The Wildlife Friends of Thailand is a wonderful organization founded 17 years ago to rescue wild animals from maltreatment or neglect; educate people with a view to stopping cruelty to animals; prevent hunting and promote conservation of all natural resources (flora and fauna); and pool knowledge and manpower to set up release programs for animals that qualify for reintroduction to the wild. When I contacted its Founder/Director Edwin Wiek, a Dutchman who has lived in Thailand for decades, to see how the Year of Giving Generously could get involved, he asked me how mom had felt about elephants. In fact Sumalee always loved elephants, and had a small collection of elephant art, trinkets etc.
Just because it's quiet on this page, doesn't mean nothing's happening smile emoticon The latest sponsorships are more in the nature of what was important to my mother as a philosopher and intellectual, especially during the later years of her life: scholarships for Burmese monks to attend the new INEB (www.facebook.com/INEB.BuddhistNetwork) institute for postgraduate studies, as suggested by Ajahn Sulak and Khun Siroj Angsuvat. More details to follow. Also, funds for female monks from India to come to Thailand at the www.facebook.com/songdhammakalyani.monastery, and an elevator for the monastery's main building, which Sumalee had actually promised Dhammananda (the abbess) during her lifetim
