ANCL (LAKE HOUSE) TSUNAMI Relief Programme
Tuesday, 18 January 2005  
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Rising from the ashes

As many other expatriates, I was overwhelmed by the human tragedy caused by the recent tsunami and currently I am focused on collecting funds, pharmaceuticals and other provisions for the Sri Lankan tsunami victims.

Whilst I am enthused and of full of pride to be living in my adopted country, Australia, where people have displayed unbounded generosity to assist the countries affected, my fund raising efforts with the Sri Lankan community are somewhat stymied because of the prevailing perceptions and attitudes towards the Sri Lankan Authorities. Sadly deceit and corruption are foremost in these allegations.

Sri Lankans have had the tenacity, power, and energy to rise from devastations in the past and I believe this is one such occasion, but with a difference. On this occasion, although approximately a third of our country was washed away by the tsunami, the wrath of nature has given us an opportunity rejuvenate morally and economically to rebuild a nation state that is robust enough to face the challenges of the future.

Needless to say that the moral resurgence is required to start from the Top, within the Government, business or in the private households. I remember very well the state of decadence Singapore was in, in the early seventies, where poverty and allegations attached to morality and corruption were of a kind unheard and unseen in Sri Lanka at the time.

But as our readers are aware within a decade thanks to the leadership of Lee Kuan Yew the country not only has prospered but also turned out to be one of the safest cities in the world. The prosperity no doubt was due to the containment of corruption and the restoration of law and order through strict discipline and a code of ethics imposed from the Top.

I must acknowledge that the Government in recent times has introduced several measures to contain corruption and improve on law and order. Right now however, nature has provided a significant catalyst to introduce further change to eradicate corruption altogether from our shores and build once again a safe and a trustworthy society, at least, to the level it was a few decades ago.

A strict code of ethics, a price control system for essential goods, a decent basic wage and a social security scheme, a secure and efficient public transport system, and appropriate retribution to the law breakers are some of the areas that need urgent attention.

The tsunami has also provided us with the opportunity to maintain the beauty of our beaches and public places and revert to the resplendent status which we once enjoyed.

Decent housing, away from the metropolitan, for less fortunate tenement dwellers, timely garbage collections within the major cities with strict penalties to the wrongdoers, a clean up of pavement hawkers by providing reasonable trading stalls can go a significant distance in keeping Sri Lanka beautiful.

I believe the achievement of these tasks is not difficult or insurmountable. Our politicians need to rally together, regardless of the impact on the ballot box, to make hard decisions to put the country back to recovery.

It is critical that we engage in a planned program of development with the foreign money the country would be receiving in this hour of devastation, so that within the next few years we should be able to bring back the lost glory to our country. I fervently hope our politicians and the bureaucrats would take up the challenge.

JANAKI CHANDRARATNA, Western Australia


One People, One Nation, One World!

In response to the article in the Editorial section I read on the Online Edition of Daily News. 'We are all one'. I would like to further stress the fact that at a time when this nation along with neighbouring countries affected by the Indonesia Earthquake, Tsunami - we should act as one people, one nation and one world.

Never in our lifetime had we experienced such a catastrophe. We should take time to remind ourselves how lucky we are to be alive as opposed to people who have lost their lives in this tragic event.

Our thoughts are with the people who have lost their lives, their families, relatives, friends and loved ones. Last but not least, for the people who are missing or presumed dead. We extend our prayers and hope for the best.

We have not before seen such unity. It gives me great pleasure to see people set aside religion, culture or race and working hand in hand. Let me also remind you that this is truly necessary and that people should step up and not be bound by differences at this sad time but try to help the needy in every way they can.

I am a Maldivian national living in Sri Lanka. 2/3 of where I come from is flooded. The true degree or extent of damage is unknown. However, at this stage - Maldivians or Sri Lankans - 'We are One'. Sri Lanka is worst hit, we are extremely concerned with both countries as well as the other countries where it is has been hit. I have friends, relatives missing in Phuket. I am sure that many others do as well and my prayers are with those who lost their lives.

On a final note, I would also like to stress that we should not take this event on a negative note but this may be a start to great development in the areas affected or for Asia as a whole. This will take time though and will cost a lot of money. Thus, till this infrastructure is restored, people should remain patient and our primary efforts and every effort and concern should be on people's lives, food and medical attention needed.

Let's unite to One People, One Nation, One World in bringing about peace, harmony and prosperity to make this earth a better place.

RANIYA, via email


'Earth does not belong to man...'

In this hour of national disaster, I can do no better than quoting two wise men from what they wrote in 1989 and 1990.

"Although the rate of environmental destruction at the hands of man increased millennium after millennium, it was not of alarming proportions for quite a major part of his existence.

It gathered unprecedented momentum only during the past 300 years with the start of the Industrial Revolution when even the deep subterranean layers of the earth he lived on began to be disturbed, and thick columns of smoke of his own upper air.

This destruction and pollution of the environment for the past three centuries has surpassed that which has taken place for the rest of the long period of the existence of man (say, one million years), and even the total period of the existence of life (520 million years) on earth. Of all animals man has thus displayed yet another unique character of them all, he is the most destructive and evil.

The latest, the brainiest and the most evil and destructive arrival on earth - man!" "If the ocean rose four feet more..." by Prof. V. Vitharana - Daily News July 22 1989.

"It is one thing to warn about the possibility of future difficulties, it is quite another matter to propose what might be done to get out of them. In the end, it is up to us as procreators, predators, manipulators, exploiters and consumers to realise that we have to live off the limited land of our planet.

We have to learn to accept that any further growth in the human population, any further increase in the exploitation of the Earth's limited natural and mineral resources, and any further degradation of the physical and biological systems of our planet, are bound to cause very serious problems for the generations that we have every reason to believe will come after us.

Nearly 140 years ago, a very perceptive leader of a group of Indian tribes in the western United States wrote these words: the earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth.

Whatever befalls, the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself."

"Living off the earth" - 1989 Richard Dimbleby lecture by Duke of Edinburgh - Daily News January 17, 1990.

V. K. WIJERATNA, Panadura


Foreign volunteers

Many, many people around the world have been deeply struck by the disaster faced by Sri Lanka and other nations, and are desperate to help in many ways. I have been following the different reports on the web and it seems that Sri Lanka in particular has rallied round in phenomenal competency to deal with the massive scale of this crisis.

I and many others from abroad have been offering voluntary help to many organisations both local and international, and while I have had some friendly and warm replies, there has not been any specific response, and I am still confused whether voluntary help would be helpful or unnecessary to your nation.

I know there is a volunteer coordination point at the airport, but can you clarify whether foreign volunteers without medical or engineering specialisms are a help or a hindrance. I myself have offered specialist work experience with traumatised young people and children, but have not heard back whether this would be useful or not, despite reading many reports that this area is a priority.

LINDA ROSE, [email protected]


Relief fund

As we all know the present national disaster, where the sea in all its fury swept aside everything in its path, is the worst in living memory.

The devastation caused to life and property in our country is of a magnitude which defies imagination. At this time of grave concern to our country, let us pause for a moment to delve into the extreme gravity of the present situation and join hands casting aside all differences, be they be political, communal, religious or any other and join hands to extend a hand to those unfortunate fellow citizens of our country who bore the brunt of this national calamity.

I believe various organisations would come forward to help those affected, in various ways. There is little we could do for those whose lives were snuffed out by the fury of the waves except to fervently hope and pray that they find solace in the great beyond and also help the surviving members of their families in whatever way we can.

I suggest that every Bank operating in this country open an Account to which contributions for tsunami relief could be made by the public. With the hundreds of branches of these Banks scattered around the country the general populace could contribute their mite towards ameliorating the sufferings of those affected by the disaster.

SARATH DISSANAYAKE, Mahawela

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