Rumors Interfering with Development & Relief efforts
02:19, 15 September 2005
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There are lots of obstacles that can stand in the way of human, community and institutional development, as well as relief efforts, but there is one obstacle that rarely gets discussed: widespread misunderstanding. Folklore, rumors and urban myths often interfere with relief and development activities -- even bringing such to a grinding halt. They create ongoing misunderstandings among cultures, prevent people from seeking help, encourage people to engage in unhealthy and even dangerous practices, and have lead to mobs of people attacking someone from no other reason that something they heard from a friend of a friend of a friend. I'm collecting examples of this, and recommendations for how to prevent or address such.
