Helping tsunami victims

Helping tsunami victims

As someone who feels deeply connected to Indonesia and its
peoples, I am deeply saddened by the awful death and destruction
that the earthquake and tsunami has wreaked upon so many in North
Sumatra and in other parts of South and Southeast Asia.

For nearly 20 years, I have been traveling to South Sulawesi
to carry out ethnographic research in a small island
village, studying and writing about local knowledge and practice
of navigation and fishing. Even so, when I hear reports that
whole coastal villages were swept away, it is impossible to
comprehend.

As an anthropologist, I claim no expertise in the area of
disaster relief, but as someone who has spent many days and weeks
sailing with Bugis traders aboard their perahu, I would like to
make what, I admit, might be a naive suggestion.

With the largest fleet of petty trading ships in the world and
with much of coastal Aceh inaccessible except for by sea or air,
would it not make sense to mobilize many of the small trading
ships from across the country to deliver needed food, water, and
other supplies to those in need?

The areas affected do not have large harbors and are thus best
accessed by perahu in any case, and I imagine it would not be
hard for the government to develop a plan to contract such ships
and their crews. Moreover, beyond the practical aspects, it would
also offer seafarers from many parts of Indonesia the opportunity
to contribute to the effort and build solidarity with the people
of Aceh.

Again, I do not know how feasible this would be, but as I sit
here in the U.S. listening to the news reports and wanting to
help in any way that I can, I appreciate the opportunity to
express my thoughts.

My thoughts and prayers are with the afflicted.

GENE AMMARELL, Arhens, Ohio, USA