The Haitians are not, "Being Punished by God"

"The Haitians are Being Punished by God," proclaims Pat Robertson, they are "cursed" as a result of a "pact to the devil," and I have to disagree.

The tragedy in Haiti is being exploited by many who have rushed to set up false charities, just as there were those who adopted the camouflage of charity in the wake of the Tsunami, and almost every other natural disaster in recent memory.

But how we react says more about our nature. If your impulse is to pray, by all means do so. If your impulse is to donate money, food, or other resources to a reputable organization that is sure to get the aid to the needy in a timely manner, go now and do it. If your urge is compassionate, I don't care if you call yourself a Christian, a Buddhist, a Muslim, an atheist, a Hindu, an agnostic, a Jew, a Sikh, a Shinto, a Pagan, or any other label that suits you, I simply applaud the urge to help - even if your capacity to do so is hampered. The need is great.

If your urge is to judge the millions of people living in Haiti, as Pat Robertson has done, I suggest you heed the biblical admonition to, "judge not, lest ye be judged." Robertson is bringing even more awareness to the crisis, and possibly making millions reflect on what it means to act with Christian charity, for which I'd thank him if I thought it was deliberately done.

Before you email, retweet or suggest others update their status, please check with American Airlines, UPS, the Red Cross, and others such as this growing list about the reliability of the organization. Misinformation will not help those in crisis.

World-famous Haitian performer-activist Wyclef Jean has requested that you assist by Texting "YELE" to 501501 to send $5 to YeleHaiti for relief efforts. Wyclef founded the grassroots organization Yéle Haiti in 2005 to promote awareness about Haiti.

For non-text donations or secure donations larger than $5 to Yéle go to click-and-pledge.

Are the people in Haiti part of your community? Do you feel compassion for the suffering of those who are caught in the aftermath of an earthquake?

Kindness in words creates confidence;
Kindness in thinking creates profoundness;
Kindness in giving creates love.

Tao Te Ching

Human rights: HEALTH

Fighting against "stupid deaths," is, "never the work of one," according to Dr. Paul Farmer, founding director of Partners In Health, "or even of a small group." His goal is lofty:

"...nothing less than the refashioning of our world into one in which no one starves, drinks impure water, lives in fear of the powerful and violent, or dies ill and unattended."

Dr. Farmer recently wrote an article in The Rotarian to address the lack of access to effective prevention and care--a primary barrier to health equity across the globe. He has contributed a brief summary of his values, presented as one chapter in National Public Radio's series, This I believe. In fact, NPR invites everyone to share the beliefs that guide them - you, too, can contribute. Tell NPR what you believe »

60 Minutes to watch... and a lifetime to act

This May, CBS's 60 Minutes featured a segment on the work of Partners In Health. In case you missed any part of the broadcast, it can be viewed here. If the images you saw and the voices you heard have inspired you, learn more about how you can contribute to PIH's work in Haiti, and the movement for health and social justice around the world.

Among other initiatives supporting the work of PIH:

Choppers for doctors!

In Lesotho, it’s difficult to get around. Villages are sometimes accessible only by single-engine propeller aircraft or on horseback. There are often no roads in rural areas and patients must walk hours to clinics. Transporting patients and medical supplies is often an ordeal.

The nonprofit organization Riders for Health is working to help change this by donating ultra-rugged motorcycles for PIH Lesotho staff to use. The vehicles are expected to greatly enhance health-care delivery, allowing health workers to regularly and reliably visit communities previously inaccessible except on foot.

Riders for Health’s first-ever program started in Lesotho in 1991, running a fleet of 47 motorcycles that ran for seven years without a single breakdown. Mahali Hlasa, a dedicated health professional who qualified as the first “rider trainer” under Riders for Health in 1991, is now the program director of Riders’ new program in Lesotho. Riders’ return to Lesotho was prompted by the rapid and alarming decline of the country's public-health status following the growth of HIV/AIDS and associated TB.