Typhoon Haiyan

Typhoon Haiyan wrecked devastation in Philippines a week back. More than 10000 feared dead and the body count continues. Thousands have lost their home, stead and bread. Philippines wails.

The net, TV and media are ablaze with stories on location. As we watch, USAID and USAF aircraft offload relief material. Belated though, but much needed. On CNN a Filipino women says ‘it is worse than hell’ and breaks down crying. An elderly person is sobbing, unable to express his grief at the loss of loved ones. In yet another street, we see scores of bodies wrapped in available material, lined up on the street side waiting to be lifted to their burial ground. Some of these may get identified and the desolate surviving relative will get a chance to pay appropriate homage. Yet others will get buried nameless and unmarked. In a few days, for fear of disease and epidemics, the unclaimed bodies may even be burnt or buried away. No one can actually estimate the loss – physical and psychological. Sitting thousands of miles away, we watch helplessly as the trauma unfolds. In a few days, we would have forgotten Philippines as our own life would take over our concerns. The survivors in Philippines on the other hand, will live with their pain and memories that will subside only in their graves.

At this moment of great tragedy, there are quite a few things that all of us, as citizens of this world, can do:

First, pray. May the Good Lord protect these people from further trauma and give them courage to accept their suffering with fortitude.

Second, if you are someone in your respective government who can mobilize relief material, please get involved. Love their neighbor.

Third, if you are a volunteer, this is your moment.

Fourth, if you can find the right agencies on the net, contribute whatever you can.

Philippines needs the world more than ever now. As the UN theme says “IT IS YOUR WORLD”. It is our world.

Thank you for reading. That is actually one prayer said for Philippines. God bless you.    

Let The Sun Rise Again!

The devastation in Japan is beyond comprehension to those unaffected by the calamitous events. For those affected, the dimensions are so huge that it would beat their imagination. Our conscience as humans stands in solemn solidarity with Japanese people in this hour of their crisis.

Once before, in 1945, Japan was destroyed to ashes by man made events. Not withstanding the role of Japanese in their own destruction, the world witnessed the steely resolve with which they rose again as a phoenix from their own ash into a giant. The Emperor, Hirohito, is credited by history as the man who foresaw the doom and built Japan back into a mighty giant.

Sixty five years later, Japan is now in the throngs of a calamity much greater than what it lived through. The character, resolve, committment and sense of purpose of Japanese are under challenge yet again. Only, this time nature played villain. The last time, the world did no sympathies with the Japanese. But this moment calls for solidarity and support much more in measure than what earlier could have been.

Pray, give support and assist in all ways that we can to reinforce our own faith in ourselves as people of this planet!   

There is a time to Pray!

LWe all have faced those little moments in life when things do not look bright and the world around seems to spin out of control. This is one such moment in our history as humans, when we find a huge tract of humanity from Tunisia to Iraq seem to be in turmoil. The agitations that are spreading across these nations are an apparent calling of their conscience to bring home governments that would help them achieve their aspirations that have remained suppressed for decades. The economic disparity that seems to have widened between the haves and have-nots, growing unemployment and lack of responsive governance in countries of this region seems to have added fuel to the fire.

There is a huge lesson in store for every country in the world in the happenings of the Middle East. People today are not as tolerant to misrule as they were in the last century. People want good and responsive governance that would help them achieve their rightful aspirations. In other words, people want to control their destinies! The time has come for democracy everywhere and to uphold the rule of law!

Let us pray that these aspirations come true. Let us pray that democratic values find themselves embedded in all countries and that peoples everywhere get to enjoy their rights (as well as fulfill their duties) and live harmonious lives! Let us pray that violence and bloodshed are not the paths that the world takes to anymore and let peace prevail across continents!