"Strength" community: the role of community development services in SARS

Studies on disaster have been criticised as putting too much emphasis on individual therapy. The community perspective highlights the significance of the sociopolitical factors in causing disasters and intervention at the community level. This paper, examining the contribution of community development services during the SARS epidemic in Hong Kong, reveals the significance of establishing an extensive network of vulnerable groups and community organising groundwork in times of crisis. Intervention during the SARS crisis included crisis intervention, providing community education, promoting community care, community participation and supporting the unemployed. After SARS, the focus was on reinforcing the spirit of mutual help, anti-discrimination and reconstructing positive shared meanings of the disaster. In mobilising community resources, the concept of the "strength" community has been confirmed. The SARS experience has revealed that, although disasters are becoming complex and global, remedies can be found in the local community. Community is an important disaster resource.

本文檢視社區發展服務在“非典型肺炎”期間的貢獻：危機介入、社區教育、社區照顧、社區參與及支援失業人士。“非典”之後，服務集中於強化互助、反歧視及建構災難的正面意義。介入的過程引證了“力量”社區的概念。