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Carrillo Gantner, President of The Myer Foundation and Chairman of the Sidney Myer Fund, both based in Melbourne, Australia; and Shaw Vee Meng, Chairman of The Shaw Foundation in Singapore, are co-convening the event, which seeks to bring together family philanthropy practitioners in the region to discuss issues relevant to the practice of family-based giving in the Asia-Pacific context. “Our Family Philanthropy Workshop will provide an opportunity to interact, network, share and learn from peers,” says Chief Executive Rory Tolentino. “Having Carrillo and Dr. Shaw, two individuals who are well-known practitioners in the field of family philanthropy, co-convene the event, illustrates this unique aspect of the workshop. We are delighted that they have accepted our invitation.” The Myer Foundation is based on the legacy of Melbourne businessman Sidney Myer (1878-1934), who donated a tenth of his estate to benefit the community in which he made his fortune. The Foundation's large grants program gives support in five categories: the Arts and Humanities; Australia in the Asia-Pacific Region; Education; Poverty and Disadvantage; Sustainability and the Environment. The Shaw Foundation was established in 1957 by the brothers Sir Run Run Shaw and Tan Sri Runme Shaw. It has enriched many through its gifts to schools, polytechnics, universities, hospitals, museums, the arts, cultural and theatre groups, social agencies under the Community Chest umbrella as well as others not within the Community Chest, such as the Singapore Botanic Gardens, the Singapore Zoo, the Singapore Bird Park, and numerous other charities.
(L-R) Natalia Soebagjo, Diep Vuong and Ailing Zhuang at the Conference Planning Committee meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam. The Committee has elected to move the upcoming biannual conference, entitled "Diaspora Giving: An Agent of Change in Asia-Pacific Communities?" to March 2008. APPC’s Conference Planning Committee, led by diaspora expert Priya Viswanath, has decided to move its next biannual conference, “Diaspora Giving: An Agent of Change in Asia-Pacific Communities?”, originally scheduled for October 2007, to March 2008. This will allow more time for preparatory writing, research and fund raising. This decision was reached last March 11, when the Planning Committee met for the second time in Hanoi, Vietnam. In this meeting, the committee welcomed two new members: Ms. Diep Vuong of US-Based Pacific Links Foundation, who is also Co-Founder and President of the Vietnamese-American NGO Network, and Mr. Nguyen van Kien of the People’s Aid Coordinating Committee of the Vietnamese Government, APPC’s local sponsor for the conference. Mr. Don Ton Phon, Deputy Director General and Mr. Hoang Bang Giang, Representative for North America, attended the meeting in Mr. van Kien’s behalf. The committee discussed action plans for APPC’s next conference, including themes for the plenary and breakout sessions, potential speakers, and participants. Discussions highlighted the various levels of diaspora giving in Asia and how these differences underscore the significance of mapping existing data on diaspora philanthropy in the region. The conference hopes to highlight the unique characteristics of the Asian countries, produce best practice cases on innovative efforts vis-à-vis diaspora giving, and encourage learning and action-planning among participants. The committee is set to meet again in October 2007.
The amount was turned over by Ramon Magsaysay Awards Foundation Executive Director Carn Abella to CODE-NGO Chairperson Rory Tolentino and Executive Director Sixdon Macasaet last February. Foreign contribution regulation bill in India questioned by civil society groups The bill gives the government authority to classify a group as an “organisation of a political nature”, barring it from receiving foreign funds. As a result, CIVICUS claims, the government could deregister any organisation it deemed as “political,” potentially including those legitimately engaged in the political process such as in lobbying or election observing. “We recommend that the bill be dropped and its predecessor, the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 1976 be repealed. At the very least, certain elements of the FCRB must be amended.” says Clare Doube, Manager of CIVICUS’ Civil Society Watch. “[It] gives civil servants the power to interfere with civil society activity, potentially undermining their vital work and violating their democratic freedoms,” According to the Indian government, the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Bill (FCRB) would prevent overseas contributions from being used for anti-national and terrorist activities. However, local and international organisations say that it may also block much-needed funding for legitimate and valuable civil society work. The bill is currently under review by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs.
The hundreds of thousands of nongovernmental organizations in China must operate under the government’s approval, yet the government seems to be relaxing some of its control, The Los Angeles Times reported this month. Alarmed by large disparities in income among the nation’s residents, the Chinese government has given nonprofit organizations more freedom to solve social problems. The Catholic Social Service Center of the Liaoning Diocese in northeastern China recently held the nation’s first pan-Christian conference on HIV and AIDS. In attendance were government officials from the Ministries of Religious Affairs and Health. Both sides agreed to develop a network of religious groups dedicated to preventing the spread of HIV and AIDS. In addition, the Xinhua News Agency, a local news service, reported that Chinese Vice Premier, Hui Liangyu, urged the Chinese people to develop their “sense of charity” when he spoke in Beijing at the 2006 China Charity Awards last 19 March. Mr. Hui said that although Chinese people had a long history of helping each other, more effort was needed to further promote a sense of charity. He said the Chinese government should work with non-government organizations and encourage individuals and corporations to give to charity. Nokia launches new initiatives to help young people affected by the Asian Tsunami
Two years on from the Asian Tsunami that devastated many communities, Nokia has announced the launch of several new projects to help young people in India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia with training and new skills. The initiative is designed to help young people find jobs or set up small businesses, building long-term livelihoods for themselves and their families. Nokia provided immediate disaster relief aid and funding to the region affected by the Tsunami in December 2004. It also pledged EUR 2.5 million for longer-term recovery to help young people rebuild their lives through access to training and apprenticeships. "With the Asian tsunami relief effort having moved from immediate humanitarian assistance to long-term reconstruction and recovery, Nokia is pleased to play a key role in rebuilding the communities affected by the disaster", said Martin Sandelin, Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Involvement, Nokia. "Through these initiatives, Nokia continues to promote long-term sustainability and livelihood in areas that remain deeply affected nearly two years after the disaster." Working together with the International Youth Foundation and the Grameen Foundation, the Nokia projects will help thousands of young people and their communities. Projects have been specially developed to meet the needs of each country. Together with local governments, NGOs and international aid agencies, the most appropriate and effective implementation is decided for each area affected by the tsunami. The total value of Nokia's overall money and in-kind contribution to immediate disaster relief and long term reconstruction is estimated to be in excess of EUR 3 million. For more details, visit www.nokia.com.
Sebastien Marot, founder of Friends International, a Give2Asia grantee, has received the Skoll Foundation's 2007 Award for Social Entrepreneurship. The award, announced by the Skoll Foundation, recognizes social entrepreneurs whose work has the potential to influence issues throughout the world. Marot has created a model for rehabilitating and empowering street children, replicated in Asia and Latin America. Friends International has its roots in Mith Samlanh, a drop-in center and school, which Marot founded in 1994 after traveling through Cambodia. The Center’s relative success in the past decade, serving 1800 children per day, allowed the model to expand and grow into Friends International, an international organization with projects in Cambodia, Mexico, Honduras, Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia, and Thailand. The Skoll Foundation, started by eBay founder Jeffrey Skoll, acts to empower people to create a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. The Skoll Foundation is a strategic partner to Give2Asia and is supporting our goal of making $85 million in new philanthropy available to local charities in Asia between 2007 and 2010. Gates Foundation awards grants for micro-enterprise development in Africa and Asia
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has just awarded International Development Enterprises (IDE) a $13.4 million grant to develop and promote low-cost irrigation methods for rural poor in Africa and Asia and to help create markets for the agricultural products they produce. IDE, an international non-profit organization helping poor farmers in developing countries, uses a market-based approach to facilitate unsubsidized market systems in which the rural poor can participate effectively as micro-entrepreneurs and earn income. IDE plans to increase the net incomes of 40,000 small-plot subsistence farmers, mostly in rural areas who earn $1 a day, by at least $200 annually. Additionally, the technology sales and markets these farmers create will increase incomes of another 60,000 by $100 annually. The grant will sponsor research and development of irrigation technology and markets in Ethiopia and Zambia in Africa, and Nepal and Myanmar in Asia, over four years. The approach rests on sound economic principles of making labor more productive through access to low-cost irrigation systems and with no direct subsidies. IDE uses donated capital to develop affordable, income-producing technologies for smallholders and creates markets for them. This approach spawns the development of sustainable market-driven micro-enterprises that reach millions. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation supports grantees in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Internationally, the Foundation supports work in more than 100 countries. In 2005, about 70 percent of grants went toward global efforts; the rest was dedicated to improving lives in the United States. For more information on IDE, visit www.ide-international.org. For more information on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, visit www.gatesfoundation.org.
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