Post-election Blues
Like most of you, post-election shock has given way to the depressing realization that our program work is going to be infinitely more difficult in the months ahead. We've confronted challenges like this before, and I have no doubt that we'll rise to the occasion once again. But it doesn't make this any easier to swallow. . .
Folks are always asking me how we set organizational priorities and allocate our resources, so from time to time I'm going to try my best to have you experience this very difficult process with me. It's not easy making decisions that can affect millions of people's lives, but it's a very necessary and essential part of my work.
Next month, for example, marks the tenth anniversary of our Cuban Medical Project. We've been working in Central America for more than 20 years, and Disarm's Cuba work has been an incredibly successful humanitarian and political advocacy program.
But the situation in Cuba has changed dramatically since we first began sending duffle bags stuffed with desperately needed donations of medicine and medical supplies to Cuba back in 1994. Do any of you remember Dr. Spock celebrating his 90th birthday carrying some of our donated medicines?
American public opinion has changed as well. When we first began sending symbolic medical donations to Cuba, the issue was literally "off the radar screen." Today, however, there are hundreds of local and national organizations actively involved in anti-embargo work. Tens of thousands of us have traveled to Cuba over the past decade to see for ourselves what the island is really like. And perhaps most important, we now have a majority in both the House and Senate that favors ending the travel ban.
So for me and Disarm, the $64,000 question at this moment is "what can we do that nobody else is doing?" Well, we've got some very creative ideas that can help build on the work we've already done to end the embargo, and I'll be sharing them with you over the next couple of weeks. But if you've got an idea that you think might help to improve our Cuba work -- and who doesn't -- please feel free to drop me a line ( bschwartz@disarm.org ). We're always looking for suggestions and I respond to all of my email.
The "lame ducks" are in session this month so we don't expect anything coming out of Washington until the 109th Congress convenes in January. So next month I'll be traveling to Guatemala to meet with Nobel Peace Prize Winner Rigoberta Menchu to discuss a primary care medical program that we hope will bring affordable health care to millions of Guatemalans. I'll be writing more about this in the future.
That's it for now. As always, a big thank you to all of the loyal and committed Disarm donors who make our incredible work possible.
In peace, BOB
