Gaye Phillips, the Representative for UNICEF in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, was very kind to give us basic information on the work of UNICEF in general and especially on the UNICEF work done after the devastations of the tsunami on Boxing Day in 2004.

UNICEF is the United Nations Children's Fund and is a UN organisation especially created for the needs of children worldwide. It is represented in 157 countries and has a working force of more than 7000 people. UNICEF is not working on its own but relies strongly on local partners and governments to implement its programs and establish guidelines to create an environment where the rights of children are realised. The organisation was created to focus on children and guarantee their well-being, good health and education, so that they do not have to suffer from poverty, violence, disease or discrimination. UNICEF works with a range of partners, at local community level, district and state level as well as nationally with government and civil society to achieve the goals of human progress.

The tsunami struck the Indian Ocean countries with devastating consequences on 26th December 2004 killing more than 300,000 people, injuring approximately 500,000 and leaving 100,000 missing. Among the victims, the children were the most cruelly affected. They could understand the least what had happened to their world. Within 48 hours after the seaquake off the Sumatra Coast, UNICEF as an organisation had the know how, the local connections and the money to set out immediately to work to get the children back to some kind of normalcy and restore order in a world that had lost all order.

The work of UNICEF post tsunami focused on health and nutrition, child protection, education, hygiene and water supply in general. When schools were destroyed, water sources polluted, and children bereaved of their parents and guardians children were prone to attract criminal forces who would take advantage of their plight. UNICEF could step in and help protect the most vulnerable in a situation where the normal life had collapsed within a few minutes.

The consequences of this disaster could have been an increase of child trafficking, an increase of forced adoptions, an increase of child abuse and displacement of people without rights to be relocated. People with little education and little knowledge of their rights of land ownership might easily be cheated out of the few possessions they have. And children without parents and traumatized children might be forgotten or neglected in this world of turmoil. UNICEF could make a difference for these children by applying their measures tested in many years of emergency help worldwide. They could get children back to school, see to their health, help prevent the spread of diseases and ensure measures were in place to protect children from exploitation.

Gaye Phillips stressed that it was vital to get children back to school, so as to help them return to a normal routine as well as to more easily assess their physical and emotional needs in the aftermath of the tsunami. 90% of the children affected returned to school within a month. Emergency clean water supplies and shelter for the children was equally quickly installed. The outpouring of generosity worldwide has resulted in UNICEF receiving approximately 700,000,000 US Dollars for its tsunami emergency and long term recovery work.

Accounting for the expenditure of these donations in a transparent manner is critical. The world's attention is particularly focused on the UN to ensure that it operates efficiently and effectively and uses the funds in the way they were intended. To this end, UNICEF's internal and external controls and audit procedures have been strengthened by the work of independent auditors Price Waterhouse Coopers who offered their services to the UN free of charge to monitor expenditure of tsunami funds. The Special Representative to the Secretary General for the tsunami, President Bill Clinton and his team are also tasked with ensuring transparency and accountability of the tsunami funds entrusted to UN agencies.

Miss Phillips said that it is inevitable in a disaster the magnitude of the tsunami that mistakes will be made. Coordination is not perfect and there will be lessons to learn from this disaster in terms of better emergency preparedness. UNICEF, however, has had nearly 60 years experience in working in emergency situations and while it can always do better, it has demonstrated its ability to respond quickly and effectively to ensure that the rights and needs of children and their families are met.

UNICEF's work always involves local people. To work with local communities, to restore the local infrastructure and to give people back an opportunity to make a living within their environment, restores confidence and empowers communities to pick up the pieces and get on with their normal lives.

Apart from physical recovery and restoration of basic infrastructure like water and sanitation, schools and housing, UNICEF also assists those children and families who need emotional and psychological support to recover from the trauma of the tsunami. Many children and adults will recover well by drawing on their own reservoir of strength. But there are those who need extra support and time to recover from the psychological and emotional damage the tsunami brought with it. These children and adults can be helped with professional counselling and support services and the awareness that there is not only bodily health but also mental health to look after. Many teachers and medical workers were killed in the tsunami. UNICEF is working to identify and train local teachers and health care workers to cope not only with the physical needs of children, but also their emotional and psychological needs.

Gaye Phillips also told her audience that while UNICEF works in many emergencies, and spends more than 40% of its annual global budget on emergency recovery and post conflict situations, it also works to better children's lives in every day life as well.

Dealing with the spread of HIV infection, trafficking of children for sex, forced adoption, child abuse, lack of education, malnutrition and the burden of poverty are some of the many issues troubling mankind worldwide and children especially and for this reason it is likely that UNICEF's work will be needed for many years to come.
- Inge Kopp-Zell

On Monday the 9th of May, 10 the intrepid Explorers and one newcomer travelled up the old Kuala Lumpur/Ipoh road to Rawang to visit the Institut Kraf Negara (The National Craft Institute).

Upon arrival we were greeted by Madam Mahizan Binti Hashim, Assistant Director for Administration and Student Welfare who was to be our guide for the morning. She gave us a brief introduction to the complex and explained the following:

To impart this perspective to us was Hootoksi Tyabji, an MCG member and herself a Zoroastrian. For us, the audience, the talk was not only an intellectual awakening, but also a visual delight as it was peppered with a lot of slide transparencies.

Hootoksi said that Zoroastrianism is the oldest prophetic religion in the World which influenced all subsequent religious.

The founder, Zarathushtra, or Zoroaster as he is popularly called, was born between 1000 and 1500 BC in Bactria (Afghanistan).

Those were troubled times. There was rampant ignorance and the people were controlled via fear and oppression.

Zarathushtra was appalled by all this and he withdrew into a cave to ponder over the situation. Ten years of meditation enlightened him and he realized that there are certain eternal truths. He called the being governing these laws, Ahura Mazda, who he said manifests itself through six powers. He composed some hymns which were compiled into a book, the "Gatha". Zoroaster preached that good and evil exist together. Confronted by a choice between the two, one should have the prudence to choose good over evil. He coaxed men to think and rationalize, not simply follow. His creed was - Good thoughts, Good words, Good deeds. Zoroastrianism came to be recognized as a religion in due course.

Further, we were told that Zoroaster recognized fire as a source of energy and associated it with justice and purity. All rituals are thus centred around fire. The structure housing the sacred fire is called a fire temple. Every child goes through an initiation ceremony, the Navjote, in front of the holy fire, between the ages of six and nine. He recites his first prayer in Avesta (a language) and is invested with the Sudreh (sleeveless vest) and the Kasti (girdle woven from goat's wool or camel hair).

The Zoroastrian faith has been conscious about polluting the environment, from the day of its inception, so there is neither burial nor cremation. Traditionally, the corpse was laid out on mountain top as food for vultures. As people started living in cities, this was not possible, so an enclosure was made to facilitate this practice.

Their main festival is Navroze (new day) which marks the spring equinox and is celebrated on the 21st of March.

The symbol of the faith is a winged figure - the guardian spirit, which is worn around the neck. It can be seen above the doorway of most fire temples.

There are 130,000 Zoroastrians worldwide, of which 70,000 live in India as Parsis. With the advent of Christianity and Islam, the influence of Zoroastrianism started to diminish. They were persecuted and chased away. Some lived in secrecy in Northern Iran and assimilated with the Muslims. Some fled to India and were granted refuge by King Jadav Rana. They assimilated with the Gujeratis and came to be known as Parsis.

The speaker touched briefly on the influence of other cultures on Zoroastrians, mainly Parsis. Due to trade ties with China, embroidered fabric was brought back home to India for the womenfolk. Thus was born the Gara - embroidered sari, a prized possession of every Parsi woman. Three of them were on display. For the perusal of the audience were some beautifully illustrated coffee table books and some silver puja items.

The talk was followed by a question and answer session to satiate the curiosity of the audience.
- Amita Shah

The meeting on New Islam was held on Tuesday May 17 at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, and was well attended.

Dr Fadzilah Din is the Assistant Professor of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Science at the International University of Malaysia.

The title of the topic was fairly deceptive and actually covered the Concepts of Islam Hadhari - a reformation in the implementation or modernisation of Islam. Dr Din told us that the present government wishes to express a new view of the steadfast principals and pillars of an established and practising religion, Islam.

Islam Hadhari is the Government's approach that emphasises development consistent with the tenents of Islam to enhance the quality of life through the mastery of knowledge and development of the individual and the nation; "the implementation of a dynamic economic, trading and financial system; an integrated and balanced development that creates a knowledgeable and pious people who hold to noble values and are honest, trustworthy and prepared to take on global challenges."

The concept of Islam Hadhari is not new, but strives to bring the Ummah back to basics, and the fundamentals as prescribed by the Quran and Hadiths that form the foundation of Islam. It aims to achieve ten main principals:

1. Faith and piety in Allah
2. A just and trustworthy government
3. A free and independent people
4. Mastery of Knowledge
5. Balanced and comprehensive economic development.
6. A good quality of life
7. Protection of the rights of minority groups and women
8. Cultural and moral integrity
9. Safeguarding the environment
10. Strong defences.

These principles have been devised so that Muslims can face the global challenges of today. It was agreed that these principles do not seem any different from the principles and practises of any great religion or philosophy.

The government does not have programs put into place yet to implement the new ideas as this religion is a practising religion in Malaysia. Much has been left to the discretion of schools to impart their ideology.

Interpretations apart, Islam embraces the followers of the book and in itself is thus secular, and tolerant of other faiths, whose principles and values are similar.

The discussion after the presentation of the concepts was very interesting and scintillating. It was widely felt that concepts of all major religions perceive similar ideas, presenting them in their own way, with problems in encompassing new concepts of modern living such as contraception and preservation of environment.

How these new concepts and ideas were to be implemented, is still the subject of debate

The speaker felt the motivation of the change in presentation of the concept of Islam would buy new votes as it encompasses the acceptance and toleration of all the peoples with various beliefs and customs that live in Malaysia.

She reminded us that the Government has never practiced secularism that rejects the Hereafter and focuses solely on worldly matters. Islam must be lived as a system that integrates the worldly life in preparation of Judgement day

"But seek with that (wealth) which Allah has bestowed upon you, the home of the Hereafter, and forget not your portion of lawful enjoyment in this world; and do as Allah has been good to you and seek not mischief in the land." (Al Qasas:77)
- Shameem Sukhia

Our group was invited to the House of Suzie Wong, on the fourth floor of Starhill, where we were introduced to Suzanna Goho-Quek who would share her personal experiences of travelling in China for the past eighteen years. Suzanna has been seduced by the sights, smells and idiosyncratic ways of the rural people she has met, who have become great friends of hers and her family.

Suzanna has been a guest at many tables and has sampled challenging delights in the form of worms, beetles, snake and other foods that are enjoyed by the rural villages. During the course of the morning her son and work colleagues brought out little dishes of corn and waterweed, sliced lotus root with fish sandwiched between layers and deep fried in sesame oil, a beancurd dish with zucchini, snake soup, slices of persimmon fruit and other delights to accompany her many wonderful tales of her travels and experiences in China all synchronised to follow the stories.

Suzanna stopovers are always away from the main cities of Beijing and Shanghai, She stays in small villages like Herbei where she has found stone carvings for front doors and other furniture items. One of her stays was in a ramshackle inn where floors and ceilings creaked, where she read by candlelight, listened to strange noises emitted from the building and clutched her rosary for comfort.

In Jiangsu she found a wonderful market place that sold incense burners made from clay and she met friends to go to the Boundfoot exhibition. She was invited to meet a boundfoot lady in the mountains but the weather was cold so she delayed the visit. When Suzanna revisited six months later she found the lady of one hundred and fifteen years had just died. This was a big disappointment. Again she was staying with a friend whose Mother invited her to a bamboo forest. She described how she was encouraged to tiptoe through the forest so as not to damage the new bamboo tips. The family regarded the forest as a treasure. Suzanna then witnessed her friends' mother picking wild mushrooms, taking fish from a pond and cooking the bamboo shoots to provide a nutritious meal for all the family. Right on cue to accompany these tales, little dishes of corn and waterweed and the other aforementioned delights appeared from the back room of The House of Suzie Wong for us to taste.

During this stay she was invited to sleep three women to a bed, with a wooden bucket and lid for a toilet and a duck basin for washing. She was given the privilege of hot water while other member of her hosts' family washed in cold water, but had to attend to natures requests in full view of all in the room. Privacy was not a highly regarded feature of the stay. The slight surprise element was the friends' mothers removal of her wooden leg to sleep. But Suzanna was not fazed by this. The climate in these remote country villages is often very cold and the conditions austere but Suzanna found her hosts warm and very hospitable and was somewhat glad to huddle up together for warmth.

Other visits included a trip to the museums of Beijing, including the capital Museum, to see the treasures of the dungeons not shown to public eyes. Her eyes feasted on jade and coral Buddha's. Suzanna was treated to a re-enactment of a wedding ceremony of a boundfoot lady, who would be carried by sedan chair by eight strong men through the streets to her husband. The concept was that the daughter would marry well if her feet were small enough.

Further visits have given Suzanna the opportunity to stay in old villages outside of Shanghai in timber houses some restored others in poor condition, to visit tea houses and seek out antiquities by chatting to villagers where possible. On one trip to the Ming Tombs she requested her host to take her to an orchard to pluck the fruit from the trees. The gentleman in question offered to take her to the supermarket or to a market but she insisted a visit to an orchard was what she wanted! An orchard was sought and Suzie plucked apples from the tree and brought them back as gifts for friends and family. She has visited many markets on route and bought fabrics and rugs that could only be found in rural China. In Herbei a lady with boundfeet walked to visit Suzanne and share her story. Suzanne and her son have made many visits to meet with old friends and to find other treasures including logs five hundred years old, old doors and windows negotiating with locals on price. When the deal doesn't feel good she backs away and waits for another opportunity to make new friends and business acquaintances.

The morning was animated, interesting and Suzanna entertains her audience well. We have been promised a treat of ghost stories by candlelight for a future event, so be sure to watch out for that event when it occurs. Many thanks to Suzanne for a wonderful, informative warm welcome and for sharing her experiences with us.
- Lynne Samuel

Stepping through a wooden door into the gardens of Sutra House was like stepping into an oasis. The lush gardens and the incense wafting fragrantly through the balmy air created the perfect setting for an evening of classical Indian dance.

The evening began with the chance to meet and mingle with other members of the MCG and to browse through and appreciate the interesting art gallery in the house.

We then moved to the amphitheatre where the performances of the evening began with a fashion show by successful Malaysian designer Amanda Brown titled "Denim Desire". The show began with two outfits which have been painstakingly created from coins that shimmered beautifully in the lights as the models sashayed down the stairs and across the stage of the amphitheatre. The show then progressed to Amanda's denim collection. Amanda presented us with some interesting designs for the youthful and demonstrated that denim isn't only for casual wear it can also be fashioned into formal wear.

A sumptuous banquet dinner followed the fashion show and after the main course we all moved back to the amphitheatre for the performance of classical Indian dance by Ramli Ibrahim and the Sutra Dancers (Anushya Nair, Nishah Devi Govind, Divya Nair and Sivagamavalli Selvarajan).

The first dance performed by the Sutra dancers was about Saraswati, the goddess of revelation, song, myth, art and learning. From the moment the dance began I was mesmerised by the wonderfully sensual movements of the dancers and also by the tremendous energy in the stamping of their feet and the jingling of the bells on their ankles.

Next, with a turn of his eyes and a flick of his wrists Ramli Ibrahim brought the classic story of the Ramayana to life by conveying the nine sentiments of erotic love; heroism; compassion; wonderment; laughter; terror; disgust; anger and serenity in a dance called "Navarasa". He performed with such amazing skill that during the performance I felt as though I was watching the sculptures step off the walls of the ancient temples in India.

The third dance was the "Sankarabharanam" composed by the Odissi Guru, the late Pankaj Charan. We were privileged to witness the first public performance by the Sutra dancers of this new work. Again I sat spellbound by the skill of the dancers who seemingly effortlessly executed the many sculptural poses that formed part of this dance.

The last dance of the evening was "Ashta Sambhu", a dance of the eight-fold forms of Shiva. It was performed by Ramli Ibrahim together with the Sutra dancers so it was an appropriate conclusion to the performance. Again the performance was amazing and I was left wanting more when the dancing stopped.

After the performance we enjoyed dessert and coffee in the gardens and were lucky enough to meet the performers. It was a wonderful evening that I will definitely sign up for again next year.
- Bronwen Shelley