Japan

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McElwee, Holly.  October 2006. Pics4Learning. 13 Mar 2011 Pics4Learning

"If we can get children into a normalised environment as quickly as possible, then we can ward off the potential for the longer-term psychological problems to kick in," he said.

I hope , in time, Japan will be able to read what is coming out in the media and social media.  Right now they are embroiled in surviving and managing some pretty challenging and catastrophic conditions of a very grand order. What has become immediately clear over the past couple of days is the whole world is behind Japan. The world cares about Japan and the Japanese have obviously built some very strong ties with people around the world to get such a massive input of deeply concerned and compassionate response. Later on this ought to hearten Japan .For now the people of the planet are uniting to try and bring some real comfort to the Japanese.

One of the things we are doing is sending a Save the Children team over there to try and get a bit of stability for the children. The New Zealanders have already dispatched a task force because the Japanese were one of the first nations to respond to the Christchurch crisis and send practical help. Currently there is a critical need for nuclear power experts to work on these reactors which are just adding to the flashpoint crisis situation in Japan and then there will be a need for hundreds of people to help clean and rebuild...if it safe to do so. The problem with these crippling earthquakes is we may well have to come to the conclusion that some places and people may need to be relocated so they can be re established securely. Maybe we shall just have to adopt a more fluid approach to living conditions. I don't know. Until geological experts can make some clear pronouncements, and that will take time and a lot of research, then we shall just have to wait.

Until then, I hope, like so many people around the planet, that Japan draws comfort from the fact there is a whole lot of care and concern going their way, that the planet has rallied strongly to offer human support which will hopefully give them courage to face all they have to face. May it give them hope to know they have made so many friends everywhere.