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Dec. 31, 2004 The response to the massive loss of life caused by last Sunday’s Tsunami in the ring of 11countries in south and southeast Asia reminds us once again that, when the electronics are just right, we turn into a global village. You know what I mean: It’s getting our news, at the touch of a few buttons, from a multitude of sources, not just from the traditional media outlets. It’s letting the news from around the corner or the far side of the world touch us for more than just the time it takes to fire one or two sound bites on the nightly news. It’s keeping the concern going with your friends and relatives here, there, and everywhere with your fingers working the keyboard, the attention span holding as words fly back and forth. I am not surprised the hearts of so many responded faster than their leaders to the heart- rending scenes caught in still photographs and unedited winged words. The genuineness of the concern of ordinary people, the generosity and quickness of their response, provide signs of hope for the future of the global village. And thank heavens for the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that mobilized to help the ring of affected countries. I have been looking at some of the NGOs, for example, Doctors Without Borders (www.doctorswithoutborders.org). On Dec. 28, its emergency medical teams were already on the ground assessing the needs of populations in the areas the earthquake and tsunami hit the hardest. DWB teams were airlifting more than 60 tons of medical, surgical, and water-and-sanitation equipment to Sri Lanka and Indonesia. They were on the ground in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. They are the true heroes of the modern world. No glory, just mission. I wonder once the NGOs attend to the immediate water, food, medicine, and sanitation relief needs, how will they go about providing development assistance? I like some of what I read. This is what the American Friends Service Committee, the Quaker group, writes on its website (www.afsc.org ): “As the situation develops, we will: let the local people determine what response is most needed; provide support for groups or communities that might not be served by larger aid responses; and offer pragmatic, immediate help that builds longer-term recovery so that communities can rebuild long after the media attention and compassionate responses for aid have diminished.” CARE, USA’s website (www.care.org) says: “We will stay with affected communities long after the immediate emergency has ended, and invest in them as they revive their lives and livelihoods. “CARE has worked in Sri Lanka since 1956, and has more than 250 staff in country. Building upon a successful base of programs to improve the health and nutrition of children and women, CARE now offers extensive assistance in agriculture and natural resource management, small economic activities development and savings and credit services. Throughout the country’s war-affected zones, we are heavily invested in helping communities actively build peace as they rebuild livelihoods.” I must admit I am biased: It’s the “Helping People Help Themselves” approach that we used so successfully when I was a Volunteer In Service To America (VISTA) in the United States. ------------ About the author: Michael Chacko Daniels, a Californian, grew up in India. He is the author of Split in Two (poetry) and Anything Out of Place Is Dirt (novel), Writers Workshop, Kolkata (www.writersworkshopkolkata.com). Email: mchackod@pacbell.net Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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