I spent the weekend scouring the internet looking for positive survival stories when I came across www.golivewire.com where I found this personal post: Ok literally stop talking about Haiti.. “I’m being serious.. It’s all over the news like all day I’m tired of seeing it I donated my 5 dollars that added to my phone bill. So yeah. Let’s move on there’s other important stuff going on in the world too I’m over it.”
Initially all I could say was WOW, who wrote this and how could they be so insensitive?
I immediately joined the forum and gave this fool a piece of my mind! Then I began to think deeper and wonder just how effective IS all this talking. Finally, I rested at the thought that collectively in the world we are doing a lot more than just talking.
I have personally donated money and every single person I know has donated money. Money is going to Haiti from almost every corner of the world. With that thought in mind I began to ponder a different set of questions like: how will this be facilitated and who will manage these efforts? Where is the streamline, especially now that we have been asked to give money in lieu of resources? Is this going to be another Hurricane Katrina situation with the misappropriation of funds? Also, is it inappropriate to want systems in place where Americans control monies donated by Americans and so forth? And even still, how will that be handled?
This is a grave undertaking that has the potential to go very wrong very fast. I think the conversation now needs to center less on the process of donating and more on how the funds are being delegated and who is doing the delegating?
In recent years our own government officials, political leaders and corporate executives with great power and unlimited access to money proved they couldn’t be trusted to do the right thing, why should this time be any different? We just need to make sure that those who need the resources and help get what they need. I’m talking about accountability.
On a final note: This is not the first time Haiti has experienced serious problems. Also, it’s my belief that had we not waited until a natural disaster nearly annihilated an entire country we wouldn’t have to talk about it because it would have never escalated to this magnitude. So yes let’s not talk about it, next time let’s do something before it’s too late!
-Bre
Follow me on twitter @kissbre
