http://www.jwit.webinstituteforteachers.org/Background Info:
A tsunami is a series of waves created when a body of water, such as an ocean, is rapidly displaced. Earthquakes, mass movement above or below water, some volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions, landslides, underwater earthquakes, large asteroid impacts and testing with nuclear weapons at sea all have the potential to generate a tsunami. The effects of a tsunami can be devastating due to the immense volumes of water and energy involved. Since meteorites are small, they will not generate a tsunami.
A tsunami is a series of waves created when a body of water, such as an ocean, is rapidly displaced. Earthquakes, mass movement above or below water, some volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions, landslides, underwater earthquakes, large asteroid impacts and testing with nuclear weapons at sea all have the potential to generate a tsunami. The effects of a tsunami can be devastating due to the immense volumes of water and energy involved. Since meteorites are small, they will not generate a tsunami.
Many early geological, geographic, oceanographic etc; texts refer to "Seismic sea waves" which now these are now referred to as tsunami.
A tsunami can be generated when converging or destructive plate boundaries abruptly move and vertically displace the overlying water. It is very unlikely that they can form at divergent (constructive) or conservative plate boundaries. This is because constructive or conservative boundaries do not generally disturb the vertical displacement of the water column. Seduction zone related earthquakes generate the majority of all tsunamis.
The South East Asia tsunami on December 26, 2004 has the most recent examples of a powerful mega thrust earthquakes that generated a tsunami that was able to cross oceans.
Adapted: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsunami
The South East Asia tsunami on December 26, 2004 has the most recent examples of a powerful mega thrust earthquakes that generated a tsunami that was able to cross oceans.
Adapted: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsunami
Video Links:
Here is two video links that show the tsunami of South East Asia in action. Check them out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQoj1s7z48o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtQG9BE5V5o
Here is two video links that show the tsunami of South East Asia in action. Check them out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQoj1s7z48o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtQG9BE5V5o
Gender / Race:
Most of the corpses were severely decomposed and even their gender and race were often unidentifiable. DNA and other forensic testing is often the only way to positive identify them. Only bodies which have been identified by doctors as being foreigners were moved to Phuket, or Phang Nga. The bodies of Thai victims will remain in Phang Nga, after locals held several protests against the transfer plans, saying it would be difficult to travel to Phuket to identify their loved ones.
Adapted: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4205031.stm
Most of the corpses were severely decomposed and even their gender and race were often unidentifiable. DNA and other forensic testing is often the only way to positive identify them. Only bodies which have been identified by doctors as being foreigners were moved to Phuket, or Phang Nga. The bodies of Thai victims will remain in Phang Nga, after locals held several protests against the transfer plans, saying it would be difficult to travel to Phuket to identify their loved ones.
Adapted: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4205031.stm
Can there possibly be a gender angle to the tsunami story? Certainly, pointing out that women from economically and socially deprived communities usually bear the brunt of disasters, thanks to the gender dimension of social inequality and inequity. Among the many questions this thought-provoking quotation raises are: who are the people whose stories we tell, what aspects of their stories do we choose to highlight, when and where do we look for stories, how do we tell the stories we find, and why do we tell some stories but not others? More specifically, now, as beachcombers on the many shores devastated by the tsunamis, whose experience, knowledge and wisdom do we draw upon to tell the many tales waiting to be told? Which are the stories that have remained untold despite the carpet coverage given to the disaster and its immediate aftermath? Early critiques of media coverage in the wake of the tsunami tragedy of December 26, 2004 and beyond focused primarily on the widespread use of extremely graphic images of the dead and injured, especially on television, in contrast to the discretion exercised by the international media during the 9/11 disaster in the US, suggesting double standards with regard to the dignity and privacy of human beings in the so-called First and Third Worlds. Among the many stories that remain to be told are those of tsunami-affected women. This is one aspect of post-tsunami media coverage that does not seem to have received much attention so far. It cannot be said that women have been missing from media coverage – on the contrary, the media tend to focus on women and children in any disaster situation, and this one was no exception.
However, they have been appearing primarily as victims (weeping, wailing, awaiting or availing relief), as mothers (faced with bereavement and / or difficult choices, especially in their attempts to save children), and as heroines (for example, the Swedish mother and the British schoolgirl holidaying in Thailand). The question is whether or not such limited representations do justice to women’s experiences, concerns and needs following a disaster. Assuming that the primary purpose of media coverage of disasters is to highlight the impact of such events, as well as their fallout, on diverse sections of the affected people, especially those at most risk, the answer to those questions is a very definite ‘yes’. The fact is that gender, along with other socio-economic variables such as class, race or ethnicity, age and health status, does influence people’s experience of the events themselves, as well as their access to subsequent help in coping with the consequences and rebuilding their lives. Natural disasters are not socially neutral in their impact. “Rather, they pick on the poor and the weak, rather than the privileged“ (The News, Pakistan, December 30, 2004). Considering the gender-based inequality and inequity that mark most societies – certainly those affected by the tsunamis – women are clearly disadvantaged in multiple ways. It naturally follows that women from the economically and socially deprived communities that usually bear the brunt of disasters, both natural and human-made, are likely to be especially vulnerable in the aftermath of calamities, as well as conflicts, unless special care is taken to ensure that their needs and concerns are taken care of.
Adapted: http://www.wacc.org.uk/wacc/publications/media_development/2005_3/gender_media_and_tsunamis
http://www.who.int/hac/crises/international/asia_tsunami/en/
Adapted: http://www.wacc.org.uk/wacc/publications/media_development/2005_3/gender_media_and_tsunamis
http://www.who.int/hac/crises/international/asia_tsunami/en/
The South-East Asia earthquake which triggered tsunamis, struck on December 26, 2004, killing more than 160,000 people in South Asia, and leaving an estimated 1.2 million people homeless. These people now remain at risk of deadly water-borne diseases. This tsunami affected 11 countries such as Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Somalia.
“According to ADB, in Indonesia alone, nearly 1 million people could be thrown into poverty by the lingering effects of the tsunami's devastation. In India, the number of poor in the country could increase by 645,000. In Sri Lanka, the figure is estimated at about 250,000. In the Maldives, about half of the country's houses were affected and more than 50% of the population could fall into absolute poverty resulting in 23,500 additional people going below the poverty line,” (http://poverty.developmentgateway.org/Highlight.10973+M5fa57ffce38.0.html).
The Tsunami affected people of all different income levels; most of the damage was done in economically unstable environments along the coast. Most of the people were poor fishermen living in simple houses or shelters and many were women. “According to a survey recently carried out by Oxfam, four times as many women than men were killed in the tsunami-affected areas of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and India.” Some reasons that women died more are because they stayed behind to look for their children and other relatives. Women in almost all these countries often can't swim or climb trees, which meant that they couldn't escape. In Aceh, which is in Indonesia, the Tsunami hit on a Saturday morning when the woman were at home and the men were running errands and far away from the seafront. Many women in India play a huge role in fishing. Many women were waiting on the shore for the fishermen to bring in the catch when the wave struck. In Batticaloa District of Sri Lanka, the tsunami hit at the same time that the women, who lived on the east coast, took their baths in the sea. Since women that live in these areas, were pressured to get married at a young age, they don’t have higher education. It has been difficult for women to access money and emergency supplies because men are recognized as head of the households, which means that women were not apply to collect relief money.
The Tsunami affected people of all different income levels; most of the damage was done in economically unstable environments along the coast. Most of the people were poor fishermen living in simple houses or shelters and many were women. “According to a survey recently carried out by Oxfam, four times as many women than men were killed in the tsunami-affected areas of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and India.” Some reasons that women died more are because they stayed behind to look for their children and other relatives. Women in almost all these countries often can't swim or climb trees, which meant that they couldn't escape. In Aceh, which is in Indonesia, the Tsunami hit on a Saturday morning when the woman were at home and the men were running errands and far away from the seafront. Many women in India play a huge role in fishing. Many women were waiting on the shore for the fishermen to bring in the catch when the wave struck. In Batticaloa District of Sri Lanka, the tsunami hit at the same time that the women, who lived on the east coast, took their baths in the sea. Since women that live in these areas, were pressured to get married at a young age, they don’t have higher education. It has been difficult for women to access money and emergency supplies because men are recognized as head of the households, which means that women were not apply to collect relief money.
The women that survived the tsunami faced many problems in the overcrowded resettlement camps. Since the female to male ratio was so imbalanced, many women were often verbally and physically harassed and sexually abused by the men.
“In the reconstruction work, Oxfam aims to ensure equal wages for equal work, regardless of gender. For example, in Culladore, India, Oxfam worked with the district administration to ensure that men and women were paid equally for the same work. Men, who were previously paid higher wages, resisted this initially, but Oxfam staff and partners talked to the community, and everyone eventually agreed that equal pay was the right thing to do. There are some positive examples of governments recognizing the important role of women after the tsunami. For example, just after the tsunami, the governments of Tamil Nadu and Kerala (in India) implemented an initiative to post women fire officers, police officers, and doctors in the camps and affected villages. This helped to prevent violence against women and provided women survivors with a safer environment,” (http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0020178&ct=1v/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0020178&ct=1).
Class:
In Aceh, the region of Indonesia that was closest to the earthquake, is a rich-resource area, yet very poor. The U.S. controls most of the oil and natural gas. Corporations, such as Exxon and Mobil, uprooted farmers from their land, forcing them to move into coastal areas with low wage jobs. Now more people in Aceh live near the ocean and its people were affected most by the quake. The working-class always bears the brunt of a disaster. The effects of a natural disaster are compounded greatly by national and class oppression. The rich and the poor did not unite during this natural disaster. “The long-term consequences of the tsunamis are impossible to predict both regionally and globally. There is the potential for regional destabilization. So many poor areas were hit, and very few can adequately provide relief or hope for desperate survivors. The tsunamis put the injustice of the global capitalist system on display for all to see. Capitalism causes poverty, disease, death, environmental destruction, racism, homelessness, hunger and more. All of this misery must end. Making the advancement of the class struggle our first priority will move humanity closer to this goal,” (http://socialismandliberation.org/mag/index.php?aid=167&pf=on).
In Aceh, the region of Indonesia that was closest to the earthquake, is a rich-resource area, yet very poor. The U.S. controls most of the oil and natural gas. Corporations, such as Exxon and Mobil, uprooted farmers from their land, forcing them to move into coastal areas with low wage jobs. Now more people in Aceh live near the ocean and its people were affected most by the quake. The working-class always bears the brunt of a disaster. The effects of a natural disaster are compounded greatly by national and class oppression. The rich and the poor did not unite during this natural disaster. “The long-term consequences of the tsunamis are impossible to predict both regionally and globally. There is the potential for regional destabilization. So many poor areas were hit, and very few can adequately provide relief or hope for desperate survivors. The tsunamis put the injustice of the global capitalist system on display for all to see. Capitalism causes poverty, disease, death, environmental destruction, racism, homelessness, hunger and more. All of this misery must end. Making the advancement of the class struggle our first priority will move humanity closer to this goal,” (http://socialismandliberation.org/mag/index.php?aid=167&pf=on).
Many of the thousands of lives of the low level working class could have been protected if the government had invested in a warning system and situated it in the Indian Ocean similar to the one the Pacific region has implemented. The people were not informed nor given instructions of what to expect, how to react once a natural disaster was apparent and where to go to get assistance. If a system would have been in place the people could have been given plenty of warning of the earthquake and tsunami approaching. “A hi-tech early warning system, developed to protect the shorelines of North American and Japan in particular, has been in place for decades. The first warnings would have been issued within minutes of an initial tremor.” (WSWS 1) Therefore, because there was no warning the tsunamis affected the majority of the lower classes which were forced to live near the coastal regions which were not prepared nor had any idea that a tsunami was about to have a catastrophic effect on their lives. The government did not educate the people with warning signs of a disaster approaching. Also, the local wealthy business owners were not concerned with the livelihood of people they exploit through cheap labor so they didn’t see the need to help or protect them from inhumane conditions; their main concern was on profit. “As far as the US, Britain and other imperialist centres are concerned, the villagers and fishermen in Sri Lanka and Indonesia who have lost everything – family members, homes and their livelihoods-are marginal to the operations of global capital. That is why their fate is regarded as irrelevant.” (WSWS 2)
So it is apparent that the wealthy class has full control of the working class and poor by keeping them oppressed and advocating a better future to them. As they continue their personal growth and expanding their real estate, the false notion of a better life, homes and community never arrives. This is clear with most of south Asia’s societies because they are manipulated by the elite by taking over their land and pushing them to positions of worsening poverty. Neither the corporations nor the government have in mind what is best for the people for the fact that they are looking were their next profitable deal will be. Rather than having the wealthy helping the poor, they are only looking to fatten and lien their already heavy pockets. “Major investments, like the oil and gas fields of Aceh, were untouched, and insurance exposure was minimal.” (WSWS 2) For many centuries the people have been “Exploited by capitalists like “The U.S., the Netherlands, Britain and Italy.” (S&L Magazine 1) Big corporations have forced farmers off their lands in which these people had no choice but to work in jobs in the city that paid very low wages. So the villagers lived in poverty on the coast in “flimsy shacks and huts which offered no protection whatsoever.” (WSWS 1) This obligated the working class to live in constant danger in these coastal areas.
Further, the majority of south Asia’ low income working class who lived on the ocean coast had no protection from tsunamis or tropical storms because most of the coastline did not have mangroves and coral reef barriers that would have reduced the risk. The natural barriers where removed “On virtually every coastline, from Thailand to Sri Lanka, the drive for tourism profits caused the almost total removal of mangroves and coral reefs.” S&L Magazine 2) The government has not shown any concern for the well being of the working class poor, their main objective is capital gain. Still, with this said, nothing has been done to improve the living conditions of the working class.
In addition, the wealthy benefited most from the relief assistance because the focus was on helping them instead of the poor areas that were hit strongest and needed the support to survive. The working class was left homeless with no food and surrounded by death and destruction which put their lives in further danger as sickness was evident. “One third of the inhabitants were swept away by the waves, while the surviving are left homeless, propertyless, and without an economy to support them.” “The Indian authorities were very slow to undertake rescue and deliver relief to the affected people on the islands.” (SASNET 2) Moreover, millions of the working class in Asia and parts of Africa are living in very harsh conditions without the necessary services needed to survive. “Even at the best of times, fundamental services throughout the affected countries such as transport, communications, electricity and water are grossly inadequate.” “Nearly four weeks after the event, relief workers have yet to reach some of the more remote areas.” (WSWS 1) So most of the funds and relief received for the tsunami disaster from foreign investment, has been used to benefit the wealthy.
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/jan2005/stat-j22_prn.shtml
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/tsun-j20_prn.shtml
http://socialismandliberation.org/mag/index.php?aid=167&pf=on
http://www.sasnet.lu.se/tsunamisemref.htmlet.lu.se/tsunamisemref.html
Map & Pictures of Affected Areas:
So it is apparent that the wealthy class has full control of the working class and poor by keeping them oppressed and advocating a better future to them. As they continue their personal growth and expanding their real estate, the false notion of a better life, homes and community never arrives. This is clear with most of south Asia’s societies because they are manipulated by the elite by taking over their land and pushing them to positions of worsening poverty. Neither the corporations nor the government have in mind what is best for the people for the fact that they are looking were their next profitable deal will be. Rather than having the wealthy helping the poor, they are only looking to fatten and lien their already heavy pockets. “Major investments, like the oil and gas fields of Aceh, were untouched, and insurance exposure was minimal.” (WSWS 2) For many centuries the people have been “Exploited by capitalists like “The U.S., the Netherlands, Britain and Italy.” (S&L Magazine 1) Big corporations have forced farmers off their lands in which these people had no choice but to work in jobs in the city that paid very low wages. So the villagers lived in poverty on the coast in “flimsy shacks and huts which offered no protection whatsoever.” (WSWS 1) This obligated the working class to live in constant danger in these coastal areas.
Further, the majority of south Asia’ low income working class who lived on the ocean coast had no protection from tsunamis or tropical storms because most of the coastline did not have mangroves and coral reef barriers that would have reduced the risk. The natural barriers where removed “On virtually every coastline, from Thailand to Sri Lanka, the drive for tourism profits caused the almost total removal of mangroves and coral reefs.” S&L Magazine 2) The government has not shown any concern for the well being of the working class poor, their main objective is capital gain. Still, with this said, nothing has been done to improve the living conditions of the working class.
In addition, the wealthy benefited most from the relief assistance because the focus was on helping them instead of the poor areas that were hit strongest and needed the support to survive. The working class was left homeless with no food and surrounded by death and destruction which put their lives in further danger as sickness was evident. “One third of the inhabitants were swept away by the waves, while the surviving are left homeless, propertyless, and without an economy to support them.” “The Indian authorities were very slow to undertake rescue and deliver relief to the affected people on the islands.” (SASNET 2) Moreover, millions of the working class in Asia and parts of Africa are living in very harsh conditions without the necessary services needed to survive. “Even at the best of times, fundamental services throughout the affected countries such as transport, communications, electricity and water are grossly inadequate.” “Nearly four weeks after the event, relief workers have yet to reach some of the more remote areas.” (WSWS 1) So most of the funds and relief received for the tsunami disaster from foreign investment, has been used to benefit the wealthy.
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/jan2005/stat-j22_prn.shtml
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/tsun-j20_prn.shtml
http://socialismandliberation.org/mag/index.php?aid=167&pf=on
http://www.sasnet.lu.se/tsunamisemref.htmlet.lu.se/tsunamisemref.html
Map & Pictures of Affected Areas:
http://www.state.gov/ http://www.abc.net.au/
http://www.dcaffeinatedpickler.blogspot.com/
Charities / Need our Help:
The number of people reported to have died in the tsunami has reached 220,000, most of them in Indonesia (166,000), where over 50,000 names of the missing were added to the list of the dead. To help victims in some of the affected countries, the Tsunami Emergency Relief Fund of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has collected over $26 million so far.
Adapted: http://www.catholiccharitiesla.org/releases/012Tsunami.html
The number of people reported to have died in the tsunami has reached 220,000, most of them in Indonesia (166,000), where over 50,000 names of the missing were added to the list of the dead. To help victims in some of the affected countries, the Tsunami Emergency Relief Fund of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has collected over $26 million so far.
Adapted: http://www.catholiccharitiesla.org/releases/012Tsunami.html
Tsunsmi Stories charity site has been set up in conjunction with the book "Tsunami Stories Thailand" as a place of hope and recovery. A place to read and share stories, buy the book or order a hard copy to be sent anywhere in the world. All proceeds from the sale of the book go to the Minor Tsunami Recovery Fund, a registered charity in Thailand instigated to care for and educate the orphans of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.
Adapted: http://www.tsunamistoriesthailand.com/modules/about/
Adapted: http://www.tsunamistoriesthailand.com/modules/about/
Thai Charities Directory is a charitable and humanitarian organizations, foundations and projects for animals, children, community development, disabled people, environmental protection, health care and disaster relief, human rights, religion, women and other causes listed in alphabetical order.
Adapted: http://www.thaicharities.org/
Adapted: http://www.thaicharities.org/
Help Support Disaster Relief in South Asia help people across South Asia, stricken by the tsunami disaster, need your help to recover and rebuild - many have lost everything. Please join millions of other generous Americans and support one or many of the important relief organizations below with a safe and easy contribution now. Your cash contributions are desperately needed and will provide assistance to those whose lives have been devastated by this terrible disaster.
Adapted: http://www.networkforgood.org/topics/international/earthquake/tsunami122604.aspx
Tsunami Group Project Members: WS 350OL Summer 2008
Glendy Delcastillo
Elvia Fuertes
Brittany Tobin
Yara Urgenson
Adapted: http://www.networkforgood.org/topics/international/earthquake/tsunami122604.aspx
Tsunami Group Project Members: WS 350OL Summer 2008
Glendy Delcastillo
Elvia Fuertes
Brittany Tobin
Yara Urgenson
