Tsunami Relief for Sumatra, Indonesia

In Sumatra alone 128,645 people lost their lives, over 500,000 were displaced and 37,063 remain missing, (International Red Cross, IRC figures). The devastation was so total; in many areas the communities must be completely rebuilt. The outpouring of aid for the tsunami victims exceeds anything the world has seen. SEJATI applauds this global collaborative and yet, according to the IRC, the sudden massive influx of funding presents significant challenges. These include the scarcity of local expertise, raw materials and the danger of becoming aid dependent. There is a real danger of the remaining forests being decimated. If we ignore these risks, we will bring further damage to communities that have suffered enough.

SEJATI's President, Ed Simmons, was in Thailand when the tsunami happened. While out of harms way, the devastating effects of the tsunami were apparent. Upon his return to the U.S.A, he received several pleas for help from local leaders and suppliers in Sumatra. Through this extensive network of friends and suppliers, we've heard directly from the victims regarding what they now need. The responses are uniform in that they are not asking for money but rather the necessary tools to rebuild there lives. "We need help digging wells. We need Water Buffalo, hand tools and rice seedlings." This information forms the basis for our involvement in the relief effort.

After talking with local leaders in Northern Sumatra, Ed Simmons of SEJATI along with internationally renowned Artists, Joe Petro and Ralph Steadman, have developed a unique plan of action to provide the necessary tools to dig the wells and reclaim the salted land. Joe Petro and Ralph Steadman have agreed to collaborate and produce limited edition signed prints exclusively for SEJATI Environmental Trading Co. These will be available in October 2005. The proceeds from the sale of these prints will go to the affected areas of Sumatra, Indonesia. Under the direction of local Sumatran leaders and suppliers, Ed will oversee the distribution of proper tools and the digging of the wells that will become centers of the new communities in Sumatra.

Joe Petro is a self taught artist who rejects conventional rules and restrictions, learning solely through experimentation. In the words of author Kurt Vonnegut: "When Joe makes a picture of his own, it is as though Mother Nature herself has sent him images of her own on acetate, bugs, birds, fish, mammals, reptiles, plants, water, sky." He has been commissioned by Hunter S. Thompson, William Burroughs, Greenpeace, The Nature Conservancy, IBM and on and on. Other owners of his works include Jimmy Carter, Al Gore, Frank Zappa, Willy Nelson, and Ted Turner.

Ralph Steadman started as a Political cartoonist. He has illustrated such classics as the 1968 critically acclaimed British edition of Alice in Wonderland, Animal Farm, and Treasure Island. He collaborated with the late Hunter S. Thompson in the birth of Gonzo Journalism as well as illustrating the infamous Thompson book "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas".

Ed Simmons has extensive experience in S.E. Asia, as SEJATI was founded 15 years ago to promote sustainable arts, handicrafts and primitive art from the Indigenous people of Indonesia. Before founding SEJATI he worked with several Environmental N.G.O's attempting to save the great rain forests, animals and culture's in the world's largest archipelago, Indonesia. This incredible art offers an opportunity for all of us to help the Sumatran people maintain their pride and independence by reclaiming their lives and becoming self-sufficient societies once again.

For more information on how you can get involved call us at 1-800-422-7875.