This press release is being sent to the media for publication by me as
the authorised representative of Tsunami Rehabilitation Initiative
[TRI for short] which is the coordinating body of important NGOs
mentioned in the press release below. The contact emails for the time
being of TRI will be: srijai@...; jaishankar_n@...,
tri2005@...

Jaishankar Narayanan,
Representative,
Tsunami Rehabilitation Initiative [TRI]



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For favour of publication

Formation of Tsunami Rehabilitation Initiative [TRI] coordinating body
of NGOs involved in Tsunami Relief and Rehabilitation work

A body to coordinate and network the important social service
organisations [NGOs] engaged in Tsunami disaster relief and
rehabilitation work has been formed at Chennai. The coordinating body
has been named as Tsunami Rehabilitation Initiative [TRI]. The
decision to form TRI was taken at a meeting held in Chennai on
Saturday, January 8, 2005 in which Swami Dayananda Saraswathi, Swami
Gautamananda, and Satguru Jaggi Vasudev guided the discussions.

The leading NGOs who have become the members of the coordinating body
are: Sri Ramakrishna Mission, AIM for Seva, Mata Amritanandamayi Math,
Chinmaya Mission, Art of Living Foundation, ISCON, Isha Foundation,
Swaminarayan Sampradaya, Seva Bharati and Vivekananda Kendra. The
coordinating body will have as patrons Swami Gautamananda, President
Ramakrishna Mission Chennai, Swami Dayananda Saraswathi of Arsha Vidya
Gurukulam, Mata Amritanandamayi, the head of the Amritanandamayi Math,
Satguru Jaggi Vasudev, the head of Isha Foundation and Sri Sri
Ravishankar the head of Art of Living foundation. More than 10000
volunteers of the member organisations, many of them qualified
doctors, psychiatrists, trauma therapists and other specialists, are
in the field and involved in relief and rehabilitation work in all
affected places in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Andamans and
also Sri Lanka.

The purpose of this coordinating and networking effort is to ensure
proper distribution and coordination of the delivery of rehabilitation
work among different NGOs which have become the members initially and
such other organisations as would network with the TRI in future. TRI
will be contacting different NGOs, which don't have any other agenda
other than serving the affected people, for networking with them. TRI
will also integrate the work of the different service organisations so
that the collective and coordinated work of all service organisations
ensures most effective and unduplicated delivery of the rehabilitation
work. By networking and coordinating the different NGOs will be able
to use their resources to the optimum and partly unburden the
government of the tough task of coordination of voluntary work.

TRI will interface with the government and also the media so as to
expedite the rehabilitation work. TRI believes that this kind of
coordination among the NGOs will also assist the authorities in
ensuring proper planning and expedite the delivery of rehabilitation
work. The rehabilitation work planned for the future will also include
trauma relief, psychiatric care and other counselling work, besides
housing and provision of fishing infrastructure. TRI will persuade the
different NGOs to adopt all affected villages and assist the
authorities in choosing the most genuine NGOs as agencies for delivery
of the rehabilitation. The office of the TRI will issue periodic
reports on the work done by the member organisations and other
organisations which network with TRI for the information of the
public.

The TRI appeals to all NGOs and other service organisations engaged in
Tsunami Rehabilitation work to network with TRI so that the collective
and integrated position of the NGOs through TRI leads to efficient and
expedited rehabilitation services. The TRI also appeals to people to
light 'Moksha Deepams' in all temples on Monday 10 January 2005 and
pray for the thousands who have lost their lives and also for peace
and harmony for the thousands who have lost their kith and kin.