Neighborhood emergency networks in Uzhhorod, Ukraine and Corvallis, Oregon, U.S.A. : women's neighborhood network and Linn-Benton neighborhood emergency training

This thesis examines two neighborhood emergency preparedness programs: the Linn-Benton Neighborhood Emergency Training (LB NET) program in Corvallis, Oregon, U.S.A., and the Women's Neighborhood Networking Program (WNNP) in Uzhhorod, Ukraine. In Corvallis, the LB NET began in 1996, in part out of concerns that in a large disaster the local emergency agencies would not be able to provide immediate service to all disaster victims. The program encourages the residents in neighborhoods to work together to become better prepared for natural or other disasters, and to be self-sufficient for 72 hours following an event. For this study I interviewed the organizers of 14 neighborhoods between October 2001 and February 2003. Oregon State University Office of International Research and Development used the LB NET as a model to develop a project in Uzhhorod funded by U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The WNNP was funded for one year beginning in July 2000, with a one-year extension. The project included four trips from the U.S. to Uzhhorod: to conduct a needs assessment, participant selection and initial training; two consulting/mentoring trips; and for the project finale in April 2002. All project participants and two Ukrainian coordinators traveled to Corvallis for three weeks training in April 2001. For this study the WNNP participants were interviewed in Corvallis in April 2001 and in Uzhhorod in April 2002. This thesis examines how the Uzhhorod program evolved from the Corvallis program, and similarities and differences between the WNNP participants and the LB NET organizers, including neighborhood demographics, and organizer motivation, volunteer activities and social networks. In the conclusions section, I discuss environments where each program might be successfully duplicated.

Graduation date: 2004