Following the recent earthquake disaster in Haiti the folks behind the RD.NET web site have created a
donation portal so that people can give money to either the
Red Cross or
Médecins sans Frontières. Funds will be channelled through these non-affiliated (to religion) aid organisations, I used it today and can confirm it's quick and easy to do. I suppose if it encourages faithless people who might otherwise be reluctant to channel money through religious organisations then all the better.
We have already seen some religious responses to this disaster, they range from humanitarian and practical to bat-shit crazy; in my view the more practical aid like medicine, food, shelter etc. we can get to these people as soon as possible without the extra baggage associated with some organisations the better but I don't suppose the people on the ground really care where it comes from. I know if I were in that position trying to feed and care for my family then I wouldn't either.
2 comments:
"don't suppose the people on the ground really care where it comes from. I know if I were in that position trying to feed and care for my family then I wouldn't either."
Amen to that.
The most important thing is that the agency concerned is good at what it does, and will use the money effectively. I don't know if other countries have an equivalent of the Disasters Emergency Committee, but that seems to me an ideal way to pool all the resources and co-ordination in one place, so that the left hand knows what the right hand is doing.
dmk, I think this emergency has thrown up some uncomfortable questions about the way aid organisations work and the way in which resources are marshalled. Clearly there are difficult tactical circumstances to be overcome here but let's hope we can learn from it and be better prepared next time!
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