Folklore and Rumors Interfering with Development & Relief Efforts
01:19, 3 August 2006
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I've just updated my list of examples of Folklore, Rumors (or Rumours) and Urban Myths Interfering with Development and Relief Efforts, and I'm looking for more. There are lots of obstacles that can stand in the way of human, community and institutional development, but there is one that rarely gets discussed: widespread misunderstanding and myth-spreading. Folklore, rumors (or rumours) and urban myths / urban legends 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 or others for no reason other than something they heard from a friend of a friend of a friend. I'm especially interested in ways that such misinformation has been countered successfully in development or relief situations (including post-conflict situations). Please contact me if you have examples (see the web page for contact information).
