[grc] Fwd: links re Nepal

[Elizabeth Robinson]

Hello All, 

Last week I interviews Mary Deschene who has a long history of working in Nepal and she provided the enclosed links as possible ways of contributing to Nepal post earthquake without reinvigorating neocolonial impulses.  Please note as well that AMARC Asia Pacific and AMARC International are working to help in community media area.  Frieda Werden and I have already forwarded that info to the list, but I will send it again if there are people who feel they've missed it.  

Mary is available for interviews and I know she does some reporting for WORT.  

Elizabeth

Begin forwarded message:

>>> here are a few links you may like to put on your website as suggestions for useful things people can do.
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>>> Techie folks may be able to contribute some time or bandwidth to this mapping effort,
>>> which is mapping damage, injuries, material needs and being used by more and more people and organizations who are engaged in relief operations. They also have links for financial donations
>>> http://kathmandulivinglabs.org/blog/
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>>> These folks went straight to Gorkha (the epicentre district) and started building emergency shelters and teaching people their techniques. Though the sample is small, their structures withstood the quake when most surrounding buildings collapsed. These structures, even built on an emergency basis, are more suitable for inhabitating through the monsoon than many of the tents that are being distributed. Most importantly, they will be in this for the long haul and are especially focused on people-to-people transmission of their techniques so their potential impact is much greater than the relatively few buildings they can build themselves.   http://www.abari.org
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>>> Also look up earthbag construction and Nepal to see another bright spot amidst the ruins. 
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>>> The American-Nepal Medical Foundation is a group founded by Nepali doctors and other medical professionals. It has chapters in the US and Nepal. It is thus directly linked to medical personnel working on the frontlines in a number of the major hospitals (public and private) in the Kathmandu Valley, and can response quickly and accurately to rapidly changing needs. http://americanepalmedicalfoundation.com
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>>> 	You can read the minutes of the latest emergency meeting of their Nepal Board of Directors here. It includes details of distribution of funds. Note the block grants to Kathmandu hospitals like Bir (the largest public hospital) and Model hospital which are treating people around the clock and have been experiencing shortages of basic materials like implant pins to treat fracture injuries.  http://americanepalmedicalfoundation.com/minute-of-anmf-meeting-05052015/
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>>> The US charity organizaton Jubilee which campaigns for debt cancellation is highlighting the case of Nepal. The IMF has recently created a program under which Nepal should qualify for at least some debt cancellation. However Nepal’s biggest lenders, like the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank, have yet to follow suit, nor have debt cancellation offers been forthcoming from the bilateral agencies like USAID (USA), DfID (UK), JICO (Japan), or GDZ (Germany). It will be helpful to lend your voice to the campaign for debt cancellation. I would note that Nepal’s debt financing burden as reported in the Budget Speech for this fiscal year is considerably higher than Jubilee’s 2013 figure.  See http://whttp://www.jubileeusa.org/press/press-item/article/aftershocks-pummel-highly-indebted-nepal.html
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>> 
>> Elizabeth Robinson
>> elizabeth.robinson at kcsb.org
>> 'No Alibis'
>> 'Third World News Review'
>> KCSB FM 91.9
>> www.kcsb.org
>> University of California Santa Barbara
>> AMARC (World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters)
>> 
>> 
>> 
> 

Elizabeth Robinson
elizabeth.robinson at kcsb.org
'No Alibis'
'Third World News Review'
KCSB FM 91.9
www.kcsb.org
University of California Santa Barbara
AMARC (World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters)