Why the British Red Cross?
We acknowledge that there are many fantastic organisations, individuals and community groups across the globe providing direct and indirect support from those affect by the current conflict affecting civilians in Isreal and Gaza. When coming up with the idea for Haikus for Hope, we weighed up lots of options, and decided that all proceeds would go to the British Red Cross Isreal and Occupied Palestinian Territory Appeal.
The reasons for this were that we have limited resources in terms of time dedicated to promoting Haikus for Hope, and we felt that, for some, a smaller, unknown charity may not be enough of a call to action. British Red Cross have the resources to provide clear and consistent communication and updates about their appeal, and have an established reputation with humanitarian intervention, so people can be assured that their donation is in safe hands. Our priority is always going to be raising as much as possible, which we felt was more realistic by choosing a charity that many people are already familiar with.
I’d like to donate a haiku, but I’m not a writer/don’t know how to do it!
Don’t worry! You don’t have to be a writer or have any experience in order to write a haiku. These 13th Century Japanese poems are typically very short, only seventeen syllables, so they are perfect for all levels of experience. They all follow the same three line format of five, seven and five syllables, and quite often include reference to nature. See the example below by Matsuo Bashō:
An old silent pond
A frog jumps into the pond—
Splash! Silence again.
Haikus for Hope 