IRISH IDEAS – NIALL McELWEE

The start of a new year always holds so much hope and sadness. Last week, the world has been, quite literally, shaken to its core with the dreadful, catastrophic tsunamis in Asia. The loss of life is enormous, the devastation to families massive, the loss of business ruinous. Each day I awake, the death figures have increased. First it was 12,000 but by yesterday it had climbed to 170,000.

Because the world is so small now in terms of travel, a catastrophe in any country invariably affects peoples from several other countries. In addition to the unimaginable numbers in South East Asia, Europe has a high casualty listing. Some 2,000 Scandinavians are missing (1,500 from Sweden, 440 from Norway and 200 from Finland) and 200 Czechs, 188 Israelis, 100 Germans, 100 Italians and 20 Irish are missing.

And, yet, there are individual stories of hope that make us celebrate the human spirit.

One beautiful little blonde boy had been wandering around by himself as both his parents had been killed. His photo was placed on the internet and his Aunt in Sweden, thousands of miles away, recognised his distraught image and came to claim him.

People in countries all over the world immediately donated monies and materials to assist in a time of need. The EU has pledged €30,000,000.

In one morning alone, €50,000 was raised in Ireland for the Irish Red Cross. Trocaire has donated €500,000 in India and Sri Lanka, Concern has donated €250,000 and Goal has donated €200,000. Now, I don’t normally report figures in my monthly column but I do so this time around because it speaks to the good in all of us. A number can be just seen as a number and have little meaning, or simply be lost in translation. The price of an average house in Ireland today is €228,000 whilst it will cost €200 to replace one in Sri Lanka. Thus, the monies contributed really are very important.

When I see these images of destruction, and families wandering with what possessions they could salvage it is heartbreaking. I think of the thousands of children and families that are affected. On such a huge scale, it is difficult to think of single units – but that is the reality. Each single child, teen, parent and grandparent must face their own crisis. Each one is dependent on another. And each one is dependent on us.

So, this new year, I would urge child and youth care to come together to try and be creative in what we might do to assist. We could all do little things such as getting our children and youth and fellow staff to write cards of hope, to put together little packages, write goodwill emails to embassies in Asia, donate clothing and the like.

We are, after all, a small world. The worst thing we could do as a community is to leave it to others to intervene.