When ‘Acts of God’ Strike: Faith responses and leadership in natural disasters in Vanuatu

Abstract

The research presented here is part of a larger doctoral project that explores the interplay between faith, leadership and disasters in Vanuatu.  This paper relates to a preliminary piece of research, designed to ascertain what particular new knowledge, within the broadly-defined area of faith, disasters, and Melanesia, would be most practically useful to humanitarian practitioners in the region. To do this, interviews were undertaken with ten humanitarian practitioners from faith-based organisations, with experience responding to disasters in Melanesia.  The findings from this research were then analysed with the aim of shaping the further direction of the doctoral project, in order that the research might be of relevance to those engaged in practice. A summary of this analysis is presented here.