Also published in “Tsunami in a time of war: aid, activism & reconstruction in Sri Lanka and Aceh,” de Alwis, Malathi and Hedman, Eva-Lotta E., eds. (2009)The paper looks at policy implications of a comparative study on tsunami rehabilitation carried out in Sri Lanka and Aceh (Indonesia). It begins with a critique of the notion of what constitutes ‘emergency.’ For policies and projects to be successful, implementers use the existing knowledge base, and must employ people who are competent to work in specific societies. Institutional structures of the agencies must also be flexible within social and political complexities unique to each country. Tragic consequences have resulted when social organization and land tenure patterns are ignored by aid organizations, while the repetition of the mantra of community participation may not ensure equity
