SOS Children refuses to comment on Olympic torch protests
22/04/2008
SOS Children has been under growing pressure from donors to make a statement on its continued presence in China and Zimbabwe in the light of increasing protests about Tibet and continued problems in Zimbabwe.
However UK Chief Executive Andrew Cates refused to be drawn into politics:
"SOS Children is acutely aware of the problems in Tibet. We have many thousands of Tibetan children in our care in the North Indian Himalayan foothills who are refugees from the trouble, and over a thousand more who are living with their own families but attending our school for Tibetan children. However we also care for over a thousand orphaned children in China and have long term responsibilities to those children too; the alternatives for them are bleak. We are sure our supporters will understand that whereas if you are just distributing food it is relatively easy to come and go, if you have a long term commitment providing family life for orphans you have to manage the relationship with governments very carefully"
"It is not the first time that people have questioned SOS Children's non-political approach. We have a large operation helping more than 5000 Aids Orphans in Zimbabwe which attracts criticism and our work caring for orphans in Sudan attracted hate email at the time of imprisonment of a primary school teacher over the Teddy bear naming issue. Some people who had never donated seemed to try to find a charity in Sudan just to complain. "
All in all though most people understand that serious long term help and political activism are alternatives. We have a presence in 132 countries and we could not go where we are not welcomed by government.
Notes on SOS Children in Tibet
SOS Children started its first village in Ladakh (Leh) thirty five years ago. It currently has six other villages for Tibetan children in Chhorepatan near Pokhara, two in Mussoorie, in Bir, Sanothimi and Gopalpur.
In Bir (50km from Dharamsala), the funds for the construction were raised by the Tibetans themselves, and with a contribution by the
Dalai Lhama. SOS Children's Village Dharamsala for Tibetan children lies some eight kilometres outside the town at the foot of the Dhauladhar Mountains, part of the Himalayas. It has a total of 43 family houses, a community house, several auxiliary buildings and a baby house. More than 2,000 children and youths live in SOS Children's
Village Dharamsala alone.