"Thread of Hope" Ceremony Held to Kickoff Tsunami Relief Phase II
By Melyssa Allen
On Friday, April 8, a special "Thread of Hope" ceremony was held to kickoff the second phase of campus tsunami fundraising events. Approximately 130 students, faculty/staff and others attended the ceremony, which was held in Jones Chapel because of inclement weather.
A group of Buddhist monks, who traveled to Meredith from Washington, D.C., conducted a string ceremony, which is a ritual common in Sri Lanka.
Pamela Winfield, assistant professor of religion, provided background on Buddhism, explaining the concept of karma as "action…every action has an infinite number of butterfly-effect repercussions throughout the latticework of life."
Tony Andrady, a Sri Lanka native who has been assisting with Meredith's tsunami relief efforts, offered an explanation of the ceremony. He said the "religious and cultural" ceremony is "an ancient blessing ritual that has remained virtually unchanged for over 2,500 years." The ceremony is conducted in an archaic dead language called pali.
While the monks chanted, all participants held on to a long piece of cotton string. At the end, pieces of string were tied to each participant's wrist. Andrady described this as a friendship bracelet.
"There is no magical power in the string. There is no mystical or occult component in tying this string as a friendship bracelet," Andrady said. "When you leave here and look at this string…it will remind you that today, here at Meredith College, you took some time off from your busy schedules to stand in solidarity with the victims of the tsunami in Sri Lanka, shared for a moment their pain, and sent them and all other tsunami victims worldwide a blessing of compassion and hope."
Child Development and Social Work students worked with Assistant Professor of Social Work Gail Kenyon to organize this interfaith project as a fundraiser for tsunami relief. The idea of the "Thread of Hope" bracelets originated from Betty Webb, professor of English and director of international studies, and her husband, John Rose, as they witnessed white thread draped around the wrists of many Sri Lankans during their Christmas vacation.
For more information, contact Campus Minister Sam Carothers, who is leading Meredith's "A Tide of Hope" tsunami relief task force, at ext. 8346.
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Plans Announced for Meredith's Continuing Tsunami Relief Efforts
By Kristi Eaves-McLennan
In January 2005, Meredith College made a commitment to provide both immediate and sustained aid to the victims of the December 26, 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami. As of April 21, the College has raised $7,555.
As a country with a population of less than 20 million people, the tsunami had a particularly devastating impact on Sri Lanka. An estimated 31,000 people were killed, 500,000 individuals have been displaced, and 65,000 homes were destroyed. Per capita, Sri Lanka took the hardest hit of all the countries affected by the tsunami.
Meredith's fundraising efforts will be directed toward providing aid for three projects, which were identified by a group of Meredith faculty/staff and students who traveled to Sri Lanka in March. Members of Meredith's "Tide of Hope" committee are chairing these projects.
Purchasing Fishing Boats: Meredith has established partnerships in Sri Lanka that will allow the college to raise funds to provide fishing boats for as many families as possible. We plan to purchase boats for two communities in Galle, Lovigahawaththa and CGR.
Fishing is one of the largest industries in Sri Lanka and many families depend on it for their livelihood. More than 29,000 fishing boats were destroyed by the tsunami. Sister Alex, of the Sisters of Charity, and Father Noel Dias, an international law professor at the University of Colombo and a priest, have agreed to help make sure funds provide boats for the fishermen with the greatest needs. For more information, contact John Rose at johnrrose34@hotmail.com or Betty Webb at webbb@meredith.edu
Providing Support for an Orphanage: During their trip to Sri Lanka, the Meredith team visited an orphanage in Colombo that provides care for boys who lost their families in the civil conflict in the north of the country. These children, who have already been displaced once, are again without their home – the building that housed the orphanage was destroyed by the tsunami. The college aims to raise funds to support the food, clothing and other needs of each child. The children can be fully supported at the rate of $30 per child, per month. For more information, contact Bill Landis at LandisB@meredith.edu.
Funding Supplies for The Pelena School: This is a government school for grades 1-10 in Welligama. Its buildings were devastated by the tsunami and all school equipment was lost. Some 800 students are enrolled in the school which is scheduled to be rebuilt. It needs funds to replace books, purchase science lab equipment, musical instruments, computers, storage cabinets and other supplies. The school also needs English, science, music and computer tutors. For more information, contact Gail Kenyon at kenyong@meredith.edu.
For more information on Meredith's overall efforts to support Sri Lanka visit the Tsunami Relief web site, or contact Sam Carothers at carotherss@meredith.edu.
