Ruling Sex in the City: L’Etat, Power and Surveillance

This is actually my old essay; it was written in the light of Minister of Law and Justice's proposals for a revamp of the Indonesian civil code in September 2003. It was submitted to one Indonesian newspaper. It was rated as "a very good article" but rejected with this reason: "your manuscript is considered to be inappropriate for the current situation in Indonesia".

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Power is essentially what dictates its law to sex. Which means first of all that sex is placed by power in a binary system: licit and illicit, permitted and forbidden” (Foucalt, 1978).

Recent draft of Indonesian new criminal code brought sudden cacophonic debates since there is a tendency that the state wants to step in to citizens’ bedrooms. The sections that rule about pre-marital sex, committing adultery, practicing oral sex and homosexuality obviously show the state's attempts (and desires) to rule the sexuality life of its people.

What it is about sex that makes it important for the state to rule? The relationship between sex and the state is deeply and philosophically examined by Michel Foucault, the French sociologist who is also being labelled as both postmodernist and poststructuralist. Foucault whose being a perceptive critic of the state intensely explored the subtle and insidious nature of modern state control almost in all of his writing but especially in his early works such as Discipline and Punish (1975) and in one of his last, The History of Sexuality Vol. 1 (1978).

In the latter, Foucault tried to contrast two different types of power and state control. The first is the ‘right of death’ where the ruler could kill those who endangered his position or property. Crude examples of this can be found in traditional societies: stone to death for practicing witchcraft or adultery, cutting the hand of the thief, etc. The second is the ‘power over life’, where the state ‘takes care’ its people by regulating and safeguarding their minds and bodies. The best examples of the second can be found easily in Suharto’s Orba period. The rule of ’tamu 1 x 24 jam harap lapor’ (a guest who stays more than 24 hours in the neighborhood should be reported) clearly shows how the state, in the name of neighborhood security, tries to regulate the bodies, be it the relative who visit you, a distance friend, a boyfriend, or a secret mistress. While this rule was not necessarily obeyed by Indonesians, the rule itself was so much embedded in people’s mind that it created a sense of remorse in ones who did not act upon it.

Back to Foucault, the right of death means the ‘power’ to take one’s life or property in the fashion of a robber. In this case, sex was a bodily concern. In the modern state, power over life means the power to bring and pick up entire population’s activities, including sexual activity. Here the intention behind sex becomes the major concern, not the sex itself. In the Freudian psychology, this approach is refined and sex becomes an object for categorization, control and direction. This ‘subjectification’ affects the individual to self-formatting the way he/she acts toward sex. In effect, people may feel ‘free’ to talk about sex but what they are doing is what are demanded by society, opposing their genuine willingness and freedom and exposing themselves to surveillance and supervision.

By contrasting the two, we see a link between the repressive sex laws of the traditional ancient society and the permissive ones of the modern state. Both are a mean of control, yet the latter are more refined and subtle. The state is a peculiar advance and corruption of society and the individual. The state is not liberating but using power to exert control over its population. Through categorizing (adulteress, homosexual, sinner) and normalizing individuals (in the name of ‘norms and values’), the state can produce a totalizing web of control. In effect, citizens live in the shadow of the state and forever trapped in its lattice. In both cases, ‘the idea of sex makes it possible to evade what gives power its power, it enables one to conceive power solely as law and taboo’.

In state's power over sex, as clearly inscribed in the proposed Indonesian civil code, individuals are given no more control over their own destiny. All they have done is change the nature of their imprisonment, binding them with more elaborate and subtle controls – the velvet straitjacket. Indeed, the key instrument of oppression has been the state. The individual in modern state is being eliminated ‘like a face draw in the sand at the edge of the sea’.

Merlyna Lim
Enschede, October 2003.

Apa-apa siapa?

Seorang kawan mengirim senarai elektronik. Dia bertutur:
"minggu lalu aku XX tahun. udah tua. padahal belum ngapa-ngapain. nanti tau-tau mati tanpa memberi apa-apa untuk dunia. ngeri."

Kujawab dalam beberapa baris rangkaian kata...

haruskah hidup ber-apa-apa?
apakah dunia menuntut apa-apa?
haruskah ku ngeri pada si apa?

ah, biarlah si apa ber-apa-apa
dan dunia berjalan dengan semua apa
diberi dan memberi apa-apa

karna ku kan terus melenggang
tanpa pikir panjang pendek
tentang apa-apa, apa dan sesiapa

tapi pastikan kan kutinggal
separut jejak tapak merebak
bahwa aku adalah sesiapa

m in enschede.

Wannabe Poets and Poetry-Scam-Contest

Following my previous posting about 'writing', here I want to tell you about one truth. Truth can be bitter but I feel that I should tell this truth anyway.

So, this is about one poetry contest held online. I had almost forgotten about it until one day last year a friend of mine told me that she got a letter that her poem was selected as a semi-finalist "on the basis of your unique talent and artistic vision". This line was soooo familiar to me and just reminded me of my own experience in 1999. At that moment, I just knew that she was trapped in a scammed business. I just did not have a heart to tell her the truth... but perhaps I'll forward her this posting (hope she is ready to know this truth).

Back in 1999, my early year of 'coming back to writing', I found this poetry.com, a poetry-contest website claimed to be held by the International Library of Poetry. I submitted my May 14th poem just to try my luck. Surprisingly, months after that I got a letter from them. As any other novice, I was thrilled to read a letter starting "After carefully reading and discussing your poem, our Selection Committee has certified your poem as a semi-finalist.." The letter went on saying beautiful things... it also said "In celebration of the unique talent that you have displayed, we also wish to publish your poem in what promises to be one of the most highly sought after collections we have ever promised".

To make my head swelling even more, the letter went one saying,"Before we go any further, Merlyna Lim, let me make one thing clear... your poem was selected for publication, and as a contest semi-finalist, on the basis of your unique talent and artistic vision". Wow... that almost made me cried!

But, then this letter also said in order to get the book where my poem would be published, I had to buy it. The book was quite expensive.. I think it was about $65, and around $45 if you bought two of them. I actually was persuaded to buy. I borrowed my brother inlaw's credit card to buy it, but (fortunately) somehow the credit card was rejected. So, I never actually bought the book.

Then after sometime, my brain tried to sort this thing out. I smelled something fishy. Why should I buy from the publisher if they were gonna publish my poem? I think no publisher would ask an author to buy in advance. In fact, an author should actually get paid rather than pay! But then I thought I perhaps was thinking too much so I tried my luck again by submitting my second poem. Still a poem that I thought was good enough to be submited. Months later, I got the same letter.. same wordings and same persuasion to buy a book and other products (mugs and other stuff with a personified poem)! Ah, I suddenly knew that this was a scam. But I felt needed to prove it so I decided to submit a bad unfinished poem. I didn't keep the poem (and now apparently poetry.com has omitted me from their database,!), but I remember it was about the bee... stinging... with some crazy words... made-up words that couldn't be found in any dictionary! It was totally a rotten poem. And guess what? That poem was also selected as a semi-finalist!! At that moment I knew that poetry.com was a gimmick. A contest where all poems were semifinalists! A HUGE gimmick!!

This firm/organization (fake one, I believe) -- the International Library of Poetry or the National Library of Poetry, the International Society of Poets or whatever term they are using -- try to get money from people who are desperate to get their works published! They actually are not running the real contest, but selling books (of course they can easily print one for you because you pay for it), mugs, certificates, and all kind of stuff. Of course many people (mostly novice) are willing to pay just to see their own poems published. Eventually, if you keep buying their stuff, then you'll be selected to be a winner. And even so, you have to pay to be awarded a prize! Yes, it is true... you have to pay more than $2,500 to attend the event in Washington DC (they always choose this location) where your award would be given. But strange enough if you refused to come, they wouldn't give you your award! What a strange contest! Yes, I did some research on it and found out that many people were actually trapped. You can also check about this from Writerweekly.com, Poetry Contest caution, and Literary Contest: Facts and Fakes; Don't forget to read an amusing story of Wergle Flomp. If you type "poetry.com gimmick" in google, then you'll find out more.

In addition, if you are one of some victims and are convinced that this is a scam, then I suggest you to sign for a petition to stop them here: Stop Poetry Contests Scam.

So, now the truth is revealed. If you are one of those who were trapped, don't feel sad or upset. You don't need fake contests to prove yourself. You just have to believe that you can do it and just keep doing it.

P.S: Similar to poetry.com but in different field is picture.com or the so called International Library of Photography... It is also a scam.

Finding your hidden desire

I always like writing but in my life I don't always write. When I was in elementary school I used to get very high grades in writing (mengarang) -- but well elementary school was too easy to get high grades in any subject anyway.. hehehe. OK, stop being arrogant! (arrogantly honest..hehe). Despite grades I got, I thought while I liked writing I actually loved singing, music, drama, math, (and especially playing) even more. So, I stopped writing stories and poems when I was in junior high school (SMP).. and did not come back to writing until 1998! That was more than a decade of frozen 'talent' (assumingly I have talent in it.. hehe.. self-declaration, yikes..) I stopped mostly not because I didn't like writing but because I just didn't think it's important to write anyway. Stupid me.

But then one day, on May 14th, 1998, I got some bad news that really upset me. I was so angry but did not know what to do. I was speechless. I was hopeless. In the middle of one sleepless night, I felt an urge to pour out my feelings and emotions. I then started typing and in just a couple of minutes a poem was born. It was about my ambiguous relationship with my country. Love and hate relationship. It was triggered by a dark event of May the 14th in Indonesia.

Not so long after I posted that poem in one mailing list -- as a response to a heated discussion on the event -- a senior poet sent me an email. He called me "a young poet". I was surprised and flattered at the same time. I started communicating with him in e-poems since then and we both actually wrote hundreds of poems together. Eventually a couple of years later, we made a dummy of our first poetry book (draft) and got a very senior literature critic (who was also a famous philosopher) reviewed our draft. It got a very good review, praised and highly recommended to be published. However, unplanned things happened. I was busy preparing my PhD plan and about going to move abroad... then he had personal problems that took most of his time. Somehow, we just stopped finalizing things. Our final draft was there but the book was never published.

Today I am reminded of that plan and thought of emailing that friend of mine. Yes, it's a pity we didn't publish it. However, the point of this story is not that publication plan. The point is related to the fact that since then I've been continuosly writing. Not only poems, but stories and even many academic papers and eventually got a numerous articles published in international channels. What I am trying to say here are:
(1) the fact that one event can change how you act in the future -- I was back to writing because of that May event, and
(2) an acknowledgment from that senior poet had awakened one hidden desire in me, yes, a desire to write, a desire to leave some marks in this earth.

I believe that many people (many of you) have similar experiences. To find or re-find your hidden or buried desire, you sometimes (if not most of times) need a moment and an event. In seismologic term, you need a moment magnitude that create an event -- a real rupture! And in addition, you need someone -- most of times is someone that you admire -- to confirm that your desire is on the right track or has reasons to be pursued.

So, if you have a hidden desire to write or to paint, to dance or whatever... perhaps it's time to acknowledge it...
If you find a moment (and an event) to wake it up... let me create one for you.. hehehe.

Counter-inaugural

Counter-inaugural poster

I really wish I were in Washington DC today. Yes, today, on the 20th of January, 2005 when Mr. GWB (and Mr. Chenney) takes the oath. But my wish is not to be there to applaud him. My wish is to wear mourning clothes -- a black long-coat, black pants with black hat and black scarf -- and bow my head on one mocking-coffin. My wish is to stand on the side of Pennsylvania Avenue and turn-my-back-on Bush's limo when it passes by. My wish is to wear a Bush-mask and join a parody of "Mr War of Terror". My wish is to hold the banner "Who Would Jesus Bomb?" as a satyre for those fundamentalists who support Bush crazily...

Mocking coffins by Fred Askew 2005.


Thousands of protestors were rallying along the Penn Avenue, from: Notinourname.net


A black limo of Bush with protestors standing on the background, from: Notinourname.net

Yes, my life experience in DC is actually incomplete without joining the counter-inaugural movement on that day. Yet, I can easily imagine it and can feel the spirit. Yes, one of so many things I like about DC is its democratic spirit. Spaces and places are filled of democratic spirit. And funny enough that I found out about this inaugural day not by reading an announcement of it but by finding the call for participation of counter-inaugurant protest. In DC, in fact, there was no Inaugural poster in public space before the D-day but many many Counter-Inaugural posters. I love that fact.... it makes me a bit proud to be a temporary DC resident...:P

Have been following the news in US media, I admire those protestors who were voicing their opinions loudly. While their protests were not heavily covered by media (let alone international media), I heard that this protest -- despite super-strict anti-protest security -- against Bush was the biggest ever. Actually there were more participants for counter-inaugural movement rather than Bush supporters who came to DC to see the inauguration. That's superb! Should admit that even with such an evil president, United States still has the spirit of democracy...

Congratulations my fellow Americans who were there to protest against Bush.... I am proud of you, guys. Don't give up... one day we'll witness a victory!

The State of Blogging

PEW Internet says:

By the end of 2004 blogs had established themselves as a key part of online culture. Two surveys by the Pew Internet & American Life Project in November established new contours for the blogosphere: 8 million American adults say they have created blogs; blog readership jumped 58% in 2004 and now stands at 27% of internet users; 5% of internet users say they use RSS aggregators or XML readers to get the news and other information delivered from blogs and content-rich Web sites as it is posted online; and 12% of internet users have posted comments or other material on blogs. Still, 62% of internet users do not know what a blog is.

View PDF of Report

How NERDy Are You?

I found this NERD QUIZ and then decided to take a test... Before I took the test, I thought I would like to let you all know the result of my test as I strongly believed it wouldn't be so bad. But now, after taking the test, I think I better keep the result for myself... because.. ugh.. ah..well.

Anyway, curious about how nerdy you are? Take the test here.
Enjoy!

Reflections and Wishes in 2005

I wrote these lines below and sent them in my emails to all of my friends & colleagues, a week before 26 Dec 2004. Somehow, when I re-read this four verses poem, I thought it fits the world's post-tsunami situation; a reflection of the past, a wish for the future. I post them here, just as a reminder -- mainly to myself -- that it's time to sow seeds of new truth, to write a new story on the new page, to fill our days with love, hope and prayers..... yet without forgetting the ashes of our old truth, pictures of the yesterday, and lessons from what we left behind..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The hourglass tilt to empty the final grains
Sifting our hopes in ebbing sands, impossibly holding back the past
Standing at the moment to forget, to create, to build high
To sow seeds of new truth to burgeon, where ashes of our old truths lie

Lebih dari tiga-ratus-hari telah berlalu dalam hidup
ratusan-ribu-jam jutaan-detik yang takkan kembali
mereka kan jadi cerita hidup yang terpatri pada sejarah
merangkai diri pada lembaran baru yang datang merebak

Na een storm kan je, nooit de bloesems terug
brengen aan de takken, hoe hard je het ook probeert
Het oude jaar versleten, het nieuwe jaar geboren
De bloesems komen terug met nieuwe hoop and liefde

Hiliwir angin nebak tiis, ngahudang lamunan
ngahariringkeun lagu anyar carita kahuripan
jajapkeun diri mapagkeun dunya ka taun dua-rebu-lima
halueang anyar pinuh ku du'a jeung pangharepan

*A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR*
*SELAMAT TAHUN BARU*
*GELUKIGG NIEUWJAAR*
*WILUJENG WARSA ENGGAL*
2 0 0 5

May the year of 2005 bring you closer to the real meaning of life..
mer, dc, dec 18th 2004

(note: and yes, the 26 Dec 2004' disaster just brought me closer to the real meaning of life...)

Midnight Cowboy, Tsunami and Love

Today, someone reminded me of the old movie from 1969 entitled 'Midnight Cowboy'. This movie is one of my favorite movies of all time. Gritty, realistic and almost documentary-like in presentation with some wonderful images and a great song by Harry Nilsson "Everybody's Talkin', the movie portrays a dark reality of life yet offers compelling and daring scenes of friendship and love. This movie actually simply talks about the relationship between Joe Buck (Jon Voight) and Enrico 'Ratso' Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman) who have such dissimilar backgrounds, yet ultimately become each other's only real friend... They are both walking the fringe of mainstream society but, in their isolation, they find a bond that has the power to transcend their differences.

This story may not quite fit today's situation... yet in a way I see the parallel... in devastating situation, people who have dissimilar backgrounds and even totally opposite to each other can actually find a bond regardless their differences.

Today's suffer of human race caused by tsunami has transcened all differences and dissimilarities to one universal word, 'love'. Yes, indeed, human has amazing ability to love... Deep inside of everybody there's a longing to love and to be loved... Yet, in the last decade we have witnessed how the world has been trapped in the bulb of hatred and war... And today, the suffer and grievance of tsunami's victims have awakened the world's love from its long sleep... Hope it will stay and prevail....

Tsunami relief (Indonesia)

If you are in Indonesia and want to donate specifically for Indonesia, you can donate directly thru:

• Indosiar: BCA, c/o Indosiar, Bank: BCA, Account # 001 - 304 - 0009
• RCTI: c/o RCTI, Bank: BCA, Account# 128 - 300 -7000
• Coordiator of People Welfare Rep. of Indonesia, Bank: BNI, Branch: Harmoni, c/o Head of Welfare Bureau, I Nyoman Meweh, Account# 07 000 311, 2717 911
• Welfare Office, Telephone number for coordinator in Medan: 061 - 456 6524
• KOMPAS, c/o Kompas, Bank: BCA, Account# 012 - 301 - 6600
• Kontras, contact: 62-21-3926983 or 62-8159649542
• WALHI, c/o WALHI (KESLING), Bank: Bank Niaga Jakarta, Account # 039-01-08125-009

Tsunami relief

Below are a few sites already set up to handle donations for victims throughout the region (sources: NYTimes, USAID, etc.).

(alphabetical order)
ACTION AGAINST HUNGER
247 West 37th Street, Suite 1201
New York, N.Y. 10018
212-967-7800 x108
www.actionagainsthunger.org | Donate Online

Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) International
Asia Tsunami Crisis Fund
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904
800-424-ADRA (2372)
www.adra.org

Air Serv International
6583 Merchant Place, Suite 100
Warrenton, VA 20187
540-428-2323
www.airserv.org

American Friends Service Committee
1501 Cherry Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
888-588-2372
www.afsc.org

AMERICAN JEWISH WORLD SERVICE
45 West 36th Street, 10th Floor
New York, N.Y. 10018
800-889-7146
www.ajws.org | Donate Online

AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE
South Asia Tsunami Relief
Box 321
847A Second Avenue
New York, N.Y. 10017
212-687-6200 ext. 851
www.jdc.org | Donate Online

AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE
AFSC Crisis Fund
1501 Cherry Street
Philadelphia, Pa. 19102
888-588-2372
www.afsc.org | Donate Online

AMERICAN RED CROSS
International Response Fund
P.O. Box 37243
Washington, D.C. 20013
800-HELP NOW
www.redcross.org | Donate Online

American Leprosy Missions
One ALM Way
Greenville, SC 29687
864-271-7040
www.leprosy.org

American Refugee Committee
Tsunami Relief
430 Oak Grove Street, Suite 204
Minneapolis, MN 55403
612-872-7060
www.archq.org

AmeriCares
88 Hamilton Avenue
Stamford, CT 06902
(800) 486-4357
www.americares.org

Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team (AMURT)
Tsunami Fund
6810 Tilden Lane
Rockville, MD 20852
301-984-0217
www.amurt.net

Baptist World Aid
Asia Tidal Waves
405 North Washington Street
Falls Church, VA 22046
703 790 8980
www.bwanet.org/bwaid

B'nai B'rith International
B'nai B'rith Disaster Relief Fund
2020 K Street NW
7th Floor
Washington, DC 20006
212-490-3290
www.bnaibrith.org

Brother's Brother Foundation
1200 Galveston Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15233
412-321-3160
www.brothersbrother.org

CARE
151 Ellis Street
Atlanta, GA 30303
800-521-CARE
www.care.org | Donate Online

CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES
Tsunami Emergency
P.O. Box 17090
Baltimore, Md. 21203-7090
800-736-3467
www.catholicrelief.org | Donate Online

CHF International
8601 Georgia Ave. Suite 800
Silver Spring, MD 20910 USA
301-587-4700
www.chfhq.org

Christian Children's Fund
Child Alert Fund
PO Box 26484
Richmond, Virginia - 23261-6484
800-776-6767
www.ChristianChildrensFund.org

Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC)
South Asia Earthquake
2850 Kalamazoo Ave. SE
Grand Rapids, MI, 49560
800-55-CRWRC
www.crwrc.org

Church World Service
#6970 Southern Asia Earthquake PO Box 968
Elkhart, IN 46515
800-297-1516
www.churchworldservice.org

CitiHope International Inc.
PO Box 38, 143 Main Street
Andes, NY 13731
(845) 676-4400
www.citihope.org
tsunamirelief@citihope.org

Concern Worldwide, US
104 East 40th Street, Suite 903
New York, NY 10016
212-557-8000
www.concernusa.org

Convoy of Hope
330 S. Patterson Avenue
Springfield, MO 65802
417-823-8998
www.convoyofhope.org

Counterpart International, Inc.
ATTN: (Tsunami Relief)
1200 18th Street, NW, Suit 1100
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 721-1557
www.counterpart.org

DIRECT RELIEF INTERNATIONAL
27 South La Patera Lane
Santa Barbara, Calif. 93117
805-964-4767
www.directrelief.org | Donate Online

DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS
P.O. Box 1856
Merrifield, Va. 22116-8056
888-392-0392
www.doctorswithoutborders.org | Donate Online

Doctors of the World-USA
375 West Broadway, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10012
212-226-9890
www.dowusa.org

EPISCOPAL RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT
Emergency Fund
P. O. Box 12043
Newark, NJ 07101
800-334-7626
www.er-d.org | Donate Online

Feed the Children, Inc. (FTC)
333 North Meridian Ave
Oklahoma City, OK 73107
405-942-0228
www.feedthechildren.org

Food for the Hungry, Inc.
Tsunami Relief
1224 E. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85034
800-2-HUNGERS
www.fh.org

Friends of the World Food Program
PO Box 11856
Washington, DC 20008
202 530 1694
www.friendsofwfp.org

Geneva Global Inc
1550 Liberty Ridge Drive
Suite 330
Wayne, PA 19087
www.GenevaGlobal.com

Habitat for Humanity International
Asia Tsunami Response Fund
121 Habitat St
Americus, GA 31709
229-924-6935
www.habitat.org

Heart to Heart International
401 S. Clairborne
Suite 302
Olathe, KS 66062
888-800-4327
www.hearttoheart.org

Healing Hands International
455 McNally Drive
Nashville, TN 37211
615-832-2000
www.hhi-aid.org

Helen Keller International
352 Park Avenue South
Suite 1200
New York, NY 10010
877-KELLER4 (877-535-5374)
www.hki.org

HOPE Worldwide, Ltd.
353 West Lancaster Avenue
Wayne, PA 19087-3907
610-254-8800
www.hopeww.org

Interchurch Medical Assistance, Inc.
South Asia Tsunami Relief
P.O. Box 429
New Windsor, MD 21776
877-241-7952
www.interchurch.org

International Aid
17011 W. Hickory
Spring Lake, MI 49456
800-968-7490
www.internationalaid.org

International Medical Corps
Tsunami Emergency Response
1919 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 300
Santa Monica, CA 90404-1950
800-481-4462
www.imcworldwide.org

International Medical Services for Health (INMED)
INMED Partnerships for Children
45449 Severn Way, Suite 161
Sterling, VA 20166
703-444-4477 x214
www.inmed.org

International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC)
Asia Disaster Response
P.O. Box 630225
Baltimore, MD 21263-0225
877-803-4622
www.iocc.org

INTERACTION
American Council for Voluntary International Action
1717 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Suite 701
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 667-8227
www.interaction.org

INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS/RED CRESCENT
www.ifrc.org | Donate Online

INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CORPS
Earthquake/Tsunami Relief
1919 Santa Monica Boulevard, Suite 300
Santa Monica, Calif. 90404
800-481-4462
www.imcworldwide.org | Donate Online

INTERNATIONAL ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHARITIES
Asia Disaster Response
P.O. Box 630225
Baltimore, MD 21263-0225
877-803-4622
www.iocc.org | Donate Online

INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE
P.O. Box 5058
Hagerstown, MD 21741-9874
877-REFUGEE or 733-8433
www.theIRC.org | Donate Online

ISLAMIC RELIEF USA
Southeast Asia Earthquake Emergency
P.O. Box 6098
Burbank, Calif. 91510
888-479-4968
www.irw.org/asiaquake | Donate Online

International Rescue Committee
PO Box 5058
Hagerstown, MD 21741-9874
877-REFUGEE or 733-8433
www.theIRC.org

Jesuit Refugee Service/USA
1616 P Street NW
Suite 300
Washington, DC 20036
202-462-0400
www.jrsusa.org

Latter-Day Saint Charities
Welfare Services Emergency Response
50 East North Temple Street, Room 701
Salt Lake City, Utah, 84150-6800
801-240-3544
www.lds.org/humanitarian

Life For Relief & Development
Tsunami Relief Fund
P.O. Box 236
Southfield, MI 48037
1-800-827-3543
www.lifeusa.org

LUTHERAN WORLD RELIEF
700 Light Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21230
800-LWR-LWR-2
www.lwr.org | Donate Online

MAP International
P.O. Box 215000
Brunswick, GA 31521
800-225-8550
www.map.org

Medair
Chemin du Croset, 9
1024 - Ecublens
Switzerland
+41 (0)21 694 35 35
www.medair.org

MERCY CORPS
Southeast Asia Earthquake Response
Dept. W
P.O. Box 2669
Portland, Ore. 97208
800-852-2100
www.mercycorps.org | Donate Online

Mercy-USA for Aid and Development
Tsunami Disaster Relief
44450 Pinetree Drive, Suite 201
Plymouth, Michigan 48170-3869
800-556-3729
www.mercyusa.org

Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, Inc.
720 S. Rogers Rd, Suite A,
Olathe, KS 66062
1-800-214-4999
www.ncmi.org

Northwest Medical Teams
SE Asia Disaster Relief Fund
PO Box 10
Portland, OR 97207
800-959-4325 (HEAL)
www.nwmedicalteams.org

NETWORK FOR GOOD
www.networkforgood.org | Donate Online

OPERATION USA
8320 Melrose Avenue, Suite 200
Los Angles, Calif. 90069
800-678-7255
www.opusa.org | Donate Online

Operation Blessing International
Asia Earthquake and Tsunami Relief
977 Centerville Turnpike
Virginia Beach, VA 23463
800-730-2537
www.ob.org

Operation USA
8320 Melrose Ave. #200
Los Angeles, CA 90069
800-678-7255
www.opusa.org

OXFAM AMERICA
Donor Services Department
26 West Street
Boston, MA 12111-1206
800-77-OXFAM
www.oxfamamerica.org | Donate Online

Plan USA
Asia Disaster
155 Plan Way
Warwick, RI 02886
800-556-7918
www.planusa.org

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
100 Witherspoon Street
Louisville, KY 40202-1396
888-728-7228 ext 5839
www.pcusa.org/pda

Project Concern International
5151 Murphy Canyon Road Suite 320
San Diego, CA 92123
858-279-9690
www.projectconcern.org

Project HOPE
Asia Tsunami Response
255 Carter Hall Lane
Millwood, VA 22646
800-544-4673
www.projecthope.org

Refugees International
1705 N Street NW
Washington, DC 20036
202-828-0110
www.refugeesinternational.org

Relief International
Asia Earthquake Response
1575 Westwood Blvd., Suite 201
Los Angeles, CA 90024
800-573-3332
www.ri.org

Salvation Army World Service Office (SAWSO)
South Asia Relief Fund
615 Slaters Lane
Alexandria, VA, 22313
800-SAL-ARMY
www.1800salarmy.org

Samaritan's Purse
P.O. Box 3000
Boone, NC 28607
Phone (828) 262-1980
Fax (828) 266-1053
www.samaritanspurse.org

SAVE THE CHILDREN
Asia Earthquake/Tidal Wave Relief Fund
54 Wilton Road
Westport, Conn. 06880
800-728-3843
www.savethechildren.org | Donate Online

UNICEF
General Emergency Fund
333 E. 38th Street
New York, NY 10016
800-4-UNICEF
www.unicef.org | Donate Online

Shelter For Life International
PO Box 1306
Oshkosh, WI 54903
(920) 426-1207
www.shelter.org

Stop Hunger Now
SE Asia Crisis
2501 Clark Ave, Suite 200
Raleigh, NC 27607
888-501-8440
www.stophungernow.org

Tearfund
100 Church Road
Teddington
Middlesex
TW11 8QE
+44 (0) 20 8977 9144
www.tearfund.org

Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
UUSC-UUA Tsunami Relief Fund
P.O. Box 845259
Boston, MA 02284-5259
617-868-6600
www.uusc.org

United Methodist Committee on Relief
Advance #274305, South Asia Emergency
475 Riverside Drive
Room 330
New York, NY 10115
212-870-3815
www.methodistrelief.org

United Way International
United Way South Asia Response Fund
701 N Fairfax St
Alexandria, VA 22314 USA
703-519-0092
www.unitedway.org/tsunamiresponse

Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF)
1725 Eye Street NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20006
202-483-9222
www.vvaf.org

Water Missions International
P.O. Box 31258
Charleston, SC 29417
843-769-7395
www.watermissions.org

World Concern
Asia Earthquake and Tsunami
19303 Fremont Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98133
800-755-5022
www.worldconcern.org

World Emergency Relief
2270-D Camino Vida Roble
Carlsbad, CA 92009
760-930-8001
www.worldemergencyrelief.org

WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME
US Friends of the WFP
PO Box 11856
Washington, D.C. 20008
www.wfp.org/donate | Donate Online

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
http://www.who.int | Donate Online

World Hope International
Asia Relief
P.O. Box 96338
Washington DC 20090
888-466-4673
www.worldhope.org

World Relief
SE Asia Earthquake/Tsunamis
7 East Baltimore St
Baltimore MD 21202
800-535-5433
www.worldrelief.org

World Vision
P.O. Box 70288
Tacoma, WA 98481-0288
888-56-CHILD
www.worldvision.org