An Evening of Solidarity

 

-- Divita Mehta

 

 

On December 26, 2004, the Tsunami, one of the most destructive natural disasters in recent history swept across the Indian Ocean and killed over 225,000 thousand people and left thousands of others displaced. Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and India were the hardest hit. The magnitude of destruction was especially hard felt in Sri Lanka where it wiped out entire communities and changed the political and economic landscape of the island.

 

In the immediate aftermath of the Tsunami, the brief period of collaboration between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE amidst the unfolding humanitarian crisis gave false hope for potential cooperation between the two opposing forces after 20 years of civil war.  However, within 24 hours, it became evident that the opposing parties, primarily the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE were leveraging and manipulating the post Tsunami environment to gain power and legitimacy. As a result, the efforts at improving the delivery of aid to the affected people were being impeded and both parties were instrumentally using politics of aid to strengthen their political and economic status. 

 

Consequently, the post Tsunami environment in Sri Lanka is incredibly vulnerable to the political agendas of the opposing parties. If the rehabilitation and reconstruction process is left to its own end, the consequences of the fierce and counterproductive ideological battles amongst domestic and international players will be more devastating and disastrous than the waves of the Tsunami. The role of local organizations is critical in this highly politicized relief and reconstruction environment. By supporting local grassroots organizations and initiatives, with direct contact with local communities, the affected people can be empowered and mobilized to actively engage in the reconstruction and rehabilitation process. It is essential that all actors including the Sri Lankan government, the LTTE, other political parties, iNGOS, local NGOs and other institutions are monitored to ensure a democratic and participatory relief and reconstruction effort. Tsunami reconstruction and rehabilitation processes should focus on the cultivation of a civil society that leads the way for the further democratization of Sri Lanka.

 

In line with this thought, a fundraiser to benefit grassroots organizations in Sri Lanka, was initiated by a group of progressive Sri Lankan activists and was co-sponsored by groups such as Artists in Solidarity with Tsunami if Sri Lanka, Audre Lorde Project (ALM), Diaspora Flow, Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM), lines magazine, Q-Wave, South Asian Lesbian Gay Association (SALGA), Sri Lanka Democracy Forum, and Tsunami Relief Benefit Committee for Sri Lanka.

 

The night of January 15, 2005, the Embora Studio in Brooklyn was spilling over with people who had come together to fundraise and enjoy an evening of performances and an after party to benefit the Tsunami victims in Sri Lanka. Doors of the studio opened in and out, letting in chatter and letting out music, as people went outside to catch a breath, chat, and cool down from the dance floor inside where everybody was letting it loose. The 30 by 40 square foot studio inside was jammed packed with people of all ages; all races and all nationalities from strikingly varying walks of life dancing to the irresistible beats spun by DJ Rekha and DJ Ayden. Children ran around, weaving in and out of the artists, musicians and the crowd.  The 300 guests ate, danced, made new friends and took in bits and pieces of the politics expressed by the various artists and musicians in their performances, some directed towards the politics in the USA and others toward the politics surrounding the post- Tsunami rehabilitation and reconstruction process.

 

The Fundraiser brought together political activists, progressive artists, academics and performers who filled the studio with a feeling of hope and goodwill that was contagious. The night started off with performances by Mango Tribe’s two talented artists. Varuni Thiruchelvam played the cello while Marian Yalini Thambinayagan performed spoken word pieces that touched issues such as sexism, homophobia, and the current politics of the US government. The artists also used a poignant recording of a Sri Lankan woman’s commentary on the situation in Sri Lanka in Tamil as well as a compelling recording of woman talking about the detainment of her husband as a result of the Patriot Act.

 

Chaney Sims, the next performer sang inspirational songs from the civil rights era.  As the evening progressed, Gabby Callender and her friends sang songs of hope and resistance.  The performances became more and more uplifting and lighter, and the audience starting tapping and swaying with the music. Pa’ Lo Monte, a Dominican band, was next on stage and their overpowering drums and irresistible rhythm got everyone, even the most reserved, on their feet jumping and dancing. DJ Rekha’s and DJ Ayden kept the party alive and people dancing with their mixes of bollywood, bhangra and hip hop until the early hours of the morning.            

 

The fundraiser was a huge success as it raised close to ten thousand dollars on a zero budget. It surpassed the organizers wildest expectations. The funds were sent to the five carefully chosen local grass roots organizations in Sri Lanka that subscribe to progressive and pluralistic democratic values. 

 

The idea of a forming a coalition with progressive political groups from the other Tsunami affected areas such as Indonesia, Thailand, Somalia, was conceived at the January 15 Fundraiser.  This coalition is well under way and hopes to learn and actively work with each other so that their voices and initiatives are amplified in helping raise awareness around the rehabilitation and reconstruction process.