As each of us reflects on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 today, my colleagues and I invite you to consider what it might take for all of us to live in a safer world tomorrow.
Heartbreak and fear ran rampant in the days after 9/11, but in the months and years that followed, we have learned of the heroes who emerged from the devastation. You’ve heard the stories--ordinary citizens on hijacked planes gave their lives for strangers on the ground; firemen and policemen ran up smoke-filled stairwells to help people escape.
But there's another story that you may not have heard.
Gene Steuerle lost his wife Norma, who was on Flight 77 that struck the Pentagon. Despite his grief, Gene chose to respond with generosity instead of anger. Gene joined with Joyce Manchester and David Stapleton, two others who lost good friends on 9/11, to start the Safer World Fund. They pooled their resources to give to grassroots education, health and development projects in the Middle East.
“We wanted to honor the memory of our friends in some way. Not only was it in our country’s best interest to help the people of Afghanistan, we felt a moral obligation to do so,” Joyce told me earlier this week.
“Supporting opportunities for girls in Afghanistan was the obvious way to honor our friends,” David explained. David had conducted research with his friend Leslie, who was also on Flight 77, to investigate the important role that women play in economic development, especially in countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan. They had concluded that, “educated, healthy mothers are more likely to raise sons who will build rather than destroy.”
Starting today, Gene, Joyce, David and their friends are offering a 50% match of any donation to the beneficiaries of the Safer World Fund. That means that your $100 donation towards school supplies for Afghan girls or vocational training for women in Pakistan will actually become $150 for the project.
Would you consider donating to a Safer World project today, not only as a tribute to 9/11 victims and heroes, but also to play an active role in reversing the appeal of extremism for young people in the Middle East? You can even make your donation in honor of a hero that you know or in memory of a loved one.
Joyce, David, and Gene believe that dignity, opportunity, and hope can triumph over the allure of extremism. Terrorism needs a community in which to breed, and your good will helps build positive communities instead. Please join us in helping to create a safer, more compassionate world after 9/11.
With reverence and gratitude,
Alison Carlman and the GlobalGiving team
p.s. If this is a cause that you believe in, would you consider sharing this email with a friend today?
