In 2015, Nepal suffered a series of cataclysmic earthquakes, devastating villages… {I suppose it’s worth noting that this was also in the week of some other conundrums and tragedies involving the royal family and cataclysmic change in government and society in general}.
Anyhow, living in Vancouver at a time, and feeling lousy about my then-new-found health situation, I tried to participate in various relief efforts and *at least* document and amplify as best i could.
riffs and musings about Nepal
Since my childhood fascination with the Himalaya mountains and the thought of drinking yak milk tea high altitude, villages, Nepal held a place in my heart. {I also have a dear friend from the country who’s helped me out in multiple times of disarray}.
As it goes, a few years later, I finally made my first visit to the country for an extended Ayurveda treatment and was unbelievably charmed and fascinated by the intrepid and kind nature of the Nepali people.
As such, this post is simply to remind myself, others and history about the grassroots efforts that went on at the time to bring relief.
Postcards: Specifically, I did my own campaign of “Postcards for Nepal” in which anyone who demonstrated some activity to support Nepal relief efforts, would receive one of my handmade postcards. Not a big deal i realize but you do with what you have.
Postcards from Nepal relief
evidence of postcards for Nepal
Campaign posters: And, as is my habit, I documented handbills and flyers for other relief efforts and campaigns and did my best to donate and promote Nepal relief efforts and admired the grassroots and creativity of many of the initiatives. I see you.
HUGE HUGE respect for the folks sparking these campaigns and initiatives, i see you and sharing these for archival history
another really interesting grassroots initiative to send medical equipment. As I recall, there was also some early instances of 3-D printing put to use during this time
Food: I also worked with then-nearby Gurkha Nepal restaurant who were hosting weekly lunches and dinners at which proceeds went to the relief efforts.
checking in from Gurkha restuarant
Some really nice guys working there (as I understand, they subsequently sold and moved on). Also noting that i chronically misspelled the name of the restaurant.
NOTE: Recorded the evening before the 7.3 earthquake on 5/11/15.
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us20002ejl#general_summary
Nepali restauranteur Raju Bhanttari and enthusiast DaveO talk about the challenges and successes of the relief efforts in Nepal and offer ideas to help at a grassroots level.
Topics include:
* Nepal Relief Dinners at Gurkha Himalayan Kitchen on Davie. St.
* Sandeep Giri’s and Gham Power’s “Rebuild with Solar” campaign
* Importance of maintaining awareness and outreach
* Reaching villages where aid is most needed
* Staying positive and optimistic and compassionate
* Also, Yak Tea and mo-mos.
From a porch, I share a few rambling thoughts about the situation in Nepal, annotations about disasters and social media, and a few ways to help including: attending a Nepal relief dinner at Gurkha Restaurant on Davie Street; and, helping with a unique solar panel project with donations and or geek help.
Help #Nepal (again) Today + Tell the World = I’ll send you an art postcard.
One. Do something to help Nepal relief between today and May 25
Two. Tell about your actions in comments
Three. I’ll send you a handmade postcard to say “right on”
Keep spreading awareness and help how you can through skills, money, or sending happiness. But don’t forget Nepal. Ideas to help are welcome.
Also:
++ It’s bad business not to donate to Nepal – via @wapost http://owl.li/Nping
Nepalese earthquake survivors line up during a food distribution in Kathmandu, Nepal,
The loss of life from the recent earthquakes in Nepal is approaching the scale of the earthquake that devastated Japan in 2011, where more than 20,000 perished. Major companies can and should be at the forefront of disaster relief there, but so far they have been slow to respond.
In relative terms, Nepal has been hit very hard. Japan lost one inhabitant for every 10,000 residents; Nepal, has lost one for every 3,000. The cost to Japan came to about 6 percent of its GDP; the cost to Nepal may be close to 50 percent of its GDP.
Yet Nepal has received far less business aid. In the aftermath of the Japanese disaster, firms around the world rushed in with cash and goods, providing more than half of the total international aid for Japan’s relief. But the corporate flow into Nepal has been barely a trickle. During the first several days after the earthquake, business aid arrived at a rate of $5,000 an hour. Compare that to Japan’s earthquake, when it was $150,000 per hour.
The disparity reflects an uncomfortable truth: Corporate contributions tend to go to countries that are already the most, rather than the least, prepared to dig themselves out. When the World Economic Forum rated countries by their readiness to come back from great shocks, Japan ranked near the top, Nepal near the bottom.
It makes sense that corporations act to cushion their own economic shocks from natural disasters by directing relief to countries where they have the greatest stake. Tracking international relief by the 2,000 largest multinational enterprises, we find that their donations closely followed their country operations.
The far greater business assistance to Chile than Haiti, after both countries experienced massive earthquakes at about the same time, had much to do with the fact that 37 percent of these firms operated in Chile but only 8 percent in Haiti. Companies like Wal-Mart, American Airlines, and the mining company Anglo American already had a strong presence in Chile and donated millions of dollars to its relief.
Now we see this same disparity in Nepal. Just 15 companies – fewer than 1 percent of the world’s 2,000 largest multinational firms – operated in Nepal when the first earthquake hit. So it is unfortunately no surprise that little business assistance has been flowing into Nepal, even though the country’s needs have never been greater. By one estimate, of the $550 million in outside aid to Nepal to date, corporations have contributed just $28 million.
The limited business assistance to Nepal reflects the limited company footprint there at the moment, but that absence will likely constitute a big strategic mistake for the future.
Though still one of the poorest countries in the world, Nepal and its 28 million residents will one day become an attractive market for many multinational enterprises. Today’s distressed residents of Nepal will long recollect the corporate brands that stepped forward in their moment of peril. Though business giving may seem un-strategic at the moment, that’s not only an uncompassionate way to think, it’s tactically shortsighted.
The U.S. pharmaceutical company Merck gave out Streptomycin for free to post-war Japan when it was ravaged by tuberculosis. Today, Merck has become one of the leading U.S. drug companies doing business in Japan.
During the recent outbreak of Ebola in West Africa, American companies like medical and dental supplier Henry Schein and aluminum maker Alcoa came forward with materials and staffing. The immediate return on their investments will likely be nil, but that commitment will be long recalled in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
Business giving when it seems least strategic in the moment will be the most strategic for the long term. With Nepal already devastated by the first earthquake and new aftershocks adding to the disaster, now is both an important time and a smart time for companies to step up the flow.
Disaster Repair in The Philippines with the SeaBees – Choogle On! #103
Continuing on a conversation about Iraq and Afghanistan, Lt. Magnum of the US Navy shares experiences from an assignment helping the Philippines recover from a variety of natural disasters aboard the USS Pelilu (named for the Palauan island).
Stories include logistics of engineering, construction projects, diplomatic relations, ingenuity on the ground, pig roasts, helicopter landings and the goodness of the Navy’s construction battalion AKA SeaBees.
Inspire Japan Stories for Global Pecha Kucha Day by Dave Olson
Anecdotes and inspiration from working and hitchhiking in Japan including visiting hot springs, working in an enoki mushroom farm, meeting interesting folks proud of their town and hobbies. Plus exploring Japanese culture in Guam, Palau and Yap.
