- Starting Fresh in Southeast Asia
- April 8, 2008 Filed under: Firsts
This tiny and storied island country of Sri Lanka just below the southernmost tip of India is a treasure chest of scenic beauty and wonder, incredible people with huge hearts and wide smiles, magnificent jungles and history and wildlife. Exotic, spicy food. Ancient dances and a complex mythology of god/s passed down the centuries. It is a place where majestic stories live in books, movies, and geography. And in real life.
It is a place I have come to love.
And then there is the other side. Shady politics. Power struggles. Corruption. Racism. Violence. Human-rights violations. Child abductions and proscription into paramilitary or terrorist forces. Poverty. Human trafficking. Journalists attacked. Aid workers murdered.
Don’t get me wrong: None of this is entirely unique to Sri Lanka. But for a country roughly the geographical size of West Virginia, the place is out of control.
There’s no question Sri Lanka has needs, but “needy” is nothing like what I’m suggesting. Sri Lankans are entirely capable of handling themselves no matter their current condition. They are resilient people who have withstood centuries of foreign occupation and war, seasonal monsoon floods, and let’s not forget, that mostly forgotten tsunami. Their strength, frankly, has taught and inspired me a great deal.
Still, this is a key time in the country’s development. It will be a challenge for all involved to “find the way” to peace and prosperity. P2P Rescue is just doing what little it can to help pave the way.
This is a key time in our organization’s development as well and we can’t be more excited. We have an excellent new look thanks to our Sri Lanka design friends at Vesess. We finally have a store to help us raise funds. We’ve put together some decent info about our current and upcoming projects. And, of course, we have this space you’re checking out now, where we hope to feature submissions from our partners, friends, and others from a broad community interested in Sri Lanka.
This new phase is a graduation for us. And by “us” I mean an international community of people for whom Sri Lanka has struck a cord. People from America (such as me), from the Philippines, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and more, who are just down to help and to learn. (People in Sri Lanka have plenty to teach.)
I’m glad you’re here. Take a look around and join our adventure. Let us know what you think and if something inspires you.
Adarai,
Sean
April 9th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
You are awesome…and so is your website! I’m so proud of you and your continued support to a country and people I hope to see and meet some day! They are lucky to have someone who’s heart has been touched and is so dedicated to their many causes! I’m sure they love and appreciate you, but not as much as I do!
Hope we can connect soon!
Love always,
Lynner
April 11th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
@ Lynner–Thanks so much. I hope you find the inspiration to become involved!
April 22nd, 2008 at 8:32 pm
[…] the form of a weblog, this section is where the people behind P2P Rescue have their say. From status updates from Sean himself, to stories of how the bird houses were made, this is the face of P2P Rescue, and is certainly what […]
June 20th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
антимаулнетизм удовольствием миг антимаулнетизм