From Rescue to Rebuilding: Haiti Relief Enters New Phase

Haiti, still reeling from a 7.0 magnitude earthquake on Jan. 12, is slowly moving from the rescue phase to the recovery phase, but all groups working there say it will take years, if not decades, to completely erase signs of the devastation.

The death toll is now estimated to be nearly 200,000, with as many as 1 million people displaced. Haiti is a poor nation, so “recovery” is a relative term. Many are hoping that what existed before in Haiti is not simply rebuilt but completely reimagined.

Area hospitals remain out of basic medical items. There are many victims with head injuries from falling debris, and many with broken bones.

“Chaplains arrived yesterday in Haiti to assess the level of need and to determine how to best provide emotional and spiritual care in the aftermath of the tragic earthquake that devastated the impoverished country,” said Jack Munday, director of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team. The Billy Graham Rapid Response Team has deployed in coordination with Samaritan’s Purse, the international relief organization headed by Franklin Graham, who is also president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

Powerful aftershocks continue, even weeks after the original earthquake. Haiti, by virtue of its location and its overwhelming poverty, is extremely vulnerable to natural disasters. Before the earthquake, people were still struggling to recover from the devastation caused by a succession of tropical storms that struck in 2008, killing hundreds, causing floods, destroying crops and leaving thousands homeless.

Despite the devastation, some organizations are focusing on the future. The Fuller Center for Housing is inviting all churches to sponsor a home in Haiti as part of its plans to establish a long-term recovery effort there.

The Fuller Center, a nonprofit ecumenical Christian housing ministry with covenant partners in 61 locations throughout the U.S. and 17 countries in the world, partners with low-income families to build and renovate homes. The Fuller Center is partnering with Lazarian World Homes, a nonprofit organization based in California providing a unique design just for Haiti—a one-room (16’ x 16’) fire, earthquake, and hurricane-resistant home which can be constructed for just $3,000.

Experts now say that Americans have given more money to Haiti relief than they gave to tsunami relief five years ago. In March, hundreds of thousands of American teens will go hungry in an effort to help Haiti quake survivors and fight global hunger through World Vision’s 30-Hour Famine. This year, a portion of funds raised by 30-Hour Famine groups will go toward Haiti’s long-term recovery.

Lutheran World Relief has also pledged a long-term commitment in Haiti of at least three to five years, focusing mainly on underserved rural areas outside Port-au-Prince.

(EP News)

Personhood Bill Introduced In Three New States “Personhood” initiatives have expanded into three new states, including Iowa, Virginia, and Kansas.

On Jan. 13, Virginia introduced HB 112, a bill to guarantee the constitutional rights of preborn children. Shortly after, Iowa introduced HJR 2003, proposing a joint resolution for an amendment including a right to life for all men and women, irrespective of age. The same day, Kansas introduced a personhood amendment to the revisor’s office.

“Personhood is a revolution of the pro-life movement,” stated Keith Mason, co-founder of Personhood USA. “It challenges what’s been done in the past, stimulates the movement’s present, and eradicates the need for pro-life efforts in the future. Personhood is the best hope to end abortion in America.”

(EP News)

California Money Shifted To Adult Stem-Cell Research

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine is taking money allocated for embryonic stem-cell research and putting it toward ethical adult stem-cell research. The California Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative passed in 2004. However, after 5 years and $3 billion, embryonic stem-cell research still offers no cures or therapies.

David Prentice, senior fellow for life sciences with the Family Research Council, said life was needlessly destroyed in the process. “The reality is: real therapies and treatments come from adult stem cells,” he said. The institute gave nearly $230 million to 14 teams in October 2009 and only 4 of those projects involved embryonic stem-cell research, according to Investors.com.

(EP News)