Benefit dinner offers food, facts, chance to contribute

Published Tuesday, January 18, 2005.

Two Ohio University student organizations helped aid the victims of the Dec. 26 tsunami by hosting a benefit dinner Sunday for students and Athens community members.
Permias, the Indonesian Student Association and SEASA, the Southeast Asian Studies Association, organized the Aceh Tsunami Relief Benefit Dinner, which was presented in Baker Ballroom in Baker University Center.

Adrian Budiman coordinated the event, which sponsored a variety of speakers so those who attended the dinner could learn about the effects of the tsunami through pictures, letters and personal accounts of life in Aceh, located 65 miles from the epicenter. The speakers urged the audience to take a proactive approach in aiding the victims by donating to relief efforts.

The dinner was organized in buffet style with some of the 30-50 volunteers serving traditional Indonesian food. The presentation portion of the night opened with Budiman thanking everyone for coming. The area of Aceh was struck by a force equivalent to 20,000 nuclear bombs, he said. "Every dollar collected will assist in the long healing process," Budiman said. "This tsunami has brought out the worst of nature but the best in humanity." Karen Kray, who spoke for SEASA, said that the fund-raising dinner was good not only because it helped bring much-needed funds to victims in Aceh, but it also brings attention to other areas also devastated by the tsunami. Speaker Teuku Zulfikar said victims need physical and psychological treatment more than money.

OU President Roderick McDavis also spoke of the importance of helping disaster victims.
"It seems we have to have a crisis for the best part of us to come out ... we are all tied together in our bond of humanity," McDavis said. "If we get up and believe we can make a difference, then I believe we can change the world. I believe that we can bring hope to the hopeless." After McDavis spoke, Indonesian children of Athens, ranging from indergarteners up to 7th graders, read letters they wrote to Acehnese children.

Zulfikar went to school in Aceh and explained the aftermath of the tsunami while showing pictures of the area through a PowerPoint presentation.
Zulfikar left the area just days before the tsunami hit. He said some of his professors were among the more than 100,000 killed. The disaster also displaced about 700,000 and orphaned about 70,000. "The people have to start at zero," Zulfikar said.

All proceeds went to Nurani Dunia, a humanitarian organization that that aids areas of Indonesia affected by social conflict and natural disasters. For the tsunami victims, the foundation helps with emergency aid distribution, crisis communication facilitation, disaster response education and orphan care. As of Jan. 15, the OU groups collected $13,000 from donations, mail-in checks, their Web site and campaigning at College Gate. The dinner portion of the fund-raiser sold 300 tickets at $10 each. There was also a silent auction where people could bid on hand-made crafts from Indonesia and items donated by local businesses.

Source: http://thepost.baker.ohiou.edu/Articles/Culture/2005/01/18/640/

Student group has close ties to tsunami victims, aids in recovery

Published Thursday, January 6, 2005.

Every day this week, members of the Indonesian Student Association of Ohio University stood in the rain at College Gate to collect donations and answer questions about last week's tsunami, where the death toll is estimated to be 156,000. This is one of several upcoming relief efforts in Athens this month. In addition to donation opportunities at College Gate this week, three benefit dinners will take place throughout the month, including a Community Fundraising Dinner today at 5 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church on College Street. The ISA has personal ties to the disaster in Asia. The north Sumatran province of Aceh in Indonesia was one of the hardest-hit areas, where an estimated 80,000 people were killed.

According to ISA adviser Don Flournoy, one member was in Aceh when the tsunami hit, though there is no indication the student is in danger. Nurani Dunia, an Indonesian humanitarian organization co-founded in 1999 by OU professor Elizabeth Collins, has distribution capabilities in Aceh, and will be the pipeline for Athens contributions to the disaster sites. "(Nurani Dunia is operated by) young people and the organization is as clean as they come and well-respected in Indonesia," Collins said.

According to ISA member Adrian Budiman, 100 percent of the money collected for Nurani Dunia will go directly to disaster relief. "All funds we collect, every single penny, (will go) without a middle person," Budiman said. "People here would like to see a tangible outlet where they know their money is going to do the most good, and that's what we're trying to provide for the local community." The College Gate campaigns were successful in the first two days, according to ISA treasurer Ratri Istania. Local faculty members contributed to a check for $3,000 that was sent to Aceh, and before the campaign began on yesterday, students donated an estimated $500. According to Collins, one American dollar can feed five Indonesian families. Student contributions from Monday and Tuesday alone could provide one meal to nearly 3,000 families.

Beyond tonight's dinner and the College Gate campaigns, two more fundraising opportunities occur later this month. At 6 p.m. on Jan. 16, the ISA is hosting a dinner for the Athens Tsunami Disaster Relief Project in the Baker Ballroom, featuring a silent auction with Indonesian handicrafts.

An Indonesian Benefit Dinner, sponsored by United Campus Ministries, will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 29, on the lower level of 18 N. College St. Half the proceeds will go toward relief efforts in Asia; the other half will benefit UCM. According to ISA adviser Flournoy, these monetary contributions will be the easiest and most efficient way to help the devastated area. "Money is probably the primary way (to provide aid); food and clothing and other tangible aid is piling up at airports -the problem is how to get these assets to locations," Flournoy said. For information on disaster efforts and other donation opportunities, visit www.saveindonesia.org.

Source: http://thepost.baker.ohiou.edu/Articles/News/2005/01/06/160/

McDavis offers support

Published Thursday, January 6, 2005.

Ohio University President Roderick McDavis said yesterday that he wanted to express his condolences to the thousands of OU students and alumni affected by the tsunami that hit East Asia on Dec. 26. More than 250 OU students are from the affected countries, and 1,600 alumni are from Malaysia.

McDavis said he has not heard of any students or alumni being injured, and he is hopeful that will not change. "This is a tragedy beyond belief," McDavis said. "All of our students, alumni and their families are in our thoughts and prayers."

The Southeast Asian Studies Association is collecting donations at College Gate this week, according to a press release distributed at the meeting. Donations will be given to the Nurani Dunia Foundation, an Indonesian humanitarian organization. A non-denominational service will take place at 12:10 p.m. today in the First United Methodist Church, 2 S. College Street, and it will also host a fundraising dinner from 5 to 8 tonight.

The Indonesian Student Association will also host a fundraising dinner Jan. 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. in Baker Ballroom. All proceeds will go to the Nurani Dunia Foundation.
McDavis said the International Student and Faculty Services department offers support to any students or faculty who may have been affected by the tragedy. Counseling and Psychological Services representatives will also be available to speak to individuals.
He said he plans to send a personal e-mail to all of the alumni affected and has already contacted OU students to offer support.

At his press conference yesterday, McDavis also discussed: As the Hocking River continues to rise, the university is prepared to take necessary precautions, such as closing the university, to ensure the safety of students and faculty. McDavis said no decisions have been made, but he continues to monitor the situation.

The seven-member committee reviewing the Mill Street apartment proposals has reduced construction proposals from three to two. McDavis said the committee will offer counter-proposals and a company will be selected by Jan. 7. Construction of the student center is still on schedule, and the university is considering moving the Baker University Center name to the new facility.

Director of University Relations Mary Dillon has resigned, an action that will be effective June 30. n Hub Burton, associate vice president for University Communications and Marketing, and Paul Ladwig, vice president for University Communications and Marketing, were reassigned to intercollegiate athletics for the betterment of the department, McDavis said.

Source: http://thepost.baker.ohiou.edu/Articles/News/2005/01/06/158/