This is a message I got from my collegues Jay Koh and Chu Chu Yuan who are running a project called NICA in Yangon, Burma:
Dear colleagues and concerned members of the wider community,
Support for VICTIMS of Cyclone Nargis, updated on 12th May
28,458 Dead(official); 102,000 Dead(estimated); 33,416 Missing (official);2 million Affected(estimated)
We are NICA - Networking & Initiatives for Culture & the Arts - an independent, artist-run and not-for-profit resource development and cultural organisation, the first to work inside Burma (Myanmar) since 2003, with a history of researching and networking inside Burma dating back to 1997.
NICA is putting out this open call for support and donations to be given directly to grass root organisations and monasteries inside Burma which are actively providing hands on aid to the victims of cyclone Nargis.
NICA is providing an alternative way of channelling aid to the victims. We are aware that by now at least USD 77 Million of aid (materials) has been pledged by the international community, but knowing the bureaucracy inside Burma and the conditions attached by donors, only a fraction of this will reach the victims. The account provided here is the private account of NICA in Singapore and funding will be transferred within 24 hours directly to organisations inside Burma through the private network of the Burmese community in Singapore.
Since we started this call on 8th May we could send in funding to Yangon by the night of 10th May Donations was given to the "Health and Death Assistant Association" in Yangon (Rangoon) and ad hoc community group working with monastery in Karmayut Township doing distribution of food and providing small cash assistance.
details can be viewed in nica's blog:
http://nicainburma.wordpress.com/
Account details:
Beneficiary Bank Name: MALAYAN BANKING BERHAD
Beneficiary Bank Address: 14/F 2 BATTERY ROAD, MAYBANK TOWER
SINGAPORE 049907 SINGAPORE
Beneficiary Bank SWIFT Address/BIC: MBBESGSG
Beneficiary Account Number/IBAN: 14180294701
Beneficiary Name: CHU CHU YUAN
Please be aware that the bank charges across borders are between USD 20 -30. There are no charges for transferring from Singapore into Burma. Alternative low charges transfer can be made through Paypal. Our account: ifima@gmx.net
For more information about NICA, please visit NICA's webpage, which is kept to a minimum, to allow access from inside Burma, at:
http://www.artstreammyanmar.net/cultural/nica/nica.htm email: nica@mail2art.com
related news:
helen.odonoghue@imma.ie
http://bangkokpost.com/topstories/topst ... ?id=127541
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/ ... 90/1/.html
http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=11823