Give2Asia Giving Forum

Turquoise Mountain Foundation

by Gagandeep Kaur, Programs Intern

"We old citizens of Kabul have suffered so much that protection of this area would be like dropping water in the mouth of a thirsty man." -Pahlwan Aziz, head of the Murad Khane shura.

Murad Khane is located on the Kabul River, near new city hotels and the old bird market. The residents Murad Khane are comprised of mixed ethnicities and religions, with Qizilbash, Tajik, Hazara and Pashtun living side by side despite the civil war. By 2005, the damage by neglect, war and unscrupulous developers left this once-vibrant area under 2 meters of garbage, without a clean water supply or proper sanitation. The historic houses were collapsing weekly from lack of maintenance and harsh weather. 

This gave birth to the Turquoise Mountain Foundation (TMF). TMF is a non-profit, non-governmental organization founded in 2006 by Rory Stewart, a Scottish citizen whose recent book about travels in Afghanistan has received critical acclaim. Their mission is to regenerate a historic area of the capital (Kabul), renew Afghan traditional arts, and spur the sustainable development of the nation’s craft industry.

A Look at Dunhuang Academy and a New Visitor Center

By Samantha Chen, Give2Asia Programs Intern
with contribution by David Berger, Friends of Dunhuang

How do you preserve a World Heritage site from succumbing to natural deterioration? That is the question Dunhuang Academy (formerly Dunhuang Research Institute) has been grappling with since its inception in 1944 to preserve the Mogao Grottoes, China’s largest treasure trove of Buddhist art murals and sculptures in the caves of Mogao. Situated southeast of Dunhuang in Gansu Province, the region also stands as testament to the crossroads of cultures and religions along the ancient Silk Road.    

Rising three levels along a 5,200 foot cliff overlooking the Daquan River, the 492 decorated caves have fascinated visitors for nearly 17 centuries. The initial inspiration for the grottoes came from a traveling monk named Shamen Lezun in AD 366. On arrival at Mt. Mogao, golden lights appeared from the mountain like thousands of Buddhas to him. This inspired him to dig a cave from the cliff and build a shrine. Following this initial inspiration more monks, devotees and imperial edicts contributed to the hundreds of Buddhist murals and shrines dotted along the cliffs of Mt. Mogao.

Dr. Pratapaditya Pal - renowned Nepalese, Indian and Tibetan art scholar

On August 13, 2009, Dr. Pratapaditya Pal, a renowned Asian art scholar, spoke about his academic journey, introduction to various Asian arts, and his passage to the United States. His semi-formal talk at Give2Asia encompassed humor, affection for his family, stories of Cambridge, cricket, his time traveling to the United States, and high remarks of John D. Rockefeller III, The Asia Foundation and the Asia Society.

During the presentation, Dr. Pal showed slides of valuable art pieces from Tibet, India and Himalayas that have been bought and sold at cheap prices. He pointed out that Philadelphia Museum has not done a single exhibition of Dr. Stella Kramrisch's collection of Nepalese and Indian art. He displayed his frustration at lack exhibition of South Asian art in museums across the world and lack of appreciation of artwork in Asian countries.

Dr. Pal was born in Bangladesh, grew up in Calcutta, India and lived in the United States since 1967. He completed his doctorate in Fine Arts and History from the University of Calcutta with a special focus on Nepal. In 1962, he received the Commonwealth Scholarship of Cambridge to do his second Ph.D. on Nepalese art.

Mango Tree Garden: Asian non-profit stimulating long lasting change through art

By Lauren Craft
Give2Asia Philanthropic Initiatives Intern

Philanthropy is a remarkable outlet which enables those who have plenty to impact other people and the environment for the better. In an effort to learn more about philanthropy and nonprofits, the vehicles that bring about real change, I recently began a journey to discover this field through my daily life. My intent was not to be involved on the periphery by adding a hobby or side activity to my normal routine, but rather to engage as a full-time volunteer or intern in search of an impactful career path.

My first adventure was at Kiva, an innovative, microfinance nonprofit based in the Mission neighborhood of San Francisco. Then, only a month ago, I started my internship on the business development team here at Give2Asia. Each day, I am exposed to noteworthy, mission-driven nonprofits all over Asia. The excitement of learning about and assisting in the process of strengthening these organizations is more rewarding and worthwhile than I ever imagined. It truly affords those of us in the developed world an opportunity to impact and create real, lasting change in some of the neediest pockets on the globe.

One Asian organization, the Mango Tree Garden, just crossed my path by way of an article by Paul Hogan, founder of the Butterfly Peace Garden in Sri Lanka. The Mango Tree Garden is a nonprofit organization located in the Ang Snuol District of Cambodia which provides educational, cultural and spiritual community programs for children each Sunday. The central goal of the organization is to offer creative activities and a nurturing environment to allow children to overcome the trauma of war and adversity while inspiring hope for the future. Activities incorporating story-telling, drawing, painting, drama, singing and dancing, along with prayer and meditation, enrich and encourage balance in the lives of poor or orphaned children who have suffered from severe economic hardship, violence, discrimination, HIV or AIDS and poverty. With 40 to 50 children participating in the programs weekly, the Mango Tree Garden is a key component to rejuvenating Cambodian communities.

A Gala for Youth in Cambodia

Youth Star Cambodia, our fiscal sponsorship partner is hosting a Fundraising Gala on Saturday, April 11 in Cambodia at the InterContinental Phnom Penh.

The gala includes a seven-course Chinese dinner, entertainment from The Jeremy Monteiro Jazz Band, a raffle and dancing.

For more information, contact Catherine Cecil at
855-23-223-173/4 or e-mail at catherine@youthstarcambodia.com

Youth Star Cambodia is a program committed to building a just and peaceful society through citizen service, civic leadership and social entrepreneurship. They seek to harness youthful idealism in the service of developing Cambodia by placing young Cambodian university graduates in underserved rural communities for one year of volunteer service. Youth Star volunteers help children catch up with their studies so they do not drop out of school, share their knowledge with local farmers, and play other important roles. Youth Star provides a life-transforming journey for young people to develop themselves: their skills, their confidence and their ideals.