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AU’s
Grenada aid prompts ambassador’s thanks
Photo by Jeff
Watts
“Your
caring and your demonstration of concern gives us hope,”
said Grenada ambassador Denis Antoine on the relief efforts
of the AU Grenada Working Group during his visit to campus
last Thursday.
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BY
MATT GETTY
Often
connections among students, parents, and alumni prove most valuable
for the students. This semester at AU, however, Josh and Ryan Schonfeld,
Kogod ’05 and SPA ’08, weren’t the primary beneficiaries
from their ties to the honorary U.S. consul to Grenada, or to Grenada’s
prime minister, who happens to be an AU alumnus. Instead, they helped
the university offer relief to a country ravaged by $850 million
in hurricane damage, prompting Grenada ambassador Denis Antoine
to officially thank AU for “help[ing] to lighten the load and
spark hope” during his visit to campus last Thursday.
When
Hurricane Ivan struck Grenada on Sept. 7, destroying the nutmeg
and banana fields that support its economy and leaving a wake of
chaos and looting that shook Grenadians basic faith in their government,
the Schonfeld brothers had more than a passing interest in the news.
The sons of Alvin Schonfeld, honorary U.S. consul to Grenada, had
visited Grenada several times and formed many friendships in the
close-knit island country. “Grenada has sort of become part
of my life over the last 10 years,” explained Josh Schonfeld.
“When I saw on the news that nearly 90 percent of the country
was destroyed, I was devastated. I felt that I wanted to do something.
I just had to.”
Knowing
AU’s reputation for service and international engagement, Josh’s
father also felt there was something his sons and their AU classmates
could do, as did AU alumnus and prime minister of Grenada, Keith
Mitchell ’80. According to Josh Schonfeld, both Mitchell and
the Schonfelds contacted a receptive AU President Benjamin Ladner
to discuss a possible role for the school in Grenada’s reconstruction.
After a few meetings among Josh and Ryan Schonfeld, Ladner, and
University Chaplain Joe Eldridge, the university answered the call,
launching the AU Grenada Working Group to develop a response.
With
representatives from the Office of Campus Life, Community Service
Center, and Greek Life, Caribbean Circle, One Accord, Student Confederation,
and Inter-disciplinary Council on the Americas, the working group
launched a host of relief efforts. In addition to an ongoing food,
clothing, and supply drive, the Grenada Working Group has begun
plans for a December fund-raising auction and an Alternative Spring
Break program that will bring some 20 AU students to the island
nation this spring to help rebuild the infrastructure. Furthermore,
vice president of international affairs Robert Pastor has announced
plans to create scholarships for Grenadians to study at Washington,
D.C., universities.
On
campus last Thursday to express his appreciation for the university’s
efforts, Ambassador Antoine was hopeful about the country’s
future. “Your contribution to the relief effort means a lot
to us,” he said. “Hope has been kindled by the generosity
of Grenadians abroad, Caribbeans abroad, and friends like you abroad.”
While
Grenada is a small country with a population around 100,000, the
implications of this “kindled hope” could have far-reaching
implications. According to School of International Service professor
Randolf Persaud, an authority on the economic and security aspects
of globalization, failing to come to Grenada’s aid could have
consequences for the rest of the world as well as Grenada. If left
in a weakened and chaotic state, Persaud explained, Grenada’s
chief exports could shift from nutmeg and bananas to illegal drugs,
organized crime, and terrorism. “Sometimes natural disasters
have political ramifications,” Persuad said. “When a country’s
infrastructure is destroyed, it becomes vulnerable to crime and
corruption. As I was once told by a Grenadian, ‘You take away
bananas, and they’re going to plant drugs.’”
From
this perspective, the Grenada Working Group’s efforts reach
beyond acts of charity and highlight AU’s recognition of its
place within a global community. As Ambassador Antoine put it, “When
you see young people involved like this, it reflects a growing understanding
that America is a part of the world.”
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