At Last: some movement—but how to monitor progress?

Yesterday:

“As pressure mounted from Muslim groups for swift action, Indonesian foreign minister Marty Natalegawa broke his silence this week, saying Jakarta would raise the Rohingya problem at an extraordinary summit of the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia on August 14-15.”

http://www.rfa.org/english/east-asia-beat/rohingya-08032012220302.html

and today:

EU urges Bangladesh to let groups aid Rohingyas

Reuters

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission urged Bangladesh on Thursday to let humanitarian groups continue aiding Rohingya refugees from neighboring Myanmar's Rakhine State.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-rt-us-myanmar-violence-eubre8780oe-20120809,0,741417.story

We receive 10-15 stories, reports and videos per day from all over the world, reporting on various aspects of “the Rohingya problem,” as the newspaper above so genteelly put it.  But which are valid, which are up to date?  Where are the legitimate aid organizations who are mobilizing to act, when action is permitted?  We’ve decided to try to get a better handle on who is actually doing what:

Letter sent to Humanitarian organizations and NGOs dealing with refugees and migration issues, especially in Southeast Asia:

Dear Colleague:

Building Bridges to the Future Foundation would like your help in starting a coalition of agencies and individuals committed to advocating for immediate humanitarian assistance to Myanmar Rohingya IDPs and refugees.  In 2009 we provided aid to 200 Rohingya when they fled Myanmar and arrived in northern Aceh province, Indonesia.  We are now trying to compile up-to-date information from organizations such as yours who currently have contact with Myanmar Rohingya or have humanitarian relief programs operating in the area. 

What I would like to do is get to know more about your agency, its mission and experience with Rohingya in Myanmar, and any current refugee information you may have.

As a grass roots agency that believes in action and immediate response, we have not been surprised to see that the results of the latest regional conferences regarding the situation have not included any concrete plans for specific response.  While we are assimilating information from organizations such as yours, we would like to plan a conference of our own, to be attended by the NGO community and private advocacy and aid groups worldwide, in order to form a large and unified consortium that will be listened to by those in a position to alter policy, lift sanctions, and open borders.

Please help us!  If you could send me a short description of your services, hopes/plans for how you would like to assist the Rohingya in the future, and contact information, we will start a mailing list and keep you updated of all information we receive.  You can also fill out the brief information summary form attached if it’s easier for you.

Please feel free to review our agency and services on the web at www.bbffoundation.org, email me, or call me at (1)212-532-3739 with questions, suggestions, requests for information, etc.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

Sara Henderson, President

Building Bridges to the Future Foundation

6 East 39^th St., Suite 1112, New York, NY 10016

1.212.532.3739

www.bbffoundation.org

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