Annual Report of the Sata Foundation for the Year 2015

(1) Shechen Clinic in Baudhanath, Kathmandu, Nepal
(http://karuna-shechen.org)

The Sata Foundation continued to make a donation to the Shechen Clinic, situated in an overcrowded suburb of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, to support its humanitarian work in providing quality medical care, regardless of religious, ethnic or political background, to the large community that includes refugees and other people from the mountain regions in India, Nepal, and Tibet. Services are provided on a sliding scale cost bases and, in the case of very poor patients, all medical care and medicines are provided at no cost. The Clinic treats over 3,500 patients a month. The services provided include: general medicine, pharmacy, analysis laboratory, tuberculosis (D.O.T.), orthopedic, reproductive health, counseling for HIV and AIDS patients and their family; homeopathy, Tibetan medicine, Tibetan medicine factory, acupuncture, dental clinic, and dental laboratory.

We appreciate the Clinic's special expression of gratitude to the Sata Foundation and the TKB Group in Japan for their ongoing support since the Clinic's establishment in 2000.

In June 2015, the Sata Foundation made a donation to the Shechen Monastery in the capital city of Nepal, which was severely damaged by the earthquakes of 25 April and 12 May 2015 which affected one-third of the entire population of Nepal. The Monastery became an important sanctuary for earthquake victims, and the Sata Foundation's donation, which was made to offer its sincere sympathy to the victims in addition to the above donation for the Shechen Clinic, helped the Monastery in its disaster relief efforts, both spiritually or materially.

The Banyan Home Foundation (BHF) which operates the Ban Rom Sai Children’s Home for HIV/AIDS-infected children set up by Mrs. Miwa Natori from Japan [→ Note 1] continued to received a donation from the Sata Foundation in 2015, which went to support the following projects: (a) teaching the children to enjoy reading; (b) community sports; (c) youth football competition; (d) summer camps for the children at the Ban Rom Sai and the local youth; and (e) practical training on accidents and first-aid help.

Approximately 50-100 persons took part in these activities. Thanks to the Sata Foundation’s donations since 2007, the children at the Ban Rom Sai have been accepted and successfully assimilated to the society where they live. For example, several participants have been granted special quotas to study at high schools and vocational training colleges free of costs.

In April 2015, the Sata Foundation made a donation to the Mata Lachmi Nursery for the Blind, a school for blind children in Sion, Mumbai, India. The nursery is one of its kind in India. This school helps very young kids from age two are taught; helped and given meals till they are ten years old. Out of approximately 20 children at the nursery, some of them have multiple handicaps. From there they move on to join regular schools for visually challenged children. The nursery is completely dependent upon the goodwill and generosity of donations. The funds are utilized not only for the education of children and to ensure that they get quality teachers, and enrich their lives with experiences such as recreation opportunities including outings and picnics.

The Sata Foundation continues to promote international rules of law in Asia by awarding annually since 2005 the Sata Prize, now re-named 'DILA Prize', valued at US$2,000, for the best international law essays by young Asian international legal scholars. The winning essays are published in the Asian Yearbook of International Law, under the auspices of the Foundation for the Development of International Law in Asia (DILA)[→ Note 2]. The Asian Yearbook informs the world about Asian perspectives on international law that underpins world peace and the international legal order. The Sata Prize thus serves to enhance the “understanding among peoples of all cultures, religions and beliefs of the value of peace and respect for universally recognized human rights”, which is part of the Sata Foundation's Mission Statement.

The DILA Prize for the 2012 volume of the Asian Yearbook of International Law was awarded in 2015. The winner is Professor Jaclyn Neo of the National University of Singapore for her article entitled "Incorporating Human Rights: Mitigated Dualism and Interpretation in Malaysian Courts".

The Sata Foundation will continue to campaign for world peace with the Madonnagasaki as the main inspiration. Since 2005, the Sata Foundation has been sponsoring the “Run for Peace” Cycling Rally and related events in France to commemorate the anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (on 6 and 9 August 1945, respectively) and to promote the humanitarian mission of the Sata Foundation.

In 2015, the 11th anniversary of the Bike Race for Peace was held on Saturday 1 August in Chailly-sur-Armançon, France (www.courirpourlapaix.com), with 551 cyclists taking part in three circuits: Hiroshima (145 km.), Nagasaki (105 km.) and Tohoku (80 km.), 512 of whom making it to the finish line. The event raised funds for the Sata Foundation, to be used for the Sata Foundation’s mission. The next Bike Race for Peace was held on Saturday 30 July 2016.

Notes:

1. It is located at 23/1 Moo 4 Tambon Namprae, Ampur Hangdong, Chiangmai Province, Thailand 50230: http://www.banromsai.org.
2. http://www.dilafoundation.org.

Professor Kriangsak Kittichaisaree
Executive Director,
Sata Foundation
9 August, 2016