Oops I did it again......
"Oops, I did it again." Yes, these are lyrics from a song by pop star, Britney Spears and you are likely wondering what in the world that has to do with the crisis in Haiti. I will explain the correlation in this blog, however, be forewarned that I am also going to tie in another line from that same song that says "you're not that innocent."
Today, I sow something at the bank that made me very sad. It was a perfect example of how we sometimes allow our hearts to overpower out heads. It was a simple thing, obviously intended for good, but will inevitably wind up as another patch on the quilt of good intentions that blankets Haiti.
They need help. We want to help. They are poor. We aren't. They are illiterate. We aren't. They don't have jobs. We do. They cry out. We answer back. So, what's wrong with this picture? Isn't this what we, as humanitarians are supposed to do? Isn't it the right thing for those who have to give to those who have not? The answer is "yes" and "no."
To truly answer the cry of the poor, we first have to listen to what they are crying out for. Too often we are moved by what we see and not by what they say. "Yes" it is right to give. "No" it is not right to assume you know what to do or give just because you are not poor. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I have to say it again - we must stop doing without listening. We can't keep assuming that because people have nothing they can do nothing. We have to stop thinking because a person is illiterate they're are not intelligent. We must stop thinking we have all the answers if we haven't taken the time to listen to them describe their problems and what they see as solutions. We must stop muffling the cry of the poor with our stuff and our need to feel good about ourselves before we mute them forever with our good intentions.
What has triggered this all too familiar lament of mine? And, please know you are not alone if you are already rolling your eyes back into your head as you read this because you have suffered this soap box recitation of mine more times that you care to remember. Lots of people who have been exposed to my speech on the perils of good intentions are probably eye rolling at this moment right along with you so you are in very good company. However, it will take a little more than eye rolling to get me to pack up this soap box -so roll away my friends........
Today, I saw a huge sign at the bank that said they were collecting donations for the Red Cross for Haiti. That is not what made me sad. What brought forth a weary, deflating sigh from me was the extra wording that read - bring in all your plastic milk bags to be made into mats to be shipped to Haiti. (and the donation box below was already overflowing with milk bags) This is a perfect example of someone coming up with an idea of what they thought they could do to help Haiti. Haiti is not going to be helped with the addition of any more non-biodegradable plastic -I can assure you of that. There are few, if any landfill sites in Haiti to stow plastic away for the millenniums it may take for it to finally disappear and even fewer garbage trucks to pick it up even if there was a landfillto take it to Plastic is already there in abundance strewn about everywhere. This is what makes me want to say "Oops, we're doing it again." Jumping ahead and doing what we want - what we can - what we see as helping the poor Haitians without investing thought first about what havoc this good intention of ours may reek.
Why not invest some dollars instead to purchase Haitian made mats woven by Haitians with biodegradable material indigenous to Haiti. All over Haiti mats, baskets, curtains and any number of things are woven from palm fronds and grasses that last for a long time, are weather proof, eventually return to the earth and, most importantly, generate income for Haitians. I am so sad to think that a group, obviously working in Haiti in some capacity if they are able to ship goods there, is going to take all this plastic to the island instead of rising up on a soap box of their own and encouraging -championing a better way. We can't keep doing the same things over and over again and expect that anything in Haiti is ever going to change. We can't decide it is more important not to hurt a donor's feelings than it is to hurt things like the Haitian environment. With a little education, no one needs to be hurt. We know better. We do.
Yes, plastic milk bag mats may seem like a small thing to have caused such a big reaction and generated such a rambling rant from me. When I think about the Haitan proverb that says "little by little the bird builds a nest", it reminds me that it is always a bunch of little things like this that eventually weaves the nest that the Haitians have to live in. So often when things get to a tipping point or tragic state we can easily look back and identify all the little things that "little by little" lead up to it. Poet, Maya Angelou says "when we know better, we need to do better." With the amount of information we are privy to in our media soaked, technology saturated country. we can't say we don't know better. As Miss Britney sings "WE'RE NOT THAT INNOCENT."
Promising to try and to lighten up eventually,
Julie
Posted on Thursday, January 28 2010, at 5:35 PM.