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Aid Still Required (ASR) is a non-profit
501(c)(3) organization A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...
committed to bringing attention and humanitarian aid to areas suffering from natural disasters or human crises. Incorporated in
Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...
, US, in 2008. The name, "Aid Still Required" and the mission were born out of the need to bring these issues back into the spotlight after they have left the news headlines and public awareness. Future project locations are
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
,
Appalachia Appalachia ( ) is a geographic region located in the Appalachian Mountains#Regions, central and southern sections of the Appalachian Mountains in the east of North America. In the north, its boundaries stretch from the western Catskill Mountai ...
, NYC First Responders,
Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...
, and the Gulf Oil.


Southeast Asia

In December 2004, the
tsunami A tsunami ( ; from , ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and underwater explosions (including detonations, ...
in Southeast Asia claimed 230,000 lives and destroyed the livelihood of millions of families and communities in 12 different nations. In response to the tsunami, Aid Still Required founders, Hunter and Andrea Herz Payne created its first project: a CD compilation endorsed by former United States President Bill Clinton's United Nations Office of the Special Envoy for Tsunami Relief. The CD contains tracks by musicians such as
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...
,
Norah Jones Norah Jones ( ; born Geethali Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She has won several awards for her music and, , has sold more than 53 million records worldwide. '' Billboard'' named her the top jazz artist of ...
,
Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She is a key musician in popularizing pop-punk music, as she paved the way for female-driven, punk-influenced pop music in the early 2000s. List of awa ...
,
James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Taylor achieved his breakthrough in 1970 with the single "Fi ...
,
Sarah McLachlan Sarah Ann McLachlan (born January 28, 1968) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. As of 2015, she had sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is ''Surfacing (album), Surfacing'' (1997), for which she won two G ...
,
Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In 1971, Raitt released her Bonnie Raitt (album), self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed Americana (mu ...
,
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...
,
Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...
,
Shawn Colvin Shawn Colvin (born Shawna Lee Colvin, January 10, 1956) is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her 1997 Grammy Award-winning song "Sunny Came Home". Early life Colvin was born Shawna Lee Colvin in Vermillion, South Dakota, and ...
,
Ani DiFranco Angela Maria "Ani" DiFranco (; born September 23, 1970) is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. She has released more than 20 albums. DiFranco's music has been classified as folk rock and alternative rock, although it has additional influenc ...
,
Maroon 5 Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. It consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, lead guitarist James Valentine (musician), James Valentine, d ...
,
Beth Nielsen Chapman Beth Nielsen Chapman (born September 14, 1958) is an American singer and songwriter who has written hits for country and pop music performers. She was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2016. She is a two-time Grammy Award ...
,
Phantom Planet Phantom Planet is an American Rock music, rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1994. The band consists of Alex Greenwald (vocals, rhythm guitar), Darren Robinson (lead guitar), Sam Farrar (bass guitar) and Jeff Conrad (drums). The band is bes ...
, The Blind Boys of Alabama,
Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...
, and ASR founder and president, Hunter Payne. ASR are currently working on two projects in Southeast Asia.


Indonesia

Banda Aceh Banda Aceh (; , Jawi script, Jawi: ) is the capital and largest city in the province of Aceh, Indonesia. It is located on the island of Sumatra and has an elevation of 35 metres. The city covers an area of and had a population of 223,446 peopl ...
was the region most damaged by the tsunami where 160,000 people were lost. The livelihoods of many survivors were destroyed when the rush of seawater decimated the reef protecting the region virtually destroying the day-fishing industry. Proceeds from the Aid Still Required CD supports a local Aceh NGO called Yayasan Lamjabat's Ujung Pancu Project which is a job training center, specializing in sustainable and environmentally friendly development, conservation, and disaster-preparedness. The project is located 6 miles from Banda Aceh at the most northern end of the mountain range that runs from West Sumatra to Aceh. The Ujung Pancu Project provides reforestation and seaweed cultivation programs, teaches the community how to transition to organic and fish farming, and addresses the rights and protection of women, children, and the elderly.


Sri Lanka

Following the tsunami, officials from the
United Nations Development Program The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries Poverty reduction, eliminate poverty and achieve Sustainable development, sustainable economic growth and Human development (economics), hu ...
(UNDP) suggested the creation of a tsunami early warning system for Southeast Asia. If one had been in place prior to December 2004, hundreds of thousands of lives could have been saved. Though the northeastern coast of Sri Lanka took the direct brunt of the wave, the tsunami was so forceful that waters smashed into the coast on the opposite side of the island as well, causing mass destruction to the southwestern coastal village of Peraliya, among others. The wave was so powerful, it created the world's largest train disaster by derailing the Queen of the Seas Colombo-Galle Express train which killed 1700 people. It is estimated that in Peraliya village alone, 2,500 people perished. Only eight walls from the 490 village homes remained standing. ASR has identified a local tsunami warning center in Peraliya, a coastal village in southwestern Sri Lanka to support. The Community Tsunami Early Warning Center (CTEC ) was begun by international volunteers and has plans to expand to a total of four centers along the coast. Research is also under way exploring the possibility of exporting the program to the Indonesian and Thai coastlines. In addition to supplying a public address system, CTEC strives to create an empowered community, educated and prepared, and to rediscover traditional and local knowledge of signals that predict natural disasters. The village of Peraliya is featured in ''The Third Wave''. Upon hearing about the tsunami, Australian humanitarian medic and 9/11 first-responder Alison Thompson and partner Oscar Gubernati came to Sri Lanka to provide assistance and ended up in Peraliya. Their original plan of volunteering for two weeks turned into a two-year life-altering journey in which they established a refugee camp, a local medical center, both flourishing today, and CTEC, the first and only early-warning center of its kind in the entire region. The film's title, ''The Third Wave'', refers to the wave of volunteers who came to provide aid to the region.


Darfur, Sudan


The Village Restoration and Advancement Initiative (VRAI)

Christie Communications and Aid Still Required have collaborated in the development of The Village Reforestation and Advancement Initiative. It utilizes age-old farming techniques and irrigation systems to help stop
desertification Desertification is a type of gradual land degradation of Soil fertility, fertile land into arid desert due to a combination of natural processes and human activities. The immediate cause of desertification is the loss of most vegetation. This i ...
and environmental degradation and to regenerate the soil, thereby restoring self-sufficiency to villagers. The initiative is focused on planting forest breaks to stop the desert creep, protect villages, and revitalize the land. Its similar desert topography to the Darfur region bodes well for success of VRAI in Darfur. Due to violence surrounding the Spring 2010 Sudanese elections, piloting this venture in Darfur is still dangerous at this time. Christie and Aid Still Required are exploring partnerships in the region.


Hurricane Katrina

On August 29, 2005,
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...
hit the Gulf of Mexico and quickly became the costliest natural disaster in American history ($81.2 billion) causing severe damage in Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana. Worst hit was New Orleans where 80% of the city was covered in floodwater, 1,836 people died, and over 200,000 homes were destroyed. Aid Still Required has identified the first two projects it would like to support in New Orleans.


Wetlands restoration

The wetlands of the Gulf Coast have provided natural protection against hurricane flood for centuries as every 2.7 miles of wetlands can reduce a storm surge by one foot. Decades of dredging in the waters off the Louisiana coast, however, in conjunctions with the construction of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO), have severely degraded the wetlands in and around the New Orleans delta. In addition to floodwater protections, these wetlands are home to 25% of the total domestic marine catch, including shrimp, crabs, and crawfish Often referred to as "the hurricane highway", MRGO creates a direct pathway from the Gulf of Mexico to the inner harbor of New Orleans. A Louisiana State University report states that MRGO may have made the storm surge 20% higher and two or three times faster as it hit the city. MRGO has experienced consistent erosion since its construction in the 1960s and is now three times wider than originally built. Constructed in large part to facilitate passage of larger ships, it has developed shoals, which now make it impassable to those same vessels. The Army Corps of Engineers has recommended that the outlet be closed, but the plan has not yet been approved. Recognizing the importance of the wetlands as a natural barrier for New Orleans and their importance to the region's native wildlife, Aid Still Required is researching various means of restoration. The Gulf Coast Oil Spill which began in April 2010 is bringing heightened awareness to the issue. Common Ground Relief is a local organization that is working on wetlands restoration, establishing a local nursery and utilizing volunteers to rehabilitate portions of the bayou and to rebuild and restore homes in the Lower Ninth Ward.


The New Orleans Floating Townhouses

During Hurricane Katrina in the St. Roch area of New Orleans, floodwaters destroyed foundations of many buildings and homes. ASR has proposed a project to utilize sustainability and protect the homes by using zero energy consumption and making the homes floatable in case of another catastrophe.


Collaborations


Darfur PSA campaign with NBA players

The Aid Still Required NBA Campaign for Darfur began many months before Aid Still Required officially became a nonprofit. A letter that founder Andrea Herz Payne had written expressing concern over investments funding the crisis in Darfur ended up in the hands of NBA Cavaliers player Ira Newble. Ira contacted Sudan expert Smith College professor Eric Reeves and the seeds for NBA player involvement began. Hunter and Andrea saw the potential impact NBA players could make on raising awareness about the Darfur crisis and started contacting players and the press. In fall 2007, Participant Media contacted the Paynes asking for their assistance in creating the Darfur Now PSA Campaign. The Paynes enrolled Olympic athlete Rafer Johnson, NBA players Steve Nash, Baron Davis, Ira Newble, Eric Snow, and Matt Barnes, actors Lauren Conrad and Kristoff St. John, and humanitarian Lauren Bush in the campaign. Five members of their hometown team, The Los Angeles Lakers (Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, Andrew Bynum, Trevor Ariza, and Luke Walton). Kobe Bryant's PSA launched the Aid Still Required website the day it aired on ESPN, March 4, 2008, which also included an interview with Grant Hill about Darfur.


Participant media

Darfur Now PSA Campaign, Darfur Now Roundtable. Darfur Now Roundtable In the summer of 2008, Participant Media asked Aid Still Required to host a Roundtable discussion for the entertainment and nonprofit communities. Los Angeles Lakers
Derek Fisher Derek Lamar Fisher (born August 9, 1974) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. Fisher played professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 18 seasons, spending the majority of his career with the Los ...
and actor
Don Cheadle Donald Frank Cheadle Jr. (, ; born November 29, 1964) is an American actor. Known for his roles in film and television, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Don Cheadle, multiple accolades including two Golden Globe Award ...
co-hosted; keynote speakers were former State Department Africa specialist, humanitarian and activist John Prendergast of The
Enough Project The Enough Project is a Washington, D.C.–based non-profit organization that was founded in 2007. Its stated mission is to end genocide and crimes against humanity. The Enough Project conducts research in several conflict areas in Africa includ ...
and Omer Ismail of Darfur Peace and Development Organization.


Thecommunity.com/ Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) Campaign

Commencing in December 2009. The 14th Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, actors Morgan Freeman, Anne Archer, Nancy Cartwright, Priscilla Presley, Joel Madden. Actress CCH Pounder, Los Angeles Lakers Andrew Bynum, Luke Walton, Josh Powell, Didier "D.J" Mbenga, and Jordan Farmar, former NBA All-Star Bill Walton, and activist Daniel Ellsberg participated at ASR's request.


Hans Zimmer and The Remote Control Foundation

"Save An Angel" Mother's Day Campaign with
Hans Zimmer Hans Florian Zimmer (; born 12 September 1957) is a German film score composer and music producer. He has won two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, five Grammy Awards, and has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards, Emmy Awards and a Tony ...
and teenage songstress Rachel Eskenazi-Gold. Former NFL Player, humanitarian and
Milken Institute The Milken Institute is an independent economic think tank based in Santa Monica, California, with offices in Washington, D.C., New York, Miami, London, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore. It publishes research and hosts conferences that apply market-bas ...
staffer Rosey Grier contributed a PSA for Aid Still Required.


References


External links

* * * http://www.aidstillrequired.org/articles/Exotic_AdventureQ1-2010.pdf * * {{cite web, url=http://www.participantmedia.com/social_action/darfur_now/alliances.php , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111206212159/http://www.participantmedia.com/social_action/darfur_now/alliances.php , archive-date=2011-12-06 , title=Darfur Now , website=Participant Media Charities based in California 2008 establishments in California Development charities based in the United States