Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Feeling Helpless

Yesterday, I received an email with this link to sign a petition regarding the horrific events of the past few days and weeks in Burma as the ruling military junta have attacked, killed or imprisoned many, many peaceful monks and protesters. The aim of the petition is really focussed on China, as a major force in Burma and one that perhaps does not want things to change there. (I don't claim to know very much at all, please look at the link and other sources rather than taking what I say as fact.)
Burma has been a "situation" that has blipped on and off my radar a number of times over the past 5-10 years. I think I first became aware of the situation through a talk at some women's event or other about the example set by Aung San Suu Kyi and every once in a while, something comes up that reminds me of the situation and that, for them nothing has changed.
After signing the petition yesterday, I sat here feeling useless. What on earth can I do for these people other than sign some petition that yes, is going to be delivered to some UN bod, and yes, has now almost 480,000 signatures (that is around 150000 signatures since I signed sometime less than 24 hours ago). I can join marches, I can protest (I have not protested for anything before but I have found that there is a local protest on Saturday), I can pray, but can I really do anything?
In the case of natural disasters and the like, although I mostly don't do anything, I always feel I can, or rather could. I could send money, food, clothes, whatever the need was...it feels like something can be done. Against something like this, it just feels such a world away in terms of knowledge, experience, abilities...
I went onto the BBC website this morning to read more, see if there was anymore news, see if I could understand anymore. There was nothing on the front page. I did track down heaps on information eventually (after a couple of wrong guesses at where Burma would be bracketed in the BBC's global chunks - falling on the border between their South Asia pages and their Asia-Pacific pages (the second one having the more information)).
When it comes down to it, petitions (there is lots more information out there about other petitions, ways of making your voice heard etc etc), rallies and prayers are probably all I can offer in this instance so I shall have to do my best with all of them.

3 comments:

Rosanna said...

I think it's important to believe you can achieve something.

The gross violation of human rights in Darfur indicates that, more than anything, pressuring institutions like the United Nations is fundamental.

It's important to keep fighting for the people of Burma, while the United Nations slowly reacts.

Mad Medea said...

I'm with you on feeling helpless - having studied Buddhism I have a particular connection with the Buddhist monks who have often been the only steadfast thing in that country. All I can say is, don't even start looking into latest disasters in Zimbabwe..... and the international community really isn't doing much there. As my mother would say "It makes me want to spit". xx

AdventuringJen said...

Rosanna - You're right, once you stop believing you can achieve anything, you stop trying. So on with my letter writing hat today, hopefully!
MM - A lot of the commentaries I've read have been comparing the situation to either Zimbabwe or Pakistan - with their pseudo democracy. I think the thing that I often find distressing is how fast things drop out of the news - while Princess Diana is still the front page...