Give2Asia Giving Forum

Bangladesh Braces for a Floating Future

By Nadia Shafiullah, Give2Asia Philanthropic Initiatives Intern

The UN World Summit on Climate Change - Cop15, came to an end on Dec 18, 2009, with what most conceive to be vague and non-committal agreements by the developed nations. Disappointing as it is, I don't think I had much expectations out of this conference. I took solace from what I saw on my last trip back home to Bangladesh (which is projected to be one of the hardest hit countries of climate change), and how the people have already started to take action in preparing for the unwarranted change in their environment and living conditions.

Recovery from Fall 2009 Disasters will Take Months or Years

Beginning in the final week of September, Asia has been battered by several deadly natural disasters. Multiple typhoons have struck the Philippines, killing hundreds. The first, Typhoon Ketsana, moved on to cause destruction in Southeast Asia as well.

The most deadly events were consecutive earthquakes in western Sumatra that killed over a thousand in Indonesia. In addition, massive flooding in south India, and an earthquake and tsunami in Samoas have destroyed entire towns.

While the immediate response to these disasters has included significant corporate giving and donations from large international groups, such as the Red Cross and the UN, the longer-term recovery process will likely outlive this initial surge in philanthropy from the international community.

The initial provisioning of food, water, shelter and medical care often takes a few days. Based on needs following past disasters, affected communities will likely require the following support and services from local groups: rebuilding of homes and schools; microfinance and job training for those whose businesses were destroyed; psycho-social services to relieve stress from death and hardship caused by the disaster; and education and scholarships for affected students.

Click here for more information on Give2Asia's short-term and long-term disaster relief efforts to these affected areas.

Give2Asia's Philanthropic Community Takes Action in Response to Consecutive Asian Disasters

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Give2Asia, a U.S. public charity which empowers donors and local Asia-based charitable groups, is partnering with corporations, foundations and individuals to help on-the-ground organizations respond to recent disasters in Taiwan, Southeast Asia and India.

Since August, Give2Asia’s donors have supported disaster relief projects across Asia in response to typhoons in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, massive flooding in South India, and successive earthquakes in Western Sumatra in Indonesia. Donors have given over US$400,000 for disaster relief since August. Contributions to support disaster relief projects can be made online at www.give2asia.org/relief.

Philippines Typhoon Disaster Relief Call Recap

On the morning of October 19, Give2Asia hosted a conference call on disaster response in the Philippines. Thanks to everyone who attended. In this call, we featured Dr. Steven Rood of The Asia Foundation and Gillian Yeoh of Give2Asia, each discussing immediate relief and long-term recovery needs following the tragic Typhoon Ketsana and Parma.

Some key points we shared on the call as advice to donors included:

- Providing financial support versus in-kind donations. This helps to support the local economy by allowing NGOs to purchase needed supplies from local vendors, and which also provides the most cost-effective way to deliver the right supplies to the right people.

- Supporting groups that involve local communities in the relief effort. Empowering local communities is part of the recovery process, and often these groups and people know the best way to provide relief.

- Considering longer-term recovery needs. In addition to providing immediate relief support, consider the longer-term needs of the affected communities, which will be struggling long past the initial response and media coverage.

In case you were not able to attend, we have posted both the written transcript and audio recordings for the call. Please visit here to catch up on all the information that was shared.

Also, if you have additional questions, please contact Gillian Yeoh at gyeoh@give2asia.org or call 415.743.3371.

The State of Environmental Activism in China

PLEASE JOIN US:

Tuesday, October 20, 2009
5:30 pm Registration
6:00-7:30 pm Program followed by Reception
The Sierra Club
85 2nd Street, Suite 750
San Francisco, CA

$5 Asia Society/Co-Sponsor Members
$5 Students; $10 Non-Members
To register, please call 415-421-8707 or visit https://secure.acceptiva.com/?cst=215882

An Asia Society event

Co-Sponsors: China Dialogue, Give2Asia, Harvard Club of San Francisco, Pacific Environment, Sierra Club, UC Berkeley Institute of East Asian Studies, USF Center for the Pacific Rim

Three decades of double-digit economic growth has come at staggering cost to China’s environment. China’s cities are among the most polluted in the world, the country faces a severe shortage of clean water, and desertification has claimed a quarter of its landmass. In response to these crises, environmental NGOs have exploded in number and activity.

Who are these NGOs, and what are their biggest concerns? What role does the government play in regulating, and sometimes suppressing, these organizations? How are NGOs managing the often-conflicting tasks of both policing and partnering with government and business, as well as educating the public? Is the recent crackdown on foreign-funded NGOs like the Open Constitution Initiative the start of a longer-term trend, or is it part of the ebb and flow of government-NGO relations? What does the surge of environmental activism say about the state of China's civil society today? These are some of the questions our distinguished panel will address.