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Fund-raising report and solidarity

At the end of 2011, 15 337.73 euros were raised in the framework of the fund-raising solidarity initiative launched by our association, ESSF [2].

From this sum, 14 795 euros were sent to Japan.

Costs

Costs incurred amounted to 312.53 which included bank transfer charges of 183.53.

There is a remaining balance 232.20 euros which will soon be given directly to someone (to avoid transfer costs on such a small amount).

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Origin of the donations :

Germany: 1000 € (individual donation by an ISL member)

Congo : 20 € (individual donation)

France: 6610 €
NPA: 1500 €
Individual donations: 5110 €

Great Britain: 1658.54 €
Individual donations : 578.54 €
donations by Socialist Resistance members: 1080 €

Hongkong : 2820 €
Pioneer Group : 2320 €
October Review : 500 €

Italy: 200 € (individual donation)

Norway: 782.19 € (Pax Forlag As)

Pakistan: 35 € (LPP)

Philippines: 110 € (RPM-M)

Quebec: 141 € (individual donation)

Sri Lanka: 50 € (NSSP)

Taiwan: 745 € (individual donations) [The funds collected in Taiwan were transferred directly to Japan without passing through the ESSF account.]

Turkey: 500 € (individual donations)

International network: 686 € (Focus on the Global South)

That is to say, 12 countries, including 1 in North America, 1 in Africa, 6 in Europe and 5 in Asia – plus an international network working on Asian issues (Focus).

East Asia thus represents one of the most important country contingents. There is an expression of a certain solidarity « of proximity » among the movements that have tied regional links through the social forums and thematic campaigns, and which, in addition have all undergone calamity situations.

Among the individual donors, we find particularly persons who regularly respond to solidarity appeals launched by ESSF. Even if unequally, a network of political organizations also responded to the appeal launched from Japan by the JRCL and the NCIW (in support to the ESSF initiative) [3], two groups that have linked ties with the Fourth International.

As the funds collected by ESSF were intended for a trade union organization operating in the affected region (the northeastern branch of the NTUC [4] – National Trade Union Council), contacts have been established with organizations like, in France, the trade union Solidaires or ATTAC, and the appeal was circulated in electronic forums like that of the European Social Forum. Solidaires published a paper of the NTUC which we had translated in the bulletin of the international commission [5]. We also led a joint information campaign with these two organizations, especially at the occasion of the G20 meeting in the Havre.

The choice to send the funds to the northeastern branch of the NTUC was not only to ensure that our material aid would reach the people directly (with less costs at that !) but also to strengthen the capacity of action of social movements so that the cost of the crisis would not fall again on the most deprived sectors of the population.

Note also that other movements launched their own appeals for financial support, like Via Campesina, (intended for their sister peasant organization Noumiren) or the Friends of the Earth (support to Peace Boat or the Chernobyl Japan Foundation), while the association like the Criirad offered its resources and know-how to the Japanese anti-nuclear movement (we contacted them to get contacts on the occasion of their mission in the archipelago).

Thanks especially to the help of our contacts in Japan (and in France), we were able to have the translations of articles and documents produced by the Japanese social and anti-nuclear movements – posted on-line on our website as well as on other websites too. Information sharing is part of solidarity actions and this is a continuing effort of ESSF. We likewise contribute, according to our means, to the mobilizations for a nuclear-free world.

Pierre Rousset, Danielle Sabai, 
Europe solidaire sans frontières (ESSF)

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To send donations

You can send donations via Europe solidaire sans frontières (ESSF), Europe in Solidarity Without Borders :

Cheques
cheques to ESSF in euros only to be sent to:
ESSF
2, rue Richard-Lenoir
93100 Montreuil
France

Bank Account:
Crédit lyonnais
Agence de la Croix-de-Chavaux (00525)
10 boulevard Chanzy
93100 Montreuil
France
ESSF, account number 445757C

International bank account details :
IBAN : FR85 3000 2005 2500 0044 5757 C12
BIC / SWIFT : CRLYFRPP
Account holder : ESSF

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