Give2Asia Giving Forum

Recipe for Relief: Chefs Guild and Sarvodaya work together to feed IDPs

Give2Asia launched our Sri Lanka Humanitarian Relief Fund on Monday, June 1 to facilitate funding to the Sarvodaya and Chefs Guild joint project to feed 10,000 Sri Lankan IDPs.

Check out our web page for the fund to read more about the project and to donate to the cause.

Below is a brief speech by Sharadha de Saram, Give2Asia program consultant, highlighting Give2Asia's work and facilitation of the partnership between Chefs Guild and Sarvodaya during the launch event.

Also, check below for pictures from the launch and links to media coverage about the relief project.

"Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you all for coming this afternoon to support the launch of the initiative, Helping Hands – a partnership project by the Sarvodaya Movement, one of Sri Lanka’s leading peoples participatory movement and the Chefs Guild of Lanka, an organization founded in 1988 and nominated as the 37th Member Nation of the World Association of Cooks Societies. 

The project will feed 10,000 of the Internally Displaced People living at Menik Farm in Vavuniya by providing them with three meals a day, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. This would mean preparing 30,000 meals a day. 

Mumbai Attacks Reinforce Need to Solve Terror's Root Causes

By Birger Stamperdahl, Give2Asia

We at Give2Asia were stunned by the Mumbai attacks at the end of November. Taking place within the communities we support, these attacks are a reminder of the hard work that still must be done to promote prosperity and peace. It also highlights how quickly local problems can become global problems. To truly solve a problem such as the threat of terrorism in North America and Europe, we must think about the problem globally and in regions like South Asia.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, in an address to the United Nations in November 2007, talked about the causes of terrorism, and listed (1) prolonged unresolved conflicts and (2) social/economic marginalization as two of the key conditions that lead to this kind of violence. These are issues that global philanthropy is working to solve, and it may be cathartic, following the Mumbai attacks, to consider some groups that are doing work in Asia to support peace and prosperity.

We are highlighting groups in four countries where violence and poverty have put families at risk. The following projects take place in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, in places where the communities benefit from education and vocational training programs. These programs build understanding between groups and help to aid in personal recovery following periods of conflict.

(Above image courtesy of Reuters)

Sri Lankan Charities Support Peace Amidst Continued Violence

By Shannon Selerowski, Give2Asia

For over two decades, civil conflict between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the Tamil separatist group, and the Sri Lankan government has afflicted the island of Sri Lanka. Since 1983, over 65,000 people have been killed, with over 800,000 displaced. Apart from the direct human cost, the conflict has negatively impacted both economic and social development as the resources needed to promote social programs and encourage economic growth are redirected to support the conflict.

The most recent clashes between the Government forces and the LTTE occurred in the Vanni region, the stronghold of the LTTE. Since June, thousands of civilians have fled the region, however it is estimated that over 200,000 remain and are in dire need of assistance. Those living in Kilinochchi, the political headquarters of the LTTE, have relocated to the northeast of the town to escape the conflict. As the displaced civilians move to these camps, access to clean water and sanitation become critical issues particularly with the approaching monsoon season. Roads and bridges into the Vanni are made inaccessible by the LTTE, thus creating a food crisis in the temporary camps. Increased pressure is placed on the already poor health services as they are forced to relocate but continue to operate despite the lack of medical staff and supplies. With the closure of several schools, thousands of children’s education is also threatened.

Rebuilding Lives: The Tsunami & the Conflict in Sri Lanka

Following the 2004 Tsunami, Give2Asia and The Asia Foundation partnered with several corporations and foundations to bring immediate relief and support local recovery efforts in partnerships with NGOs and governments. Projects continue to help families and communities that were spared no mercy by the wave.

The following 2-part video, created by The Asia Foundation, highlights some of this important work, with local officials, small business owners, and NGOs talking about projects funded by Capital Group, AIG Disaster Relief Fund, and Johnson & Johnson.

What follows is the second half of this video.

Transformational Social Entrepreneurs

By Betsy Merzenich, Give2Asia

Across the globe, social entrepreneurship is on the rise. In Asia and elsewhere, entrepreneurial individuals are directing their efforts at complex social issues, finding new solutions to meet difficult problems. These social entrepreneurs are characterized by an ability to identify new opportunities and a willingness to bear the inherent risks. Just as entrepreneurs transform business, social entrepreneurs have the potential to revolutionize society by seizing opportunities, inventing new approaches, improving systems, and transforming the status quo. Given the exciting and promising nature of the work of social entrepreneurs, we are interested in bringing visibility to their efforts, and have done so a number of times on this blog. This week we are profiling a collection of social entrepreneurs whose successful innovations are positively impacting millions of people throughout Asia.