Safety and Security Risks in International Development: A Case Study of Development Worker Training in a Latin American Megacity
Abstract
The safety and security of international development workers has been neglected in the research literature. Protecting the safety and security of international development workers is a central part of protecting human capital for these organizations. I was invited to complete this research with Corredor, an international development training program in a Latin American megacity. Corredor participants are primarily college students or recent graduates. Participants serve for two months to two years, working with a local faith-based organization or development agency while participating in Spanish language classes and living with a homestay family. I conducted three studies with Corredor to address the identified gap in the literature. The first study was a qualitative study exploring the concerns of leaders of an international development training program. I found that leaders were primarily concerned with themes surrounding adult education and getting participants to apply the safety strategies provided during training. The second study was an adapted photovoice study looking at the concerns of participants, analyzed using grounded theory. The photovoice method was adapted to better fit within the time constraints of the Corredor summer schedule. I found that participants were most concerned with their vulnerability in transit and with concerns relating to losing the safety and security contexts of their home country. Participants did not report any concerns relating mental health to safety and security. The third study was a retrospective grounded theory of returned international development workers. I found that participants reported primarily harassment and sexual assault incidents that took place primarily in transit.
These studies produced two major findings. First, these studies revealed the need for the category “gender-based risks” as a category for reviewing safety and security risks in international development work. Female participants in this study consistently reported sexual harassment. Additionally, returned participants reported elevated levels of sexual assault. Organizations should respond by assessing local conditions and developing training materials, focusing on case studies, that empower women to assess their own strengths, the location, and sources for assistance. The second finding affirmed that international development workers were most vulnerable in transit. International development organizations should respond by providing leaders with training in adult education. Organization leaders should respond by providing training in specific strategies for addressing multiple incident types. In addition, they should prepare for the increased incidence of sexual assault by identifying a sexual assault nurse practitioner and telehealth counseling services
Citation
Dietzel, Nicole Elizabeth (2020). Safety and Security Risks in International Development: A Case Study of Development Worker Training in a Latin American Megacity. Doctoral dissertation, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /192688.