Resilience is the capacity to bounce back. For a community to be resilient, its members must put into practice early and effective actions, so that they can respond to adversity in a healthy manner. Its residents, agencies, and organisations take meaningful and intentional actions before an event that can help the community reestablish stability after the event.

Resilience implies that after an event, a community may not only be able to cope and to recover, but that it may also change to reflect different priorities arising from the disaster.

The analogy of resilience is a rubber bar. When hit by an object, rubber may be stressed (bent), but it can bounce back to its original shape and position. Over time rubber can also be molded to change its original shape and position, keeping some aspects and improving others.

Click on the image at right to downlaod a copy of 'Building Community Resilence for Children & Families'