Tsunami

Since the day after Christmas the world has watched, riveted in horror, the destruction and devastation left by the tsunami in Southeast Asia. As I write this, the death toll has reached 160,000 and is expected to rise, and the lives of countless survivors have been left in ruins. The wreckage and loss of life are staggering, simply beyond our powers of comprehension.

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Instead of reaching into the back of your mind to dream about lovely places abroad, we'd like to encourage you to reach into the bottom of your pockets and support those organisations who are assisting those affected by the Tsunami in South East Asia.

Here is a list of sites to get you going: Tsunami Relief

People all over the world have already reached out to this region and to those returning to their home countries. It's important to remember those who have opened up their homes to us for rest and relaxation when we are on holiday.

If you have already given, thank you. If you have not, these sites should give you reason enough.

The world began to respond almost immediately to the crisis, with governments and private individuals donating previously unheard-of sums to relief organizations and other charities. Unfortunately, there has also been something of a downside to this overwhelming generosity, with some people and organizations using it as an opportunity to create division, claiming that certain nations and groups aren't donating enough, or assigning untoward motives to their donations. All I have to say about that is this: Now is not the time. It is abhorrent to use the tragedy and grief of others to further one's own agenda, period. Along with our tangible contributions, let's pledge to rise above the pettiness of finger-pointing and blame-laying.

Nearly everyone I know has contributed to help those who were and continue to be affected by the tsunami, and I suspect that the readers of Mosaic Minds are no different. I urge all of you, however, to keep in mind that the people of Southeast Asia will be feeling the impact of this catastrophe for a long time to come. Let's continue to open our hearts and offer our assistance however we can, even once the victims are no longer front-page news.

Please visit U.S. Aid, the website of the U.S. government agency responsible for economic and humanitarian assistance around the world. There you will find a list of relief organizations that are taking donations and providing assistance to people affected by the tsunami, as well as links to a number of fact sheets and press releases about the what has happened and continues to happen in the region.