Page 4 - DIVA_2_2007_No.29

a Editorial

True humanitarians

Recently, I attended a Conference on Disaster Management, which included a "simu-
lation" of an eaithqriake. This was an iinpressive event where the earth trembled,
buildings collapsed, cars carigl'it fire, buildings blaziiig all over-no Hollywood
act'on fih'n corild liave done it better. It was quite a fi'ighteniiig expei'ience as you
suddenly realize that yori are not eqriipped to face this lid of situation.

All of a sudden, rescuers of all liids-the fire brigade, dog teams, first-aid teams -
- were searchiiig for su'vivors; helicopters were flying in; ainbulances were di'iving
back and forth evacuating the worinded. Radio teams were sending out messages: insttuctions for the local poprilation and
reqriests for aid.

Altogether, it was an impressive event, and it opened our eyes to a profession that we take for granted-the rescuers. There
exists a multihide of them-some are specialized in searching for people wlio have been briried-a dangerous task; others
locate the sirvivors and provide shelter and first aid.

These men and women are not always those yori see in the news. Aslced wliy tliey are willing to i'isk their lives to help
otliers, one of them said: "I only hope that if somethiiig happens in my counhy that people will come to lielp us".
'Tm from SouthAfrica," he continried, "aiid despite the fact that I'm Jewish, most of our operations liave been iiiArab coun-
hies-this has never been a problem. We do not do politics, we are there to lielp. We are litunanitai'ians, but we do not want
to belong to tlie hrurianitai'ian aid business-that's the big difference. Yori cannot iinagine the joy and satisfaction when you
find a person alive, and tliat yori liave managed to get them out. We inight never see this person again, but at least we have
saved a life-that is a satisfaction in itself."

"I consider that everybody lias the same riglit to be helped, and we do not adhere to politics. WIIO are they to tell ris who to
help and not to help-hrunan beings are the same eveiywliere, no matter what religion, race and background. We are all
the same."

So, on behalf of ris all, I worild like to say a lnige thank-you to all those rescuers. Next tii'ne sometlig happens I will defi-
nitely thinlc about these men and women leaviiig their fainilies belid and travelliiig to far away places to aSSiSt others iii
need. If there were more people with this attitude, perhaps our world would be a better place to live.

"I havelong sii'ice cometo believetl'iat people neverineanhalf of what theysay,and that it is bestto disregard their taljc

and judge only their actions."
Domth)iDay, TheLongLoneliness, 1952
US writer & reforiner (1897-1980)
Have a lovely day
Marit