Help Make an Impact!
I usually have my morning breakfast at my desk digesting world news. Today, I could not swallow a morsel, the news headline read ... "More than 100,000 suspected dead in Myanmar Cyclone" - I put down my coffee and checked if there was a typo, there wasn't! With a sinking heart I read through the news, until it led me to the section where common citizens can help make an impact.
In less than five minutes, my little portion of aid towards the relief efforts was done. And I thought, Wow! if its that simple, why not have the HR mail this to everyone in my company. My recollection of the morning chit chat confirmed my fears ... very few people were actually aware that such massive destruction had occurred somewhere in the world. In less than half an hour, the HR responded - "Management has decided not to forward this message on the company network!"
I was utterly horrified! I wasn't asking them to give money or empty their pockets, I was simply asking them to help me spread awareness about the incident, so that if anyone did want to contribute, he/she could. Almost every other day - there is some junk email in our inboxes - that almost everyone ignores. But, when it came to having a genuine cause, the corporate management decided - Oh! there are better ways to distract our employees! Really! was five minutes of company time going to make that much of a difference to their profits???? I raged to talk to the person responsible for this decision ..... Alas! I was helpless, being an international student and a bound employee, there was nothing I could do!
And so I decided to use the tools at my disposal, I decided to write!
What is it that makes people not care? What is it that people say to themselves - that justifies such apathy??? While as individuals we might disagree on several things, surely, all of us can agree that the one defining virtue that makes us HUMAN, is that unspoken sacred commandment that says "Every Human life values the same, and if a life needs saving, you do all that you can to see that it lives". What is it that makes us treat two lives different?? Who really gave us that permission?? Politics aside, Nationality aside, people are DYING?? In how many different ways does this, need to be said before we really understand it??
At the time of second world war, when Americans did not want to get involved, FDR said .... "If your neighbor's house is on fire, you do not haggle over the price of your water hose!" Does this not apply to you?? No matter what your nationality?? Do we not owe it to our education - and our upbringing to care more??
Often times, it is much easier than it appears! With the internet as our tool, let us use the power of communication and the massive audience at our reach. Talk to a friend, help spread the word, make them search their conscience, and while you are at it - search your own....
MOTHER EARTH IS ON FIRE SOLDIER!!! WHAT IS YOUR CHOICE????
Will you help? Or will you ignore? As you go to the warmth of your bed tonight, try to remember the retching cries of helpless children to whom the night wasn't so kind .....
After all some day - you will have to defend your choice, and say to yourself "I chose to do this ..... and these are my reasons .....
Be it a facebook group, or a relief effort you helped create, make your contribution - make a difference and believe in yourself! As for this blog, it goes out in memory of all lives that were forever, lost! May your souls rekindle the fire in our conscience, may it help us .... be human again!
- Sanket
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