Association for Communal Harmony in Asia (ACHA)
www.asiapeace.org    &  www.indiapakistanpeace.org
4410 Verda Lane NE , Keizer , OR 97303
503.393.6944

Article of the Month

KATRINA VICTIMS NEED HELP
Pritam K. Rohila, Ph. D.

Water gods have not been kind to the world lately.

As if the Asian Tsunami, and severe flooding in southwestern Pakistan, western India, and central and eastern Europe were not enough, Katrina has now devastated the U.S. Gulf Coast.

With 145 mph winds, Katrina has proven to be one of the worst natural disasters in the United States. It has destroyed New Orleans, and many other coastal towns in Louisiana and Mississippi.

Katrina has severely disrupted business and industry. Government machinery is overwhelmed. Hundreds of people are dead. More than a million Americans, including thousands of South Asians, have been rendered homeless. Thousands of others are left without food, safe drinking water, electricity, and/or phone service. It will require one of the biggest relief operations in the U.S. history.

Natural disasters test the mettle of humanity. Certainly they bring the worst in some people. But they also bring out the best in many others.

I hope this calamity will arouse enough human concern among us all that we reach out to the victims of Katrina with whatever each one us can afford, plus some more.

Please volunteer if you can. And donate money to a reputable organization you know. Organizations like American Red Cross 800.HELP-NOW, www.redcross.org),
Northwest Medical Team (800.959.4325, www.nwmedicalteams.org), and Salvation Army (800.462.8657 Ext 6440) are known for their relief work. Some South Asian resources can be found at http://saja.org/resources/katrina.html.

Dr. Rohila is the Executive Director of the Association for Communal Harmony in Asia (ACHA), a US-based non-profit organization dedicated to promoting peace in South Asia and harmony among South Asians everywhere. He can be reached at 503.393.6944 & asiapeace@comcast.net

 

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