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News
90, Love in Action
Compassionate Help For Afghan
Refugees
Unexpected
E-mails from U.S. Senator Al Santoli brought urgent news about a heavy
snow and an earthquake in Afghanistan. A total of US$50,000 was needed
to airlift emergency provisions to the affected areas, but the relief
program fell short of the target by US$30,000. In response to Senator
Al Santoli's sincere request for help, Supreme Master Ching Hai immediately
pledged a contribution of US$30,000 to make up the required amount.
When the Senator learnt of Her generous action, he phoned personally
to express his profound gratitude to both Master and the Supreme Master
Ching Hai International Association.
E-mail
from Senator Al Santoli:
January
31, 1998 (originally in English)
| Dear
Friends,
My name is Al Santoli. I am not
a follower of Supreme Master Ching Hai, however, I received
an award from her in 1994-95 for my work in helping refugees
in Southeast Asia. I kindly received a gift of a framed oil
painting by Supreme Master Ching Hai, depicting a bright sun
over a mountainside.
Today, as a staff member in the
U.S. Congress, I am involved in an urgent mission to assist
close to a million persons in central Afghanistan, including
hundreds of refugee families (all are devout Muslims) who are
seeking shelter in mountain caves without heat or water in subzero
weather, around the largest statues of the Buddha in the world
at Bamiyan. They face famine this winter and are blockaded by
a violent organization that has bombed the local airport to
prevent a United Nations airlift of emergency aid. Some 200,000
men, women and children are in immediate risk.
Through
the humanitarian U.S. non-profit organizations, AmeriCares and
Help the Afghan Children, Inc. which has a clinic in the center
of the blockaded famine area, we have raised a large airplane
load (100,000) pounds of desperately needed medicine, nutritional
supplements and other supplies such as generators, water purification
systems, warm blankets and plastic sheets for the caves. A team
of courageous doctors have volunteered to accompany the medicine
into Afghanistan. One big problem - AmeriCares still needs $50,000
to pay for the airfreight cost... if we do not raise the funds
by the end of this coming week, much of the donated medicines
will have to be sent elsewhere because of expiration dates,
etc.
For compassionate and humanitarian
reasons, and to save the lives of hundreds of children, I am
offering to exchange the award I received from Supreme Master
Ching Hai for a donation to AmeriCares, which is tax-deductible
for U.S. citizens, in order to cover the remaining cost of the
shipment of medical supplies to Afghanistan. The donation can
be sent directly to AmeriCares at 161 Cherry Street/ New Canaan,
CT, USA or wire transferred to their foundation, the AmeriCares
teleph?one number is 1-203-972-5500, attention: Drew Hannah.
I do not receive or touch any part of the donation. All proceeds
will be to help the children of Bamiyan. Please contact me if
you have any questions. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Al
Santoli
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February
8, 1998 (originally in English)
| Dear
Hung,
Thank you for contacting me regarding Master
Ching Haiis gracious and compassionate consideration of a
donation for the emergency aid shipment to Afghanistan. Since
last week the situation has become more desperate because
of an earthquake on Thursday that has left thousands homeless
in subzero temperatures and has killed more than 5,000 persons.
The earthquake area is neighboring the famine area. AmeriCares
is prepared to help in both areas.
The total cost of the first shipment of 100,000
pounds of medical supplies is $90,000. Last week we raised
$20,000, leaving us $30,000 needed to pay for the shipment
to depart for Afghanistan by mid-week. We are also trying
to raise additional money to purchase more blankets, water
purifiers, generators and snow ploughs for the high mountain
roads. The enclosed news report describes how treacherous
travel is in those high mountains during winter. We have at
least two doctors traveling with AmeriCares to provide direct
assistance. Doctors in the famine area have reported to us
that between a dozen and two dozen children are dying each
day in the famine area due to lack of medicine, lack of nutrition,
the cold and lack of clean water.
AmeriCares is one of the foremost private
U.S. charitable relief agencies. It distributes more than
$200 million of donated medicines worldwide annually to countries
such as Bosnia, Rwanda, Nicaragua, North Korea, etc. The Ambasador-at-Large
for AmeriCares is Mrs. Barbara Bush, Nobel Peace Prize recipient
Elie Wiesel, General Colin Powell and actor James Earl Jones
are on their Advisory Committee. The AmeriCares web site is
www.AmeriCares.org for further information. All donations
to AmeriCares are tax-deductible. All donations should be
sent directly to AmeriCares where vice-chairman Drew Hannah
is coordinating the shipment.
I am currently working in the U.S. House of
Representatives, specializing in international relations and
human rights. My office number is 1-202-225-2415. My home
number is 703-255-6437.
Sincerely,
Al Santoli
|
<A
Letter Of Appreciation>
Letter
from AmeriCares
February
18, 1998 (originally in English)
| Dear
Madam Ching Hai:
In
our common pursuit to help those who cannot help themselves,
on occasion, a singular act of great kindness allows us
to undertake actions which would not, otherwise, have been
possible. The Suma Ching Hai International Association's
splendid and generous gift will permit AmeriCares to do
exactly that.
Next
week, we will deliver an airlift of some 40 tons of medicines,
medical supplies and other relief materials to the people
of Afghanistan. As you know, the political situation in
Afghanistan has created tremendous hardship. The Rastaq
earthquake has made difficult circumstances far worse in
the Takhar region. Great loss of life and suffering have
resulted. We are hopeful that our shipment will help to
alleviate, in part, critical shortages of basic medical
supplies. Additionally, materials will be provided for central
and western Afghanistan and, specifically, for the Bamiyan
area.
Mr.
Ngo has graciously shared with me information on your organization's
activities other the last several years. Undoubtedly, our
paths have crossed in many places - Chechnya, Rwanda, Kobe,
China - to name a few. Our present activities are in North
Korea, Iraq, Congo, Peru, Ecuador and in California where
AmeriCares is responding to the El Nino calamity. I would
hope that in the future we will again have the opportunity
to collaborate in providing help to people in distress.
For your information, I have enclosed some literature on
AmeriCares' work.
Madam
Ching Hai, please accept my heartfelt gratitude for your
contribution. It is only through the efforts of people like
you and Mr. Ngo, and organizations such as Suma Ching Hai,
that AmeriCares is able to provide help and hope to those
in need around the world.
With
our best wishes,
Sincerely,
Andrew
L. Hannah
Vice Chairman and
Chief Operating Officer
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Art
Creations
Humanitarian Work
*Master's
Words
*Formosa,
March/July 1989
*USA, July 1993
*Belgium/France/Holland,
December 1993/January 1994
*Rwanda, June/July 1994
*Cambodia, December
1994/January 1995
*Bosnia/Chechnya,
January 1995
*Japan, January 1995
*Russia, May 1995
*Pakistan, July 1995
*Bangladesh, June
1996
*North Korea, June
1996
*Venezuela, July 1996
*Thailand, December
1996
*USA, January 1997
*Afghanistan, February 1998
*USA, July 1998
*Sudan, September 1998
*Au
Lac, January 1999
*Philippines,
February 1999
*Albania, June 1999
*Turkey, August 1999
*China, August/September
1999
*Formosa, September
1999
*El Salvador, November
2000
*USA, September 2001
*Afghanistan,
October 2001
*South Africa,
March 2002
*Colombia, December
2002
*Argentina, April/May
2003
*India, April/May 2003
*Algeria, May/June 2003
*Canada, August 2003
*Iran, December 2003/January
2004
Special
Events
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Humanitarian
Work