A Note from the Director:
First, Nepal.
In response to the humanitarian crisis in Nepal, *yes* we should all care and *yes* we should all act in a mindful and compassionate manner in reaction to this crisis.
If you have the impulse to donate money please do so only after you are certain that the organization to which you divert your funds is ready to receive and make effective use of these funds. My personal ‘go-to’ is MSF -Doctors Without Borders- but there are other very effective organizations.
Just as we all need to practice caveat emptor (buyer beware) we need to be equally vigilant in practicing caveat donator (giver beware).
That said, I am reminded of how Paul Farmer described the 2010 earthquake in Haiti as “acute on chronic.” Kathmandu is not Port-au-Prince, but there are many parallels. I argue that as Pericleans, chronic poverty and marginalization of the poor should be our constant, baseline focus. Our giving -best done in the context of partnerships- should be thoughtful, intelligent, well researched and proactive rather than emotional, media driven and reactive.
Just this (so far) about Baltimore
“Until the lion learns to speak tales of hunting will always favor the hunter.” (Ewe-mina/African proverb).
My reaction to the recent events in Baltimore is much the same as with Ferguson and Staten Island. I am saddened that the gap between what is and what ought to be regarding race relations in the United States is so wide and appears not to be narrowing. As a sociologist I have a sense of the myriad underlying complexities, and I know that the media can do no justice to these, offering only one dimensional views that tend to reinforce rather than tear down stereotypes.
As Pericleans we have a responsibility to lead informed discussions and help raise the level of discourse in our classes and indeed al over campus and beyond.
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