The year 2005 is likely to be remembered as a bitter one in which many dreams were battered and many cherished ideals tarnished. For sure, there were high points, but they were overshadowed by the many disappointments.

The year began and ended with good news from Aceh, Indonesia. In the aftermath of the devastating Dec. 26, 2004 earthquake and tsunami that claimed as many as 250,000 lives and left millions homeless, there was an unprecedented outpouring of support around the world. For once, the initial show of concern was no temporary surge; international attention stayed on the impoverished province and efforts continued throughout the year to mitigate the horrific damage that was done. The disaster also provided an impetus for the Acehnese guerrillas and the government to end their decades-long civil war: At the end of 2005, the rebels disbanded their armed wing and committed themselves to the peaceful resolution of political grievances with Jakarta.

Sadly, 2005 also witnessed natural disasters and the response to them was less uplifting. Hurricanes slammed North America, forcing hundreds of thousands of people from their homes. In October, a huge earthquake struck South Asia, killing more than 85,000 people and leaving millions homeless. Unfortunately, the world did not respond to that calamity as it did to the one in Aceh. The chaos created by Hurricane Katrina was especially troubling. Despite ample warning of the possibility of such a storm, the U.S. response was dismal and chaotic at every level.