In the realm of the heart, in the domain of the mind,
there are no geographical lines dividing the nations.
anna howard shaw
minister and activist
Last December’s staggering tsunami tragedy focused attention on South Asia and brought
international issues, and international giving, dramatically to the fore. Extraordinary
video images made palpable for viewers around the world the staggering losses suffered
by people in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand: their lives – what they had,
what they didn’t have, what they lost – became real. Some $5.5 billion was pledged in
aid, and the outpouring reaffirmed our common humanity in the face of a disaster
almost incomprehensible in its depth and scope. Now, as the pictures and news stories
have receded, the question lingers: what will the impact be on donors who gave
internationally for the first time? Will their interest now extend to other distant places
in need – to the public education crisis in Puerto Rico, the HIV/AIDS pandemic in
Africa and Asia, the lack of opportunity for girls and women around the globe? We
invite you to sustain your interest, to consider small organizations that seek cost-effective
solutions to critical global issues by offering new communications technologies,
empowering women and young people to become leaders and informed citizens,
advocating for international assistance when problems require a coordinated approach,
and working to alleviate the HIV/AIDS devastation (12 million children are orphaned
annually by AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa alone). As we all discovered in the aftermath of
December 26, 2004, we truly are one world.
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