“Operation Phoenix: Caribbean Rising”

Published 4 October 2017

Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source

“Operation Phoenix: Caribbean Rising”

A Commentary by Ervin Welsh

I struggle to think of a time I felt more powerless than these last few weeks. My Caribbean Family had the luxuries, comforts and basic necessities of human life ripped from beneath them by hands they had no chance of fending off. Irma and Maria — among two of the most devastating hurricanes to barrel across the Atlantic Basin — left lives completely changed, lay bare the fragility of our pampered reality and thrust into eternal retirement, tens of us. My tiny twin-island federation of St. Kitts and Nevis was spared the wrath of these deadly storms but the few damages we sustained was, in other islands, the little that stood firm among the now completely ruined.

Where exactly does one begin when starting from zero, when all needs rebuilding and the bare minimum necessary to fuel those who are to rebuild it, is scarce? When help is not sure to come but help rendered is sure to come with conditions, where do we begin? What happens when the clock is ticking and optimism is dwindling as what was once urgent (elderly and child care, the sick and impoverished, etc.) remains urgent? Yet, just as rodents, mosquitoes, flies and other insects are sure to begin to thrive among the destruction, so are other urgent (desperate) matters, sure to. Where do you turn when you’ve lost it all but so has everyone around you? What do you do when you have nothing to give? Whose life gets rebuilt and furthermore rebuilt first, when the systems we built are in rubble to? What do you do when you want to give but have nothing of value?

Powerless, I watched the remnants of unspeakable devastation. And while I grappled with the devastation of family closest me, the tribulations of my family from India to Mexico, to

the United States, the whole globe, tugged at me equally. Not only did I not have it to give, my spirit was caught somewhere between being strong enough for each and every one in these hurting nations and being broken, feeling badly beaten.

I wish I could have organized something. I spent time calculating how I could have gone to these islands for some months and helped to rebuild. But not only didn’t I have it to give in cash or kind, I didn’t have it in time. If I were to seek a way to be deployed to neighboring islands, I’d be giving up the time I so desperately need to be working on the projects I’m engulfed in. Doing so would be delaying current efforts I’m hopeful will see me in a better space eventually.

In the same breath, I believe powerlessness is a point of view we accept. I believe we are more than we need and can ever fathom. I believe the systems we’ve built are part of our problem so while I have nothing material, I have everything I need and then some. These are the thoughts I’ve been wrestling with for weeks. How do I reconcile them?

I was silent about the devastation as these thoughts bubbled in me but a few erupted on paper.[1][2][3] Uncharted waters is what I’ve been navigating for more than a year, having stopped working on my business, investing instead in efforts to redress social problems. My boat has been kept afloat by loved ones on whom I’ve been dependent and by what I can only explain as blessings. Yesterday I heard the words so many said to me… In my own thoughts, I heard that had I been making money, I’d have no problem contributing to these causes. And while my mind’s ear was sweetened by these words, my own reasoning I questioned. Just two days earlier I scraped together EC$25.00 in coins to donate to a fundraiser for Dominica. It’s barely more than nothing — I know — but it’s all I had and

even more than. Quite a few of those coins were souvenirs. They were commemorative coins recently circulated which I didn’t intend to spend but it was all I had.

It would appear that money could solve this problem easily, that everyone was right, had I been earning an income I’d be able to be of use. It would seem there was no helping others if we can’t help ourselves first — an increasingly popular saying with which I’ve taken issue. Notwithstanding this “evidence”, my reasoning didn’t square with my feelings — I still reasoned my stance more intrinsically valuable.

I thought about resuming work and donating all proceeds to relief efforts. I’d certainly be of help that way. I mulled over the thought for a while and the more I did, the better it seemed. The only drawback was I’d still be powerless. I’d be choosing to revert to maintaining the system I’ve mentioned obstructs rebuilding in the first place.[4] The money I could give and indeed anyone could give, pales in comparison to the benefit of not playing the role of maintenance man of a system built broken. I was trapped in the same mind we’re socialized in. My “outside-the-box” idea was squarely inside the proverbial box. With more thought, I decided I would resume work for the express purpose of helping the islands. But I’ll do so on new terms, in service of a new way of doing things as I’ve continually called for.

For the next three months, October through December 2017, I’ll be working on logo design and visual communications projects again, the proceeds of which will go to rebuilding efforts in islands most severely impacted. I’ll only accept payment in the form of aid items as per needs countries express and as I’ll rehash for those seeking to engage me. Further, there’s no exact price being put on my work. While I will share what the cost may have been for a specific project, it is up to the individual to decide what they will

contribute. In this way, I won’t be restricting access to my work and I will afford those who want to give but who (like I) only have little, to do so nonetheless.

It has been 14 months to be exact since I officially stepped away from such work. This idea likely came in part because just a few days ago I declined yet another solicitation for my services. Through any other lens that is the most ridiculous decision both for myself and those I purport to want to help. But while I have nothing in pocket or bank to help my people, I have everything I need to do so because everything I am is for them and I am (we all are) endless possibilities. Among these, I’m a creative and entrepreneur. In understanding my purpose as both an individual and an entrepreneur, I resolve it best (at this time) to work only for donations to impacted islands.[5][6]

It is in this way I realize and utilize the power I had all along. It never went anywhere, I just couldn’t see it. I didn’t know it. I had a moment of weakness, searched and found it. This is the power central to my ongoing admonitions that we realize and intentionally wield.

I’ve been repeatedly asked how I’d function without charging for my work and I’ve asked in response how money would function if we decided we won’t work for it but for each other. As I said in Future Forecast: On Change & Purpose, regarding the response necessary to prevailing circumstances,

“Fight nature with nature! Natural is us living the value we intrinsically are. The above-and-beyond mentality which tragedy unearthed today — the inextinguishable human spirit already set to task in individual and grassroots movements rebuilding their own devastated communities and

neighbouring territories, availing oneself for assistance and relief — must be our way of life when the winds cease and waters recede.” (Welsh, 2017)

I didn’t realize when I wrote that that this is what it would call for me to do personally, but I do now. What does it require of you?

Notes:

1. See Future Forecast: On Change & Purpose

2. See On Building More Resilient Countries. Post Hurricane Commentary 2017.

3. See Telos: The Truth. Unlike 1 and 2, this was not written specifically about weather related issues but said issues prodded me to put this on paper. Initially, Telos: The Truth was the first part of a two part work titled Future Forecast: On Change & Purpose, with what is now Future Forecast… being the second part.

4. Supra note 1.

5. See note 1 for an essay on the purpose of the individual and business.

6. Additional information related to this initiative will be published separately. Feel free to contact Ervin Welsh with logo design and visual communications projects and inquires via contact information below. See also Related section for link to partial portfolio of work.

 Partial Portfolio of Ervin’s Work: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bw8pq0uvGwoAeWlxNXRUakMzSkU

 Contact:

o Email: [email protected]

o Tel: 1 (869) 762-4650 (Currently only reachable via Whatsapp message and call.)

Citations:

 Welsh, Ervin. (2017, September 19). Future Forecast: On Change & Purpose. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/notes/ervin-welsh/future-forecast-on-change-purpose/10156848524207575/

“Operation Phoenix: Caribbean Rising”

By Staff

You Might Also Like

DPM DR. GEOFFREY HANLEY LEADS DELEGATION TO CARICOM HEADS OF GOVERNMENT 47TH REGULAR MEETING IN GRENADA

COMMISSIONER QUEELEY ENCOURAGES CITIZENS TO REPORT ABNORMAL ACTIVITY ALONG POROUS BORDERS

PM Harris announces new Regulations further relaxing restrictions, but borders remain closed

Kittitian Diaspora endorses the Peoples Labour Party and Prime Minister Harris