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Darwin, Australia • Santa Fe, New Mexico • Moreno Valley, California • Seattle, Washington • Cap Haitien, Haiti • Ha'apai, TongaArchives
TRI’s 2012 Update and Fundraising Letter
January 12, 2012 Dear Supporter, Happy New Year! Your support over the last two years has been a lifeline for many in Haiti. You have provided the funding for projects through your generous contributions that otherwise would not have taken place. As we acknowledge the 2-year anniversary of the earthquake that destroyed Port au Prince, Haiti, my message is straightforward: Trauma Resources International (“TRI”) needs your help. The demand is ongoing. Many NGO’s have reduced, withdrawn, or are in the process of withdrawing, their programs. This withdrawal will leave thousands of Haitians without much needed services. Everything you’ve heard about aid that never arrived, the relatively small amount of rubble that has been removed, and the lack of leadership and support during crucial recovery periods is true. In 2010, we focused our efforts on direct assistance to local organizations assisting survivors of the earthquake. We provided training in Psychological First …
Posted in 2010-2015, Business & Letters
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Australia, Red Earth, 2011
I love Australia. Its hard to be precise in my description of why I am so enamored of this far away place; a specific example might illuminate. When I landed in Melbourne after the l-o-n-g flight, I had to go through customs/quarantine because I had revealed I was carrying food (sports bars, for the outback). This was no big deal, and I have found its always best to claim these things because they are usually ok, and not claiming them can be expensive. As I put all my bags through the X-ray machine, I asked if I should remove my coat, to send through. The response “Heck, no mate–I haven’t known you long enough.” Cheeky humor is one of the reasons I love Australia (and, Australians). I came to Australia to participate in ceremony with the women of the Pitjantjatjara group of Aborigines. As we are asked not to photograph, journal, or …
Georgia, September-October 2011
Georgia is not a place I ever thought about visiting. I knew very, very little about it, before my current trip here. Georgia is stunning. Its ancient. It has an air of mystery despite the warmth and openness to share of the people. Often thought of as a “former Soviet state”–it is actually a country with one of the oldest languages on earth (remnants of it only found here, and in Palestine) , some of the finest cuisine and wines, and gorgeous landscapes. In a space the size of Switzerland, Georgia’s terrain encompasses strong snowy mountains, river filled green valleys, ancient virgin forested slopes for hiking and skiing, lovely wine country with rolling hills and long views of yellow, gold and green impressionistic landscapes, remnants of ancient cave communities with intricate temple artwork (and whole icon-covered cathedrals carved into mountain sides, so ancient people could cleverly live in safety), and …
Port au Prince, Haiti, March 8-15, 2011
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I’ve returned to provide training in somatic and creative arts approaches to my beloved friends/colleagues at Haiti’s Psycho Trauma Center. We have talked about, and dreamed about, this for years. Finally, some funds raised through my non-profit enable us doing this.
Post-earthquake Haiti hasn’t changed much—still. Yes, there’s a little more rubble removed and evidence of new construction here and there. But really, not much change. Not as much as one would hope for—and would surely find elsewhere (i.e if the same were to occur in Hollywood or Dallas or Fairfield Country CT). Even I realized after 3 days that I was no longer seeing the rubble. Shortly after the earthquake that’s all I saw. Now, it seemed to take a much more conscious effort to really see the piles of rubble that still remain (and many do) and to realize how far Haiti has to go.
Why is it so easy to forget Haiti?
Dance Movement Therapy with a Child Survivor: A Case Study
Haiti is an island of contrasts and extremes: rich cultural traditions and oppressive poverty, polluted filth and beautiful landscapes, fine artistry and unbearable suffering. The history of Haiti is one of bloodshed, oppression, and an ongoing struggle for liberation that still continues. One of the most tragic outcomes of this state of affairs is the suffering experienced by children. The case study presented here describes my work with a former street child — one of an estimated 300,000 street children in Port Au Prince alone — who is also a survivor of torture. He was found on the streets several years ago by members of a program called “Wings of Hope” (WOH). WOH run a group home for abandoned children who are also emotionally and physically challenged. The work described in this case study derives from the fields of somatic psychology and dance movement therapy (DMT). Somatic psychology posits that …
Posted in 2010-2015, Business & Letters
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N’Djamena, Chad, February 2011
CHAD The airport in Chad is trees. Much of the rest of the country is desert—but landing and leaving, there are trees. A few minute after landing, and getting off the bus that transports us from the plane to the airport, one smells jasmine—on of the most divine smells there is. One jasmine tree graces the door that is both entrance to and departure from the airport. The only way to describe my first, sensory and visceral impressions of Chad is: Heat. Weight. Breeze. Feels like Chad. I had no idea what to expect, and, like many people who I talk to, knew very little about Chad. There’s a lot of surprise. I expected a hot dry place. It was hot, and hotter each day (98 F when we arrived; 110F a week later).It’s dry, but the hotel room was humid.If the door to the balcony remains open for more …
Port au Prince Day 6, January 2011
Just as I was beginning to write a final blog for this visit, a friend called who I hadn’t seen since the earthquake, and asked me to meet. So I hastily prepared to go out. As he was pulling in the drive way the news broke that “Baby Doc” had just returned to Haiti. This was no rumor—my friends and I got it directly from the Haitian National Police—and within moments, the city seemed to urge with energy, excitement, fear, uncertainty, speculation and “surreality”. I don’t now what this means. No-one does, right now. His press conference was supposedly taking place as we taxied down the runway. I’m sure I’ll hear something later. My gut? Preval, who openly rejected the OAS and international Community decision that the elections were fraudulent and that he must step down and abide by the Constitution, is giving the finger to the International Community. The …
Port au Prince January 12, 2011
This morning was characteristically fresh in Port au Prince. December and January are crisp, cool months, and there tends to be an energy of hope in this Caribbean nation after the holidays. I awoke to the sound of singing, chanting prayer. Already at 6:45 am, the air was music. It is hard to delineate the mood here. Since my arrival yesterday, I have tapped into somber, sad, joyful, hopeful, tragic, ecstatic, and more.As I drove through Port au Prince, en route to a commemoration ceremony with my dear friends from The Psycho Trauma Program, I see some people working, as if its any other day. I see others singing and wringing their hands, skyward. I see people praying. I see others just sitting. The ceremony is lovely. We light 3 candles:For those we lost, for Haiti, and for hope—for the “biggest” future possibilities we can imagine. We let a hundred …
Palestine Day 6
I was told that it would be easy to get through the check point to return to Jerusalem, for a day of touring, and then Tel Aviv, to fly home. It wasn’t. My amazing taxi driver, Ez, arrived promptly at 9 am on Friday to get me. He said we’d be back in Jerusalem in 15 minutes. When we arrived at the checkpoint, a young, wiry, agitated looking soldier with very dark circles under his eyes aggressively demanded Ez’s documentation, and after clearing him, came for my passport. After I handed it to him he began to yell and wave both his gun and my passport around, and threw it back at me. He then told Ez something in Hebrew that clearly upset him. He sent us to another check point, and Ez kept saying “He’s crazy. This is not right. This is the right checkpoint for foreigners…this is where …
Bethlehem Day 5
Its very difficult to write the reality here. Last evening, after class, I was invited by some of the participants, all Muslem, to visit the Nativity Church and the manger. Because I was with them, I got access to areas of the Church I did not see on Friday–and they graciously shared their understanding of the significance and power of Jesus life, and the holiness and historic magnificence of this place. As one enters the Church, there is a large sign stating that the roof repairs, taking place now, are being funded by the President of Palestine. Apparently, personally. As we stood in a small cave under the current Church, I blurted out–without thinking–“Jesus was a Palestinian”. My friends laughed, and say “You didn’t know he was born in Bethlehem?”. I replied that I did–but never had anyone in all my readings, studying, conversations about Jesus’ life—ever acknowledged that Jesus …