i’m sure by now you’ve seen all the coverage of the unbelievable devastation that has occurred in japan.  many of you have asked what you can do to help, so here is what i suggest.  again, these are just my personal opinions as a 28-year old dual-citizen of both japan and the US.

  1. the text message donation to the american red cross (REDCROSS to 90999) is a good start, but please think about where your money is really going.  too bad the japanese red cross website is so poorly lacking in english updates.  these are separate organizations.
  2. i endorse CIVIC FORCE (日本語) as well as DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS. both of these groups are actively participating in the ongoing rescue efforts.
  3. unless you are a certified first responder, do not try to be a savior and patronize japan.  rather, support those that know what they are doing.  if you really want to help, take a training course so that you will be prepared for the next local/domestic/international emergency.  or volunteer to rebuild the communities sometime down the road, when it’s not all over the news and the hip thing to do (hint: haiti still can use your help).
  4. pay attention to all the misinformation being spread, and hold others accountable for what the say/post/tweet/whatever.  for example, i really doubt britney spears and taylor swift donated $64 million and $100 million, respectively.  (and honestly, does lady gaga need more attention via $5 bracelets?  i wouldn’t give her a penny unless she made the entire process transparent so i know i’m not funding her next meat dress.)
  5. if you are friends with any of these ignorant fools posting on facebook and twitter about how the earthquake is just “karma” for pearl harbor and killing dolphins, immediately call them out on it and teach them a lesson.  perhaps use keywords like “hiroshima” and “concentration camps” (cuz then lord knows we’re due for something even worse), or share the information about the japanese government’s immediate donations following hurricane katrina, or question what christchurch NZ did to also deserve karmic payback.

basically, i think what is most important now is for us to support the japanese relief effort.  the japanese government is still functioning, and is the most familiar with the immediate needs of the affected communities.  it is a relief to see trained rescuers and doctors from around the world finally entering japan now as part of an organized group effort.  after the disastrous job by FEMA following hurricane katrina, it is easy to see why japanese government officials could doubt american assistance.  as americans, we must get over the idea that we always know better than others.  but if and when someone needs our help, we should always be on call with everything we have to offer.

luckily, all of my family and friends in japan are alive and well.  however, the same cannot be said of many, many other folks in japan. instances of death and destruction via earthquake/tsunami/radiation are literally only two degrees of separation every way i look.  it’s unfortunate that even with all the wealth in our world, we need such horrible disasters to get people to donate tiny fractions of their money. and as unfortunate as it is that so many communities in northern honshu are currently without the basic necessity of water, why is nothing mentioned about the over 1 billion individuals throughout the world that don’t have access to clean water in less-developed nations every single day?

in conclusion, i hope that however you decide to help japan during this moment of crisis, you will remain conscious of the ongoing complexities of charities, neocolonialism, outright racism, and global inequalities.  despite all the rhetoric, it truly is personally heartwarming to see so much international concern, and i pray that we spread this spirit far and wide as we progress into the future.

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