A Change of Heart

I can admit when I'm wrong.

Several months ago, I took a very hard line about contributing to "this week's global catastrophe". My point at the time was that it is better to do good in our own communities where we are more likely to see the impact of our efforts, rather than to essentially throw money away on something that is 1/2 a world away, where we can't be sure our money is being used properly and where most of us can't even give our time.

Tonight I watched Anderson Cooper's interview with Angelina Jolie. Today was World Refugee Day, and she approached him about interviewing her to discuss their work in Africa and around the world to bring the plight of refugees to light.

What I saw literally brought me to tears. I had to turn it off at one point; I could not stand to listen as the brutal rapes and disfigurements of women in the Congo were described so blandly.

Genocide and civil wars that have continued for 20 or 30 years. The Tsunami in Thailand that killed nearly 300,000 and displaced countless more, affecting people as far away even as India. The earthquake in Pakistan. Even in our own country: Hurrican Katrina; and the poor & homeless who daily need our help but don't get it.

Sometimes it is hard to know where to give our time or money. I still believe it is best done in our own communities, where our own neighbors may, in the blink of an eye, become refugees or internally displaced persons - as those affected by Hurricane Katrina are known. But if your heart calls you to contribute on a more global scale, you may feel safe contributing through the UNHCR - United Nations High Commission on Refugees.

If you missed the broadcast of Anderson Cooper 360, please read the transcript.