‘Locals within locals’: Cultural sensitivity in disaster aid

Abstract

The massive influx of Pakistani and international aid workers into conservative areas of northern Pakistan and Kashmir following the devastating earthquake of October 2005 raised challenging issues around cultural sensitivity. This editorial describes the outcome of research conducted by the Feinstein International Center 18 months after the disaster, and highlights the dilemmas confronting organizations committed to the often divergent ideals of respecting local cultures, protecting the rights of staff and promoting gender equality. Reconciling the differing standards that local communities applied to national and international workers, and to male and female staff, proved difficult. Often it was the behaviour of national staff that was perceived by locals as most insensitive, highlighting the need for cultural sensitivity training to extend beyond expatriates. The simplistic and dichotomous language about ‘nationals’ and ‘internationals’ or ‘locals’ and ‘foreigners’ used by the UN and international NGOs masked the diversity of cultural norms within Pakistan and Kashmir.