Relief for Tsunami victims/ Sarvodaya
by Taigen Dan Leighton
Friends,
The loss of life from the 9.0 earthquake and tsunami now is reported as close
to 70,000 and will go much higher due to after-effects. It is hard
to conceive of what such numbers mean, and the immensity of grief and suffering
now added to an already deeply troubled world. In addition to sending relief
help ourselves, you might contact your US government representative. The
amount currently pledged by our government to help in this catastrophe is
approximately the same as that earmarked for GW Bush's inaugural festivities. Perhaps
we could divert some money from our weapons programs and occupation of Iraq.
Here are a couple of the many groups providing critically needed humanitarian
aid to tsunami victims. Please consider making a generous donation to one or
more of these groups.
- American Friends Service Committee (AFSC Crisis Fund) 1-888-588-2372
- Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres 1-888-392-0392
In addition, I wanted to call special attention to the wonderful, long-standing
Sri Lankan Buddhist relief organization, Sarvodaya Shramadana, and their call
for help, from the Buddhist Peace Fellowship website, which also has other
places to send help. At the end of this e-mail I am adding some words from
Illinois Zen teacher Joshin Robert Althouse about Sarvodaya Shramadana, which
my friend Joanna Macy has written about extensively. Their work has been exemplary. They
are a good model for us to know about, and I second all of Joshin's words.
The following is an excerpt from:
http://www.bpf.org/html/whats_now/events/tsunami.html
Urgent: Help victims of the earthquake/tsunami throughout Asia
The Buddhist Peace Fellowship sends our heartfelt prayers and support to all
who have been affected by the December 26th earthquake and subsequent tsunamis
affecting parts of Asia and Africa. We encourage our chapters and members
across the world to collect donations and medical supplies and send them
directly to agencies in these African and Asian countries.
To donate to the International Red Cross/Red Crescent, which is aiding all
affected areas (India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and other
countries), see:
http://www.ifrc.org/helpnow/donate/donate_response.asp
or
http://www.ifrc.org
The Buddhist Peace Fellowship has also received and seen the following requests
from
friends in some of the areas affected:
-=+=-=+=-=+=-
Sri Lanka
At Sarvodaya we are working round the clock in all affected areas to help those
innocent victims. We have set up a special unit at our head quarters and
five other centers around the country to handle this mammoth operation. We
plead for help from you. Whatever you can do to help save these victims please
contact our 24 hour help lines.
+94 785 107 107 (Krishna)
+94 7222 44690 (Vinya)
+94 777 899 196 - General +94112 655 255 - +94112 655 125 - +94112 655125
Fax +94112 656512
Or email for more details
- ssmplan@sri.lanka.net
- Krishna@itmin.net
- nirvana@sltnet.lk
- arisar@sltnet.lk
Please help us to help the needy at this sorrowful moment in the history of
this country.
With the blessings of the Triple Gem,
Yours affectionately
Dr. A T Ariyaratne
Founder - President, Sarvodaya Movement
Sarvodaya HQ
#98, Rawatawatta Road
Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
-=+=-=+=-=+=-
From Sarvodaya USA/Friends of Sarvodaya
What We Can Do Right Now
Send a check to:
Sarvodaya USA
5716 Manchester Avenue #3
Los Angeles, CA 90045
D.J. Mitchell, our accountant and a longtime friend of Sarvodaya, will wire
funds to Sarvodaya
every few days. Your contribution will be tax-deductible this year if it is
postmarked before
January 1.* Otherwise, it will be tax-deductible in 2005. Either way, it is
needed immediately.
If you send a check, please let me know how much and we will make doubly sure
it is acknowledged.
-=+=-=+=-=+=-
excerpt from Joshin Robert Althouse:
Joanna Macy wrote about the Sarvodaya movement in her book, "World as
Lover, World as Self". She wrote more specifically about them in another
book called, "Dharma and Development" (I'm not sure that one is still
in print). They have a long track record of social action and development work
in Sri Lanka and their founder, Ariyaratna is a tireless worker and Buddhist
teacher. I think he is a visionary and a great Buddhist teacher who we can
all learn from. They have pioneered a unique model of development in the third
world that has started, not by imposing their ideas or ideals on people, but
by going to the people first and listening to what their needs are, and then
working to empower the people to help themselves.
Very early on, Ariyaratna based much of his work on identifying what he calls
ten basic human needs of environment, water, clothing, food, housing, health
services, communication, fuel, education and cultural/spiritual development.
All of their work has been to help people at a grass roots level meet these
needs. Sarvodaya means "the awakening of all" or "everybody
wakes up". The term was originally used by Gandhi to mean "the uplift
and welfare of all". Shramadana means "the giving (dana) of human
energy." So the notion here is that everyone wakes up together. They have
modeled this in so many wonderful ways.
They are a very well respected organization, and they are in a good position
to be of assistance at the grass roots level to people in Sri Lanka at the
present time. I have no hesitation in supporting them financially or in other
ways.
-=+=-=+=-=+=-
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