President's Blogs: 2004
The Tsunami: How schools can get involved
December 26, 2004
Dear All,
As we are all aware, the tsunami which hit South Asia and Somalia has been devastating. At this point, there is an obvious need for donations of all kinds.
We often use the term global society but how much and how often do we really reflect on what that means? We are a global society and this is a global tragedy. Of course, in reality, those of us snug in our homes cannot feel the depth of anguish and suffering being felt by those there and the overwhelming loss of loved ones no longer here. But we can help—and not just immediately.
These countries will need help for a long time to come. Unfortunately, we often have short-term memories when it comes to disasters, unprecedented or otherwise, unless they touch our own soil. What TAP is working on is how TAP members, and others interested in doing their share, can help down the road. I have thought a lot, since the waves first hit, of the children who have died, the families that have been destroyed, the infrastructure which will need to be rebuilt and the importance of survivors not feeling that they've been forgotten.
Many schools help the homeless and the "needy" at Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and at holiday times—or they donate to children toys, games, pennies—usually once a year. What we are planning is to work with the schools that each of you are associated with, in one way or another, to "adopt" a school in these hard hit areas and commit to helping them throughout the coming year. This way, students will be actively helping not just in the immediate future but in the time to come. These schools, students, and families will need help, and we all, whatever our individual economic conditions, have something to give.
If anyone else has a suggestion for how we as individuals and/or as an organization can help, or if you would like to help us in our efforts, please contact me at elise@teachersagainstprejudice.org.
Elise
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