Thinking about Haiti

A month has passed since the big earthquake in Haiti. I’m sure anyone who has seen the devastation feels heartsick for the people there. Described by one as a tragedy of “biblical” proportion, it is certainly unimaginable how such a beleaguered nation of people could survive. Yet, they will survive with the help of billions of dollars raised from people and organizations all around the world.

I’ve been wondering…Why did, approximately 200,000 people have to die before our government paid real attention to Haiti? Before the quake, for years, Haitians have tried to flee the country for a better life in the U.S. and unlike other “boat people” have been consistently and summarily turned away. Why also, with so many people doing so much through the years to help the Haitian people, has relatively so little been accomplished? Just a couple of years ago there were articles and television spots about children eating dirt cookies. Why does anyone in the same hemisphere as a country as wealthy as ours have to eat dirt? Why do corrupt governments thrive in areas where government should help not exploit its people? These questions are about why human beings behave so badly toward one another.

A significant part of the YWCA’s mission statement is “promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all people.” Those elements are accomplished through effective ADVOCACY. Perhaps, now, all of us can be more effective advocates for Haiti and its people, not just give money, but hold the organizations we give to accountable for ensuring the funds are spent to address immediate needs and begin to address root causes of problems. The current situation is simply unacceptable.