Healing Burma: Getting Relief to Myanmar.

Dear friends,

Burma has been devastated by a cyclone—and by the military junta's failure to help its people cope. Help raise relief funds for distribution by Burma's monks:

CLICK TO DONATE!

In the wake of a massive cyclone, tens of thousands of Burmese are dead. More than 40,000 are missing. A million are homeless.

But what's happening in Burma is not just a natural disaster—it's also a catastrophe of bad leadership.

Burma's brutal and corrupt military junta failed to warn the people, failed to evacuate any areas, and suppressed freedom of communication so that Burmese people didn't know the storm was coming when the rest of the world did. Now the government is failing to respond to the disaster and obstructing international aid organizations.

Humanitarian relief is urgently needed, but Burma's government could easily delay, divert or misuse any aid. Today the International Burmese Monks Organization, including many leaders of the democracy protests last fall, launched a new effort to provide relief through Burma's powerful grass roots network of monasteries—the most trusted institutions in the country and currently the only source of housing and support in many devastated communities. Click below to help the Burmese people with a donation and see a video appeal to Avaaz from a leader of the monks:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/burma_cyclone/77.php

Giving to the monks is a smart, fast way to get aid directly to Burma's people. Governments and international aid organizations are important, but face challenges—they may not be allowed into Burma, or they may be forced to provide aid according to the junta's rules. And most will have to spend large amounts of money just setting up operations in the country. The monks are already on the front lines of the aid effort—housing, feeding, and supporting the victims of the cyclone since the day it struck. The International Burmese Monks Organization will send money directly to each monastery through their own networks, bypassing regime controls.

Last year, more than 800,000 of us around the world stood with the Burmese people as they rose up against the military dictatorship. The government lost no time then in dispatching its armies to ruthlessly crush the nonviolent democracy movement—but now, as tens of thousands die, the junta's response is slow and threatens to divert precious aid into the corrupt regime's pockets.

The monks are unlikely to receive aid from governments or large humanitarian organizations, but they have a stronger presence and trust among the Burmese people than both. If we all chip in a little bit, we can help them to make a big difference.

Click here to donate:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/burma_cyclone/77.php

With hope,

Ricken, Ben, Graziela, Paul, Iain, Veronique, Pascal, Galit and the whole Avaaz team

PS: Here are some links to more information:

For more information about Avaaz's work to support the Burmese people, click here: http://www.avaaz.org/en/burma_report_back/

For more information about the cyclone, the humanitarian crisis, and the political dimension, see these articles:

New York Times: "A Challenge Getting Relief to Myanmar's Remote Areas." 7 May 2008.

BBC: "Will Burma's leaders let aid in?" 6 May 2008.

India's Economic Times: Indian meteorological department advised junta 48 hours in advance, 6 May 2008.

BBC: "Disaster tests Burma's junta." 5 May 2008

Times Online: "Aid workers fear Burma cyclone deaths will top 50,000." 6 May 2008.

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ABOUT AVAAZ
Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means "voice" in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Paris, Washington DC, and Geneva.

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Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Burma
• Myanmar
• cyclone
• aid
• International
• global
• death
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[jazznjava]

May this current crisis be the gateway to a flood of love and fellowship that the Burmese will never forget and the regime cannot repress. May the compassion we feel overwhelm all barriers to prosperity, health and international friendship.

[RamonaInc]

Tears of compassion! Thank you for the video and links!

[Charlietheleet]

if one thing our government can do is help the Burmese, but cant help its own people (katrina)

[PaulMR007]

Thailand needs to go up in there and take out that fucked up evil government in Burma now when its week. The UN, US, UK & all these good hearted countries that are sending aid to Burma are in effect only giving aid to the evil illegal military government, therefor prolonging the suffering of the poor Burmese people.

[arafel1964]

Thank you very much butterflygris for posting this. Good video. rated 5 and saved on favorites. Ofcourse gone to the site of avaaz. Wish I could do more.

And the one below me is an ignorant pece of shit. It because of people like him there is greed and suffering. He would be a perfect dictator. Hope he gets what he gives. Karma is gonna get you!

[arafel1964]

Mine heart goes out to all the brave and beautiful Burmese people who suffer so much. It are always the good and innocent who are the victim whether it are humans or animals.

I'm glad that there are people with a good heart who care about others.

We can and must make a change, it's our responsibility.

[maykha4u]

I agree with pandora. How dare you say such a wrong ruthless accusation when millions of Burmese are dying? What an ignorant rude selfish person! Can't believe there are such unbelievable people exist in this world!!

[kurohune07]

pandora- He doesn't know anything and doesn't care.

Thank you for this vid. We should take a advise of avaaz for where to donate. It's tax-deductible.

Burmese people are dying right this moment...

[pandora394]

it is NOT nonsense. how can burmese people help the americans when most of them earn less than a dollar a day and lives without basic amenities?? and we are NOT terrorists! its a big accusation. how can you and how dare you??

if you dont wanna send help, dont but dont say things that wont benefit anyone.

[titandeebo]

you didn't see the Burmese helping us out when Katrina hit, or 9-11, or the recent twisters that hit the U.S.did you??? Quit sending our U.S. dollars over to support terrorists, they don't want our aid anyways. There are plenty of people in the Divided States of America that need help. Stop the "Bleeding Heart" nonsense!!!

[OpenMind00]

Like I said, You are a Light in the Darkness. A Soldier doesn't always have a positive connotation. You are a light in the Darkness