“The foolish see self as other. The wise see others as self.” –Eihei Dogen
Of course, you know there are many beings and forms of suffering in our world. And many wonderful people and organizations are working to address the myriad forms of suffering. You are probably already working to shine your corner of the world. But if you are looking for new ways to help or to stretch your impact a bit further, here are some recommendations. ~Eden
Massive 7.8 Earthquake in Syria and Turkey
On February 6, 2023 an earthquake struck and caused devastation and a huge loss of life.
The humanitarian needs now and the rebuilding efforts to come call for our warm attention. If you are in a position to donate funds, here are excellent orgs doing the work:
Syrian American Medical Society
The earthquake is a double whammy for Syrians, who have been embroiled in a civil war against an authoritarian regime–which is backed by the usual illiberal and corrupt oil-fueled bankrolling authoritarian regimes–for ten years. Areas held by rebels have been the hardest hit, complicating relief border crossings.
Direct Relief
https://www.directrelief.org/emergency/turkey-syria-earthquake/
Direct Relief is the highest-rated relief org on Charity Navigator. Their name says it all.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
https://donation.ifrc.org/?campaign=f3cfd66a-0ba7-ed11-a2da-005056010028
Skip the American Red Cross and go to the IFRC, whose donation page makes it clear where your donations go.
There’s a war in Europe. Here are some ways to help the people of Ukraine.
Nova Ukraine
http://novaukraine.org
Razom for Ukraine
http://razomforukraine.org/razom-emergency-response
World Central Kitchen
http://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine
Global Giving
https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/ukraine-crisis-relief-fund/
Everywhere, kids are struggling, whether from aftershocks of the pandemic to ongoing social media stressors.
Right here in Richmond, Open Space Education brings them together with nature and the arts. Full disclosure, Richmond Zen member and board vice-president, Blythe King, founded and directs this organization.
The pandemic is not over. Even when the emergency is declared over, there will be lingering effects and many kinds of needs.
Check out this map tool from the city of Richmond Office of Sustainability. The RVAGreen 2050 Climate Equity Index also included covid-19 risk data for each neighborhood. Are you in a bubble where things seem “normal?” Many neighborhoods are experiencing high rates of disease.
https://www.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=e4d732f225fe457d83df11fe9bf71daf
Local is global. We get out of the pandemic together, or we don’t get out at all. The World Health Organization recently partnered with 19 global south nations to develop new vaccines.
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/donate
“Water is life.” Where have I heard that recently? It’s not merely a meme. WaterAid brings clean water practices to communities worldwide. From their Charity Navigator page: “WaterAid’s mission is to transform the lives of the poorest and most marginalized people by improving access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene.”
https://www.wateraid.org/us/blog
How to Disrupt Hate
This organization offers skillful, research, and field-tested methods to stop various kinds of harassment before a situation becomes violent or an ugly encounter stamps itself on someone’s heart. I found the training empowering…and I hope I never have to use it.
Encourage connections between faith communities and climate action through Virginia Interfaith Power & Light.
Raise ecological awareness of the importance of coyotes, wolves, and other large predators.
There is a widespread misunderstanding of the value, importance, and threat of many species, in particular coyotes and bats–although I could name many others. This leads to unnecessary, cruel, and ecologically harmful extermination programs. These two organizations are changing views and saving beings.
