The Tsunami Tragedy

The events of the last weeks in South East Asia have really affected me. I’ll be 50 this year and can honestly say I’ve never seen anything like this that has had such devastating consequences.

One minute you are sitting eating your breakfast, and then whoosh, everything destroyed. Husbands, wives, children, houses, schools, jobs, services, infrastructure, governance, the lot. Not just in one country, but in 12.

The peoples of the world have responded magnificently, especially in the UK and in particular Scotland. Our small nation has taken the lead and raised £12 Million so far.

There has been a wee Minister from Cathcart, Glasgow on the Scottish news for the past few nights. He appealed for trucks; he got them. He appealed for people to help fill the trucks; he got them. He appealed for a plane, and he got one.

Move over politicians. These are the types of leaders we want. These are the types of things that concern us.

The BBC documentary on the tragedy shown last night was superb. It covered the issues from a personal, national and international perspective with such professionalism and sincerity. The BBC has done a first class job, and continues to do so. Our media generally have done us proud here.

Maybe not so much our politicos, and businesses. The former seemed lost at first. Both our Prime Minister Tony Blair, and our First Minister Jack McConnell stayed abroad on their holidays as the casualties mounted. It was ordinary people thru the Internet that kick started the public’s brilliant response. Businesses were for a while competing with each other regards the size of their donations. Vodaphone for example made great play of donating £1m to support the humanitarian rescue operation following the tsunami.

In perspective however this is only one hours income from all the money they made last year. Plus if I’m not very much mistaken charitable donations are offset against tax. They are not really giving anything at all.

Yesterday UN Secretary General Kofi Annan called for a massive global effort in the next six months to raise $1 Billion. He estimates that it will take at least ten years for Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and India etc. to recover.

I am certain that this cash will be raised, much of it from ordinary folk like me who have been gob smacked by events.

In all this we may as a world begin to reconsider our priorities. Global peace, justice, humanity rather than war, inequality, and heartlessness.