The joy of our Western holiday season has been diminished by the knowledge of the ongoing misery in Asia. This first entry of 2005 can't be about anything but helping the victims of the earthquake and tsunami. Giving money is a way to strengthen the bond between hemispheres, aiding those who suffer and empowering us who helplessly follow this tragedy from afar.

I'm donating to an Indonesian Muslim group, IMAAM, who in turn distribute funds to the Indonesian Red Crescent, MER-C and PKPU, groups currently on the ground working in Aceh and other localities.

My choice of this group was informed by several things: Idonesia suffered the brunt of this disaster and I have personally enjoyed the kindness of its people, so it made sense to me help there. It is my strong belief that the people of the region know best their own needs, so I wanted to donate to organizations run by "locals." Finally, while my own nation of residence, the U.S., is doing so much to exacerbate conflict between Muslims and non-Muslims, I want my donation to be a small gesture of goodwill to followers of Islam.

The fourth pillar of that religion is zakat or "charity," often expressed by year-end tithing at Ramadan, when Muslims are asked to contribute 2 1/2 percent of their annual income. I find this a very enlightened and helpful way to think about giving. What percentage of this month's income can I afford to contribute to help those in need?

Some Asian Embassies in the U.S.:

Indonesia: http://www.embassyofindonesia.org/
Thailand: http://www.thaiembdc.org/
Sri Lanka: http://www.slembassyusa.org/
India: http://www.indianembassy.org/