As we end 2004 and start 2005, it's heartening to see how quickly people in general and Americans in particular have responded to the disaster caused by the tsunami in India, Sri Lanka, and all around that region. According to the American Red Cross, by Wednesday it had received about $18 million in donations to its International Response Fund in the three days since the waves struck.
From all I've read and seen, a lot more will be needed. The American Red Cross, with its links to local Red Cross and Red Crescent organizations in the affected countries, seems like one of the best ways Americans can get the right kind of aid to the people who need it.
You can help by making a donation and selecting the International Response Fund. This link will take you to their donation page where you can use the online form or click on the "Donate by phone" or "Donate by mail" links for other methods.
Let's send them a wave of relief!
This is an old post, but i just wanted to comment and say that I think – generally – the world was very kind to those affected by the Tsunami. Even here in South Africa, a lot of aid was given... more so than in other disasters that have happened before. It seemed to have been a strange moment when a great deal of the world united together to help unfortunate people out.
I wonder why more people were willing to help with this than they were (or are) for other problems in the world. Perhaps it is because it is a natural disaster and not a disaster caused by war, or dictators, or human made problems. But, I haven't seen as many people pull into helping those hit by a tornado in Mozambique recently... maybe it's simply because Mozambique is less well known (and less travelled to.) Interesting...
Posted by: Mobile Phones | May 31, 2007 at 04:52 AM
I love the title of your post on this blog. A better kind of wave. It brings a whole new meaning to the different kinds of waves that can happen in our nation, that are all crises in and of themselves. Whether it’s the waves of a natural disaster like a hurricane, or the new waves of technology that forever change our nation and make us more dependent on items that will not last, rather than independent like we should be, there are many waves to be aware of. But why is it, do you think, that people only respond to a crisis AFTER it has already occurred? Why aren’t we doing everything we can to avert disaster? However, I am delighted to see that donation centers have joined the ranks of the online shopping brigade, so we can all donate by shopping online at our favorite stores who give a portion of the proceeds to funds like the Red Cross and also have their own web sites so we can donate head on. I’m excited about this new trend and I hope it brings a better wave into the lakes of society than what I’ve been seeing with online services lately.
Posted by: Online Shopping | July 13, 2007 at 11:56 AM