Please be patient while we launch a new faster, better Divanee for you.
In the meantime Divanee.com is partnering with P-FAN (Pakistan Flood Action Now)
P-FAN is hosting a flood drive until September 4th.About P-FAN
“A heart-wrenching day for me and for my delegation. I will never forget the destruction and sufferings I have witnessed today… In the past I have visited scenes of many natural disasters around the world, but nothing like this.” - UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon
As ads for the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund still air on TV, and controversy over the non-mosque not-at-Ground-Zero continue to cloud the airways, there has near silence in the maintstream American media concerning The Great Pakistan Flood, a disaster that has affected more people than the 2004 Tsunami and the recent Haiti Earthquake combined. One wonders: Where is the prime-time telethon, the Bono cover song, the bipartisan former president TV spot; where is the noise for America’s greatest ally in the Muslim world? A new trend in the response so far seems to be the people leading Liberty. Citizens around the world have preceded world leaders in stepping up to action. One such group is P-FAN (Pakistan Flood Action Now, Twitter @floodaction), a grassroots coalition of community leaders, college students, and concerned citizens. P-FANs share the latest news articles (Angelina Jolie arrives in Karachi! Flood picture on front page of NY Times! UN to raise $500 for Pakistan!), fundraiser details, links to the most effective and reputed aid agencies, photos from on the ground, and more collateral to help each other stay informed, active, and motivated. The P-FAN base has grown 50-fold in the last 3 days, and momentum continues to build.
After days of sluggish response and little media coverage (especially in the US), the tide is finally turning. With an above-the-fold picture and op-ed in the NY Times, more coverage on CNN and other mainstream channels, the call to action is getting louder, and closer to home. There may yet be time to prevent the low up-front death toll (~2,000) from shooting upwards of 2,000,000, a feasible outcome due to famine, water-bourne diseases, and lack of shelter.
The people will not have it. The situation is clearly grim: According to global news reports shared on P-FANs page, of the 20 million affected by the Pakistan Flood, 8 million are in need of immediate food aid as of this moment (up from the estimate of 6 million just a few days ago; 20-30% of the country is submerged (about the size of the United Kingdom or Italy, give or take); and the threat of diseases such as cholera and gastroenteritis (which has killed several children already) verges on catastrophic. But, in the face of the crisis, members are discussing campus vigils, the most effective on-the-ground aid groups, and their thoughts on long-term rebuilding efforts. The group also promises to provide materials such as fact sheets, event ideas, and “starter kits” for those interested in sparking change in their own communities.
Sometimes, Liberty doesn’t lead the people. The people lead Liberty. Here she comes.
To DONATE to the Pakistan Flood Relief efforts via UNICEF, Islamic Relief, Edhi Foundation, and others, see the P-FAN Cause page.
Become a P-FAN on Facebook and Twitter.