4.1.3. Flexibility and Acknowledgment of Historical Context

We chose to attend the memorial ceremony that had been planned for the grieving community members as our point of entry. The Chairperson of the memorial service officially announced our attendance at the memorial ceremony. This announcement came as a big surprise to other participants, including social work practitioners, since they were not accustomed to "academics" being at the forefront of the emergency response. The tent was crowded with government representatives, as well as representatives from non-governmental and religious organizations. Given the generally somber atmosphere, it was initially difficult to identify the families who had lost a loved one.
