Supporter: Neal Keny-Guyer

I was overseas in the UK when 9/11 happened. I made my way to London and participated in a moving, stirring prayer vigil — with people of many faiths from around the world. All seemed united in soulful remembrance of lives lost, while determined to honor the dead by building a better world. It took me several days to get back home. When I finally arrived, I hugged my wife and kids very tightly.

I remember well those early days after 9/11 when so many expressions of sympathy and solidarity poured in from all over the Mercy Corps world — especially from our Muslim colleagues and partners. I remember well the sense that prevailed in so many corners of America — that this tragedy can be redeemed, not by vengeance, but by justice and by using our shared solidarity as Americans as the way to build a better America.

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For much of July, I visited Mercy Corps' country programmes in the West Bank and Gaza, Egypt and Libya. On my return, I wanted to share my thoughts on the challenges we face there and also the reasons that I came away hopeful.

At the political level, things are fairly bleak.

Progress toward peace between Israelis and Palestinians is dangerously stalled with warning signs that the worst is yet to come. Mercy Corps' challenge there is to ensure that our work has a high impact in a complex and volatile political landscape.

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Photo: Cassandra Nelson/Mercy Corps

The death of Osama bin Laden continues to dominate the news in the U.S., yet here in Amman, Jordan — where I've spent the last few days at a regional meeting for Mercy Corps' Middle East and North Africa programmes — I've seen that the Arab Spring, not bin Laden, is still strikingly at the forefront of our team members' minds. The energy of this gathering, particularly from our younger team members, has led me to hope that the death of bin Laden is just part of the end of an era in the Middle East, and that the Arab Spring will replace that old story of terrorism and intolerance for a new one of fresh and courageous aspirations for democracy and peace.

Libya remains at the centre of our attention, as the conflict continues and humanitarian needs escalate. Our team has made multiple trips from Benghazi to Misrata to help facilitate with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) the evacuation of thousands of foreign nationals, deliver food assistance, survey civilian conditions, and lead coordination efforts among other groups. We've just wrapped up our fourth visit to Misrata after conducting several rounds of humanitarian assessments.

Our team reports that critical supplies including food, medical and basic hygiene items are dwindling and limited amounts of aid are arriving in the midst of continued fighting, with no clear or protected humanitarian corridor. There is an urgent need for increased medical staff and supplies to treat extensive civilian casualties. Most foreign nationals have been evacuated and the city’s remaining residents are in dire need of assistance. The Mercy Corps team will return to Misrata shortly to continue its humanitarian efforts and determine what more we can do there.

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Mercy Corps is mourning the loss of photojournalist Chris Hondros, who was killed by a mortar blast along with his colleague Tim Hetherington on Wednesday in Misurata, Libya.

Chris worked as a freelance photographer for Mercy Corps in 1999, playing an integral role in telling the story of the war in Kosovo. He worked in some of the world's most dangerous places and he will be remembered for not only the great work he produced, but for the bravery he showed in documenting these conflicts, giving the people involved a voice and sharing with the world what is happening on the front lines.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Chris's loved ones as we recognize the sacrifice he made to share these important stories with people around the world.

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Over the weekend I visited the tsunami-devastated zone of Japan's northeastern coast, and wanted to share the following observations with you. They're excerpted from an internal email I sent earlier today to Mercy Corps' global team — of which I consider you a integral member.

Mercy Corps and our partner Peace Winds have moved quickly to help the people of Japan in recognition of their incredible need, given a triple blow of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis. Our response has been made possible thanks to the outpouring of generosity we've received from supporters like you around the country, and also here in the Pacific Northwest. Thank you.

So here's a quick update:

The overall atmosphere in Japan, understandably, is subdued. There are great fears regarding radiation, ongoing power shortages, and continuing shock and sadness at the tsunami's devastation. As we see in many parts of the world after a disaster, a number of people I spoke with, including Peace Winds leaders, noted the opportunity in this crisis. Here, that opportunity may be that it jolts Japanese society into action — particularly calling young people to greater purposes.

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