A rainbow of peoples, nations and cultures suffered and continue to be affected by the Indian Ocean Tsunami that hit South Asia and parts of coastal East Africa. The region of Asia affected (Indian Ocean Islands, South Asia) also has the second largest population of Black (Negro/Africoid) peoples after Africa itself.

The southern coasts of Asia from Arabia to Indonesia and beyond to the Australian region was described by the Greek writers as the region of the "Eastern Ethiopians," or Blacks. Africans were the 'Western Ethiopians," or Blacks. When Herodotus and other Greek writers saw South Asia and the region about 2,400 years ago (as recorded in the book, "Periplus of the Erethrean Sea,"), the vast majority of people were Black Africoids who originated in Africa and settled Asia over 100,000 years ago and for many periods afterwards, (East Africans, Dalits, Tribals, Kerela Peoples, others) Dimunitive Negroids, (Andaman Islanders, Negritos), Negro-Australoids (Australian Aboriginal). The Indian Ocean (called the "Ethiopian Sea," during the Middle Ages and in ancient times) is one of the primary regions of Africoids, Indo-Negroids, Malays, Negro-Australoid, Oceanic Melanesian Negroids, Austrics and Mongoloids.

Asia's first civilizations included Negroids as the primary and important contributors in some regions as Chandler shows, (Africa Presence in Early Asia, edt. by Ivan Van Sertima, Transaction Publications, New Bruinswick, NJ also "Susu Economics," pub. by www.AuthorHouse.com).

Some of the first civilizations and cultures of Southern Asia from Mesopotamia to China are said to have been started by the Bak Tribes or people descended from them. Between 10,000 to 6,000 BC, the Bak Tribes migrated from Central Africa and settled Nubia, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Sri Lanka, India, SE Asia and Southern China. They were among the Dimunitive Blacks. Yet, the Bak were not the first Africoids to settle Asia. The first to do so were people related to the Pygmoids and the Black Anu peoples (similar in appearance and related to East Africans and some Australian Aborigines) of the Sahara and East Africa. About 100,000 years ago, the fist humans left Africa for Asia and their descendents still exist there today.

According to the Fijian Representative to Southern California, I. Raikadroka, trade and travel between Fiji and Tanganyika was occurring in 2000 BC. This trade and commerce is actually quite old. The former Foreign Minister of Papua New Guinea pointed out in Black Books Bulletin (1974) that the Blacks of Asia and Africa, "are related in the past, present and future," (see "Susu Economics"

Tourists, Locals, Everyone Suffer From Disaster
The catastrophic Tsunami that swept over coastal South Asia and parts of East Africa wiped out about 150,000 people in a matter of minutes. This tragedy had the greatest effect on the Indo-Negroid people of South Asia and the Malays of Ahceh Province, Indonesia. Yet, Mongoloids, Austrics, Malays, African Negroids, Indo-Negroids, Melanesian Negroids, Europeans, South East Asians and others suffered over this vast region.

One of the most vulnerable and most ancient peoples of the region, the Dimunitive Negroid groups like the Oong and Andaman Negrito Islanders of Andaman Islands who number in the few hundreds to few thousands lost some of their numbers but they still survive. The Achinese of the region directly next to the epicenter of the earthquake that initiated the tsunami suffered doubly since they are already victims of conflict and war in the region. Their struggle for independence has led to conditions and results similar to that of the Melanesian Negroid people of West Papua and the East Timorese. About one third of the people who perished in the Tsunami in Thailand were European vacationers.

East African Victims of the Tsunami
Coastal people and fishermen from the coasts of East Africa lost hundreds of people to the Tsunami. Yet, this region seems to have been ignored by the media for little is mentioned about their plight by the newsmedia. Perhaps the news media does not realize that the eastern coast of Africa is bordered by the Indian Ocean. Perhaps Black Africans' suffering is not as important as those of other people or perhaps the fact that the Somalis and some "Arab-speaking," Sudanese see themselves as aligned to the Arabs, the West and others are expecting the Arabs to help Somalia? Who knows why Somalia and parts of East Africa affected by the Tsunami are being downplayed or neglected. Yet, one has to wonder whether the idea that some Somalis want to identity themselves away from the rest of the Black African race and with the Arabs leaves them vulnerable to being looked over by other Africans and by Blacks around the world for whom unity and Pan-Africanism or Pan-Negroism is crucial to global unity and development.

Poster Children from Sweden and South Asia
The 'poster children' of this terrible tsunami are the tens of thousands of children who perished in this unfortunate and horrible calamity. The 'poster child' was also a Swedish boy who was found by Americans wrapped in a blanket after he was saved by others. Luckily his father was safe despite the bashing he also took. News reports showed the reunion of father and son along with other unions of local people over a period of time on CNN and other networks.

A number of children of Sri Lankan, East Indian and Asian background were also shown throughout the broadcasts of this tragedy. This tragedy has somehow pushed the locals and tourists close together in a region where over five million tourists visit in a season and are served by the local population who depend on tourism for their livelihood. Sad to say, one week after the tragedy in Thailand, tourists were back to their usual vacationing in the very areas that people perished a week earlier.

The Tsunami took the lives of about 140,000 people in a few minutes. Apart from the tens of thousands of people of the region who perished over the vast area, thousands of European, American, Australian and other foreign tourists also perished in this calamity thousands of miles from their original homes. The Europeans included Swedes, Germans, English, French, Spanish and others. People as far as Brazil and Argentina who came to vacation in the region also perished in this tragedy of biblical proportions.

Nelson Mandela's Vision and Previous Call for a Strong Indian Ocean/African Region
Years ago, Nelson Mandela, head of the African National Congress, one of the liberators and President of South Africa, proposed the creation of a strong Indian Ocean/African region. Mandela's idea of a strong and productive African/Indian Ocean trade and economic region comprising of the African nations and nations of the Indian Ocean region now appears more crucial than ever and has to be made a reality.

Yet, Africa itself should work to form strong economic and cultural as well as regional unions with regions such as the South Atlantic, Caribbean, Indian Ocean and South Pacific where future calamities such as the melting of the polar icecaps of the Antartic and future flooding will be a serious problem. Further disasters similar to the Indian Ocean Tsunami can also occur in the Atlantic and Caribbean region, as well as the Indian Ocean. Africa is surrounded by water and faces both the Atlantic and Indian Ocean and should organize to protect its continental coasts. The southern regions and the tropics have had thousands of years of economic, cultural and social activity as is clearly shown in the book, "Susu Economics," and "A History of the African-Olmecs"

The Southern Hemisphere Regions and Oceans must be Prepared for Future Calamities
Africa, South America, South Asia, Australia, Melanesia, the Caribbean, Southern US, South Pacific and many of the warm regions of the earth must be prepared for the coming of more natural disasters and calamities in the near future. These regions will be affected by severe changes in the weather and geological changes as the Antarctic ice continues to melt. Warmer temperatures in these regions will contribute to the rapid melting of any floating ice that enters into the warm zones of the South Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean regions. As a consequence, the oceans will be permeated with more fresh water from the arctic and floods of biblical proportions will affect much of the southern and Central regions of the earth. The same conditions can occur in the Arctic, but the warmer climates of the South may push the inevitable to occur faster.

It can be said that 'mini tsunamis" or conditions with results similar to tsunamis occur in the Caribbean and Southern United States, Gulf of Mexico as well as the Asian coastal regions every few years. These conditions are hurricanes and typhoons where great surges of sea are carried inland and the damage to the coastal region and some inland areas are quite extensive.

The difference between the damage caused by hurricanes and that caused by tsunamis, particularly in the recent case in South Asia, has to do with the amount of time coastal inhabitants have to flee from the coming waves of water expected to smash into the coasts. Hurricane warnings (as with hurricane Frances, Ivan, Jean that hit the Caribbean and US in 2004), have been very effective for many years, however in the case of the most recent tsunami, there was little warning and little chance to escape.

Future Tsunamis, Catastrophic Geological Changes Due
More rapid and drastic geological changes involving water is due to visit planet earth in a few years. The call of 'global warming,' has been pointed to as the reason why catastrophes are to be expected. Yet, this may be one of the reasons why the earth will experience great changes. Although melting arctic ice may cause floods in many areas of the earth as discussed, plate tectonics and the shift of the earth's crust as well as over activity from the earth's hot inner core also has the potential to cause volcanoes to erupt on land as well as beneath the sea and lead to more tidal waves, earthquakes and landslides.

Volcanic and plate tectonic activity in the Caribbean and the islands off the West Coast of Africa may cause serious problems in the future. Although there are some geologists who may think that eruptions from the Azores or Canary Islands and tidal waves produced by them may not occur anytime soon, it is important that the Caribbean, South America, Southern Europe and the continental US and Canada's East coast prepare for the Possibility of eruptions and tsunamis in the future. After all, volcanoes are connected and the shifting of plates that causes earthquakes are conditions that occur over very wide areas. Therefore, what happened in South Asia can occur in the Americas' Atlantic, Pacific and Caribbean region.

Many of these events previously mentioned are beyond the control of the earth's people therefore it is our duty to organize regions to be able to respond in such cases. So, Nelson Mandela's call for a strong African and Indian Ocean region and trade area is now more necessary than ever. Furthermore, this region should also include the South
Atlantic, the Caribbean and the South Pacific, where some of the most vulnerable people live today and where future calamity can be averted if these regions are strong, economically powerful, socially united and politically united.

These conditions alone may not be enough to avert future disasters but strong infrastructure, preparedness and backup plans are responsible for regions like the US, Japan, Australia, Europe and other wealthier nations being able to overcome such tragedies and lessen the effects. Africa, South Asia, the Southern regions should be prepared.

Millions Suffer In Congo, Sudan And Elsewhere
The terrible calamity in the Indian Ocean region comes at a time when large regions of Africa has been suffering great calamities. About 50,000 people have already perished in Sudan and hundreds of thousands more may perish if measures are not taken to protect them from diseases, starvation and violence. Apart from Sudan, other nations are suffering from man-made as well as nature created calamities. The wars in Sudan and in Congo where about six million people have perished has not gotten the attention that the Indian Ocean Tsunami has gotten.

These are human created calamities, yet, we have to ask who began these calamities and what effect does past policies have on present and future conflicts. What effect does dogma and religious imperialism have on the suffering of people who are looked upon as 'unworthy' simply because these people want their independence, want to maintain their own religions and culture and want to rule themselves. It is rather ironic that in the Aceh region of Indonesia, in Africa's Sudan, in Congo, in East Timor, in parts of Africa the greatest tragedies have been perpetrated by human and not nature and in such cases, those who are able to help do have their limit.

Nations and peoples will give a helping hand but sometimes fatigue takes over, particularly in cases of war where the fighting parties refuse to bring about peace and stability. In such cases, the wider world forces peace and stability on the warring parties through more war, or these combatants are ignored and abandoned and allowed to destroy each other. None of these unwanted solutions are humane or just. Negotiations and 'give and take," is the way to solve problems. The world should not tolerate an occupier culture or religion forcing its rule and customs on those who do not want it. In such cases when war is the result, the world should unite to bring about a just solution as it has done since World War II. The question is, when will we realize that in order to survive, we must be intelligent? It is not only the strong who survives but also the smart as well.

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About the Author: Paul Barton is the Author of "Susu Economics," published by www.Xlibris.com, "Susu and Susunomics," published by www.iUniverse.com and "A History of Racism and Terrorism, Rebellion and Overcoming," as well as, "A History of Education Book II," both books are published by www.Xlibris.com.