Appeal for Support for Victims of the Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster
December 30, 2004
The enormity of the tragedy caused by the earthquake and tsunami in South and Southeast Asia is difficult to fathom. The death toll in Indonesia's North Sumatran province of Aceh alone is currently (12/30/04) estimated at 80,000. Food, shelter and emergency medical supplies are urgently needed to care for the thousands whose homes and livelihoods have been wiped out by the disaster. Many communities in the region have not yet been reached, and
the toll of death and destruction is expected to rise.
Complicating relief efforts has been the restriction on activities of foreign and international agencies in the province due to the ongoing conflict between the Indonesian military and the Acehnese separatist movement.
For this reason, we feel that donations to regional and local humanitarian organizations are crucial.
The Nurani Dunia Foundation, a non-partisan Indonesian humanitarian organization, has been involved in development and humanitarian assistance in North Sumatra. It has access to the Aceh region and distribution networks operating on the ground. We believe that Nurani
Dunia, as a well-established local organization, is in a position to determine immediate needs in the current situation.
Several Ohio University faculty and staff have helped support Nurani Dunia since 1999 when we saw that refugees from the Maluku conflict were in dire need of aid. In addition to working with refugees in Maluku, Manado,
Poso, Madura, and Kalimantan, Nurani Dunia has been involved in conflict resolution and participatory development projects in Aceh. It is a highly regarded Indonesian organization, trusted by the US Embassy with the distribution of monetary aid to the victims of the Marriott Hotel bombing in August 2003, and a local partner of the World Health Organization for clean water projects. Nurani Dunia has also worked with the private sector (including General Electric, Nestle and Garuda Airlines) in its school-building programs across Indonesia.
We are currently raising funds for Nurani Duniaís efforts to aid refugees in Aceh. Donations can be made to People to People Aid in Support of Nurani Dunia, a 501C US-based foundation, that has supported other Nurani Dunia projects.
Checks or money orders can be made payable to "People to People Aid in Support of Nurani Dunia" and sent to the address below. If you desire a receipt for your donations, please include a stamped self-addressed envelope or
be sure to give us your address:
People to People Aid in Support of Nurani Dunia
c/o Karla Schneider
Ohio University Center for International Studies
Yamada House
Athens, OH 45701 USA
Donations in Indonesian Rupiah may also be made via bank transfer to Nurani Dunia in Indonesia. Account information is available at
www.nuranidunia.or.id
Elizabeth Collins
Associate Professor
Classics and World Religions
Ohio University
Richard Kraince
Director, Inter-Religious Dialogue Project
Center for International Studies
Ohio University
Ann Shoemake
Doctoral student
Communication Studies
Ohio University
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