This paper is a contribution to the April 2011 seminar on post-disaster community engagement, co-hosted by the Wilson Center and the Fetzer Institute in order to explore the best ways to respond to disasters. Highlighting the complex nature of response and exploring ways to overcome the inherent tension between those responding to war and the local community, the discussion in this paper focuses on how to identify the strengths of a community and use technology to better engage it and provide effective and sustainable relief.