|
|
 How it All Started...
September 2004, New York City - Watching the news about the senseless violence in Russia this month which has taken the lives of 330 people – 150 of them children – as well as the ongoing violence in Iraq, we were overwhelmed by a feeling of helplessness. There is so much tragedy in the world. So much needless death and suffering. What can we do, so far away, so removed from all these tragedies? The difficulties of the world seem so intractable, so much bigger than us. Even though many of us, in our own way, are involved in making the world a better place, it is still hard not to feel the pang of hopelessness when you see the needless suffering of innocent people.
Recently, we read an article about a Holocaust survivor who received $3000 in reparation money from a Swiss Bank. What did she do with that money? She gave it to an organization that provides aid to Sudanese refugees. She’s not rich and the money was small compensation for what she went through during the Holocaust.
We are inspired.
That’s what one woman could do -- a woman who has more than paid her dues. Instead of sinking into sadness about one more situation that feels out of our control, instead of constantly looking out for ourselves, for our own well-being, Yasmina asked a simple question: What can 100 friends do?
We have a proposal: Twice each year, Yasmina and Marlowe will send out an email to 100 of our Friends. In the letter will be a description of an urgent crisis going on somewhere in the world, or an unacceptable living condition, and the name of a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to assisting in that crisis or alleviating that condition in a sustainable way. We will ask each of you to send us a check, made out to the selected nonprofit, for at least $100 per person -- or whatever you can do. We will then bundle the checks and send them as a group to the nonprofit with a letter explaining who we are and what we’re doing. We will make sure to send around any response we get from them.
It is extremely important that this group be inclusive and participatory. We do not feel particular ownership of it, rather, we view 100Friends as an opportunity to express ourselves as a community, not as individuals. Therefore, it is important that when you feel motivated to do so, you think about projects for 100Friends and submit them to us so that we can all debate and research and think about what we want 100Friends to do. This participation is crucial to the life of 100Friends. |
|