Rotary International President Welcomes Scientology Tsunami

Kensington, South Africa - Jan 7, 2005 (PRN):

The President of Rotary International, Rotarian Mr Rajendra Sabhu, visited the Cuddalore District on Tuesday, meeting with district rotary members, and assessing the needs of the areas affected.

The rotary club has been working in the Tamil Nad region in co-ordination with the members of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers Relief effort. This team of volunteers are specialists in Disaster relief, emotional impact assessment and trauma relief counseling and training.

The Volunteer Ministers have Tsunami Relief teams deployed in all of the countries affected by the Tsunami, including Indonesia, Thailand, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, and India. The total number of volunteers mobilized by the Scientology Volunteer minister corps is in excess of 200 people from many countries all across the globe.

On meeting the Volunteer Ministers, and coming to know of their mission, Mr Rajendra Sabhu welcomed them saying "We as Rotary members, and as India wish to thank you for coming here from all over the world, from countries where most would consider this natural calamity as being sad, but not their own problem. This is a humanitarian problem, affecting the brotherhood of mankind, and it is my honor and privilege to have met the Scientology volunteers. Your being here has refreshed my hope as you are true humanitarians, bringing hope for humanity."

The Scientology Relief Teams have been in India since 1 January, and are comprised of a Co-ordination Office in Chennai, and two specialist teams, one in Cuddalore, and one in Nagapathnum. These teams are delivering training to Tamil speaking volunteers on Scientology processes used to assist victims who are experiencing emotional trauma related problems. These processes allow a victim to completely resolve the psychological and emotional barriers which are preventing them from coming to terms with the disaster, and re-establishing their lives.

Any volunteers who speak English, and Tamil, and who wish to be trained in these techniques are urged to contact the National Coordinator, Dr. Geoffrey Barton on 98804 50341 or 98804 50342. All training is provided at no cost, and would take 1 - 2 days to complete. These volunteers would then be able to deliver these assist processes, and train others on their delivery in Tamil.

For more information, contact:

Peter Cooke
Volunteer Ministers SA
Phone: +2783 9961259
Email: thecookes@cinet.co.za

Tibetans trained by Scientologists treat tsunami-hit villagers

Here's a story that was picked up by AFP today, about our Volunteer Minister team:

(AFP, January 7, 2005)

Tibetan refugees arrived in this town which bore the brunt of last week's killer tsunamis to counsel and treat displaced villagers, saying they "owed" it to India.

However in a bizarre twist, the Buddhist monks have been trained by controversial US-based Scientologists in a technique called "Assist" which talks people out of focusing on a particular event.

Villagers housed at relief camps here seem unaware of the unusual combination that brought the monks in to talk to them through a translator and to apply massage to ease their pains.

The Buddhists massaged the hands, neck, heads and legs patients suffering from injuries.

Dawa Dhondup, the head of a 15-member team doing the rounds in the worst-hit Nagapattinam district where 6,035 people died when a gigantic wall of water came crashing down on December 26, said the technique was meant to help fight trauma.

"At the moment people are thinking too much about the disaster and their dead relatives," Dhondup, told AFP. "When you touch these people at various points of their body you can take their thoughts away from the disaster.

"It will also help us to know whether their body is in good shape," said the Tibetan monk, dressed in maroon robes and wearing a green mouth and nose mask.

Dhondup said he and other Tibetans staying in India were thanking God for giving them an opportunity to help the tsunami-hit villagers.

"I've been staying in India since 1959," Dhondup said. "We owe it to India. The Indians have given us a temporary home. I know we are a little late as it is more than 10 days after the disaster but another 200 Tibetans will soon join us.

"When the disaster struck we conducted prayers in all our monasteries," he added.

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and his followers fled Tibet to India in 1959 amid a failed uprising against Chinese rule.

Dhondup and his colleagues live in the neighbouring state of Karnataka at the largest Tibetan settlement in India.

J. Jayarami, a 15-year-old girl who was treated by the Tibetan monks, said she felt immediate relief.

"They told me to close my eyes and concentrate. Then they kept on asking me if I feel any pain when they touch me. It was a different experience from other doctors," she said.

>>click here for the rest of the article

Scientology Volunteer Minister Team in Madras (including Tibetan Buddhist Monks who have been trained on giving assists). 

The Scientology Volunteer Minister team in Chennai (Madras) had another meeting with the local Rotary Club to get more data on what is happening in the badly affected areas down the coast, and went down the coast. Along the eastern coast of India, 560 villages were damaged or destroyed by Tsunami waves that carried big trucks as far as 2 km from the shore and dumped them as tangled masses of junk in the fields. 500,000 people are homeless, well over 10,000 are dead.

In conjunction with the Rotary clubs, trained teams of Scienotlogy Volunteer Mnisters (including 28 Tibetan Buddhist Monks who have been trained in giving Assists) have been sent into four different areas.

The Rotarians have requested help in training volunteers, rehabilitating the lives of those affected, conseling and medical supplies. The fishermen are without boats, nets, or a way to survive. Women lost families, men lost wives and children, thousands of orphans are in need of help. Much is needed and much is being done. Trained teams of VMs from the UK, US and South Africa are now here, helping the survivors.

I am not able to go to India myself to help in the tsunami relief effort, and I am so greatful to other Scientology Volunteer Ministers who have gone and the others who are going.

I'm making my blog available to those on the ground who are doing their part there.