and dislocation as a result of such natural disasters as earthquakes, droughts, and floods. Even in apparently stable environments—such as Boston, the site of this conference, where the murder rate has recently reached a 10-year high—epidemic violence endlessly harms lives and communities. And even when emergency relief is available, permanent human damage remains. All too often, families fall apart, women are assaulted and degraded, and children are left to take care of themselves. How can communities recover from disasters in ways that permanently protect and empower their most vulnerable members? CALL FOR ABSTRACTS - SUGGESTED THEMES AND TOPICS The role of women in community reconstruction after disaster; The contribution of women to peace negotiations during the reconstruction period; Issues of gender-sensitive legislation and decision-making processes for the protection of the rights of women and children after disasters (Child trafficking, Violence against women and children, Neglect, Homelessness, etc.); Educational opportunities for children before and after disasters; Grass-roots women’s organizations and their role in rebuilding traumatized communities; Case studies of NGO activities addressing the conditions of women and children after disasters from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America and the Caribbean; Consequences of unhealthy environmental exposures in the context of disasters; Meeting nutritional needs of children and families after a disaster; Doctors without Borders and their role in post-disaster reconstruction; Innovations and effective strategies for responding to disasters; Rebuilding and sustaining opportunities for children before and after disasters through community planning and social and emotional support services; Resiliency in families and children after disasters; Assisting children to thrive after a disaster; The importance of attachment in children’s response to disasters; What does brain research tell us about how community disasters impact human development? [b]Call for Abstracts - closes May 22nd Submission of Abstracts and Papers[/b] Abstracts (300 words maximum) are due by May 22, 2008; full papers (6,000 words maximum) are due by August 22, 2008. Please send these by email attachment to [url=mailto:rsccfd@qube.cpcs.umb.edu]rsccfd@qube.cpcs.umb.edu[/url] . Registration: To register, visit www.cpcs.umb.edu/rsccfd where a registration form and instructions are available, as well as information about the conference, accommodations, and the Boston area. The registration fee for each participant is US$225, which covers the conference proceedings, lunch, and coffee.