More Related to the Asian Tsunami

Even as the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago promises aid, the Caribbean email lists have very little to say about the tragedy of the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake is tallied with the abandon of the Bush administration's military spending.

It's a sad way to end a year, and a sad way to start a year.

Dina Mehta wrote an interesting entry regarding weblogs making a difference, and I cannot help but recall the Caribbean region's 'responses' to Ivan the Terrible. It was then that I wrote ICT Infrastructure Robustness, which in turn made it to a CARICOM meeting... and which lost inertia in the tangled bureaucracy. Everyone seems to want to talk, not do. This troubled me immensely, as I had mentioned recently - and mentioned much earlier for prophylaxis.

Some people in the Asian region have answered a similar call - and are making good on assistance through their own voluntary endeavours. The South-East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami weblog (SEA-EAT for short) serves as an example of what can be done when people don't stop first to look for funding agencies - pointing to the latest information from inside the area (such as, right now, the Latest Situation Report from Govt. of India). I'm hono(u)red to have my name there as a contributor, but the fact is that I'm not really a contributor in a blogging sense. I'm helping as I can, which really isn't much. In turn, I'm learning a lot - these people are coordinating with a sense of urgency that I feel was lacking in the Caribbean region before, during and after Hurricane Ivan. Strong words, perhaps, but the evidence is apparent.

A sense of urgency has to take precedence over politics during times of crisis - and politics includes 'who does what', and 'who pays for what'. So far, on the email list for SEA-EAT, I have seen some people really trying to help - problems are solved immediately, personal pocket books opened. Instant Messenging and cell phones help to coordinate in real time.

This group of volunteers could probably teach the rest of the world a few things. Patrick Manning, in the station of Prime Minister here says in the above linked article that funds will be sent next week... and that's just plain silly, I think. "I'll send you a cheque/check next week". I would think that if this were perceived as important, one would think Cabinet members would find their posterior's in session now. Instead, 'Season's greetings from Trinidad and Tobago. We'll get back to you next week.'

Finally, though, there are signs of interest in weblogs from members involved in ICT in the region - they didn't see it before, during and after Hurricane Ivan, but now that foreign countries are doing it, they think it's a good idea. Ignoring local voices appears to be a remain of Colonialism... the attitude that only things outside of the country are good, and that everything from within the country is substandard.

But the affected countries of the tsunami... they were colonies as well. Why don't they have the same problems? Maybe they do. Maybe it took a few hundred million people to produce the quality and concern that generates a weblog like SEA-EAT. Or maybe people just have to take action and accept the fact that funding isn't the main issue.

Keep tabs on SEA-EAT and WorldChanging.Com. They have lessons for us all - not just on this disaster, but how future disasters should be handled.

Most importantly, they show what concerned people can do to facilitate assistance and transmission of information during an emergency.