Archive for February, 2009

25Feb
2009

Recent Donors

in Donations

2/24/09 A UNESCO colleague responded today to say that UNESCO would more than likely fund a request for emergency assistance under the Participation Programme to help rebuild the library collections that were destroyed if the request was channeled through the country’s UNESCO National Commission. 1/26/09 Singapore Myanmar Mariners Association Donors: Capt San Yu Hlaing (MS,Dy DPA) =S$ 150 Capt Lin Zaw (ISM Auditor, ABS American Bureau of Shipping) =S$ 100 Capt Kyaw Min Oo (Class A1 harbour pilot) =S$ 50 [...]

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25Feb
2009

Our Charity Book Fair Feb 18-23, Yangon

in About the Project
Our Charity Book Fair Feb 18-23, Yangon

2000 books donated by Halfprice Books sold for $5400, funds used to purchase Burmese language books for delta libraries, along with 5000 books donated by University of washington & Halfprice.

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24Feb
2009

Cylcone Nargis

in Featured
Cylcone Nargis

These images are from various sources and show the devastating size of Cyclone Nargis that hit Myanmar on May 2, 2008.  

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24Feb
2009

Devastation from Nargis Cyclone

in Featured
Devastation from Nargis Cyclone

On May 3, 2008, Cyclone Nargis completed its devastating sweep across the Irrawaddy delta in Myanmar (formerly called Burma), passing directly over Yangon. No natural disaster has taken so many lives or destroyed so much habitation in Myanmar. This event resulted in 135,000 dead or missing and rendered an estimated 800,000 people homeless. Additionally, large areas of the country experienced huge infrastructure, housing and agricultural damage which will take years to repair. By any account, this was a catastrophic disaster.

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24Feb
2009

Rebuilding Libraries in Myanmar

in Featured
Rebuilding Libraries in Myanmar

With help from Nargis Library Recovery and other NGO’s, Myanmar is able to begin rebuilding their libraries.

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23Feb
2009

TCG unveils three-year plan to rebuild livelihoods in delta

in Overall Nargis Recovery Strategy

A three-year recovery plan for cyclone-damaged areas in Ayeyarwady and Yangon divisions was launched last Monday and will focus on rebuilding the livelihoods of about 2.4 million people. The government has welcomed the Post-Nargis Response and Preparedness Plan, which also provides for building houses and cyclone shelters before the start of the next cyclone season in May. The plan, released in Bangkok, was compiled by the Tripartite Core Group and is based on a needs survey it conducted late last [...]

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21Feb
2009

Why Institute of the Rockies

in About the Project, Donations, Sponsors
Why Institute of the Rockies

Why is the Institute of the Rockies sponsoring Nargis Library Recovery? Located in Missoula, Montana where it was  established in 1973 as a public policy education membership association, the Institute has focused on issues affecting citizens of the Northwest and Northern Rockies region; so what is the connection with library recovery in Myanmar? The answer becomes clear if one learns about the heritage and purpose of Institute,  the Myanmar Book Aid and Preservation Foundation, and the desperate need to help libraries recover from Nargis. In 1973 I had been teaching [...]

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19Feb
2009

Second Container

in Donations

Thant flew from Yangon to Seattle to meet donors and arrange future shipments this past week. Thrift Books‘ CEO Hector Rivas offered one million books to our project, a portion of which will be sold in Myanmar to fund purchase of Burmese books to replace those destroyed by cyclone Nargis. The bulk of the second shipment will be children’s book, useful in all libraries for kids and adults trying to maintain English learned in school. Clair Jenkins, VP of UNITUS [...]

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17Feb
2009

1,000,000 books donated by Thrift Books

in Donations

We are extremely excited to announce that Thrift Books has just donated 1 million books to the Nargis Library Recovery project! This is an amazing and humbling commitment beyond our wildest dreams when we launched NLR just a few months ago.  This gives us book supply for about 20 container shipments to fill libraries destroyed by the Nargis cyclone in Myanmar! Here is an excerpt from an email from Hector Rivas, CEO of Thrift Books: My company, Thrift Books, has [...]

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12Feb
2009

Myanmar Book Aid On Right Track !!

in About the Project

First of all, I would like to thank all of you who had contributed all your time, effort and generous contribution to our project.  Coming to America made me see a bright future of our project.  During my visit, the following commitments have been achieved. Thrift Books have committed to donate any number of books which we can absorb.  I would like to thank  Hector Rivas for his generous commitment to fulfill our project.  Our Myanmar libraries will be filled [...]

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11Feb
2009

Why this project?

in About the Project, Our Myanmar Partner-MBAPF, Overall Nargis Recovery Strategy

The people of Myanmar have suffered numerous setbacks in their efforts to modernize since Independence, January 4, 1948. One of the most fundamental is failure of the economy to absorb a better educated population that has steadily expanded. Without sufficient tax base, all public institutions have tended to depreciate, including schools and libraries. The problem was exacerbated when sanctions were imposed by the United States and other Western governments, which has prevented external investment and job creation. On May 2-3rd, [...]

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