Join industry efforts to get relief where it’s needed.
By Mary Scoviak
Along with the rest of the world, our editorial team and I are devastated by the natural disasters that have swept over Japan. The monumental scale of suffering and destruction left in their wake are overwhelming—both in their individual context and because they come on the heels of so much tragedy spawned by nature and by humankind. It’s hard to look at the images as I connect to the Internet each morning. But it’s even harder to think about the pain and sadness behind the faces in the photos as well as the faces we will never see.
The facts are ugly enough. What’s even uglier is that so many industries, so many companies are making this a public relations event. It seems like every brand is trying to elbow out its competitors in getting out the message that its hotels are still standing. We know more about how many hotel rooms are up and running or what this will mean to tourism than we do about plans for helping those who survived rebuild their lives, their homes and their communities.
That's why I'm inspired by Architecture for Humanity and ASID and their efforts. Instead of stealing the spotlight for themselves, their websites simply put their mission front and center.
Architecture for Humanity calls itself the "last responder" to rebuilding efforts. Taking a long term view, donations help provide information from Japan now, and "urban acupuncture" community-based projects later. For more information, check out http://architectureforhumanity.org/programs/2011-sendai-earthquake-and-tsunami
ASID advises a direct donation to the Red Cross: https://american.redcross.org/site/Donation2?idb=0&5052.donation=form1&df_id=5052
There's also the new Designers Love Japan silent auction. To to make a bid, go to www.designerslovejapan.org or to find out more and to get details on where the proceeds go, visit http://www.shigerubanarchitects.com/SBA_NEWS/SBA_news_5.htm
I’d be happy to make this list longer. Please send your links and let us know what you’re doing and how we can help.
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