wfn.org | TCN: Internet plays a major role in Morakot relief efforts

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

>      Taiwan Church News

>3000 Edition

>August 24~30, 2009

Internet plays a major role in Morakot relief efforts

>Reported by Chiou Kuo-rong

>Written by Lydia Ma

Using internet to disseminate information played an important role  in meeting

many needs as non-governmental organizations scrambled to help  Typhoon

Morakot victims. PCT General Assembly created a special webpage on  its

website dedicated to Typhoon Morakot rescue and relief efforts  immediately

after the typhoon hit Taiwan so that news could be regularly  updated and people

could forward news, donate resources, or participate as volunteers  in PCT

>rescue and rebuilding efforts.

According to reports, 60 volunteers from different walks of life  gathered

unannounced in front of Chiayi Presbytery offices on August 17th  at 6:00 a.m.

because they had received news from networking sites such as  Facebook and

Plurk, personal blogs, or instant messaging that the presbytery  was recruiting

volunteers. One can only guess they got this news through a friend  or

acquaintance that had browsed through the PCT’s typhoon  webpage, seen the

message requesting for help, posted it on their own Facebook,  Plurk, blog, or

instant messaging, and asked for help from anyone reading their  post.

On that day, these 60 surprise volunteers were joined by another  120 Atayal

youth volunteers. Once all volunteers had arrived, everyone began  carrying

materials to be delivered to Tsou tribe aborigines in Leyeh  reserve in Alishan

Mountain. The total weight of all the materials carried by  everyone on their

>shoulders was approximately 6 tons.

On PCT Typhoon Morakot webpage, there are detailed graphs  describing

rescue efforts, division of labor, and participating  organizations. Information on

relief efforts is clearly visible and updated around the clock so  that viewers can

stay tuned to the newest developments. As of August 25th, there  were already 29

>posts from different PCT rescue stations.

One Christian volunteer praised PCT for making good use of  internet to relay

news on relief efforts. He also praised PCT volunteers for  following Christ’s

>example and giving their all to help victims.

Because efforts from Christians are motivated by spiritual  convictions rather than

media spotlight, a lot of their actions have gone unnoticed by  mainstream media

in Taiwan. Therefore, this volunteer urged others volunteering in  flood zones to

take pictures and send them electronically to PCT so that scenes  from different

areas can be posted on PCT Typhoon Morakot webpage for all to see.  It is

important for Christians to know what is being done in the  frontlines and praise

>God for it, he said.

For more information visit  http://www.pct.org.tw/english/typhoon/index.htm

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