Sustaining Humanitarian Commitments During Impossible Times

August 16, 2011

The "perfect storm" of international economic, social, political and environmental calamities is creating an increasingly difficult environment to sustain humanitarian responses. Governments and international institutions lack the resources with or without input of non-governmental organizations. In response to the urgent needs, Asia America Initiative's humanitarian and peace building programs are expanding despite the "impossible" conditions. We have little government funding and no input from U.S. Government. Our success, however, is due to our willingness to accept the sacrifices and to build unselfish team efforts within our organization and with local and global partners. Our emphasis on accountability, consistent effort and building trust with local communities has tapped the idealism and energy of youth volunteers who have been our saving grace. We have learned that social entrepreneurship can involve private companies in ways where they can share material resources rather than money. During August 2011 we are conducting three substantial programs involving education and environmental awareness, conflict mediation between Christians and Muslims and Cancer Treatment and livelihood training for women and children from dramatically impoverished communities. BUILDING A CULTURE OF PEACE THROUGH EDUCATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS: The AAI Peace Caravans have received increasing support, although modest in scope, from business and civic organizations in Manila. On August 5, 2011 Standard Chartered Bank employees teamed with AAI staff to conduct a day of fun workshops at Maharlika Elementary School where each overcrowded classroom lacks basic school supplies for an average of three daily shifts of 65 students per teacher. The bank also donated 5 computers to the school to enhance all-around learning activities. Many of the children are from "squatter" families who fled Mindanao and live in makeshift huts surrounding the community mosque. They are lucky to have one meal per day. INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW DAY FUN RUN HOSTED BY PHILIPPINES ARMED FORCES: The Human Rights office of the Philippines Armed Forces organized a public awareness and inter-agency team building run at their Headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo on August 12, 2011. AAI sent our "impromptu" marathon team including Muslims and Christians to participate in the event. We were joined by soldiers, members of the Philippines Red Cross, the National Commission on Human Rights, and the private GroupAid organization. CANCER TREATMENT FOR THE POOR: In August 2011, AAI has entered into a Global Challenge listed on the GlobalGiving.org social networking web site. This program provides life saving medicines for 20 children and 30 women afflicted by cancer, especially mothers and grandmothers with cancer whose families earn less than $5 per day. The program includes an art component to instill positive attitudes, love and care. In addition, the program also provides essential literacy and basic livelihood training to help the women to overcome dire poverty and whose unexpected survival can inspire their communities. By surviving, and experiencing Hope, mothers will inspire their children. Adult literacy and education will enable surviving women to provide better lives for their families. For children living in dire poverty without their mothers or grandmothers, the influence of violent crime and militant extremism is a constant temptation. This holistic program intends to empower entire communities. At the time of this mailing, we have met 3 of the 4 criteria required to be permanently listed on the GlobalGiving.org web site. In order to achieve permanent partnership, we still need slightly more than $1,000 in contributions to qualify. These funds will be used specifically to purchase medications required by the children. You are welcome to assist us by sending contributions of any amount to the Global Giving link: http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/cancer-treatment-for-20-children-and-30-women/

AAI Interns at the 2011 Asian Festival

The intern team just had an exciting weekend at the Asian Festival held at George Mason University. Despite the heat, there were plenty of fun activities to take part in at the festival. The food choices were endless, the singing and dancing was impressive, and the freebies were fantastic. It was also great to see people’s interest in our posters. We created a chart that compared AAI schools to the national schools. Schools in which AAI had intervened had both higher enrollment rates and higher graduation rates than national schools.

“It was super hot, but definitely a great opportunity to experience culture and show your creativity in fundraising events! Loved talking to the vendors and learning about their efforts to make a better life here in the U.S. in addition, to make contributions to the society! It was also wonderful to meet people who share the same vision as AAI does! Their personal experiences provide a different perspective that reinforces AAI's mission!”-Emily

“Being able to have a booth at the Asia festival greatly benefited the AAI team. Not only were the interns able to interact with different people outside the office and gain a good cultural experience (the different Asian music, merchandise and food), but they also raised awareness about the organization by talking to people in the local community. This outreach was a great way for interns to actively participate in increasing support for the organization.”-Francine

“It was HOT. Fortunately, we all had a nice shady booth to shield us from the worst of it. We also had the assistance of two industrious Filipino-English twins who were more than willing to run about on our behalf. We got to talk to a lot of interested people, and were able to solicit a fair amount of donations. Outside of our booth, the Festival was busy and exciting, with lots of things to see and taste. It was an excellent little slice of Asia.”-Nick

“Being able to participate in the Asian Festival was both a fun-filled and culturally enriching activity. I was not only able to know the different food, music, dance and cultures of other Asian countries but we were able to raise awareness in a creative manner about children and mothers from the Philippines that are suffering from cancer. It feels good to help raise funds for their treatment and at the same time share the wonderful works of AAI.”-Lalai

China's largest inland lake dries up as country battles drought

China's largest inland lake has disappeared in worst drought to hit the centre and east of the country for more than half a century.

A fishing boat is stranded on the grass lake bed of Poyang Lake Photo: ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images

By Malcolm Moore, Shanghai

9:36PM BST 30 May 2011

The volume of water in Poyang lake in Jiangxi province, normally 100 miles-long and 10 miles-wide, is now a tenth of its normal level, according to Xinhua, the Chinese state news agency.

Fishing boats and house boats have been left stranded on a vast stretch of the lake bed, now a lush grassland.

The drought, which has seen no rainfall for two months, has struck the central Chinese provinces that are known as the country's "home of rice and fish".

Almost half of all the country's rice fields have been affected and four million people do not have access to drinking water.

At Honghu Lake, in Hubei province, fish farmers have seen 80 per cent of their stocks die. "More than 20,000 acres of fish farms have been severely damaged," said Zou Haibin, the local Communist party secretary in Dianhe, to Xinhua.

"I was born in 1967 and have never seen anything like this," added Li Liangjun, a fish farmer in Dianhe. "Even my father has never seen anything like it. It has not rained for nearly three months".

The drought has pushed up vegetable prices in major cities by as much as 30 per cent, and the government has warned that if it continues it may have an effect on this year's rice harvest.

However, the Chinese weather bureau has warned there is no rain in sight and that it expects the drought to continue until early June.

Also of note, see this link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/china-business/8321368/Chinas-drought-could-have-devastating-consequences.html