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Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management Crisis and Emergency Management Newsletter Website |
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February
2005
Volume 8 - Number 1 |
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This month, Non-Governmental Organizations
(NGO)
served an overwhelmingly crucial role in providing aid services to
Southeast
Asian communities impacted by last month’s destructive tsunami. With
the
world-focus on the aftermath of the tsunami, this represents a crucial
period
of exposure for most NGOs who rely heavily on the flow of private and
public
funding. In many cases, there has been the common theme of the
government in
affected areas falling short in their allocation of aid to more rural,
isolated
communities, which has provided NGOs with the opportunity to extend the
coverage of support services. Relief
& Religion: Cultural Sensitivity in NGO Efforts Much attention has gone to the acknowledgement
of Hindu and
Muslim religious and cultural values as the “western world” responds. A
diversity of religious groups has been represented in the relief
effort. Some
controversy has even arisen related to the role of religious-based NGOs
and the
alleged inequity of aid based on the willingness to convert. One
example of
this was reportedly in Samanthapettai, a small Hindu village in
southern Equity
of Aid: NGOs Overcoming the Class Structure More awareness has also been given to
discrimination in the
distribution of aid, based on the country’s 3000-year old caste system.
Recently, the New York-based Human Rights Watch has contacted Diversity
of NGOs Aid has been coming from NGO’s in distinct and
various
forms. One unique example of the diversity of aid is the Centre for
Victims of
Torture (CVICT) from The
Heavy Hitters: CARE’s Role in the Tsunami Relief Effort The Atlanta, Georgia-based Cooperative for
Assistance and
Relief Everywhere (CARE) has been one of the world’s largest and most
notable
private humanitarian organizations since its World War II inception. As
part of
their efforts in Sources: Nepal
NGO Offers Soul Balm for Tsunami Survivors, Indonesian
Muslims Welcome Christian Tsunami Aid, Source:
Reuters, Villagers
furious with Christian Missionaries, Giving Them Homes
the Tsunami Took Away, End
Caste Bias in Tsunami Relief,
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