January 18 is an important day. January 18 is a national holiday in the United States, in honor of Reverend Martin Luther King. King accomplished much for humanity. January 18 is also day six following the tragic 7.0 earthquake which shattered the country of Haiti. Millions are suffering today in Haiti and are in need of our humanitarian aid. January 18 is also day 284 in the wait for the restoration of aid for the impoverished of Sudan. Millions are suffering today in Sudan in need of our humanitarian aid. January 18 is also the anniversary of the birth of my mother, Claire Burgess (1922-1993) who accomplished much in providing humanitarian aid to her fellow man. January 18 is a day to dream for humanity.
The natural disaster which has befallen Haiti requires our collective and global assistance. The United Nation’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has prepared a “Flash Appeal” which details the immediate and projected needs for the citizens of Haiti. Critical infrastructure (electricity,water, sewage, communications and medical facilities) were universally damaged, some to the point of destruction. Couple this with the fact that the civil service cadre of Haiti was also amongst the hundreds of thousands of casualties; the cadre will require time to reconstitute. Media reports indicate more than 50,000 individuals are believed to have perished and more than 3 million individuals have been affected. The time to help our fellow man in Haiti is now.
But we should not forget the man-made or perhaps man-allowed disaster which has befallen the Darfur region of Sudan. This crisis has witnessed the death of more than 50,000 individuals, has seen more than 250,000 flee to refugee camps and has displaced more than 3 million. In September 2004, then Secretary of State Colin Powell unambiguously stated, “We concluded that genocide has been committed in Darfur and that the government of Sudan and the Janjaweed bear responsibility and genocide may still be occurring.” In January of 2010, Deutsche Welle reported, “…the commander of the combined United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force for Darfur, General Martin Agwai, has claimed the war in Darfur is over…” 9 January was designated a global day of action for the Sudan, marking the fifth anniversary of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between North and South Sudan. January 18, is also the 284th day of waiting to act on the proposed resolution made by General Scott Gration, the United State’s special envoy to Sudan which would reconstitute the aid void created when 16 aid organizations were expelled from Sudan. The time to help our fellow man in Sudan is now.
In highlighting the needs of the people of Haiti and Sudan, I know in a small way I continue the legacy of my mother. My mother was not one to shy away from confrontation (her younger brothers were all Gold Glove Boxers), she led with a firm and compassionate hand. She also lead by example, ready and willing to step up to address the difference between right and wrong, especially with respect to the rights and plight of the individual most needing her assistance. Though I was young at the time, I remember my mother’s active involvement in the late 50’s and early 60’s in the US Civil Rights movement in Virginia; and her work in the 60-70’s in Turkey and Thailand at various orphanages and leper camps; and then into the 80’s through to her last days of 1993 she gave of herself in Northern Virginia as a volunteer for innumerable causes. Fittingly, from my perspective, prior to her death, she received recognition she never sought, Volunteer of the Year. You see, my mother taught us life is meant to be a life of service and compassion – service to family and fellow man. We were blessed to live in many areas of the world, and as she spoke of those to whom she assisted, one would hear her uttered with frequency, the martyr John Bradford’s quote, “There, but by the grace of God, go I.” And instead of walking on, she stepped up.
Therefore it seems fitting to me that this year, Martin Luther King Day falls on my mother’s birthday. It was in 1963 when Reverend Martin Luther King cried from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.'” Some 37 years later isn’t it time we share King’s dream globally? Our fellow citizens of this world need each of us as much as we need each of them, regardless of race, creed or nationality we can and should assist those in their time of greatest need.
In closing, I appeal to you, to go beyond reading of the crisis in Haiti or Sudan and step forward as those humanitarians who preceded us have and provide resources to assist. While I identified to you avenues to give, I encourage you to do your own research and find those organizations which project your individuality. In doing so please be certain the mechanism you are using to funnel your donation is legitimate, as the criminal element of society has demonstrated a new low with online scams preying on our collective generosity.
Thank you for your time.
All the best,
Christopher
Links:
Martin Luther King: I have a dream speech
UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: Haiti Earthquake (92 page pdf)
Red Cross: Red Cross Organization
Haiti: Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund
Darfur: Save Darfur Organization
OxFam: OxFam America Organization