NICA in Burma

Dear colleagues and concerned members of the wider community,

Support for VICTIMS of Cyclone Nargis, updated on 12th May

28,458 Dead(official); 102,000 Dead(estimated); 33,416 Missing (official);2 million Affected(estimated)

We are NICA – Networking & Initiatives for Culture & the Arts – an independent, artist-run and not-for-profit resource development and cultural organisation, the first to work inside Burma (Myanmar) since 2003, with a history of researching and networking inside Burma dating back to 1997.

NICA is putting out this open call for support and donations to be given directly to grass root organisations and monasteries inside Burma which are actively providing hands on aid to the victims of cyclone Nargis.

NICA is providing an alternative way of channelling aid to the victims. We are aware that by now at least USD 77 Million of aid (materials) has been pledged by the international community, but knowing the bureaucracy inside Burma and the conditions attached by donors, only a fraction of this will reach the victims. The funds given to NICA will be transferred within 24 hours directly to grassroots organisations inside Burma through a trusted private “money transfer” system.

Since we started this call on 8th May we could send in funding to Yangon by the night of 10th May.
Donations were given to the “Health and Death Assistant Association” in Yangon (Rangoon) and an ad hoc community group working with monastery in Karmayut Township doing distribution of food and providing small cash assistance.
Details can be viewed in this blog on the HOME page.

For details on funds transfer to our bank accounts in Singapore and Malaysia, please email us at ifima@gmx.net
Please be aware that the bank charges across borders are between USD 20 -30. There are no charges for transferring from Singapore/ Malaysia into Burma.

Alternative low charge transfer can be made through Paypal. Our Paypal account is: ifima@gmx.net

For more information about NICA, please visit NICA’s webpage, which is kept to a minimum, to allow access from inside Burma, at:

http://www.artstreammyanmar.net/cultural/nica/nica.htm email: nica@mail2art.com

related news:

http://bangkokpost.com/topstories/topstories.php?id=127541

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/346390/1/.html

http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=11823