(Adapted from the Crisis Management Handbook: A Guide for Overseas
Staff, Peace Corps Volunteer Safety Council)
Exercise
Read the case study below and, in small groups, discuss and answer the questions that follow. The situation described is a true case about students in the Philippines.
The Situation
In June of 1990, the study abroad program was abruptly suspended in the Philippines. Students were evacuated to the safe haven of Honolulu, Hawaii for a series of "Processing and Moving On".
Many students did not fully understand or agree with the reasons for the suspension of the program in the Philippines. What most of them did not know was that a student had been abducted by opposition forces and was still missing. However, as the crisis unfolded, the students were instructed to carry out the evacuation without knowing why they were being asked to leave.
By the time the students got to Honolulu, there was a great deal of anger, sadness, guilt, fear, and anxiety on their part. Common issues which came out of the counseling sessions focused on the abruptness of leaving, the lack of closure (lack of opportunity to say goodbye to friends, pack belongings, etc.), and the uncertainty and lack of preparedness for the future.
Once the students learned about the kidnapping, they were able to perceive the reasons for the evacuation without distortion. Loyalty to their friend, respect for his welfare, and acceptance of the actions deemed appropriate by those in charge helped them deal with the evacuation in an entirely different light.
What may have been some reasons why the students were given limited information during the evacuation?
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What problems or feelings -- apart from those caused by the crisis itself -- might occur because of this lack of information?
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What might have helped the students to cope better in this situation?
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The Realities of Peace and Order: Independence vs. Authority - Notes to the Study Abroad Director
Independence vs. Authority
The purpose of this exercise is to get the students to think hard about dealing with a crisis in the context of the complexities of political realities. This exercise will likely produce a lively discussion on the subject. This case illustrates both the impact of missing information on one's ability to cope, as well as the lessons learned for handling similar situations more effectively in the future. Likewise, it illustrates the dichotomy between the need for clear guidance and support from an authority structure, and respect for student maturity, individuality, and ability to deal with security issues.
What may have been some reasons why the students were given limited information during the evacuation?
There are many reasons why students may not have been told about the kidnapping during the evacuation. Some of the most probable are the following:
- Any of the reported events had to be confirmed or verified before being made public.
- The safety of the victim had to be considered.
- The kidnapped student's family needed to be notified first and in the proper way.
- Potentially sensitive information could not be given to the general public for security reasons.
- As always, any dissemination of information related to security had to be coordinated and approved by the U.S. Embassy.
The group will come up with good answers to this question. In addition to their responses, now is the opportunity to clearly explain the policy on crisis management. These are the most important:
- The program in each country is charged with ensuring the safety and well-being of its students. To that end, it will do whatever is necessary and possible in a crisis situation to protect students.
- This responsibility may sometimes seem to conflict with the value of respect for the individual's independence. In reality, when it is a matter of life or death, the authority of the governing body ( the State Department, Country Director, Embassy, national policy) will supersede the goal of accommodating the individual wishes of students.
- While each of us responds to and deals with crisis uniquely, there is little time "in the moment" to negotiate how a situation will be handled. Students need to follow all orders to respond quickly, regardless of the explanation that may or may not come with those orders.
What problems or feelings -- apart from those caused by the crisis itself -- might occur because of this lack of information?
The group will probably suggest some of the more obvious responses to this question. You should consider raising some of the more subtle issues of this situation, as well:
- Students were faced with loss of belongings, everyday life as they knew it, friends and community. Dealing with these losses is traumatic even when the causes are clearly understood. The lack of a "good reason" only intensifies emotions for students.
- As students, one way we adapt to new surroundings is to remain relatively neutral about political values and systems. In so doing, we may unconsciously dull our senses regarding the seriousness of a political environment. In reality, it can be very difficult to suddenly switch gears and believe that drastic action, like an evacuation, is truly necessary.
- Lack of information could have created a lack of trust in the decision-makers, which could have led to feelings of being misled about the seriousness of the situation, which, in turn, could have increased the students' sense of helplessness.
What might have helped the students to cope better in this situation?
In retrospect, the lessons learned from the Philippines crisis are significant. Among them is the need to communicate as clearly as possible the reasons for directives. Ironically, when a reason may be most needed to help students cope, providing such information may violate security. Helping students understand this before a similar situation arises is an important lesson of this training module. Ensure the students that, when at all possible during a crisis, they will be kept informed and that, when information is withheld, there is a good reason to do so. They will be fully informed as soon as it is safe to do so.
(Adapted from the Crisis Management Handbook: A Guide for Overseas
Staff, Peace Corps Volunteer Safety Council)
