2008 Woodie Awards
Responding to the Tsunami Disaster: Thought, Discussion, Action
Rachel Mirsky
Issue date: 2/9/05 Section: News
The world community is still reacting to the overwhelming tragedy caused by the tsunami that affected over ten African and Asian countries on Dec. 26, 2004.
As one of the greatest natural disasters in recent history, the tsunami has sparked the largest humanitarian effort of our time. It has brought together the resources of countless relief organizations through the monetary support of individual countries and the manpower of a massive coalition of volunteers.
While media coverage has quieted down and the initial shock subsided, agencies such as UNICEF, the Red Cross, and the UN World Food Program continue to work towards sustaining the misplaced population.
There remains a growing need for longer-term support for the millions of people affected by the tragedy in the form of necessities like food, clothing, shelter, and basic health provisions.
The imprint left by the event in the minds of the international community also continues to resonate.
The issues surrounding the tsunami will be brought to the forefront in an organized, on-campus dialogue Thursday, Feb. 10 at 7:30 pm. The panel discussion is entitled, "After the Tsunami: Global Engagement or Compassion Fatigue?" and will be moderated by President Sanford Ungar. The discussion is free and open to the public, and will be held in Haebler Memorial Chapel.
At the event, a panel of experts from diverse backgrounds will discuss the tragedy and its ramifications with regard to media coverage.
The panel will address the nature of media coverage in large-scale disasters, calling to mind the premise of panel guest Susan Moeller's book Compassion Fatigue: How the Media Sell Disease, Famine, War and Death, which explores the tendency of an acquired ambivalence towards crises in the world due to the overwhelming way in which the media portrays them.
In addition to the panel discussion, Goucher students have initiated an effort to raise money for the organization AmeriCares, which is working continuously in the affected countries by providing food, medicine, and other relief supplies.
On the day of the discussion, there will be a table in Pearlstone from 10-4 pm where students will have the opportunity to donate money to the organization and its efforts.
Donations can also be given at the discussion itself, where a student-manned table will be set up for the duration of the event.
There will also be a food and clothing collection. The donated items will go to local Baltimore charities as a joint effort to give assistance to both the area community and the larger world community.
"I've always believed in bringing the discussion of important international events to our campus," said Ungar. "The tsunami tragedy makes us realize that human suffering in faraway places does matter, and that we have a role to play in doing something about it."
For more information about AmeriCares, visit their website. Email questions about donations to Rachel Horst, Courtney Pycraft, or Zoe Kern.
As one of the greatest natural disasters in recent history, the tsunami has sparked the largest humanitarian effort of our time. It has brought together the resources of countless relief organizations through the monetary support of individual countries and the manpower of a massive coalition of volunteers.
While media coverage has quieted down and the initial shock subsided, agencies such as UNICEF, the Red Cross, and the UN World Food Program continue to work towards sustaining the misplaced population.
There remains a growing need for longer-term support for the millions of people affected by the tragedy in the form of necessities like food, clothing, shelter, and basic health provisions.
The imprint left by the event in the minds of the international community also continues to resonate.
The issues surrounding the tsunami will be brought to the forefront in an organized, on-campus dialogue Thursday, Feb. 10 at 7:30 pm. The panel discussion is entitled, "After the Tsunami: Global Engagement or Compassion Fatigue?" and will be moderated by President Sanford Ungar. The discussion is free and open to the public, and will be held in Haebler Memorial Chapel.
At the event, a panel of experts from diverse backgrounds will discuss the tragedy and its ramifications with regard to media coverage.
The panel will address the nature of media coverage in large-scale disasters, calling to mind the premise of panel guest Susan Moeller's book Compassion Fatigue: How the Media Sell Disease, Famine, War and Death, which explores the tendency of an acquired ambivalence towards crises in the world due to the overwhelming way in which the media portrays them.
In addition to the panel discussion, Goucher students have initiated an effort to raise money for the organization AmeriCares, which is working continuously in the affected countries by providing food, medicine, and other relief supplies.
On the day of the discussion, there will be a table in Pearlstone from 10-4 pm where students will have the opportunity to donate money to the organization and its efforts.
Donations can also be given at the discussion itself, where a student-manned table will be set up for the duration of the event.
There will also be a food and clothing collection. The donated items will go to local Baltimore charities as a joint effort to give assistance to both the area community and the larger world community.
"I've always believed in bringing the discussion of important international events to our campus," said Ungar. "The tsunami tragedy makes us realize that human suffering in faraway places does matter, and that we have a role to play in doing something about it."
For more information about AmeriCares, visit their website. Email questions about donations to Rachel Horst, Courtney Pycraft, or Zoe Kern.