Humanity amidst the horror. an unforgettable video

When Jacqueline Novogratz and I returned last week from our visit to Pakistan's flood hit areas, we couldn't get out of our heads the faces of the people we'd seen -- in equal measures beautiful... haunting... hopeless...  hopeful...  These faces are the best possible answer to the insane indifference so much of the world has shown in response to this crisis, which by any objective measure is one of the worst this century.  

We wanted to spread the word about what we'd seen, so we wrote to one of our heroes Peter Gabriel and he generously agreed to let us use an unforgettable song of his as the soundtrack to a video that will show you the people we met.

Every one of these people has lost almost everything they own: their homes, their possessions, their animals...  in most cases, all but the clothes they're wearing.  Please stop what you're doing for 5 minutes, take a deep breath, sit down next to someone you care about, click the full-screen button below the video, and then press play. 


If it's too slow to load, you can do a lower-res version below (but the high-res version is preferable).

If this moved you, please point other people to this video.  And to find out more, including a shortlist of trusted, effective organizations to give to, please visit http:/www.ontheground.pk

Thank you.

24 responses
Both videos not showing :(
Really? Do you have youtube access? all playing fine here.
When I see thing like that I realize how lucky we are and that we have an obligation to make a better world.
Never mind, something wrong with my Flash installation.

Great video! Thanks for sharing, Chris.

A reminder of our shared humanity indeed. Thanks @tedchris, et al. Keep it up.
What strikes me is how many smiles are on show in such a testing and unsettling time. Such strong character.
Can we have link to videos on YouTube? They're not working on iPad.
Thank you so much Chris and Jacqueline, my personal heroes. Just spread the video to many who can help here in Brasil and are not aware. I wasn't going to celebrate my 26th Birthday which is coming up on Thursday but now I'm having a whole bunch of wonderful people with one request: watch and make a difference in every possible way. Thank you so much Chris and Jacqueline.
Christiaan, the bottom right corner of each video links to Youtube so they can be viewed there. But for ipad, I think you'll need to use the ipad youtube app and do a search for "Meet the Flood Victims of Pakistan" and/or my youtube username tedchrispersonal. Thanks for asking.
The direct link should work fine Chris. On the iPad it will take the user directly into the YouTube app: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNgG-NTlYRA

However there's something wrong. It says "This video does not currently support iPad."

Presumably something to do with the way they're encoded?

Chris thanks for these images of strength and hope.

Your Pakistan stories have inspired me to develop an idea which will fundamentally change the way we currently do things in the humanitarian sector. I would like to get your input in the process. Can you please drop me an email? Many thanks,

Peter

Peter, feel free to email me: chris@ted.com I'll be intrigued to hear.
Thanks Chris, much appreciated.
Small point: Can you make the link to "On the Ground Pakistan" a live link? I am viewing on a MacBook and had to cut'n'paste...

Larger point: The immediate humanitarian needs are so overwhelming, it is all but impossible to see beyond them. But...Are you familiar with the role deforestation has played here? From Pakistan to Haiti, Guatemala to Borneo, deforestation has been a consistent factor turning disasters in catastrophes. A truly comprehensive aid package really needs to include a reforestation component. More here: http://bit.ly/bTNkHE

I remember my country after earthquake 8.8 degree. We must to smile to the life because it no wait for nothing only continues y our lifes don´t can stop.
Is very interesting tour work... congratulations... this is the most important to show, to live, to feel the rest is nothing.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111 flood waka waka....
All working now, thanks Chris
This is well and good but needs to be followed with acton. Aid agencies on the ground are hugely underfunded - unlike Haiti earthquake or the tsunami which were actually overfunded. Let's put it right. Pakistan's security depends in the world's response. It is beyond a mega flood. Imagine if you woke up tomorrow morning and heard that the whole of England or the state of Florida were completely submerged? Crops, markets, roads, schools, communities and houses generations toiled to build up submerged in water and many, simply washed away.
There are many people who care about this event and these people. thanks for showing us how we can help.
Thanks for posting this video Sir. It touched my soul. God bless.
It's our humanity and compassion that binds us....that we should never forget
Thanks for feeling the pain of victims. The destruction is vast enough and we need too much time to re-establish. We already face daily price increase in daily use items, everyone shouts on that. As our economy relies on Agriculture, i wish that generosity of helping hands can heal that huge scar.
We are Operation Blessing, a humanitarian organization that wants to ship 500 jerry cans to Pakistan. We have 300 so far but need 200 more. Would you have any more available that we can hand out or someone willing to sponsor the remaining amount?
it's a hard life that would not need to get through one. it hurts me to see that in the 20th century no such thing, people who live in misery and poverty, people dying of hunger and diseases that were eradicated in many other states, is outrageous that we can not do more to help