AN APOLOGY IS NEEDED

Jan 16, 2010 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

There are many painful scenes from the devastation in Haiti. But the one that is most heart-wrenching was the picture of a father holding the lifeless body of his child. It simply breaks your heart to look at that picture.
This scene of fathers and mothers in anguish as they hold the bodies of their loved ones no doubt is replicated throughout the capital. Thousands of parents have the painful task of seeing their loved ones dead. Thousands of others are still searching for their loved ones, wondering whether they survived.
Thousands of bodies are lining the streets. Many will have to be buried without being identified.
After the rubble has been cleared and the dust settled- something that will take years- there will still be thousands looking for their relatives and friends.
In the meantime, there are thousands in need of medical assistance, tens of thousands who are homeless and hungry. There are also possible hundreds who need to be rescued. This is why there is no need for procrastination. Every nation must play its part.
Those with search and rescue experience and capability in these situations should concentrate on playing this role. Those, like Guyana, which can deliver food in the form of rice and sugar, should do so and forget for the time being about collecting material items. Right now what is needed is money to be channeled to organizations, such as the Guyana Red Cross, which are already aiding.
It was most disturbing to hear on state-owned radio that a Minister of the government had made some critical comments about what the local chapter of the Guyana Red Cross is undertaking. The Red Cross is an international organisation with branches throughout the world.
Whenever there are disasters and wherever there is conflict, even in war zones, the Red Cross, is there helping to assist those who are suffering. It is an internationally recognised and highly respected organisation.
However, involved the local Red Cross chapter is in the national committee formed to respond to this crisis, this cannot prevent the Red Cross from fulfilling its international obligations to raise support and assistance for the work it is doing internationally.
It is therefore suggested that an apology should be offered to the Guyana Red Cross.
The opposition and other stakeholders should insist that this apology be a condition of their future participation in the committee, which was formed by the government to coordinate the local relief effort.
Unless this apology is forthcoming, the opposition parties and other stakeholders should form their own committee.
While this is not a matter on which to play politics, there are some principles which cannot be compromised and the opposition and other stakeholders should stand firm and demand an apology.
Experience has demonstrated that in raising funds for these causes, every cent counts but that the bulk of the dollars emanate from large donors. The government of Guyana has already committed $200M. This figure is not going to be matched by either the private sector or by the pledges made on local telethons.
Interestingly, one telephone company is encouraging citizens to donate through text messages. This, I believe, is one of the more efficient ways in which small contributions can be collected from a large number of contributors.
Persons who are desirous, less than $1000 should be encouraged to make their contributions via this method. The telephone company will then accumulate these thousands of small contributions and pay it over to the national committee. Persons wishing to donate in excess of$10,000 should be encouraged to deposit their contributions in the various banking accounts established for this purpose.
The telethons should be committed strictly for persons wishing to donate in excess of $100,000. In this way the committee responsible for the national effort will be able to make efficient uses of the resources needed to collect financial donations.

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AN APOLOGY IS NEEDED

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