Madam, - Listening and watching as the awful details of the tsunami disaster unfolded, I was struck firstly, by the scale of the job that needs to be done by the international community and secondly, by the wonderful response of people and countries around the world.
Everyone wants to help but people also want to see focus.
I would suggest that the United Nations should:
1. assess the entire of the coastlines affected in South East Asia;
2. ascertain what countries are prepared to guarantee aid by government and public subscription;
3. calculate how much coastline is appropriate to each country in terms of its guaranteed contribution and/or size;
4. designate a specific mileage of coastline to specific countries and give them a mandate to focus on all aspects of recovery for that region, in co-operation with the local community.
We know already who can take responsibility for us - the Irish Government and army, our own aid agencies, and the Irish public who will respond as always when given leadership. By identifying with a region, micro projects could be undertaken by Irish companies, communities and schools. This model worked spectacularly well in the host town programme for the Special Olympics.
The suggested method would give those willing to continue giving, focus and confidence, and bring more rapid recovery.
My own community hosted Thailand in the Special Olympics. One of our most brilliant helpers was Wan Smullen, a Thai lady living in Ireland for some years. She has returned to Phuket to bury her father and to search for her mother and other members of her family lost in the disaster. One family tragedy among countless others. - Yours, etc.,
JOHN WOODS, Carlingford, Co Louth.
Madam, - I found Rabbi Lapin's article entitled "Looking for a culprit after a catastrophe strikes" (Rite and Reason, January 10th) highly distasteful. His assertion that Western culture accords a higher value to the "preservation of human life" than cultures of the Far East can only be described as ignorant and racist.
Rabbi Lapin's "standard bearer of civilisation", the US, has one of the worst records in recent years for the preservation of human life. If this model of civilisation has such high regard for human life why does it partake in horrific crimes of pre-emptive war, systematic torture and execution of prisoners - not to mention its neglect of the health care of its own citizens and the utter contempt it shows for the environment.
If this is the "Western Judeo-Christian civilisation" which Rabbi Lapin and many like him want the world to adopt, I for one say, "No, thank you" - Yours, etc.,
KEVIN WILLIAMS, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16.
Madam, - Am I the only one feeling uneasy about the self-congratulatory tone of much media reporting on fund-raising for the tsunami disaster? While the people of Ireland are to be lauded for their generosity it seems we have now become eager competitors in a race to see which country can give the most money, spurred on to the finish line with hearty slaps to our own backs.
Rather than applauding our own immediate response to this terrible event we should try to translate our evident concern into long-term compassion for our fellow humans in all walks of life, both at home and abroad. - Yours, etc.,
DARAGH O'HALLORAN, Wheaton Court, Dublin 8.