courtesy:- Grassroots International
Grassroots International Endorses the US Campaign for Burma's  Call for Help
On Friday night (May 2), a massive cyclone (hurricane) hit Burma. U.S.  
embassy officials now estimate the death toll may well climb to 100,000.  Hundreds 
of thousands are homeless, without water and food prices have  skyrocketed.

Worse, the military regime, which did practically nothing to  warn the 
Burmese people of the cyclone, is still not opening the country to  international 
aid in any significant way. This behavior is consistent with the  military 
regime's denial of access for aid agencies to help victims of the  military 
regime's war on civilians in eastern Burma. 
Grassroots International currently does not work in Burma or Southeast  Asia 
but our Staff, Board and supporters recognize that donors' generous  responses 
to help those in need must be sensitive to the ongoing struggles for  social 
and economic justice and human rights in Burma.  
For those Grassroots International donors and colleagues who wish to  
directly support progressive groups working in the region, we wish to suggest  that 
you consider the _United  States Campaign for Burma_ 
(http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=ChGGlZRQgRAVC9ybr7hk2J8YdQxyCzZa) 's urgent call 
for major, emergency  assistance.  As the US Campaign for Burma points out, it 
is critical that  this assistance goes to the victims of the cyclone and not 
the notoriously  corrupt military regime. 
The Campaign has set up a mechanism on its website so that you can help if  
you want to make direct donations to the victims of Cyclone Nargis. Please go 
to  _http://uscampaignforburma.org/_ 
(http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=zdcshGUwi3kVC9ybr7hk2J8YdQxyCzZa)   to make a donation, get 
updates on the cyclone, and on Burma. The Cyclone Nargis  relief fund that the 
Campaign has set up will go to intermediate relief to help  people in rebuilding 
their communities and homes, and will especially try and  fill the gaps where 
other aid agencies are not able to assist. 
As the Campaign states: 
The people of Burma will be rebuilding their lives for a long time, and  
these funds will go directly to organizations inside Burma, led by Burmese who  
are working to help the people. For security purposes we cannot disclose who  
these groups are ( in the past the military regime has arrested those who  
accept international support). We will keep no overhead and 100% of the  donations 
will go to the people of Burma.
The United States Campaign for Burma is a U.S.-based membership organization  
dedicated to empowering grassroots activists around the world to bring about 
an  end to the military dictatorship in Burma. Through public education, 
leadership  development initiatives, conferences, and advocacy campaigns at local, 
national  and international levels, USCB works to empower Americans and 
Burmese  dissidents-in-exile to promote freedom, democracy, and human rights in 
Burma and  raise awareness about the egregious human rights violations committed 
by Burma's  military regime. 
The United Nations World Food Programme has also begun a special  operation 
to make emergency donations of food. You can donate to its efforts at  
_http://www.wfp.org/english/_ 
(http://org2.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=IAmGj+Xx1MtxxXrEw6/fBA==)  



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