Tens of thousands of people have been killed or injured by the devastating earthquake that struck south west China on 12 May. Many more have lost their homes and the death toll continues to rise.

The epicentre of the 7.9 magnitude quake was Wenchuan County in Sichuan Province, with another seven provinces affected. Tremors were felt as far away as the capital Beijing.

A number of heavily populated areas have been badly hit. In the town of Beichuan, 80 per cent of buildings are reported to have collapsed, including several schools, burying children and teachers under piles of rubble. The nearby town of Mianzhu, which has a population of 60,000, was also seriously affected. Roads and communication lines have been severely disrupted, and heavy rains are forecast, which will further complicate rescue efforts.

Soon after the earthquake struck, volunteers from the Red Cross Society of China were on the ground distributing emergency relief to the survivors. But as the situation continues to unfold, more help is urgently needed to prevent further loss of life.

People need food, clean water and shelter to help them survive the immediate aftermath of the quake.

The Red Cross is working around the clock to reach those most in need.

For information of how you can help click here

Avaaz.org is a community of global citizens who take action on the major issues facing the world today. The aim of Avaaz.org is to ensure that the views and values of the world’s people shape global decisions. Avaaz.org members act for a more just and peaceful world and a globalisation with a human face.

Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world’s people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means “voice” in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Paris, Washington DC, and Geneva.

To stay independent, Avaaz takes no money from corporations or governments so building the Crisis Action Fund is up to individual Avaaz members.

Over the last year, we’ve shown together that global people power can make a decisive difference in moments of global emergency. So when the next crisis hits like the recent flare-ups in Pakistan, Kenya, or Gaza we want the best strategy, not budget constraints, to guide our actions.

That’s why we’re launching the 2008 Crisis Action Fund. Our goal is to raise 50,000 Euros this week to fund rapid-response advocacy as crises break throughout the coming year. The money could pay for rallies in cities across the globe; it could buy vital communications equipment for endangered democracy activists; it could fund emergency media campaigns – whatever will have the greatest impact when our voice is needed the most.

What kind of rapid response are we talking about? Here are some examples from 2007:

* Burma: When news broke in October of the violent crackdown against protesting monks, Avaaz members scrambled into action. Within 96 hours, more than half a million people called on the Chinese government to intervene, and Avaaz ran the total count in a full-page ad in one of the most influential global newspapers. Shamed, China successfully pushed Burma to start talks with the UN and with pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

* Global poverty: When World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz’s personal corruption undermined the bank’s effort to encourage good government, Avaaz members joined the cry for new leadership. With global media looking on we hand-delivered 50,000 signatures to World Bank Headquarters. Wolfowitz resigned days later.

* Global warming: During the Bali climate change summit, Avaaz members confronted obstructionist governments in real time throughout the negotiations by flooding our officials with phone calls and letters and funding rapid-response ad campaigns in response to each day’s events. In the final moments, more than 320,000 Avaaz members spoke out against the attempt by the US, Canada, and Japan to scuttle an agreement. This massive, rapid public pressure helped to turn the tide.

To find out more about Avaaz.org click here

By entering the auction you will not only be helping the Lesotho community but you could also become the proud owner of a fabulous brand new Corgi i-car.

(see below for details on how to enter)

This car rocks!!! The high-quality stereo speakers pump out the sound and coloured lights illuminate the wheel wells, rims, and undercarriage. The i-Car comes to life when you plug in your digital music player, bringing an element of sound and vision unlike anything that’s come before.

Don’t have your iPod handy? No problem! Each i-Car comes with its own cool music and is ready to do its thing on a moment’s notice. Just want to listen to your tunes? i-Car has a speaker only mode as well.

The i-Car runs on 6 “AA” batteries or with an AC adapter (not included), and can connect to any music source that has standard headphone jacks – all iPods, other MP3 players, CD players, stereos and PC’s — with the included cord.

I-car not your thing? What’s The Recipe Today Jim is donating a tempting selection of home made sweets and biscuits. Just visit the site for more details – you wont be disappointed!.

How the auction works:

For every $10 donated, you earn one virtual raffle ticket to bid on a prize of your choice. At the end of the two-week campaign, the raffle tickets are drawn and the results announced on Chez Pim. The campaign will run from 10th – 21th Dec.

The brain child of Chez Pim, the Menu for Hope campaign is now in its forth year, raising nearly $63000 last year for the UN World food program.

With a special permission from the WFP, the funds raised by Menu for Hope 4 this year will be earmarked for the school lunch program in Lesotho, Africa.

Pim says:

” We chose to support the school lunch program because providing food for the children not only keeps them alive, but keeps them in school so that they learn the skills to feed themselves in the future. We chose to support the program in Lesotho because it is a model program in local procurement – buying food locally to support local farmers and the local economy. Instead of shipping surplus corn across the ocean, the WFP is buying directly from local subsistent farmers who practice conservation farming methods in Lesotho to feed the children there.”

How to enter:

1. Choose a prize or prizes of your choice from our Menu for Hope at http://www.chezpim.com. (This is the global list of all prizes donated this year.
The summary of UK prizes can be found at http://thepassionatecook
You must make sure to check the terms and conditions for the individual prizes BEFORE you bid, as some will come with restrictions regarding where they ship to or how long the prize is valid for.

2. Go to the donation site at http://www.firstgiving.com and make a donation.

3. Please specify which prize you’d like in the ‘Personal Message’ section in the donation form when confirming your donation. You must write-in how many tickets per prize, and please use the prize code.
Each $10 you donate will give you one raffle ticket toward a prize of your choice. For example, a donation of $50 can be 2 tickets for EU01 and 3 tickets for EU02. Please write 2xEU01, 3xEU02

4. If your company matches your charity donation, please check the box and fill in the information so we could claim the corporate match.

5. Please check the box to allow us to see your email address so that we can contact you in case you win. Your email address will not be shared with anyone.

6. Check back on Chez Pim on Wednesday January 9 for the results of the raffle.

If you have any questions about the prize or the auction please email us

Thank you for your support and good Luck!!

A severe cyclone in Bangladesh has claimed almost three thousand lives. More than 18,000 people have been injured and thousands more are still missing.
Cyclone Sidr, which hit on 15 November, triggered a tidal surge that devastated three coastal towns and forced the evacuation of almost a million people.

During the storm, 500,000 homes were ripped apart and huge tracts of farmland have been flooded or severely damaged.
An estimated 5.5 million people have been affected across 30 districts.

Much of the country’s electricity and communications infrastructure remains down, further impeding the response operation.
The Disasters Emergency Committee has launched an appeal to help those affected by the disaster.

Prior to the appeal’s launch, the British Red Cross contributed £30,000 from its Disaster Fund to assist those affected by the cyclone in Bangladesh. This will be used to provide urgently needed food and emergency medical assistance for up to 32,000 of the most vulnerable families in eight districts.

To find out more about how you can help click here

Those of you who watched the documentary “Bulgaria’s Abandoned Children” shown on BBC2 Sunday 18 November would no doubt be left shocked and disturbed by their plight.

Most of these children have never stepped foot out side since entering the institution. They spend their days rocking back and forth to relieve the boredom, nobody speaks or plays with them and they are so malnourished from their poor diet that many are too weak to walk.

Here is what the director of the documentary Kate Blewett has to say:

“I am overwhelmed by the response to my film Bulgaria’s Abandoned Children. Thank you all for making the effort to write down and share your thoughts and emotions after watching this deeply depressing film. It is the very reaction and help that you can offer that, for me, is the purpose of putting such tough viewing on television. There is really no point in spending months on the road filming and bearing witness to such neglect and unhappiness – if then nothing changes. Perhaps I can take the opportunity to tell you a little more about the actual filming.

Filming was immensely depressing! Day in and day out, watching the children’s empty lives and seeing their minds trying to cope with the total lack of stimulation and love, by self-harming and rocking in such a purposeful and often violent way. I knew their misery was deep-rooted once I learned how long each child had been there. As the filmmakers, we were often in a difficult position because we needed to keep our access open in order to document life in the institute over a period of time, rather than just dropping in and out of the children’s lives. We needed to be calm and unobtrusive so that we did not change the routine, so depicting an accurate picture of life at Mogilino. I must say I did get more and more angry with each visit – frustrated and speechless too, sometimes.

Most of the staff were fairly welcoming – and showed no shame for the way the children’s bodies and limbs were wasting away. It was as if all was fine. This was something I witnessed in China too when making The Dying Rooms – the staff were not embarrassed to let us film dying children, as it seemed the norm. The Director’s absence in Mogilino and her lack of information about individual children said it all.

I think something very important to mention is that to anyone visiting the institute it would look “pretty ok” on first viewing – because the walls are painted, the place is bleached and the children have clothes on their bodies and quite often shoes on their feet. The actual physical environment is surprisingly acceptable – because the staff know how to clean! What really matters is the condition of the children themselves – wasted limbs, bed sores, chronically dry and cracked skin, soggy thumbs that are sucked for a long period of time without medical help, relentless rocking and self-harming, cuts and bruises to the body.

The children lack access to sunlight and fresh air and they are deficient in vitamins, mineral and nutrients for essential growth – so they are all a lot smaller than they should be. The Director and staff put this down to “their disease”. Their disease is the institute.

The children that particularly disturb and upset me are the blind. Imagine being dumped by your parents just for being blind and then living the rest of your childhood in the darkness at Mogilino. We all know what blind people are capable of. But not at Mogilino. They fade away. Some die. Vasky and Stoyan will die if they stay there.

The film has had a massive impact both here and in Bulgaria (although it has not yet been screened on television in Bulgaria it has been all over the newspapers) and I am exploring how best to help the children of Mogilino and others like them elsewhere in Bulgaria. The charities and organisations linked to on this page are doing marvellous work and I hope to respond to your many letters by providing more information, as well as updates about my personal plans to help the children, on our production company’s website.

Warm regards, Kate”

For more information on how you can help visit The campaign for Bulgaria’s abandoned children

From the University of Arizona Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program via the Rainforest Foundation:

On September 4, 2007, Hurricane Felix hit land on the Northeast Coast of Nicaragua as a level 5 hurricane. Initial reports have told the story of the eye of the hurricane passing directly over Awas Tingni, resulting in complete devastation of all the homes in the community, as well as destruction of all nearby crops and transport routes. Rains have continued since the hurricane hit, causing floods and ongoing dangerous conditions in the entire region.

As many of you know, Awas Tingni is a Mayangna (Sumo) indigenous community located on the Atlantic Coast in Nicaragua. The community is best known internationally for the landmark case decided by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, Mayagna (Sumo) Community of Awas Tingni v. Nicaragua, where after a long legal battle, the community successfully gained legal recognition of its customary land tenure.

The Awas Tingni community is located in a densely forested area. Homes in the village are primarily single rooms covered in thatch or tin, transport is primarily by canoe, and many of the family members are sustained by food grown on their family and community owned and maintained plots. As members of the legal team that has worked and lived alongside this community for over 12 years to facilitate their struggle to maintain control of their land rights, we are now faced with a call to help our friends in Awas Tingni to survive this natural disaster…

Funds to Rebuild

We are collecting financial contributions that will be used to rebuild the community. We will work with the community leaders and local relief organizations to assess whether the funds would be best distributed immediately or saved for future rebuilding efforts. Immediate needs will include basic food, shelter, and medical needs. Later, in addition to reconstructing their homes and crops, the community will need to rebuild its school, health center, and other communal gathering places. Any amount of financial contribution will be appreciated, and used solely for rebuilding efforts in Awas Tingni. Your contributions will be tax deductible, and you will receive a written receipt for your contribution. Donations may be made through the Rainforest Foundation-U.S., which is a partner of the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program and has been supporting the Awas Tingni community directly in its effort to protect its lands and environment.

Please make checks payable to the Rainforest Foundation, earmarked for Awas Tingni and send by mail to:

Rainforest Foundation US
32 Broadway, #1614
New York, NY 10004

Or make a contribution securely online through PayPal at the Rainforest Foundation US website: www.rainforestfoundation.org

As many as five million people have been evacuated in China, which is experiencing some of its worst flooding in more than 50 years. And the continuous monsoon rains and cyclones have caused misery right across the continent including Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Nepal, affecting some of the poorest populations in the world. Flash floods and landslides have destroyed thousands of villages, huge swathes of farmland and vital roads.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is providing emergency relief to all the affected countries. Volunteers are delivering food, water and basic healthcare to thousands of families who have lost everything in the floods.

A British Red Cross team is currently working in Pakistan to prevent the outbreak of disease from poor sanitation as a result of the flooding.

Funds raised from this appeal will help those most in need. Please give what you can today. The Asia Floods Appeal will cover past, present and near future flooding events in numerous countries throughout the continent, including those currently affected and those potentially affected in the future.

How to give:

Make a secure online donation by credit or debit card here
Text FLOODS and the amount you would like to donate to 64483 to make a donation via your Paypal account e.g. ‘FLOODS 10′ to donate £10
Give over the phone by calling 0845 054 7201
Send cheques, made payable to British Red Cross Asia Floods Appeal to:

British Red Cross – Asia Floods Appeal
44 Moorfields, London
EC2Y 9AA

Hi Everyone,
I thought I’d give you a quick update after Hurricane Dean. Please share this with any other family or friends you know may be concerned about our safety.
Bacalar took the brunt of the Category 5 hurricane early Tues. morning (1-7 a.m. was the most dramatic). It was a long night but our town survived 180 mile an hour winds and gusts somewhere around 200 mph. We lost no lives in any of the communities nearby and there was only 1 death related to the storm in Southern Quintana Roo.
We feel very fortunate to have a house, food and drinking water. Our town is devastated, there are 1,000 families without homes, and we are all pitching in to do what we can for our community of 10,000. In the surrounding towns there are many, many homeless people due to the lightweight construction of their houses – most had lamina or grass roofs and stick type walls (palapas). The beach town of Majahual was wiped out due to ocean tides, am waiting for reports from the beach area of Xcalack.
The Mexican govt. is wonderfully responsive in these situations. Although we may not have power for another 5 days, they are already rebuilding houses, bringing food and water to the neighborhoods, we have every bit of support they have at their disposal.

Well folks, there you have it. It was a WILD RIDE…..
Hugs,

This was a message from our friend in Bacalar, but she is also asking us to send clothing, blankets etc and MONEY to help re build. Many of the people do not have our advantages, help if you can please. thanks.

You can send money directly to Bacalar, send me an e mail and I can let you have the email address in Bacalar to send the money to via paypal…..also we have an address to send clothing and blankets etc
The area was hit very hard . 1000 homes were flattened.
PLEASE HELP

mselainehunter@yahoo.ca

Elaine Hunter