A message of hope and gratitude

Published by Meg Gardner on June 5, 2017June 5, 2017

Over the weekend came news of the attacks that took place at London Bridge and Borough Market, where terrorists eschewed bombs and guns but used knives and a van to kill seven people and injure scores of others. The attacks came close on the heels of the bombing at a concert in Manchester that killed 22 people, including a number of children.

While The Resource Alliance staff is scattered around the world, our main offices are in London. For a few hours on Saturday, many of us worried for our British colleagues and for their safety, until everyone was heard from and accounted for.

The world is a scary and volatile place right now, with no immediate relief in sight. It seems there’s no safety, no real sense of security, to be had anywhere, at any time. No matter how many billions of pounds or dollars are raised, terror continues… in its many forms: violence, abuse, negligence, apathy, etc. on a large, global scale all the way down to communities and families and individuals.

In the face of an increasingly callous and violent world, politicians poke and snipe at one another; governments wring their hands over the appropriate response; law enforcement agencies seek means of increased vigilance, faster response times and more compelling consequences; civilians shake their heads and pray for the best… and the social impact sector continues its good work and good will toward making the world a better, safer, saner place. And you — the people who help to fund that work — plunge deeper into effective fundraising, bold new models, powerful partnerships, daring investments, and overall sustainability.

For you, “what can we do” is not a statement of surrender or despair — it’s a challenge. A call to action that sounds louder and brighter each time “something happens” – a new terror attack, another atrocity, more pain being brought to light.

There are few NGOs whose mission can deliberately and directly stop terrorism in its tracks, or shut down man’s inhumanity to man and the greed that fuels it, or affect government policies, or move the hearts and minds of people who plant bombs or drive vans into groups of pedestrians and go on stabbing sprees.

But every organisation with a noble cause — whether it’s saving abused animals, feeding hungry children, helping survivors of any number of atrocities, subsidizing education, or planting community gardens — plays a part in mitigating what is terrible about the world and underscores what is wonderful about it… that aspirational element of human nature that makes us resilient, that carries us through the pain of a world gone mad.

At The Resource Alliance, we see your work from the inside. We know your dedication, we know your passion, and we know that you’re out there, day in and day out, coaxing light from darkness, and raising up humanity by connecting those who need help with those who can give it.

What you do makes a difference. We’re honored to support your work, to partner with you, to be a part of what you do. And we thank you for it. Today just feels like a good time to remind you of that.

With great gratitude
The Resource Alliance team