Tuesday, December 28, 2004

Tsunami Relief It has now been nearly three days since an earthquake of mammoth proportions struck the Indian Ocean, releasing waves of unparalleled power against the coastal areas of Southern Asia. It has been hard to think of little else since I read the first reports on Sunday morning in the US. I could ramble on, but it's much more important to take action. Here's my recipe: Stay Informed: I've been living at the BBC World Service almost continuously since Sunday afternoon. Streaming audio and continuously updated text from the region. The Wikipedia crew is also doing outstanding work. The US networks are starting to parachute in; Nightline has been on the subject last night and this, and probably for the next several days. Be wary when politics rears its head, though. Some of the worst-hit areas (especially Aceh and the Tamil regions of Sri Lanka) are in rebellion against the central government, so the government cannot always be trusted to deliver relief completely on the up-and-up. Hit the Blogosphere: Best place to start is at WorldChanging. They are on top of everything and doing very important work. Then head immediately for  The South-East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami blog. It's a clearinghouse of  news, information, contact numbers and anything else you can think of. If you're feeling helpless, volunteer to help here (I did, but don't know what they'll have me do yet). Make a Contribution: Unless you're awfully nearby, the best thing you can do is send money, since it stretches farther onsite. I sent $20 to Oxfam America, because I know it will get to the right people. SEA-EAT has an enormous list of alternatives. Immediate relief and containing water-borne diseases are the essential tasks now, but reconstruction of these areas will take a very long time. Don't forget about these folks in the months to come. PS Hope everyone had a lovely solstice, Yule and Christmas celebration. May we all have a better New Year. 5:33:37 PM    comment []