April 2005

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MESSAGE FOR APRIL

LESSONS FROM THE TSUNAMI

For the English Masonic District of Madras which covers the entire South Indian peninsula, our attempts at Tsunami Relief brought home a few lessons in the executive aspects of relief which adds to our hitherto limited stock of knowledge, in the practical manifestations of Charity.

We learnt firstly that while relief is the first step in an emergency, which should lead to rehabilitation in the longer term, to restore normal life to the affected community, there are many psycho-social effects to be managed alongside.

Many donors imagined that (old) clothes and prepared meals would be welcomed by a community which was, after all, only ‘fisher folk’. Some of these urban donors had lost touch with the reality of progress in such communities which meant that their well-meaning efforts in relief were spurned or at best grudgingly accepted. Many in these coastal communities’ had over the years, become relatively self-sufficient, and over-night the Tsunami had washed away the many rungs they had climbed up the socio-economic ladder. Relief such as were thrown at them, on the albeit well-meaning first responses to the Tsunami, added to their mental trauma and sense of loss, even if it did assuage some immediate physical needs.

We in the District fortunately and pointedly, avoided any such immediate attempts in ‘shock’ mode and sought other initiatives ultimately leading to rehabilitation, and the restoration of dignity.

The second lesson which appears obvious but is often missed is the relative roles and spaces that N.G.Os and Government agencies need to discharge and occupy. N.G.Os. are without doubt quicker, by their very structure, to react to such emergencies and natural disasters. The relief phase appears to be about 3 to 6 months from the occurrence, whereafter rehabilitation imperatives intervene. At this stage, by the very nature of things, the Government authorities need to step in and take over, even where the N.G.Os. are willing to continue their work. To give an example, permanent housing to replace damaged houses, requires Government allotment of freehold land to the fishermen, and no house can safely be built on disputed land. The fisher-folk prefer to choose their former coastal locations for re-settlement, accepting the risks involved; to drive them inland goes against the locational particularity of their occupation. N.G.Os. obviously cannot get involved in this wrangle, which has to be in the State’s domain. There are exceptions as always to this lesson, which I shall come to later.

Thirdly, the continuance of NGO involvement in these communities makes the inhabitants fearful that the Government would not follow through with its support for the affected area, and from rehabilitation programmes, because NGOs have apparently taken over these tasks. Stressful social situations therefore, can arise which are best avoided, by the NGOs retreating after a period of intervention, so as to avoid conflicts, and to restrict themselves to certain initiatives which Governments everywhere are less inclined to address, immediately.

One of such initiatives would be in addressing the psycho-social effects of the disaster particularly on children. Qualified NGOs could not only assist, counsel, and treat trauma afflictions, and while doing so conduct research and build up a body of literature to assist also in the future management of such after-effects of emergencies and natural disasters.

Finally, the lesson most forcibly learnt is that we as Freemasons are best equipped to collect and channel our contributions through established N.G.Os. to the affected communities by practical initiatives, but keeping an oversight of the NGO’s activities to see that our contributions are faithfully applied to the chosen initiatives. Obviously, this refers to major non-Masonic Charity initiatives undertaken by us such as in Puduguppam (Sirgazhi Taluk) with the SOS Children’s Villages – Chatnath Homes. The involvement of our Brethren on the ground to assist the chosen NGO is an imperative and gives them, particularly the younger members of our fraternity, opportunities to see Charity in action – in a manner of speaking, to put the knives and forks aside and wield the pick and shovel!