UNITED NATIONS – United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has selected former President Bill Clinton to head reconstruction efforts for tsunami reconstruction in Southeast Asia, the Associated Press reported Tuesday. The U.N. has not yet confirmed the appointment, but a statement is expected soon. According to the Associated Press, Annan wants the special envoy to also help resolve rebel conflicts in Indonesia and Sri Lanka; two of the countries hardest hit by the earthquake and tidal wave that ravaged Southeast Asia on Dec. 26, 2004.
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Former President Clinton speaks at a news conference in New York on Jan. 10 to announce the creation of a joint initiative for tsunami relief with UNICEF. Photo: Reuters/File |
Soon after the disaster, President Bush named Clinton and his father, former President George H.W. Bush, to head a nationwide private fundraising effort to help countries devastated by the tsunamis across the Indian Ocean to Africa. To date, the disaster and its aftermath have killed more than 225,000 people and displaced millions in 12 countries.
A celebrity tennis match Monday night featuring Andy Roddick, Tommy Haas, John McEnroe, Chris Evert and Jim Courier helped raise more than $518,000 for the Bush-Clinton Fund for Tsunami Relief. In addition to the fund, Clinton launched a $45 million appeal with the U.N. children's agency to provide clean water and sanitation.
Initiating an outpouring of support and aid, everyone from celebrities and major corporations to small businesses and private individuals have offered donations to dozens of relief organizations worldwide. Indeed, many companies familiar to the green industry have made significant contributions. Caterpillar, JCB, John Deere, Dow, Syngenta, The Toro Co. and Textron are among the industry manufacturers and suppliers collectively donating million of dollars in monetary contributions, equipment, insecticides and other services to the affected region. Additionally, organizations including the Snow & Ice Management Association and the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America also are collecting contributions from their members.
According to a recent Lawn & Landscape Online poll, 39 percent of respondents have either made personal donations to the relief efforts or work for companies that have made flat monetary donations. An additional 17 percent of contractors noted that they or their companies plan to contribute after determinations have been made regarding which areas need the most relief.
For more coverage of how the industry is responding to the Southeast Asian disaster, visit the articles listed at right. Additionally, individuals who would like to make donations to the relief efforts can do so by contacting any of the relief organizations listed here.