Dear colleagues and friends,
apologies if this email may sound off-topic to you. My work as teacher, researcher and digital humanist in recent years has brought me into contact with a variety of cultural realities. Since 2009 I have been involved with an Italian NPO working in India and Nepal (http://www.ilmondodelleidee.it). In particular, this NPO is concerned with education in a multicultural and inter-religious world. Together with other volunteers of the NPO I travelled to Katmandu and Pokhara in 2010 and 2012 and I had the opportunity to admire the competence, passion and honesty of this group of incredible people who are now gathering funds for a range of initiatives.
I am aware that requests for help are constant, and it is not easy to orient oneself, but if further reassurance is required, I personally, taking advantage of a sabatical this year, will be in Nepal between September and October to assist them in their work. Thus, I will be able to report back what I have seen and the nature of our intervention.
I would be grateful if you would read the letter by Viola Padovani, founder of the NPO and driving force behind the project:
http://www.ilmondodelleidee.it/?cat=6&lang=en
Our friends and local collaborators are safe and sound, but the effects of the second tremor were devastating. Besides the thousands of dead - we will never know the real figures, given the "invisibility" of the poor. Many stunning medieval sights in Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur (the village where Bertolucci shot Little Buddha) are now just rubble. It is as if an earthquake had flattened Italian historical cities like Pisa, Arezzo e Siena all at the same time. The Boudhanath Stupa, one of Tibetan Buddhism's most important monuments, is now a pile of stones. The same goes for many other UNESCO sites. To get an idea of how things were and are now, have a look at the following photos.
http://thinkprogress.org/world/2015/04/26/3651327/nepal-earthquake/
Below you will find particulars concerning payment and you can also use Pay Pal.
Sincere thanks to anyone who can help us out.
Domenico Fiormonte
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c/o Banca Popolare di Spoleto
SWIFT code: BPSPIT3S
IBAN: IT17 M057 0403 2000 0000 0003406
Please make payment to: "Centro Studi Platone ONLUS" Reason for payment: Emergency Nepal 2015 ............................................................................ ..........................
Alternative account (Italian Post Office Bank):
IBAN : IT25 R076 0103 2000 0003 1052 046
Make payment to: Centro Studi Platone ONLUS Reason for payment: Emergency Nepal 2015 ..........................................................................
Paypal: www.ilmondodelleidee.it