Project 1. Disaster Relief

Disaster Relief

Manila Floods, Philippines, Sep 2009

With its worldwide network of volunteers, The Art of Living has been able to immediately respond to disasters anywhere in the world; providing physical and mental relief as well as material help. Through this network, The Art of Living has established itself as one of the vital providers of disaster rehabilitation programs the world over.

From extensive relief and rehabilitation work in tsunami-affected areas to earthquake relief in Gujarat, volunteers from The Art of Living have gone beyond concern for their own safety to tend to the mental, emotional and material needs of natural or man-made disaster victims.

The Art of Living, along with its sister organisations, The International Association for Human Values (IAHV) and Vyakti Vikas Kendra India (VVKI), has taken upon itself the responsibility of healing societies affected by violence, and other natural disasters. Guided by Sri Sri, an effective and dynamic three-stage model for responding to emergency disasters has been developed.

Immediate Material Aid And Service

The Art of Living provides emergency services and material aid in the aftermath of disasters. These include food, clothes, medicine and shelter. Doctors, counsellors and other physical and mental health experts form an integral part of such immediate relief efforts.

Near-Term Trauma Relief

For survivors ofdisasters, who have experienced severe physical and emotional trauma, material help alone is not sufficient. Alleviating the trauma and helping people to reclaim their lives is essential. A study on The Art of Living Trauma Relief Programs which were delivered to large groups of South-East Asian tsunami survivors showed significant relief from post-traumatic stress disorder in only four days.

Long-Term Rehabilitation

True relief can only happen when disaster survivors are completely rehabilitated - physically and emotionally, on both a personal and societal level. People also need to have a sustainable means of earning their livelihood. To achieve this, our volunteers work in villages and with local communities, building homes, sanitation systems, roads, schools, vocational training centers and other necessary infrastructure.

Disaster Relief - Approach

Overview

The Art of Living has adapted a multi-path approach to bringing relief to the affected victims of any disaster. Bringing material relief for immediate medical and food needs is an obvious relief necessity. However, rehabilitation in the true sense does not happen till the trauma is released. Having its foundation in spirituality, the Art of Living volunteers have been successful in helping victims cope with stress and trauma feel free of the burden of the disaster and smile once again.

Through trauma relief workshops, the victims are taught skills to handle their emotions and release their stress. A community spirit also develops in them, enthusing them to reconstruct their lives and to support each other for the same.

Once this mind-set has come, it is easier to rehabilitate the victims. For example, providing boats to fisherman after the tsunami was useless till their trauma was released, because they were simply too afraid to approach the sea. In this way, The Art of Living has been involved worldwide and has established itself as one of the vital links in disaster rehabilitation programs the world over to provide near-term relief, trauma care and long-term rehabilitation.

Immediate Material Aid And Service

This entails providing emergency services and material aid in the aftermath of a calamity which includes food, clothing, medicines and shelter. Doctors, counselors and other physical and mental health experts form an integral part of such immediate relief efforts.

Near-term Trauma Relief

For survivors of such disasters, who have experienced severe physical and emotional trauma, material help alone is not sufficient. Alleviating the trauma and helping them reclaim their lives is essential. A study on the Art of Living Trauma Relief Programs given to large groups of south-east Asia tsunami survivors showed significant relief from post-traumatic stress disorder in only four days.

Long-Term Rehabilitation

True relief can only happen when disaster survivors are completely rehabilitated - physically, emotionally and socially - and have a sustainable means of earning their livelihood. To achieve this, volunteers work in villages and with local communities, building homes, sanitation systems, roads, schools, vocational training centers and other necessary infrastructure.

Earthquake Relief Efforts

Sichuan Earthquake

Sichuan Earthquake (May 2008)

On May 12, 2008, the northern region of the Sichuan Province of China was struck by a catastrophic earthquake, the worst natural disaster in its history. The calamity left nearly 70,000 dead and over 350,000 injured. The loss of every aspect of a secure life - loved ones, homes and infrastructure-caused a complete human breakdown, both for the victims and the relief volunteers.

An international team of Art of Living teachers and volunteers assisted in the immediate search and relief operations. Simultaneously, the team began trauma care, reaching out to over 2,000 people. A trauma relief drop-in center was established for volunteers of the Communist Youth League, the coordinating agency for the search and recovery of victims. Through the Art of Living workshops, volunteers released the trauma absorbed by witnessing the scenes of devastation and gained the strength to return to the sites.

“When people, especially care-givers — such as parents, rescue and relief volunteers — are in trauma, how can they adequately attend to others in need? The most disturbing consequence is that children suffer the most in the end. When children have cried all they can and are unable to express themselves further, where else can they turn to for emotional support and affection?” – Sichuan Art of Living Trauma Relief Mission Team Leader.

At Sichuan University, 90 psychology students were oriented to become facilitators at Art of Living programs.

Kashmir & Pakistan Earthquake

Kashmir And Pakistan Earthquake

On October 8, 2005 a level 7.6 earthquake shook Kashmir and vast areas of northern Pakistan, leaving over 75,000 people dead, many more seriously wounded and over 3.5 million people homeless. Within 48 hours of the earthquake, volunteers of The Art of Living and its sister organization, the International Association for Human Values (IAHV) started relief operations followed by trauma relief programs in some of the worst affected areas of Kashmir. Around 2,000 children and adults participated in these workshops, after which many people reported better health and a more peaceful mind.

“Until we did the breath exercises my heart had not stopped pounding, not since the earthquake. Now at last I am at peace.” -Begum Azie, Shaalkot village, Baramullah, Kashmir, October 20, 2005. Within three months of the quake, two IAHV-The Art of Living Winter Shelters were set up in Srinagar, housing 250 homeless children.

These shelters were later converted to Child Care Centers with a hostel for the students. A school has also been established. In Pakistan, The Art of Living worked in collaboration with other NGOs and the army for restoration of water and electricity supplies. It conducted medical camps and trauma relief sessions for the survivors. The Art of Living also started an innovative project of building low cost quake resistant homes. In response to these initiatives, villagers commented that they felt that life was coming back into their community.

Gujarat Earthquake

Gujarat Earthquake

On January 26, 2001, the Indian state of Gujrat was hit by a devastating earthquake that destroyed cities. The Art of Living and its sister concern, the International Association for Human Values (IAHV) stayed on long after the disaster, helping survivors come to terms with the new reality.

Apart from providing relief material, The Art of Living built a high school, a hostel and 15 temporary schools. Through its post-traumatic stress counselling and trauma relief programs, the volunteers reached out to over 100,000 people in 120 villages. In Nana Dahishar, they rebuilt the village completely with 124 earthquake-resistant homes, a multi-purpose community center, a primary healthcare centre, village government centre, a primary school, a place of worship, water tank, water supply system and drainage system.

Haiti Earthquake Relief

In the aftermath of the destruction in Haiti, The Art of Living has organized programs to bring material aid and peace of mind to a long-suffering people. The earthquake in January 2010 shook a nation that was already in the throes of political instability and poverty. The Red Cross estimates that three million people have been affected by the earthquake, which took the lives of hundreds of thousands, injured many more and left over one million people homeless, according to government sources.

Youth Committed to Change, Bring New Life to Haiti

“I lost my house, so I stay on the streets with my husband and my children. It’s so difficult to sleep at night with the rains, and it’s so stressful,” says Maila Villard, a victim of the earthquake. Maila took a trauma relief course for people affected by the earthquake, which was offered by the International Association for Human Values (IAHV), in partnership with The Art of Living. The course gives participants knowledge and skills to cope with trauma and start life over with a fresh mind. Maila shared with a volunteer, “When I do the breathing exercises, I forget that I sleep on the streets. It’s like I have no difficulties in my life. I finally feel that I have a clear mind. I feel calm.”

Providing counseling & material aid

The IAHV, sister organization of The Art of Living, is working in Haiti to systematically address the challenges faced by people in the post-acute phase of the disaster.

In the first phase of the relief work, volunteers distributed essential materials including food, clothes and medicine. The Art of Living teachers also conducted trauma relief workshops, which helped people cope with the psychological shock of losing their loved ones and the security of their homes. Many local The Art of Living volunteers also visited hospitals, counseled refugees, and calmed people during the aftershocks.

Empowering Haitian youth to lead

The second phase of the relief work in Haiti was initiated on April 12 when The IAHV launched an intensive program called the Nouvelle Vie Youth Corps, or New Life Youth Corps. Sixteen promising Haitian youth leaders from Cap Haitien, Carrefour, Hinche, and Les Cayes were selected from graduates of the Youth Leadership Training Program (YLTP), which was started by The IAHV in Haiti in 2007. These youth have been trained by four The Art of Living teachers and a permaculture (sustainable agriculture) expert. The youth corps aims to rebuild Haiti by organizing communities, healing the scars left on people’s minds and emotions by the earthquake and teaching permaculture farming methods to replace food aid with a sustainable food supply.

Giving strength & a sense of self-reliance

The youth corps is already making a significant impact on Haiti: within 16 days, the team taught seven The Art of Living courses to nearly 350 people living on the streets, in camps and in makeshift shelters. Another 1,000 people, including orphaned children, rape victims, and youth from Site Soleil, the most violent slum in Haiti, took the Breath-Water-Sound (BWS) course, which is specially designed for those in situations of disaster or poverty.

The team simultaneously taught people how to compost and develop small-scale farms, creating greater self-reliance for basic food needs. The YLTP students mixed manure and planted over 100 fruit and vegetable seedlings in recycled containers like rice sacks. These were distributed to orphans, school children and youth leaders in Site Soleil. News of the program’s benefits has quickly spread in the camps and among partner community organizations.

The Art of Living courses empower individuals and encourage them to take responsibility for their community. Participants initiated a camp-wide clean-up as part of one course in a camp housing 40,000 people. The simple act of picking up trash created a sense of dignity and ownership over lives too often marked by uncertainty.

Creating more youth leaders

In the following phases of the project, the Nouvelle Vie Youth Corps will train 100 youth leaders as The Art of Living teachers and permaculture trainers. The Youth Corps is committed to serve Haitian communities for a two-year term, spreading solutions for individual empowerment and community development.

MoU for Haiti relief

Advancing efforts to rebuild Haiti, the Art of Living founder, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Haiti relief with North Miami Mayor, Andre D. Pierre, Esq. on April 27. The aim of the MoU is to step up relief work in Haiti, and provide sustainable solutions to the country’s specific challenges.

Earthquake in Chile

On Feb 26th 2010, an earthquake measuring 8.8 in the Richter scale hit Chile, affecting thousands of people. In the wake of this tragedy, The Art of living Chile has undertaken several initiatives to help the victims get back to their feet and start life anew. With many having suffered huge losses, Art of Living Chile provided support and conducted trauma care workshops to help the victims.

A group of 30 volunteers rushed to the "Rio Claro" community and teamed up with the local government officials and other NGOs to bring relief to the victims. They stayed there for four days and provided on-site help including cleaning up destroyed homes. The volunteers provided food, supplies and support to the remote areas of “Rio Claro” as well.

The volunteers conducted workshops for children in the affected area and distributed candies and food bringing smiles on the faces of the kids.

The Art of Living has lined up a series of activities to be conducted in the region in coming months

• Team up with "Techo para Chile", (an NGO that builds temporary houses) and conduct BWS (Breath-Water-Sound) workshops as temporary homes are built for the victims

• Have more BWS instructors in the region

• Conduct more healing and trauma care workshops

• Get more help. It is expected that around 200 volunteers and instructors from the Argentinean cities of Mendoza, San Martin and Bariloche will come to the disaster area in April

Flood Relief Efforts

Manila Flood Relief

Providing food & trauma relief to thousands

The Art of Living chapter in Philippines worked closely with the Red Cross to provide Breath-Water-Sound trauma relief programs for thousands of families in Manila and Northern Luzon. The Art of Living teachers and volunteers conducted these workshops and organized feeding stations for the flood survivors. Volunteers also fed thousands of flood survivors on a daily basis.

Bihar Flood Relief

Bihar, India (September 2008)

An estimated 3.5 million people in Bihar were affected by the flood caused when the monsoon-driven Kosi River changed its course, following a breach in a dam upstream in Nepal. Around 1,600 villages in the region have been marooned, resulting in enormous loss of life and property.

The Art of Living volunteers and team of doctors worked tirelessly, reaching out to 5,000 people in the Jankinagar Phulwari camp, providing food, clothes, essential supplies, medical aid, and educating them about hygiene and sanitation. Water purifying machines were installed to provide clean drinking water to help check the spread of water-borne diseases. The Art of Living shipped 1,000 life-jackets to help the rescuers, and assisted the Indian Army in rescue operations.

In addition, volunteers conducted stress elimination programs which included pranayama and meditation sessions, providing thousands of survivors much needed relief from fear and anxiety. This two-pronged approach aimed at offering holistic rehabilitation.

The Art of Living did relief and rescue operations in the inaccessible areas of Jadiabazar in the Suppol district, Madhepura, Batani and other villages in Bihar, reaching out to over 4,000 people including expectant mothers and children.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar addressed over 10,000 survivors in JVC Nahar Camp, Banmankhi Phulwari on September 25, bringing solace to them. The villagers in Bihar traveled many kilometres from flood-affected districts of Madhepura and Purnia to meet Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. He assured them that The Art of Living would support their rehabilitation by providing vocational training to women and start a literacy campaign for the illiterate in the camps. A training program in tailoring skills was conducted at the Jankinagar camp, while training in the charkha was conducted at the Gandhi Jayanti camp. Two Youth Leadership Training Programs (YLTPs) were conducted for youth in the camps.

The Art of Living had conducted relief work worth Rs 100 million (US$2.2 million) in Bihar. The Art of Living had also provided similar assistance during the floods in Bihar and North-East regions of India in 2007.

Surat Flood Relief

Surat, India (August 2006)

In August 2006, heavy floods ravaged the city of Surat, Gujarat, claiming the lives of hundreds and affecting thousands more. Water levels were as high as 22 feet in some parts of the city, causing an estimated economic loss in excess of US$500 million.

More than 1,500 volunteers of The Art of Living provided drinking water, food, medicines and other essentials. Several medical camps were conducted throughout the city, providing aid to more than 11,000 people. The Art of Living also worked with the Surat Municipal Corporation to urgently clean up flood-affected areas and prevent any outbreak of disease.

Mumbai Flood Relief

Mumbai, India (July 2005)

Soon after Mumbai was submerged by the floods in July 2005, Art of Living volunteers rushed to the worst-affected slums of Agripada, Dharavi and Kalwa in spite of chest-high water levels. Volunteers distributed large quantities of food packets, home essentials, water purification satchets and medicines, and ran a community kitchen that fed 2,000 people per day. In order to maintain hygiene and prevent spread of diseases, they cleaned toilets, sprayed disinfectants and removed truckloads of garbage from the slums.

The volunteers subsequently initiated counseling sessions and trauma relief programs, which helped people overcome insomnia, anxiety and fear left by the flood.

Appreciating the humane way in which the volunteers offered relief, the state government appointed The Art of Living as a nodal agency in the worst-affected areas of Mumbai.

In August 2005, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar went to Mumbai especially to meet the flood-affected people in the slums.

Karnataka Flood Relief

Karnataka Flood Relief Efforts (Sept. 2009)

Divine Karnataka project

The aim of the Divine Karnataka project is to create a vibrant and empowered Karnataka through the reawakening of human values. This project’s mission is to improve the lives of people in slums and rural areas. This is being done by consistent training programs, creating opportunities for self-reliance, and making participants ”sahbhagidaar”(partners) in future development.

This work is being done in different districts of Karnataka since the heavy rains left over 200 people dead and 3,00,000 people homeless in the state. According to official sources, over 26,000 houses have collapsed in North Karnataka. Most of the eleven districts in the region are inundated, as all the rivers are flowing above the danger mark. Road and rail transport services have also been disrupted. Since then training programs are being conducted in many slum areas. This training comprises YLTP (Youth Leadership Training Program), Talent Club, KYC (Know Your Child), Vedic Mathematics, Spoken English, Communication Skills and Leadership Skills.

Ladakh Flood Relief

Following the colossal damage after the floods in Ladakh on August 5, The Art of Living began trauma relief efforts in the district. Ladakh witnessed a cloudburst and flash floods and mudslides, leaving 197 dead, including 10 army personnel.

The first step has been to supply water filters and relief material to 1000 affected families in Leh.

In addition Mr. Rajendra Dhawan, trustee, Sri Sri Rural Development Program, and Mr. Damodaran, psychologist and trauma expert, have begun conducting trauma relief workshops in two camps (Project Himank camp and Gompa Gatsal in Choglamsar near Leh). Over 150 people have benefitted from the workshop.

Mr. Dhawan and Mr. Damodaran met Hon. N.N. Vohra, Governor, Jammu and Kashmir at the Project Himank camp. Mr. Damodaran explained the effects of the Breath-Water-Sound workshops on trauma victims and shared experiences of tsunami victims. While appreciating the efforts of The Art of Living, the Governor invited Sri Sri to meet the separatist leaders and break the deadlock.

Future plans

In order to reach out to more people in Ladakh, The Art of Living team will be training residents to conduct Breath-water-Sound workshops. A Youth Leadership Training Program will also be held for 40-50 youth.

Cyclone Relief Efforts

Hurricane Katrina Relief