Tonight at the Yale International Center, a group of concerned students, faculty and staff gathered for a meeting and lecture on the current state of affairs in Post-Tsunami Indonesia, and the status of the reconstruction in its aftermath. The ISF of YALE Students & Affiliates, in collaboration with TRYC (Tsunami Relief at Yale College) invited Bapak Waleed to present on the issue as part of their Tsunami Relief Awareness Week.

As an opening for Bapak Waleed, Imat Badruddin from the Indonesian Muslim Community of New York gave a presentation in which he outlined the basic facts of the situation. The statistics he gathered from 'on-the-ground' work in Indonesia illustrate the clear lack of large-scale coordination and communication in the world-wide relief effort: the reality is that more than half a million Indonesian people are still living in temporary housing, whereas most published information states that number at around 50,000, at least 10 times less than in reality. He included some very poignant and also graphic images of the destruction in the region. In collaboration with Yayasan Damai (Peace Foundation), the Indonesian Muslim Community of New York is working to provide relief in the form of scholarship and child support, as well as economic relief for small businesses. In this way, working with smaller local groups rather than large national or trans-national NGOs, they are able to provide more immediate services to the people who need them most.

Next, Indriyo Sukmono, Lecturer in the Yale Southeast Asia Studies Council addressed the audience. SEAS was a co-sponsor of the event, and Mr. Sukmono thanked Bapak Waleed for his continuing support and for providing ongoing programming and activities at Yale. SEAS had invited Bapak Waleed in February 2005 to perform at their annual Spring Festival, which was held as a benefit for Tsunami victims, and were happy to see him return to Yale to bring renewed emphasis to this important issue.

To begin his presentation, Bapak Waleed invited the audience to sit quietly and watch a short video-documentary provided by Caravan of Hope. The documentary covered some historical and cultural background of the Acehnese people, and highlighted the original destruction and impact of the Tsunami. The images were both graphic and very moving. Continuing on to focus on Tsunami reconstruction, Caravan of Hope traveled to Jakarta to follow the lives of the 250 + Acehnese orphans who had been welcomed to stay at the As Syafi’iyah Orphanage, under the care of Ibu Tutty Alawiyah, former Minister of Women's Affairs. The documentary highlighted the strength and resilience of the Indonesian and Acehnese character, found so strikingly in the hearts of its children. Special thanks and dedication were given to Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani, of ISCA and Naqshbandi-Haqqani.

Bapak Waleed continued after the documentary, asking the audience to close their eyes for a moment of meditation and remembrance for the victims and all those who continue to be affected by the disaster of the Tsunami. He asked that each person find inside themselves the peace and calm that comes for instance while resting after a busy day, and to use that peaceful state to transmit thoughts of hope, ease & peacefulness to the victims. "We are all one family" he said "even though we are of different races. We must come together in times of crisis." Bapak Waleed encouraged every single person to do whatever they can with sincerity of intention, even if it is only to give a single dollar. We should not depend on other people to take care and do what needs to be done; we cannot give a little and then sit back, thinking that we have done enough and are now absolved of our responsibilities and connection to the rest of our family (humankind). He shared the documentary in order to help keep the plight of the Tsunami victims alive in our hearts and thoughts, even if we cannot contribute thousands of dollars. Bapak Waleed himself teaches Silat Tuo Minang and Seni Silat Haqq, cultural arts & dance of Indonesia which, through ISF, provides resources & information on Indonesia, while also encouraging people to make connections with the Indonesian people and further support the ongoing Tsunami Relief & Reconstruction Efforts.

Bapak Waleed shared his experiences on his return to Indonesia after the Tsunami, how he saw with his own eyes both the current state of affairs and slow progress of rehabilitation, and also the resilience and strength of the young Achenese. Bapak shared of his experiences touring Sumatra, Indonesia prior to the Tsunami as well as afterwards. Bapak stressed the importance of 'spirituality', and how sometimes 'hard times' help us to find our true purpose, far above and beyond the 'dunya' of jaguars and money in the bank. Bapak Waleed concluded as he had begun, with thanks first and foremost to God Almighty, and to his teachers, Mawlana Shaykh Nazim & Mawlana Shaykh Hisham, of Naqshbandi-Haqqani.

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After the talk, the audience remained to thank Bapak Waleed and to obtain copies of the DVD documentary from Caravan of Hope [OBTAIN COPY OF DVD - HERE]. People stayed to ask Bapak how they could help in the effort themselves, on an individual basis, as well as how to best offer their support in person overseas in Indonesia. The time after the talk also allowed the participants to connect with each other, and to begin coordinating future efforts in cultivating Tsunami Relief Awareness and Cultural Connections both at Yale and elsewhere around the country.

Please keep connection with, & remembrance of, the victims of the Tsunami.

Do what you can to help support! FIND OUT HOW TO DONATE HERE

To donate directly to ISCA, in collaboration with Haqqani-Indonesia, please visit www.islamicsupremecouncil.org. For more information regarding options to donate to the relief effort, please CONTACT US. Thank you.

~ Indian Ocean TSUNAMI: 15 months later .....

On December 26, 2004, a massive Tsunami hit Southeast Asia. Scientists believe the tsunami was caused by an underwater earthquake off the northern tip of Sumatra, Indonesia, measuring 9.0 on the Richter Scale. Countless people lost their lives, their livelihoods, their homes, and their families. Entire villages and towns were washed out to sea, along with thousands of homes, schools, hospitals, clinics, and businesses. An estimated 5 billion dollars in damages was sustained throughout nearly a dozen countries bordering the Indian Ocean.

In the immediate months following the Tsunami, enormous amounts of aid poured into the region, administered by several dozen different local, national, and international NGOs and governmental agencies. The initial efforts focused on preparing temporary housing and shelter for the hundreds of thousands of homeless, as well as providing sanitary living conditions, clean water, and emergency medicine.

As the months passed and the memory of the Tsunami faded in the minds and hearts of those not immediately affected, the Relief efforts also dwindled. Their transportation hampered by governmental corruption and enormous bureaucracies, much-needed money and goods would often fail to reach their final destinations. Aid stockpiled in the cities and hometowns of prominent public figures may have never reached the remote areas where it was needed most.

Today, more than a year after the devastation of the Tsunami, tens of thousands of people remain homeless, living in tent villages and seeking medical care in hospital barracks. Clinics, schools, are communities are being rebuilt at a snail’s pace. A lack of communication and coordination between the various groups involved in the humanitarian efforts further hinders progress in rebuilding lives and communities. Governmental regulations may compound the problem, often requiring that aid workers revisit construction sites they thought were already complete simply to verify codes. This arduous and circular review process wastes money and resources, but more importantly, precious amounts of time.

Much work has been done, and many people are beginning to return to a sense of normalcy in their everyday lives. However, much work remains. The transition from emergency relief to long-term reconstruction requires careful consideration and continued effort from the International Community. Currently, emerging efforts are focusing on rebuilding permanent infrastructure, including homes, schools, hospitals, and businesses. Sustainable microfinance programs are beginning to take root, allowing people to begin to regain their livelihoods. Reviving community centers and social structures also remains an important focus of attention.

Most importantly, we hope that the various groups involved in the effort will improve their communication and coordination in order to use their resources in the most efficient manner, in a way that can best benefit those whose lives have been so severely damaged. We hope to remember them, and to continue to support in whatever way we can.

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[This narrative was compiled by the International Silat Federation of America from primary sources in the NGO community, including members of MercyCorps, Save the Children, Operation USA, Caravan of Hope, and others...]