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Unity Blog
January 14, 2010
Although the scenes of suffering, death and destruction happening in Haiti in the aftermath of the recent earthquake are difficult to see, our ability to witness the devastation and tragedy, even from the comfort of our living rooms, will spark compassion in our hearts and in turn inspire us to act. Compassion is a powerful motivator if we allow ourselves to truly feel it. I know I am not alone in my feeling of helplessness as we watch events unfold. The immediate need is so great, yet only those well-trained to deal with this magnitude of disaster can really be of help right now. So we sit on our hands, donate money if we can, and hope and pray for the best. As weeks and months pass, and the disturbing images are seen less and less in the news, will Haiti still be on your mind? Or will you send your donation and consider the work done? As the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with almost 80% of their population living below the poverty line, Haiti is going to need some long-term help in getting back on their feet; if you can consider that level of poverty as ever "being on their feet" to begin with. A neighbor as close to us as Haiti, living in such poverty should have been a little more on the radar anyway it seems, but this tragedy has certainly put them there. The trick will be keeping them there so that people can see the needs and feel compelled to address them. Obviously basic needs will need to come first - clean water, food, shelter, clothing, and medical supplies. Once these needs are fulfulled, however, there will be much more work to be done. As the country struggles to rebuild, the need to find alternative ways to fight poverty will be of utmost importance. As the old saying goes, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." The aid to Haiti needs to go beyond traditional aid and truly give the Haitians what they need to lift themselves from poverty. The Fair Trade community will certainly mobilize, helping Haitian artisans and farmers to bring their goods to market and make a sustainable living. If we can work together to create a greater market for Haitian goods, then we can work on the other end to increase the number of Fair Trade artisans and farmers in Haiti. The Fair Trade premiums these people get for their goods can then be used to help rebuild their communities. Education, sustainable farming techniques, renewable energy, and microloans and training for small business ownership are all areas that could help the Haitians to improve their livelihoods. The key will be keeping people interested, aware, and compelled to get involved and stay involved. The people of Haiti are part of our global community and their suffering is our suffering. Let's make a commitment to do what we can to help, even after the story has faded from the limelight. We look forward to doing our part by working with Haitian artisans and bringing their goods, and their stories, to you. In addition, we are donating ALL PROCEEDS from the sale of our Organic Cotton Unity T's to disaster relief efforts and aid to Fair Trade artisans and farmers in Haiti. We also look forward to hearing how you are doing your part - share your stories with us as well. Maybe together we can come up with some innovative ideas to make some change. As we always like to say, "TOGETHER we can make a better world." Now is the time folks, let's get to work! Nichole Warner Unity - Fair Trade Marketplace Return to Blog List CommentsJanuary 27, 2010 - comment by: leeNeedsee (www.needsee.com) is one of the largest B2B (business to business) websites across the world, which is different from other websites because of the special social network services.
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