Looking to the Future
The next step after disaster relief for earthquake-devastated Haiti will be help with rebuilding and that’s where an organization like Architecture for Humanity — co-founded by visionary architect Cameron Sinclair — comes in. Here’s the landing page from their website:
Founded in 1999, Architecture for Humanity aims to build a better future through the power of sustainable design. I toured their office in San Francisco recently and was very impressed with what they’re doing. As their website states: “By tapping a network of more than 40,000 professionals willing to lend time and expertise to help those who would not otherwise be able to afford their services, we bring design, construction and development services where they are most critically needed.” It’s like Doctors Without Borders, only with architects, engineers, designers etc. instead of medical professionals. You can donate to the Haiti earthquake relief effort on the Architecture for Humanity website.
Sinclair gave a very popular talk at the 2009 TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference. For background on what the organization aims to do, see their influential book Design Like You Give A Damn: Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crises (Metropolis, 2006, edited by Cameron Sinclair and Kate Stohr).
It describes 80 innovative projects around the world that demonstrate the power of design to improve lives.
Disaster Plans and Kits
The Haiti earthquake is another reminder that we all need to have a plan (personal phone tree, rendezvous point, etc., etc.) and an emergency supply kit in case of fire, flood, earthquake, or other disaster. Our household supply kit is stored in a watertight plastic garbage can in one corner of the garden — but I need to get a smaller version for my car, like this backpack example
from The Southern California Earthquake Center. According to the website every disaster kit should contain the following:
- Medications, prescription list, copies of medical cards, doctor’s name and contact information
- Medical consent forms for dependents
- First aid kit and handbook
- Examination gloves (non-latex)
- Dust mask
- Spare eyeglasses or contact lenses and cleaning solution
- Bottled water
- Whistle (to alert rescuers to your location)
- Sturdy shoes
- Emergency cash
- Road maps
- List of emergency out-of-area contact phone numbers
- Snack foods, high in water and calories
- Working flashlight with extra batteries and light bulbs, or light sticks
- Personal hygiene supplies
- Comfort items such as games, crayons, writing materials, teddy bears
- Toiletries and special provisions you need for yourself and others in your family including elderly, disabled, small children, and animals.
- Copies of personal identification (drivers license, work ID card, etc.)
It’s also important to identify potential hazards in your home and start to fix them. We recently reinforced the supporting cross wall in our basement. It required extra money and time and wasn’t edible or fun but it was the right thing to do.
