By Zhang Dongya
The amateur French troupe The Theater of Lanterns staged Molière’s famous ballet Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme at Dongcheng District Culture Center last weekend. It was the sixth drama the troupe has staged to raise money for abandoned children and orphans.
Some 15 members of the troupe performed along with 10 Chinese actors.
“We added more Chinese elements into the play, including Peking Opera and kung fu,” said director Isy Chautemps, 48, who joined the Theater of Lanterns in 2008 as its only professional member.
The drama is a comedic ballet written by French playwright Molière in 1670, satirizing the 17th century’s bourgeoisie.
Chautemps adapted it by changing a Turkish scene into a Chinese one and adding ancient Chinese poems and popular Chinese expressions.
A Turkish ceremony was replaced by a Peking Opera performance, and Yi Lin, professor of the Central Academy of Drama, directed a kung fu scene. All the performers in the scene are students at the Academy.
“I hope the adaptation will draw more of a Chinese audience and hope they’ll have more fun watching,” Chautemps said.
The show has gained support from Chinese and French organizations and companies. Its Chinese subtitles were created by professors and student volunteers from Beijing Language and Culture University. Its lighting and costumes were done by Beijing People’s Art Theater. Some 10 French enterprises covered the troupe’s rehearsals and other expenses.
The Theater of Lanterns has presented five dramas since 2006 and has participated in the Croisements Festival and the French Theater Festival since 2008.
The play ran for three days. The Dongcheng District Culture Center, which has a capacity of 400 people, was nearly sold out on all three days. The troupe raised 100,000 yuan for The Children of Madaifu, a charity that supports orphans in rural parts of Shaanxi, Gansu and Hubei provinces.
To date, the troupe has raised about 560,000 yuan for charity.
“Each year, they raise more than 100,000 yuan for Madaifu’s children, and we really appreciate it. And I was really amazed by Isy Chautemps’ play. The original work of Molière is fully respected, but at the same time she incorporated modern hip-hop dance and also some Chinese Opera. It was very innovative, colorful and funny,” said Anne de Kermadec, a spokeswoman for Madaifu.
The Theater of Lanterns troupe raised 100,000 yuan for an orphan charity by staging Molière's famous ballet Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme. Photo provided by Beijing Youth Daily
By Zhang Dongya
The amateur French troupe The Theater of Lanterns staged Molière’s famous ballet Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme at Dongcheng District Culture Center last weekend. It was the sixth drama the troupe has staged to raise money for abandoned children and orphans.
Some 15 members of the troupe performed along with 10 Chinese actors.
“We added more Chinese elements into the play, including Peking Opera and kung fu,” said director Isy Chautemps, 48, who joined the Theater of Lanterns in 2008 as its only professional member.
The drama is a comedic ballet written by French playwright Molière in 1670, satirizing the 17th century’s bourgeoisie.
Chautemps adapted it by changing a Turkish scene into a Chinese one and adding ancient Chinese poems and popular Chinese expressions.
A Turkish ceremony was replaced by a Peking Opera performance, and Yi Lin, professor of the Central Academy of Drama, directed a kung fu scene. All the performers in the scene are students at the Academy.
“I hope the adaptation will draw more of a Chinese audience and hope they’ll have more fun watching,” Chautemps said.
The show has gained support from Chinese and French organizations and companies. Its Chinese subtitles were created by professors and student volunteers from Beijing Language and Culture University. Its lighting and costumes were done by Beijing People’s Art Theater. Some 10 French enterprises covered the troupe’s rehearsals and other expenses.
The Theater of Lanterns has presented five dramas since 2006 and has participated in the Croisements Festival and the French Theater Festival since 2008.
The play ran for three days. The Dongcheng District Culture Center, which has a capacity of 400 people, was nearly sold out on all three days. The troupe raised 100,000 yuan for The Children of Madaifu, a charity that supports orphans in rural parts of Shaanxi, Gansu and Hubei provinces.
To date, the troupe has raised about 560,000 yuan for charity.
“Each year, they raise more than 100,000 yuan for Madaifu’s children, and we really appreciate it. And I was really amazed by Isy Chautemps’ play. The original work of Molière is fully respected, but at the same time she incorporated modern hip-hop dance and also some Chinese Opera. It was very innovative, colorful and funny,” said Anne de Kermadec, a spokeswoman for Madaifu.
(Beijing Today website’s blog section does not represent any view of Beijing Today or its reporter. Anyone interested about the story can find the original text from the link above the article. The Blogger column aims to introducing foreign media’s interesting stories and expat blogs in China to more Chinese readers, as 50 percent of Beijing Today readership remain young Chinese who have experience of living abroad, white colors or school students. Authors who does not want his or her story linked at Beijing Today’s website, please email to info@beijingtoday.com.cn to take down the stories.)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/28/charity-workers-sue-madonna-malawi-school
Madonna quietens her daughter Mercy James during a visit last year to Gumulira village, about 80 miles from Malawi's capital. Photograph: Mike Hutchings/Reuters
(Guardian)-Eight charity workers in Malawi are suing Madonna after the collapse of her $15m (£9.4m) academy for girls cost them their jobs. The employees’ lawyer said they are taking the US singer to court for unfair dismissal and non-payment of benefits.
The board of Raising Malawi was ousted after failing to start the building of an elite girls’ school amid allegations of financial mismanagement, including lavish spending on offices, cars and golf membership.
Madonna, who adopted a boy and a girl from the southern African country, loaned $11m (£6.9m) to the charity and now sits on the board. The charity workers’ lawyer, Mzondi Chirambo, said the singer had 14 days to respond to their concerns.
“Their employment was terminated by the trustees of Raising Malawi Academy for Girls ostensibly following the change of plan not to build the school as planned,” he told Reuters news agency. “My clients are also being forced to sign a discriminatory termination agreement before they are paid their benefits.”
The papers were filed with Malawi’s industrial court, which handles employment disputes. Madonna’s US representative was not immediately available for comment, but there were reports that the singer is considering filing a counter-suit.
Chirambo said some of the workers he represented were directly connected to the school project, while others taught Kabbalah, a form of Jewish mysticism of which Madonna, 52, is a devotee.
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January 21, 2011 Filed under Trend
By Wang Yu
Charity stores are a relatively recent phenomenon in China. They came in only three years ago with expats and those returning from abroad. Through their work with domestic NGOs, many are becoming new platforms for bringing together people who want to help and those who need it.
A new online charity store aiming to tap the popularity of business-to-consumer online shopping opened last week. Based in Shanghai, Buy For Two was founded by young men and women who dream of creating a social enterprise.
Spread online
Photographer David Peng first heard of the new online charity store Buy For Two while reading a microblog written by one of the store’s donors. When he went to the website, he was taken by the idea.
“I think it’s great to run a charity store online. It’s easy to operate, like a Taobao store, and it can find new customers from all over the Internet,” Peng says.
Buy For Two’s website is divided into five sections: shopping, donations, charity funds, charity stocks and a buyers’ sharing zone. Though the site has been online for only two weeks, it already has more than 200 products from T-shirts to jackets. Shoppers pay for their purchases using Alipay or other online payment systems.
All its products are donated clothes that are classified by style. The front page shows total donation statistics for each project and the number of buyers.
“It is always fun to buy second-hand clothing. It’s a chance to find a unique look and help people at the same time. I also have a shop on Taobao that sells clothes that my friends and I don’t need. I’m considering donating some of our merchandise to Buy For Two,” says Liu Jia, an office worker.
During its opening week, Buy For Two received donations from more than 30 individuals and organizations. Orders are processed each day, and buyers are allowed to upload photos and share their experiences on the site.
Event information
Event name:Out with the Old – Festive Charity Party
Host:Colin Friedman
Event typeParty – Cocktail Party
Time & Place
Date:December 28, 2010
Time:19:30 – 22:00
Neighbourhood:朝阳区(Chaoyang) District
Phone:13911098002
E-mail:eventbj@fcclub.com
Event Description
All WLIBers are invited to throw of the winter lethargy and to join me on Tuesday 28 December from 7:30pm at the Yan Club, Kunlun Hotel for an “Out with the Old” end of year festive networking cocktail party.
We often hear the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) buzz word that, far too often, we forget ISR (Individual Social Responsibility). This night will be held in conjunction with the Roundabout Charity Distribution Store providing an easy way for you to donate unwanted Christmas presents to charities that can use them, or no longer in-fashion items to those whose concern is not fashion but something to wear.
The Roundabout concept is simple; YOU donate your good quality, unwanted goods and they get them out to the people who need them. Roundabout currently supports 30 charities within the Beijing area and many more in areas throughout the country, including Shanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Yunnan, Inner Mongolia and Hebei. Choosing only to pass on items via other reputable organizations that are already working to alleviate poverty and suffering, they make sure that the goods they ship out end up in the right hands.
Date: Tuesday 28 Dec 7:30pm
Venue: The Yan Club, Kunlun Hotel.
Full Price: 150RMB of which 50RMB will be donated to Roundabout.
Early Bird Discount Price (before Monday 27 Dec): 100RMB + at least one suitable donated item or 100RMB + at least 25RMB.
The price includes a complimentary drink, Pizza, a high value Lucky Draw with lots of prizes, goody bags with some great items and of course lots of friends new an old.
A friend of a friend is a friend, so join us meet old friends, make new friends, empower your personal network of contacts all this whilst having fun in the Yan Clubs relaxing atmosphere and knowing that you are fulfilling an ISR obligation
To register click the RSVP button or simply email eventbj@fcclub.com and provide the following information:
. Event Name + Date:
· Your Name + Surname:
· Company name:
· Work Title:
· Mobile phone:
· Email:
Address:
The Yan Club, Kunlun Hotel, 2 Xin Yuan Nan Lu Chaoyang District, Beijing 100004
中国·北京市朝阳区新源南路2号100004
Yan Club Phone: 6590 3228 or 152 1049 9983
Nearest Subway: LiangMa Qiao Station.
Map available on request.
Sponsors: Agenda, Localnoodles and the World Health Store.
Main Sponsor: China Expert International Ltd. – Destination and Relocation Services for Expats and Solutions for Doing Business in/with China http://www.china-expert.org
Best regards and looking forward to seeing you.
Colin
Maradona's China trip disappointed many of his Chinese fans. IC Photo
By Wang Yu
Diego Maradona, the legendary soccer player and former coach of Argentina’s national team, finished his charity tour of China on Thursday.
The “king of soccer” arrived in Beijing on November 4 for his first event, a charity lunch. His one-week China tour consisted of a series of charity banquets, visits to hospitals and soccer games in Jinan, Shandong Province and Dongguan, Guangdong Province. He also visited Hefei, Anhui Province.
Maradona was also appointed as ambassador of the Red Cross Society of China.
According to an agreement between the soccer star and the Red Cross Society of China, all the income from the tour will be used to build hospitals for Chinese cancer patients in impoverished areas. While Maradona was cheered everywhere, fans were disappointed that he did not play in the two charity matches.
The first match in Jinan between an Argentine League team and Dalian Aerbin was supposed to kick off 2:30 pm last Friday. Many fans arrived early for a good view of the superstar. However, Maradona showed up two hours late, and when he arrived he only showed off some ball-control tricks before returning to the grandstand.
According to the promotion, Maradona should have played at least 20 minutes. The organizer said that the soccer player did not play due to a leg injury.
November 9, 2010 Filed under News
Experts say lack of transparency is one of the reasons for the low donation rate. CFP Photo
By Han Manman
While China is seeing more new charities opening, they are still struggling to operate on crippling low per capita donations of 25 yuan, according to the 2010 Blue Book on China’s Charity.
The report, released by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) Tuesday in Beijing, said the 3.32 billion yuan donated to charities last year represented 0.01 percent of the country’s 2009 GDP.
The report compared donations in China to the US, Britain, Brazil and India. It said individuals and companies in China donated the least in terms of the proportion to the country’s GDP.
According to the report, Americans donated 2.2 percent of their GDP: India and Brazil donated 0.3 and 0.6 percent respectively.
The report said Guangdong Province, Beijing and Sichuan Province were the top three Chinese regions in terms of donations received.
The report said privately-run enterprises were the major driving force for China’s charity donations in 2009, which amounted to 63 percent of enterprises involved in charity last year.
“Private entrepreneurs want to exercise their social responsibility after accumulating huge wealth,” said Fan Baojun, president of the China Charity Federation.
However, the country lacks a culture of charity and philanthropy, neither of which is accepted by the community, Fan said.
The Blue Book attributed the deficiency to lack of government support, a shortage of related laws and regulations and the absence of a sense of charity among the public.
“Donating has not become a habit for most Chinese,” Fan said. “Charity should be a habit for common people in daily life rather than the exclusive domain of business people or the rich.”
He said charity donations from individuals in 2008 for the first time exceeded those from businesses, as ordinary people played an active role in relief work during the Sichuan earthquake.
The commitment to charity fell off rapidly the next year.
One ongoing problem is a lack of transparency. Fan said that many people who donate money to government charities say they have no idea how or where the money is being spent.
He suggests non-governmental organizations (NGOs) should play a more important role in providing donation related services as their charity programs tend to be more transparent.
November 1, 2010 Filed under Debate
By Wang Yu
Last Wednesday, a local newspaper reported on the plight of Gao Maiyun, an old woman who supports her family by working as a water deliverer in Shijingshan district.
Twelve years ago, Gao’s second son ran away, leaving behind a mentally disabled son. Gao’s eldest son lost his liver and spleen in a car accident soon afterwards, and today receives only 450 yuan a month as disability pay. Then in February, Gao’s husband died, leaving her as the family’s main provider.
Gao opened a water delivery business in 2002, but the article said she’s the company’s lone able-bodied staffer – one of Gao’s grandsons apparently hurt his leg in an elevator in 2008.
The family pulls in 3,000 yuan a month, which isn’t enough to get Gao’s grandson the money he needs for surgery. The hospital requires an advance of 10,000 yuan.
The story spread on the Internet through social networking sites and micro-blogs. People soon began to donate money. Gao received 100,000 yuan in two days.
The story doesn’t have a happy ending, however. The local community department announced last Thursday that the story’s reporter made serious errors in his account. Gao does not have to make “more than 100 deliveries a day” – her son and grandson continue doing most of the work. And it turns out her grandson is also exempt from many schooling costs.
Gao’s neighbors criticized the woman for asking the media to publicize her story. Gao accused her neighbors of being jealous.
But Gao said she contacted the media several times in the past and had received as much as 25,000 yuan in donations since 2006. She said much of the money will be passed on to other charities.
September 27, 2010 Filed under Debate
Action star Jet Li speaks at a press conference hosted by the Red Cross in Beijing Tuesday. Peter Parks/IC Photo
By Zhao Hongyi
Jet Li revealed in a CCTV interview this week that his charity, One Foundation, is having difficulties registering as an independent organization and that it may have to cease operating.
The action star established the foundation in 2007 in cooperation with the Red Cross Society of China. With the aid of mobile phone service providers, One Foundation sends text messages to mobile phone users urging them to donate 1 yuan to the foundation each month.
“China has 700 million mobile phone users,” Jet Li said in the CCTV interview, “so you can imagine how big the stage is for charity work.”
In the past three years, One Foundation has been involved in a number of charity projects, including emergency relief to victims of the Wenchuan Earthquake in 2008 and the Zhouqu Landslides in Qinghai in April. It is also running programs to help protect the environment, aid impoverished communities in the west and assist children and women in remote areas.
The foundation’s working contract with the Red Cross expires at the end of this year and Li has opted to register his organization as an independent charity with the right to solicit public and private donations. The main motivation, Li said, is to open a bank account independent of the Red Cross.
But Li’s application has been declined by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, which regulates charity organizations on the mainland.
With few options left, Li has appealed to the central government through the media, saying it should open a “window” that would allow charities like his to survive.
“Thirty years ago, China created such a window in Shenzhen, Shantou, Ximen and Zhuhai as trials for economic reforms,” Li said. “We should do the same in the field of charity.”
Chuggers: Intrusion becomes unacceptable and the specific targeting of a vulnerable group borders on exploitative
‘Would you like to help end world poverty?” asked the man. “Erm, no, thank you,” I replied, smiling, as I hurried past him. A sudden flicker of guilt came over me as the man shrugged and lowered his clipboard and I realised what I had said. That can’t be right. I would love to bring an end to world poverty — and, indeed, heart disease and cancer and child abuse and all manner of other things that people ask me about while I’m walking along minding my own business. But when I say no, what I mean is I don’t want to be stopped in the street and made to feel guilty so that I hand over my bank details to a complete stranger with dreadlocks and a cheery disposition.
“Chuggers”, as they’re called — that’s shorthand for “charity muggers” — are ubiquitous on our streets. As irritating as they are, I do understand that charities have to find a way of reaching out to the general public and that raising funds is vital for their continued existence. I’ve also seen first-hand the good that charities can do at a grass-roots level for many of my patients.
I do feel slightly uneasy that the charity sector has become an “industry” with talk of profitability and corporate strategy. However, I also appreciate that in an increasingly crowded marketplace, charities have to be more proactive to get noticed and receive support, and that maybe dodging the occasional “chugger” on the way to work or sifting through begging letters over my morning coffee is a necessary evil.
Event information
Event name:BSC Great Wall Charity Sailing Challenge pre-event
Host:Sailor Sam
Event type: Sports – Sailing
Time & Place
Date: September 2, 2010
Time: 19:30 – 23:55
Neighbourhood: 朝阳区(Chaoyang) District
Phone: 010-59000276
E-mail: sailing@beijingsailing.com
Event Description
When: Thursday 2 September
Time: 7.30pm
Where: Paddy O’Sheas
What: Come along and find out more about this unique team endurance event; meet other competitors and swap notes on training and fund-raising. Haven’t signed up yet? No problem! Simply come along to find out more, or email sailing@beijingsailing.com for details.
Extra info :
The Great Wall Charity Sailing Challenge promises to be a fantastic all-round event for competitors, spectators and sponsors alike! The challenge is a testing three step race; sailing 40km from BSC sail base near Beidaihe to Laolongtou (Old Dragon’s Head, where the Great Wall meets the Bohai Sea); then running 12km along the path of the Great Wall ruins via the scenic wall fort of Shanhaiguan and onwards to the grand finish point on top of the Great Wall at Jiaoshan. All this to raise funds for the charity, Roundabout, which supports 27 charitable organsiatios in and around Beijing. Here’s an idea of just what the event involves…
•Day one – 15 Oct
Competitors arrive by train at BSC sailbase in Qinhuangdao and spend the afternoon learning how to handle their boats under the supervision of BSC’s team of qualified instructors. Supporters will arrive from Beijing in time for the evening briefing, outlining the challenge route, before transferring to local hotels.
•Day two – 16 Oct
At 0900, the competitors will take to their boats and the challenge begins! In teams of four, they must sail 40km along the coastline, coming ashore at two checkpoints where the supporters will be gathered to cheer them on. After coming ashore at Laolongtou, competitors will run 12km as a team to the finish point on top of the Great Wall at Jiaoshan, with supporters waiting to watch the grand finish. Afterwards, competitors and supporters alike will return to BSC for a celebratory BBQ party.
•Day three – 17 Oct
A relaxed day will give competitors and supporters the chance to chill out at BSC with the opportunity to go sailing for those who wish. Following a late lunch, everyone heads back to Beijing by high speed express train.
