December 31, 2004
Dear Friends and Colleagues:
We have all been deeply affected by the scenes of massive death and
destruction in Southeast Asia. I have received dozens of letters in the
last few days from people around the world asking what can we do
as
facilitators, as professionals, as human beings.
It is important to recognize that at this moment and for a while to come,
the imperious need for direct relief aid are prioritary. The window of
opportunity for an effective intervention in community and individual
psychosocial reconstruction will probably begin to appear within a few
weeks. Here are some ideas to think about and act upon in the meantime:
* If your live in the affected zone or have friends or colleagues
living there, you can help them considerably by being sure they know about
the IAF-GFSC disaster intervention manuals (for adults, for children and
for facilitators and other professionals), as well as other materials in
several languages that are available on the GFSC Website
<http://globalfacilitators.com> for downloading without cost.
* If you have professional contacts in the affected areas, you can put
them in touch with GFSC (send me their names or ask them to visit the GFSC
website). We have networks and contacts throughout the affected region and
many concerned professionals do not know about the existence of others in
their area. Our GFSC mission is to connect these people in order to develop
and support local networks of volunteer facilitators that can help the
communities potentialize their capacity to address their challenges and
create sustainable solutions.
* If you have a few hours a week to spare, you and your facilitator
colleagues can sign up as GFSC Field Volunteers and participate without
cost in our Mentored Pathways Program, in order to be prepared to help in
the moment that help is needed. For more information and an electronic
signup form, please go to our website: <http://globalfacilitators.org>.
* If you wish to donate money for the immediate relief efforts, please
be sure it goes to a reputable agency that will wisely administer it. You
can check out any relief or aid agency at: <http://charitywatch.org/>. If
you wish to support the GFSC psychosocial reconstruction efforts, very
shortly we are going to have an urgent need for funds to develop and print
materials and to transport them and the volunteers who will train others to
use them, to the affected zone. Your donation is needed and will be
greatly appreciated and well used. All donations are tax deductible in the
United States and you can make your donation through our website:
<http://globalfacilitators.org>.
In these last hours of 2004, our prayers are with the millions upon
millions of people affected by this tragedy of a magnitude unknown in our
lifetime. Please help us generate effective actions to be part of the
solutions. In moments like this I remember the words and the passionate
voice of Dr. Saul Alinsky, the "dean" of community organization in the
United States, when he cajoled us during a postgraduate seminar: "All that
is really necessary for evil to triumph in our communities is for men and
women of good will to do nothing".
Warm regards and my best wishes for you and yours in 2005.
Gil
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Dr. Gilbert Brenson-Lazan
President - Global Facilitators Service Corps
Email: <mailto:gfsc-ch...@amauta.org>gfsc-ch...@amauta.org
Website: <http://globalfacilitators.org/>http://globalfacilitators.org
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