"the social capital of a well-organised government and solidarity among the people is priceless" -- Lex, FT

I know I've been going on and on about Japan. But partly because the news reports I've been seeing has really amazed me. The lack of looting, the self-organization of people into micro-towns to deal with the lack of aid supplies coming through in the early days as well as establish some form of order, the reports of people volunteering to share their food and etc; its not that I am enamored with Japan that makes me wax lyrical about them, but its the fact that these stories are so heartening. They reflect on the strength of people as well as the resilience and compassion of these people even when i imagine they themselves must feel so broken. These stories are humbling because it distills our own opulence and serve as a reminder for what's truly meaningful and important.

just some thoughts:

on a more policy-oriented note, these stories may also act as a reminder about the importance of establishing a sense of community amongst the people especially as our societies are filled with an increasing myriad of identities. cementing social capital and changing our ideas of who are our neighbours/fellow men may be critical to us all should we suffer any similar catastrophe and should reliance on government be not enough