After enjoying an Italian dinner tonight, my family had some biscotti, or little biscuits.
Tonight, Haitians fortunate enough to have access to food aid from the World Food Programme will be able to consume a compact, highly nutritious, and portable "High Energy Biscuit." In a time that is so uncertain, so bleak, and so dangerous, these biscuits can be a source of nutrients and solace for survivors of crises and disasters.
And yet, as my family sat at the dinner table, our conversation drifted from talk of movies to politics to the disaster in Haiti. As much as we would like to help, or at least understand, the Haitians' situation, it was so difficult for us to fathom the extent of suffering and desperation that a 7.0 earthquake could cause a people as poverty-stricken as the Haitians.
One way we can familiarize ourselves with other people's suffering--and hopefully be more prepared to help--is to find a common thread that binds our well-being and identity with their existence.
Perhaps that is another role the High Energy Biscuits (HEB) can play ... linking different people in different areas together on a foundation of basic and non-threatening foods. When people from different cultures, regions, and ethnicities can identify with one another we can bridge the emotional divide that paralyzes us from acting to help others.
