Frequently Asked Questions

A simple definition that is often used for "resilience" is the ability to bounce back from some kind of trauma to return to a full state of functionality.

A more complex set of resilience definitions exist to address circumstances in which an individual, community, or society can no longer return to the pre-exiting state of being, for example in a time of significant global change (including, but not limited to climate change).  

In Miami Beach and many large coastal cities around the world, for example, simple forms of adaptive resilience (e.g., building higher barriers to sea level rise and to prevent storm damage are no longer enough.  Actions must also be taken to address the problems that are causing adverse effects rather than just adapting to them.  Transforming underlying conditions such as reducing ecological footprints and moving from a petrochemical political economy to a green political economy is an example of "transformative resilience," which provide far better results for maintaining health, human security, and sustainability in the medium to longer term.

We currently have (and have had in the past) many different volunteers working simultaneously on a wide variety of projects.  Sometimes our volunteers have preferences with regard to the types of work and responsibilities they will have while assisting us.  Whenever possible, we always want to accommodate the wishes of our volunteers so they will feel comfortable working with us.

We are sharing some of our volunteer needs (below).  Any volunteer is welcome to assist with any level of task in which they feel comfortable, and are welcome to change or upgrade tasks whenever they are ready.  We provide typed sets of instructions (by email) for training purposes, and occasionally conduct telephone conferences to discuss details.  We also conduct video conferences when helpful.

An entry level volunteer can begin by offering as little as 20 minutes of time per day, or they can tackle as much work (and work as much time) as they wish.

We are needing volunteers for the following positions:

Data Stewards (will post material we provide them)

Content Manager / Crowdsourcer (will post relevant material they locate themselves)

Content Manager / Researchers (will post relevant material they locate themselves, and will also locate and post links to certain studies and/or research papers being referenced within the material)

Group Managers – Coordinator / Knowledge Manager  for a specific group(s).  This position coordinates with the members of a group within the website, and manages the content being posted within the group.  This position works closely with the equivalent manager on the ground (in a particular field of work), or can be responsible for both (website group members / content, and coordinating work on the ground).

Resilience System Manager – Coordinator / Knowledge Manager for a specific Resilience System(s).  This position coordinates with the members of a specific Resilience System website, and manages the content being posted within the site.  This position works closely with the equivalent manager on the ground (within the respective geographic location), or can be responsible for both (website members / content, and coordinating work on the ground).

Full Administrator – Assists with building out, testing, and maintaining Resilience System websites.  This position can also assist with any of the responsibilities mentioned above.

The primary difference between the positions of a Data Steward and a Content Manager / Crowdsourcer is as follows . . .

A Data Steward is an entry-level position.  A volunteer Data Steward begins by posting material we provide.  We have a Content Management working group where we send all the articles that need to be posted (see link below).

http://resiliencesystem.org/resiliencesystem.org/content-management-global

Our Data Stewards select an article(s) from the task server within the working group in which they are interested in posting, and create the post (including an image, if available) by using typed instructions we provide (see link provided near the top of the working group page).  A Data Steward might have questions about their ability to crowdsource appropriate material for posting within the Resilience Systems, so beginning as a Data Steward and observing the types of material being posted is a good way to learn.

A Content Manager generally has knowledge of the appropriate types of material to include within the working group in order to identify problems (gaps), help find solutions to the problems, and to promote resilience that supports the topic of the working group.  A content manager will generally be familiar with how to find appropriate material for their group through crowdsourcing.  Mainstream newsfeeds from online newspapers, magazines, television stations, radio stations, and Facebook and Twitter posts with links to important / confirmed information are all examples of crowdsourced information.  We always encourage Content Managers to continue posting articles sent to the task server whenever they have time.

Millions of people around the world already struggle to achieve food security and climate change is set to make those challenges even harder. It is perhaps humanity’s most pressing challenge, as we seek to nourish more than nine billion people by 2050.

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CCAFS - CGIAR

Drinkking water should be boiled before drinking in these conditions, if energy for cooking is available.  If there is ample rain, rainwater should be collected in sterile containers, ideally with lids so that children do not contaminate the water in the container, by putting their hands in it.  The water, however obtained, should be pured through a T shirt folded over 4 times to strain out particulate.  Harmful bacteria, like cholera, often cling to the particulate (leaves and other organic materail).  The T shirt must be cleaned and dried before being used as a strainer again. 

Another method of obtaining clean water is to put it in a clear plastic bottle, like a soda bottle.  Leave the water in the plastic bottle out in the sun for four hours or more.  The direct exposure to the UV rays in the sunlight and also the solar heat will kill most viruses and bacteria.

Yes. People can, and should, use both a sunscreen and an insect repellent when they are outdoors. Follow the instructions on the package for proper application of each product. In general, the recommendation is to apply sunscreen first, followed by repellent.

http://www.cdc.gov/westnile/faq/repellent.html