Solidarity act aganist corruption join With us --- [email protected] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > NGOs cross swords over tsunami relief dollars > Arun Jayan/ Thiruvananthapuram > the pioneer > 17.12.2005 > http://dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?main_variable=KOCHI&file_name=KOCHI1%2Etxt&counter_img=1 > Infighting among non-governmental oraganisations is becoming murkier. > Be it in the Adivasi community or among fishermen, or any other areas, > such as ecology, culture, herbs, rustic know-how or AIDS, the NGOs of > late are engaged in a pitched battle as they attach more importance to > the inflow of dollars and euros than to the cause they are projecting. > Literate Kerala had witnessed many such feuds > that led to splitting NGO groups, such as Mithra Niketan, Samskriti, > etc. > Even priests and nuns seem to be after big > money as is evident from the latest bickering in the World Forum of > Fisher Peoples. Fr Thomas Kochery, known as the champion of the > fisherfolks' cause, is very much involved in this forum as a special > invitee. The organisation is on the verge of a spilt if the > allegations and counter-allegations coming from within the WFFP, > Kerala chapter, are anything to go by. > The rift has reached such serious dimensions > that WFFP secretary Sr Cecily Plathottam, is under police protection. > Addressing newsmen in Thiruvananthapuram, Sr Cecily, who was > accompanied by two women cops, accused Fr Kochery of embezzling > tsunami funds. She also says her life is under threat ever since she > questioned his way of spending funds received for the welfare of the > fisherfolk. > She alleged that Fr Kochery had received more > than Rs 100 crore from various foreign funding agencies for the > rehabilitation of tsunami-affected fishermen. "However, he is not > ready to clarify as to what he did with this money," she said. She > added that Mr Herman Kumara, general secretary of WFFP, was diverting > the money to his personal account under the direction of Thomas > Kochery. > "Madurai-based NGO Muhil and a Redemptorist > community in Manavalakurichy in Kanyakumari and National Fishworkers' > Forum (NFF) are handling the fund but there are no specific records > for the money spent on the project. What I demand is that they should > clarify about the total money that was funded by foreign agencies and > how much had been spent and how it was spent," she said. > She added that since she was speaking about > the misuse of money flowing into these NGOs, she was facing threat > from many corners. However, an action council formed in defence of Fr > Thomas Kochery, having its office at Manavalakurichy, said that Fr > Kochery widely publicised the needs of the tsunami-affected people, > giving details of the extent of damages, as it was known at that time, > and a rough estimate of the amount of money that might be needed for > the rehabilitation work. > He did not send any project proposal to any > funding agency. In his appeal, he had given the addresses of some of > the NGOs and church organisations, both in India and Sri Lanka, who > had FCRA numbers and who were willing to receive funds and account for > them. > His intention in circulating the needs of the > time was not to collect funds himself, but to enthuse possible donors > to come forward and make their contribution to any agency or NGO who > had the facility to receive foreign funds and had the infrastructure > to do relief and rehabilitation work. > Further, they said that WFFP was an > international forum. Though Fr Thomas Kochery is acclaimed as a leader > of the fisher peoples all over the world, he is not the coordinator of > the WFFP as Sr Cecily mentions in the accusation, they added. > "The WFFP bank account is in France and that > is controlled by a treasurer who is French, two coordinators, one a > New Zealander and the other a Senegalese, and the gene === Message Truncated ===
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