Tsunami and Tamil Tigers

I hope you will read in full the two articles on which this DoubleQuotes is based, and accept them as my greeting in this season of peace.

The first quote captures my (internet) friend Thomas Brinson's cautious excitement as he witnesses the tsunami's impact on Tamil Tigers and Sri Lankan Government officials alike. Thomas works in Sri Lanka for the St. Paul, Minnesota based Nonviolent Peaceforce, and you can find more background on him in this Newsday article.

It was a distinct pleasure (and something of a surprise) to come from reading this account by a friend in the field, to the New York Times piece from which my second quote is taken. On this occasion, the quotes I have juxtaposed are in harmony with one another, telling a story of cautious hope in a dark time… and I am posting them here not as two data points in tension, but as a warm New Year's greeting to my readers, and with love and admiration to my friends in Sri Lanka, Julian and Thomas.

Sources:

Brinson's blog: http://ltbrin.typepad.com/various_journeys/2005/01/a_new_year_a_ne_1.html

New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/04/international/worldspecial4/04lanka.html