Its Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Like everyone else, I am haunted by the pictures coming from Haiti. I've known enough about the hardships Haitians endure from the work of Cornell Weill's GHESKIO clinics and Paul Farmer's Partners in Health. Beth has long been interested in the work in HIV-AIDS that these two organizations engage in and the GHESKIO clinics were a major reason she chose Cornell for her Fellowship, even though her research has moved away from HIV-AIDS.
The Haitian people are a beautiful people who have endured so many hardships. Their spirit is so affecting and resilient. I will sound banal trying to add my commentary to the reams of articles and news reports we have been seeing for the past six days. But I do have a dream, and that is this horrible event will allow the Haitian people the opportunity to complete rebuild their country. Is it possible to start anew? Can the countryside be rebuilt, and opportunities developed outside of Port au Prince so that the homeless and destitute can find new hope? Can the orphans and those young children sold into slavery, now find a safe harbor provided by the international community?
I can dream and I can hope that I will personally rise to the challenges that this disaster has given to all of us. I'm trying to keep myself honest and have set up reminders for up to five years to see what I'm doing to help the Haitian dream.
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