…when those who have so little are giving so much. That’s what I’m left thinking, after reading the BBC before bedtime:
People in India’s Andaman and Nicobar islands are yet to recover from last year’s tsunami, but they are now helping South Asia quake victims.
…A senior official of the Andaman and Nicobar Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Mohammed Jadvet, said the first consignment of relief materials included 200 tents, over a 1,000 blankets and three tonnes of biscuits.
So, while Kofi Annan slams countries for only committing to about a tenth of what quake victims need, victims of the tsunami–who are still suffering from their own tragedy which stole 200,000 lives all over Asia– have donated to local quake relief efforts. Maybe the world is suffering from “disaster fatigue”.
“The islanders could not come out of the trauma of the 26 December tsunami. Thousands are still staying in intermediate shelters. Still they have decided to help the quake-hit people of Kashmir,” the official said.
“This shows the true spirit of the islanders.”
Reading such news takes me back in time, to other words read before bed that were so different and yet, similar. They taught me about the significance of small gestures:
“And he looked, and saw rich men putting their donations into the treasury. And he also saw a certain poor widow donating two mites. And he said Truly, I tell you, that this poor widow has cast in more than all of them: for they have all given but a portion of their great wealth, as an offering to God, while she, in her poverty, has given all that she had.”~ Luke:21
:+:
I keep thinking about the brown blogosphere’s powerful, united response to IIPM. And then I think about the larger world of blogging and how they used the power of their words for good, after Katrina. And I wonder if we should use our power for good, too. What do you think?
Chapati Mystery is selling T-shirts. He is also raising money, and they some Pakistani and Pakistani expat bloggers are doing that. A group of bloggers, including Saheli is involved with the wiki. She’ll tell more about it.
I have an appeal on my blog for last few days.
Things are going to get very serious in a few weeks and the spill over will be felt both in India, Pakistan, and rest of Asia.
Help buy tents.
but should we do something coordinated, like instapundit and ttlb did for Katrina?
Count me in.
But I would rather see real fast $$$, rather than only symbolism. Maybe, for starters, you could talk to sepoy at Chapati Mystery to support his efforts, just an idea. Do contact Metroblogger Lahore and Metroblogger Karachi.
Himalayas is the most majestic place on the earth – let not its people suffer.
Anyway, I am in.
Anna,
Beautiful verse you picked out, I hadn’t even gone to it in these past days of tragedy. It’s a great reminder of what we are expected to give. I would like to help through Dippu.com in whatever way I can, just let me know on what kind of coordinated effort we can work on.
Anna, I don’t know if you are aware of this, but quite a few brown bloggers (both Indian and Pakistani) are involved in href = “http://quakehelp.blogspot.com/”>this. It was started by the same team that ran tsunamihelp and got worldwide attention. I believe new members are welcome.
Yes, the wiki is wonderful for up-to-date information, and I am proud that SMer Saheli is part of it…but I’m talking about a concerted FUNDRAISING drive, which is what I thought Instapundit et al did during one, well-publicized day…what if all the blogs who had helped with IIPM decided to help with this? We pick a day and blog about it to publicize it and then we give. Look:
I think a fundraiseing drive is a great idea, particularly in this of all years, when I fear a lot of donors might be suffering from “disaster fatigue”…
I fully endorse a one-day drive. On my blog, I have raised $2000 dollars in a roughly a week. Its not much but it is all a small blog can manage on its own. So, I am all for even more publicity and a even more concerted effort. And the tshirt sales is garnering extra. We do need help with creating posters – as I got an email from someone at UN asking for more posters.
By all accounts, the charity I support, Edhi Foundation, is doing wonders. And my preference would be for a local charity like that [IndiaAid?].
In any case, please count me in and please help in whatever way any of you can.
Thanks for the mention, Kush. I have some more long-term, wide-ranging general ideas that I will mention in a Sepia-specific way asap. In the mean time I want to say that I too vote for a group effort. You all have worked really hard to build a community here, and that’s what community is for.
Might I suggest an auction as well? Lunch with the real SMers? (Not that I’m averse, but I doubt anyone here is willing to pay up for lunch with me. :-)) A t-shirt signed by the fab six? Some of Manish’s original photography, printed? A box of the famous Tripathi tofu-carrot samosas for someone who lives in DC? I’m totally extemporizing here, but you get the picture. SAJA auctioned off lunch with Hari Sreenivasan last year.
I’m throwing this out there and you can shoot me down: If the Sepia Mutiny t-shirts are generating good sales, maybe some of the money can go towards earthquake relief?
I have a idea where all the brown and non-brown bloggers make a appeal to set up Berlin syle airbridge in earthquake hit region:
a) if you are a US citizen or a permanent resident, a petition addressed to the State Department
b) if an indian citizen, nri, pio, the same petition to Indian Governemt/ Indian Embassy.
c) if a UK citizen, the pettion to the Home Office of UK.
Lot of people will fall in more than one categories.
The petition requests drastic measures in stepping up fund-raising, aid, pleads India and Pakistan taking the cross-refief efforts beyond ceremonial drama immediately, and requests NATO to step in.
The petition originates in the blogosphere, every concerned blogger cross links it, the way ASPCA, PACs or the ones that brought Dan Rather down or moveon.org does. Somebody, please help us firm the idea. PS: I am up for “lunch dates for charity et al.” but much more is needed fast and that bothers me. It might be too little, too late (don’t get me wrong).
*b) if an indian citizen, nri, pio, the same petition to Indian Governemt/ Indian Embassy.
It’s equivalent for Pakistanis to Pakistan Government.
And bloggers residing in Europe would be quite important to petition to NATO.
Mr. Tandon, et al.:
I fear NATO does not have the spare capacity for the sort of light helicopters needed in the higher altitudes. Indeed, even the Indian govt. does not, I suspect, have that much light helicopter capacity to spare (even if the General were to change his mind).
I should think a more prudent course is to rapidly build community halls, as the Indian govt. plans to do in lowland areas of Uri and Tangdhar districts of J&K, to temporarily house people as their homes are being rebuilt. Of course, this plan has a better chance of saving lives in J&K, since the damage has been considerably less, at least when compared to PoK. Still, given the materiel constraints, I think this approach may help save more lives, in the end.
Kumar
Kumar,
Your idea is excellent. However, somebody needs to communicate such ideas, and many others. That is why petition.
In last 10 days, I get a very distinct feeling that both India (to far less degree) and Pakistan (to much greater degree) are more concerned about image, posturing, “sensitivities”, plain mismanagement, and what not.
If 3 million freeze to death in next 3 months, the political fallout will be very nasty. Even if anyone/ you are hard-headed realpolitck rather than humantarian, you need to act fast, no matter.
Mr. Tandon:
Thank you for your urgency. Like most people, I would hope that humanitarian concerns trump considerations of realpolitik, especially since I’m a Kashmiri (Pandit). Happily, the two coincide in this case, though I agree with you that the General (to a greater extent than the GOI) does not see things quite so clearly.
It’s important, however, that one’s humanitarian concerns be channeled in a hard-headed manner. Far too much of the media coverage has struck me as lacking in this regard. Hence my suggestion about the importance of builiding large community halls given the lack of winterized tents. Btw, I have my doubts about the efficacy of those tents in the miserably cold winters of Srinagar, let alone those of the mountainous areas of PoK.
Do pass on this suggestion–it’s not mine, but that of Ghulam Nabi Azad and the GOI (& J&K state govt., of course). I would like to see more prefabricated modular housing sent over to PoK over the course of the relief effort.
Kumar
On NPR today, Salman Rushdie is pitching for Kashmir. Please listen.
Done my bit