In the past year new information has emerged concerning the state
of mental healthcare and the mentally ill in
China. According to the World Health
Organization,
mental illness supersedes heart disease and cancer as the most
taxing health concern in China’s healthcare system. An
estimated 100 million people in China have some type of mental
disorder although some say this number is likely higher due to
the dearth of information available and the lack of public
awareness regarding mental illness.
Xinhua reports that “twenty percent of all ailments and
injury-led disabilities in China” are caused by mental illness.
Dr. Huang Yueqin, director of the National Center for Mental
Health, told
Telegraph that she estimates only about 5 percent of those
with illnesses are aware of it and receive treatment. (It is
important to note the range of illnesses covered under these
statistics, which include anxiety and
Internet addiction as well as depression and schizophrenia.)
Continue reading "A 5 Minute Guide to Mental Health in China" »
In 2008 China experienced two natural disasters: snowstorms
that halted mass transportation across the nation, leaving millions stranded
and the Sichuan Earthquake that left thousands dead and entire cities leveled.
Since then much has been done in the country to improve the disaster response
and prevention. As one person said, China is disaster prone with earthquakes, floods,
tsunamis, typhoons and droughts a regular occurrence. Vice
Premier Hui Liangyu admitted, “the disaster reduction situation is still
arduous as various natural disasters are frequent in China.” In recent history,
the government has shown consistent dedication to reform the nation’s disaster
plan. Here, I take a look at new initiatives and, in particular, the effects of
the Sichuan Earthquake on China’s disaster relief strategy.
Continue reading "A 5 Minute Guide to China's Disaster Relief and Prevention" »
Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of the Sichuan earthquake, which struck at 2:28pm on May 12th, 2008. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake caused enormous damage and loss of life and has forever changed the face of civil society in China.
The Earthquake Toll at a Glance
- 68,712 total dead, official
- 17,921 still missing
- 5,335 children
- 15 million displaced
Continue reading "The "5-12" Sichuan Earthquake: One Year Later, A Look Back" »
This fall, thirty bicyclers will traverse 330 kilometers of
China’s most beautiful terrain throughout Yunnan and Sichuan provinces as part
of China Charity Challenge’s
(CCC). Organized in groups of two, the riders will raise money to pay for their
trips and to support the efforts of Roots and Shoots to encourage sustainable
living in the regions. The ride will be the first “adventure philanthropy
bicycle rally” in China and as CCC’s inaugural ride. We spoke with project
director, Vinny Ng about the nuts and bolts of CCC.
Continue reading "Adventure Philanthropy: An Interview with China Charity Challenge’s Vinny Ng" »
Back in
the saddle now in Shanghai and heading off again tomorrow to Taipei for
2 weeks. First I wanted to share some takeaways from the fabulous Give2Asia
conference last week in Beijing. Dien and her staff pulled off an
excellent and informative inaugural conference, and I met some terrific
people there. I hope there will be many more such events in years to
come.
For me there were 2 main focal points of the various speakers and panels:
Continue reading "Conference Takeaways- "Investing in China: The Role of Philanthropy"" »
Jet Li as Philanthropist in Time Again!
Recently, I came across a feature story in Time Magazine, about the well-known Chinese movie star Jet Li (Li Lianjie) and his One Foundation. Different from other foundations which are
either government-backed, such as China Charity Foundation, or established by
wealthy individual entrepreneurs, the One Foundation is one of the few private
foundations in China which has approval from the government to fundraise from Chinese citizens.
Continue reading "From Movie Star To A Philanthropist" »
This article is also in SVG's recent newsletter, which can be downloaded at www.socialventuregroup.com.
Six months after the May 12th earthquake that hit Sichuan, I had the
chance to return to Chengdu and conduct research there for a period of time on
behalf of an SVG client. Being not as
seriously damaged by the earthquake, Chengdu has quickly recovered from the
disaster and there are now no obvious traces of the earthquake in the
city. However, residents are still
talking about and sending assistance to the nearby affected areas. It seems that almost everyone I talked to is
is trying to contribute in some way, either through volunteering or through
donations. The most tangible change is
that that many nonprofit NGOs have emerged, including international NGOs,
government-run organizations, NGOs from other parts of China and new grassroots
disaster relief groups in Sichuan. Most
of these organizations are using Chengdu as their base of operations and are
providing different earthquake relief or reconstruction efforts in Sichuan.
Continue reading "Dispatches From Sichuan " »
Graham Thompson alerted me to this article in yesterday's South China Morning Post detailing some of the changes we are beginning to see in attitudes towards volunteering and giving, post 5-12 earthquake.
I would agree with the sentiments expressed here, and the picture in my mind is of small green grass shoots sprouting up after a winter freeze. We are beginning to see the start of what we hope will be the springtime of grassroots charity and NGO work in China. The earthquake has certainly catalyzed public interest in the sector. What remains to be seen is the long term effect that the quake will have on giving.
Continue reading "The Impact of the Earthquake on Volunteerism and Giving" »
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