With the recent success of signing 40 billionaires to the Giving Pledge, it should not be any surprise that the recent news of Bill Gates and Warren Buffet coming to China would create headlines, and rumors that they were coming to convert.  It is an event, set for late September,  that was on the front page of many of the world’s leading financial mediums, and has remained there when the “story” broke that there were some who were “unwilling” or “scared” to attend the event.

Through all this though, I am left to wonder what the real goals are, what they should be, and is it too early to expect much from this event.  In essence, I am wondering whether or not China (and its wealthy) are ready a "Giving PLedge" pitch.  Even if that is not the stated goal of this trip.

It is a question I ask as I think back to last November when the UN Foundation and CAF held a dinner in Beijing for similar purposes, only this dinner was led by Former Secretary General Koofi Annan, UN Foundation founding donor Ted Turner, and key noted by One Foundation’s Jet Li.  Event organizers were clear in their goal of planting the philanthropic seeds, and much of the conversation surrounded when “China would be ready”.  The 5.12 earthquake, and more specifically the numbers of donations, were fresh in the minds, and the mood was engaging.  Yet, at the end of the event, everyone returned to the parking lot without having made any pledges

Which leads me back to the event that will be hosted on the 29th of September, and what should be expected.

With the list apparently sourced from the Forbes Richest People list, which is itself guaranteed to have a lower turnout than had a core group of friends been enlisted to bring in their friends (Bill and Warren apparently need a refresher on the role of relationships in China) the event being on September 29 only adds to the difficultly as the day after is the last day before a 10 day holiday. Logistical hurdles which could have been better planned, but not themselves event killers

However there are a few reasons why I do not think China is ready for the "Giving PLedge" and the message coming from this event needs to be managed better (releasing a letter after the fact shows they are trying to correct this)

1. As the vast majority of China’s rich represent the first generation of wealth, it is too soon in China to expect anything at that level.  That these business men and women are still focused on ensuring the future (i.e. amassing sufficient wealth and assets) of their family (parents and children) and business(s), and asking any of these people to commit to any gifts of significance is failing to understand the deep rooted cultural and historical drivers of this generation. 
2. While I have no doubt that both gentlemen are respected locally, I do doubt their ability to convert many (in the short term) as they do not understand the drivers of philanthropy in China.  That, while there was most certainly a spike in philanthropy following the 5.12 earthquake, there was a near equally drop off in donations since.  While there have been a significant number of new foundations opening (a typical sign of philanthropy), many of those foundations are tied to the quasi—government GONGOs (Government Organized Non-Government Organizations), and that philanthropy has taken on an era of coolness in China, but has sparked an equal amount of discussion over the lacking transparency of many funds (Zhang Ziyi and Jackie Chan included)
3. Were Bill Gates and Warren Buffet to have a massive turnout, I would suspect it would be for reasons beyond altruism or their ability to connect.  That they themselves would be the draw, and those in attendance would be looking to look aligned to the cause more than be willing to engage in the cause. 

All the above aside, were Bill Gates and Warren Buffet to focus on building a more intimate circle of friends (Like Warren’s investment recipients) who would form a core for future expansion, then the message would begin to filter out. 

Although, once the gates are opened, that does lead to the next problem.  given all the issues in China of trust, and a lacking process for donating large sums to more than a handful of causes, just figuring out what to do with all the money is going to be interesting.

So what do you think? Are China's wealthy ready to sign onto the "Giving Pledge"? Are they they next big pool of philanthropists?

An interesting Youtube clip of

As news of the Yushu earthquake disappears from the world's front pages, survivors' needs increase. Those in Yushu still lack blankets and tents. Temperatures are dropping and there is insufficient fuel for cooking and heating. Yushu has no electricity and is still in darkness. People have only meager food supplies and are drinking water from unsafe sources.

    * A jacket costs 2 USD.
    * A blanket costs 2.40 USD.
    * A toothbrush costs 0.15 USD.
    * One ton of coal costs 51 USD.
    * 20 * 500ml bottled water 2.20 USD.
    * Flashlight: 2.90 USD.

If you can make even a small donation, please visit: www.yushuearthquakeresponse.org

Apart from the needs of those in Yushu, patients and their families in Xining are also suffering.

Below are the number of patients in Qinghai hospitals:

    * Qinghai Province People's Hospital: 186 patients
    * Armed Police Number Four Hospital: 83 patients
    * Qinghai Province Red Cross Hospital: 69 patients
    * Qinghai University Hospital: 172 patients
    * Qinghai Province People's Second Hospital: 127 patients
    * Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Hospital: 18 patients

This total of 655 people does not include accompanying family members.

Below are accounts written by Xining students describing the situation here and in Yushu.
 

Tashi:
I received information about the earthquake from my brother who is a teacher in Yushu. At about 5:00 a.m on the fourteenth of April a low magnitude quake woke people up, but many people then went back to sleep. Later that morning the big earthquake came. At that time many students were reciting lessons outside, by the walls of the school buildings. They were crushed when the walls fell on them. Some female students were going to the cafeteria to collect boiling water to make instant noodles, and the cafeteria collapsed and killed them. Despite all these terrible things, many people survived. They did not have any food for three days. After three days, instant noodles arrived and the people, almost starving, happily ate them. Now people are cold; they don't have enough clothes, or blankets, or anywhere to stay.

Rinchen
I went to the hospital to help earthquake victims. Although I am Tibetan I couldn't communicate very well with the patients because we speak different dialects. Nonetheless we could understand each other. People are just bringing them bread to eat and water to drink. They need some good food. The clerks at the hospital told me that many people are volunteering, but they still need qualified, professional, helpers.

Drolma
I went to the hospital to volunteer with my classmates – we spent one night there. There were many patients in the hospital. Some of the patients could not move, eat, drink, or go to the toilet by themselves. When people were awake they were nervous and when they were asleep they had nightmares. One man I helped had bruises all over his face and he couldn't move his legs. The patients in the hospital still don't have any clean clothes and what they are wearing has already become dirty and caked with blood.

Tsomo
Three of my female classmates are from Yushu. After the terrible earthquake they lost many relatives and friends, not to mention property. Luckily their parents are still alive. Now those three women are working busily in the hospital, day and night. They have been staying up all night to help the patients from their hometown and cannot attend classes as usual. When they come back to school from the hospital they just fall on the bed and sleep. Patients in the hospital have nothing now. I hope many warm-hearted people will stretch out their hands to help them.

Lumo
There is a girl from Yushu in the dorm room next to mine. She lost her mother in the earthquake. Since then she often calls out her mother's name and cries. Sometimes she stays silent for a long time. We don't know how to comfort her. Sometimes we want to talk about it with her, but maybe that will only make it worse. That girl is still going to classes, but she just sits there and we don't know if she really knows what is going on her around her.

Tsering and Tsemdo
We talked to one earthquake survivor who helped us to distribute supplies we took to Yushu from Xining. He told us, "I woke up when the earthquake occurred at around 5 a.m. I knew that an earthquake was occurring and wanted to get up but I felt very sleepy and stayed in bed. My wife also felt very sleepy and stayed in bed. We were never so sleepy in our whole life – it was very strange. When an earthquake occurred again at 7:49 a.m., our house shook and I woke up. The house continued to shake and I grabbed hold of my grandson and wife, jumped up from bed, and ran outside. Our house collapsed just as I stepped out of the door. Something heavy hit my head and I passed out. When I woke up I could barely see because my vision was blurry. As my sight came back I could only see dust. I heard the sound of houses collapsing. After the earthquake, my daughter and son-in-law were trapped in the rubble and died but the rest of the family was OK. Many other people have died.”  

Below are some photographs that local photographer Tsemdo made on April 17th, 2010, who traveled to Yushu to deliver aid supplies with local NGO Friendship Charity Association.

We have just received this report from friends at the Friendship Charity Association (Qinghai based).  In it are pictures from their first truckloads, as well as information on how to donate to further efforts.

On April 14th 2010 an earthquake measuring between 6.9 and 7.1 on the Richter scale struck thirty kilometers from Jyekundo, the capital of Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (Qinghai Province, China) causing widespread destruction. State media reports suggest that approximately 85% of all buildings in the city of ~100,000 people were destroyed. 1,706 people have been reported dead, 256 are missing, and thousands are injured.

Friendship Charity Association (FCA) first contacted its long-term partner organization the Huaqiao Foundation (http://www.huaqiaofoundation.org/) at 2 p.m. on April 14 2010 in order to organize the delivery of aid to the Yushu earthquake. FCA is based in Xining, about 800km from the earthquake epicenter. Shortly after contacting Huaqiao, we also contacted several other donors and friends and were thus able to collect 30,055 RMB.

Early on the morning of April 15, FCA requested its staff members and volunteers to go to local stores to purchase food, water, clothes, tents, bedding, and medical supplies. Everything was prepared by 7 p.m.

With five people guiding two trucks, the team arrived in Yushu at 6:24 p.m. on April 16.

Coordinating with local friends and NGOs in Yushu, the FCA team members distributed the supplies. The evening we arrived and complied lists of needy individuals and families. First thing next morning we distributed supplies.

FCA is now seeking further funding for disaster relief and is continuing to coordinate with our local partners in Yushu to determine their needs.

To donate, please click here http://www.friendshipcharity.org/donate/.

To see our account info and for other donation alternatives, please contact us at: nangchukja@friendshipcharity.org

 

We have just received the following letter from Tsongkha Charitable Association in Qinghai updating us on their efforts, and providing instructions for potential donors.

Dear friends,

Thank you for your concern about the Yushu earthquake.  As local NGOs are now receiving many phone callings from foundations and individuals, expressing their willingness to donate, several local NGOs in Qinghai established a “Yushu Earthquake Response” team and the team will collect all relief resources together and distribute them to those in most needs.  Some Yushu native volunteers of this team are leaving for Yushu soon to set up a relief work site for needs assessment and relief good distribution.

So if you or your organization wants to donate through Tsongkha Charitable Association (TCA) or the Response team, you can transfer the funds to either of the bank accounts below.  If your donation is large and you prefer it to be handled separately, we can arrange it as well.  Otherwise, the team will combine your donation with other resources and purchase relief aids and distribute them together.  TCA will be responsible in submitting reports to you.

In terms if needs, I talked to several people in Yushu.  All of them lost their houses.  Some people still received no aids (by 16:00, 15/April).  They need food, drinks, tents, and electricity generators.  Although CCTV is quick in propagating the swift response by troops, there still seems to be victims in unseen corners that need emergency assistance.  So if you can provide any support, we can purchase needed goods and deliver them to the hands of victims as soon as possible.

If you have any question or need further information, please let me know.

Thank you for your concern,

Kelsang Norbu
Director
Tsongkha Charitable Association
Haidong, Qinghai Province
Tel: 13519714070 / 0971-6363082
 

Over the last several days, we have been in touch with a number of people in the Yushu affected area, and we have just received this letter from Jiegu that is plea for donors to do what they can to help. 

Dear all friends,

I am your friend,  Drolma , a lucky earthquake survial in Yushu. Some of you have been to Yushu, some of you may have heard a lot about it from me. Jiegu Township is my hometown, in which this vival earthquake took place. It has an average attitute of 4100 and it is known as one of the most impoverished places in China.

I am writing on behalf of all the survivals of Yushu Major Earthquake. It was a vital earthquake attack occured around 8:00am on 14th April. Many of my relatives and follow Tibetan people were killed. My neighborhood is one of most seriously demaged area. According to the official data, more than 80% of the houses were colllapsed including ours in Jiegu Township, Yushu County, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. And 94% of the houses in Jiegu Tonwshiop are too dangerous to live in. We stayed nearby our house for 12 hours after the attack, however, we rarely receiced any forms of formal aid. I have witnessed most of remaining families and relatives used their bare hands to dig the ruins of the houses helplessly. As the results, most of the people buried under the collapsed houses were not got out without having proper tools even after 12 hours after the earthquake in my neighborhood. And 90% of the survivals, with help of their relatives, have moved to an open air to avoid continual earthquake attacks.

These people who moved the open air didn’t have enough shelters and barely have any food in a chilly weather. We didn’t get sufficient tents, food, and medical supplies now. I have seen the corpes are laying and piled up everwhere even in streets without having anyone claimed for them. The screams and the smell of the blood is filled in our town. We are so hopeless, we are so not ready for it. Yushu has rarely had small earthquakes before! This one is absolutely precedent!........ There are some forms of aids arranged by the government coming after 10 hours of the earthquake. It said that there are more help on the way according to the news. But our needs for help is far beyond what we have now.

Therefore, on behalf of all the survivals, i am strongly asking all of you, my friends, to do whatever you can to help. WE NEED IT DEADLY! I came all the way from Jiegutown, where there is no electricity and internet, to Chendu County( the nearest county from Jeigu Township), to send you this letter for urgent humanitrian help. I will stay in Chengduo County to check the mail for two days, then will go back to Jiegu Township to help the wounded ones and survivals as much as i can. I might not be able to use the internet for sometimes in two day, however, i will try my best! Luckily,i get a new cellphone.

So i can be reached at 86-152-0976-4707. And i will write you again when i will be able to use the internet........PLEASE HELP US! 

If you are someone who is interested in helping Drolma, she has left her mobile phone above and you can speak with her directly. 

We encourage all potential donors in these caases to exercise caution when making person to person donations, so please a the level of duediligence that you feel is necessary before making any commitment.

Dear friends,

Thank you for your concern about the Yushu earthquake.  As local NGOs are now receiving many phone callings from foundations and individuals, expressing their willingness to donate, several local NGOs in Qinghai established a “Yushu Earthquake Response” team and the team will collect all relief resources together and distribute them to those in most needs.  Some Yushu native volunteers of this team are leaving for Yushu soon to set up a relief work site for needs assessment and relief good distribution.

So if you or your organization wants to donate through Tsongkha Charitable Association (TCA) or the Response team, you can transfer the funds to either of the bank accounts below.  If your donation is large and you prefer it to be handled separately, we can arrange it as well.  Otherwise, the team will combine your donation with other resources and purchase relief aids and distribute them together.  TCA will be responsible in submitting reports to you.

In terms if needs, I talked to several people in Yushu.  All of them lost their houses.  Some people still received no aids (by 16:00, 15/April).  They need food, drinks, tents, and electricity generators.  Although CCTV is quick in propagating the swift response by troops, there still seems to be victims in unseen corners that need emergency assistance.  So if you can provide any support, we can purchase needed goods and deliver them to the hands of victims as soon as possible.

If you have any question or need further information, please let me know.

Thank you for your concern,

Kelsang Norbu
Director
Tsongkha Charitable Association
Haidong, Qinghai Province
Tel: 13519714070 / 0971-6363082

I just received notice that Protective Plateaus, foreign NGO, has been been asked by the Yushu Prefecture government to aid in the relief efforts.  I have been told they are the ONLY foreign NGO at this time who have been included (this may change going forward).

Their needs, at this time, are cash based:

The Yushu Prefecture government has requested aid from Plateau Perspectives in the form of medical personnel, medical supplies, and temporary shelters (ie tents and blankets). We are sending an advance medical team to Yushu in about 4 hours to assess the situation, provide emergency care, and set up a base of operations for medical outreach and supply delivery. Additional supplies and medical teams will be sent shortly thereafter. There is already a solid network of medical personnel in China prepared to depart for Yushu, and gifts of cash are the easiest and quickest way that you can help out. Gifts of supplies are more difficult and time consuming to receive, and most supplies needed can be bought in the provincial capital, Xining.

To learn more please visit their site

The San Francisco based Give2Asia has just announced a partnership with the China Charity Foundation and dedicated fund.  No spefici program details were made available, but the following was included in the announcement:

Give2Asia has created the 2010 Qinghai Earthquake Fund and is partnering with the CCF to deliver immediate relief to survivors, such as shelter, first aid, water and food. CCF is already on the ground working with survivors.

A majority of buildings are destroyed a people are trying to find shelter in weather that is freezing and snowy, with high winds. Many of the affected communities are in rural and isolated areas, which will complicate logistics as supplies and aid are brought in. The hardest hit areas are 15 hours by road from the closest city, Xinging, the capital of Qinghai Province. This is complicated by damage done to roads by the earthquake.
Emergency relief is the first phase of disaster response. Give2Asia works with charitable groups in China, like the China Charity Federation (CCF), to support local communities affected by disaster. Following the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake, Give2Asia raised $15.8 million to support immediate relief through CCF and longer term recovery projects with more than 20 local charitable groups in Sichuan to provide rebuilding, psychosocial services, education and child programs, longer-term health care, restoring clean water, and other needs required to help communities recover.

to learn more, visit the Give2Asia website

Huaqiao Foundation is funding assessment team with supplies

I just could be able to talk to some people from several local organizations and villagers in Yushu Prefecture. To their words, medical treatment, housing or tent, and foods are the main things needed, plus, there’s no water and completely no electricity. Soon most people’s cell-phone will finish batteries and hard to contact again. Since all are messy, sudden and collapsed up there, it’s hard for locals to get specific plan for how much and how many is needed.

I have two people already on the ground, who are local Tibetans and just arrived in Yushu Prefecture and helping me checking the site how we can help. In order to avoid time waste, we are planning to move on donation collection for the locals on behalf of HuaQiao Foundation office in Qinghai. So far I’ve got some local friends and companies agreed to donate, but not yet sure how much will be there. First thing is that to buy as many tent as we can in Xining and as many instant noodles as we can afford. If possible, take some doctors with medicines. Hire a truck and transport to the quake site immediately. Will then see what further assistance we can provide.

Please pass this email around and see how much we can collect for purchasing medical treatment, tents, and food and its transportation fees. Our volunteers and staff members are in contact with some local tent, medicine, and instant noodles suppliers.

If interested in donating (cash and/ or supplies), please contact:

Nangchukja
Director, Friendship Charity Association (FCA)
Xining, Qinghai
nnyangjaggyal@gmail.com

or

Frank Yih
Director, Huaqiao Foundation
Shanghai
frank@huaqiaofoundation.org