January 2010 E-Current

Dear Friends,

As we all say goodbye to the first ten years of the new millennium, the general consensus of countless decade-in-review articles is that this is a decade we would not like to repeat. But we mustn't lose sight of the positive developments—there are, in fact, some places and communities that are faring much better now than they were ten years ago, and each of CORAL's project sites falls into that category.

So, what's making the difference in CORAL's project sites? The answer is community. CORAL and the local people with whom we work are not waiting for a bailout from the state or a new piece of legislation to protect reefs. We are finding ways to unite communities to save their own reefs—on their own terms, and in their own ways. The result has been healthier coral reefs and stronger communities.

However, the momentum we have gained with our partner communities is at risk. It's simple, really: the economy is having an impact on CORAL just when coral reef communities need our philanthropic support the most. So, if you haven't supported our efforts, I urge you to please do so now. If you know people who should be involved, help us reach out to them. And, if you have given, thank you again.

With all of your help, we can make the 2010s the decade of the "Return of the Reef." And with that, we will know that we saved the food source for a billion people, protected the research into drugs that may one day cure cancer, ensured that hundreds of thousands of people would not lose their homes, and preserved the oldest biological community on the planet.

Happy 2010!

Cheers,

Brian Huse
Executive Director