Piece Description

We are so often taught that adversity reveals true character and disasters can be the true test of leadership. If this is so, few recent tests loom larger than the 2004 Tsunami in Asia. It killed people over a quarter of a million people and inundated coastal communities throughout Southeast Asia. In the immediate days after the earthquake and giant wave struck, much of the developed world responded with generosity. But the United States initially came off as almost unconcerned. It wasn't until 3 days after the tsunami that President Bush interrupted his Christmas vacation in Crawford, Texas, to address the disaster publicly. He turned to an odd couple - former Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush Senior - to head up the American response to the crisis. They secured over a billion dollars in donations for Tsunami relief...much of it given to countries like Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, and a fertile recruiting ground for extremists of the Al Qaeda variety. Before long, America was sending not only food and tents but also the U.S. military to lend a helping hand. In the hard hit area of Aceh on the northern tip of Indonesia's Sumatra Island, this pivot required some delicate diplomacy. At the time the United States had an embargo on most military aid to Indonesia. Now U.S. leadership in post-Tsunami reconstruction is starting to pay dividends and is even sparking some unforeseen positive results. Jocelyn Ford's report, released in May 2007, is part of the documentary special "Beyond Fear: America's Role in an Uncertain World" produced by the Stanley Foundation and KQED Public Radio.