“After every disaster, communities need to be rebuilt, but it shouldn't just be the powers from above that decide how that happens. There should be a participatory process for people to engage and reassess.” -George Laws Garcia
Episode Description:
What happens when politics enters into the disaster space? It depends on the community you ask, and for Puerto Rico, it’s an unfair battle. For 123 years, Puerto Rico has been a territory of the US, yet is treated differently in Congress. This presents a huge challenge during a disaster. When Hurricane Irma and Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, they had to rely on other states to do the advocacy work since they do not have representatives in the Congress. Puerto Rico has faced and continues to face injustices in the system, but they are learning how to navigate politics and disaster as a community.
Led by George Laws Garcia, Mirsonia Group helps their clients develop innovative and effective public policies. George is a bold advocate for Puerto Rico, especially in terms of legislative matters. In this episode, George helps us navigate political aspects of managing natural disaster emergencies. Jennifer and George recount their own stories and observations about the government and federal laws, leadership during a disaster, biases and inequalities in resource allocation and action, flexibility in rebuilding, boosting resiliency and capacity, and investing in sustainable recovery. Be the author of your own resiliency story. Stay tuned until the end to hear three realistic and practical ways we can do to bridge the gap in public policies and disaster recovery.
George Laws Garcia
Website: https://mirsoniagroup.com/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/LawsPR51
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-laws-garcia/
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Highlights:
02:47: In Between and Disasters
09:05: Puerto Rico and The Legacy of Colonialism
14:13: At the Center of 2 Devastating Hurricanes
21:30: Unaddressed Disaster Impacts
26:53:The Deficiency in Government and Leadership
35:44: Behind the Scene: Biases and Unjust Framing
42:44:Toward Full Reconstruction
50:18: Rebuild Sustainably