Greetings from Hal Nathan, founder of Foundation for the People of Burma and President of Partners Asia.
What an extraordinary year for Myanmar-Burma—and for us! Opportunities created by the country’s rapid reforms inspired us to form a nimble new nonprofit: Partners Asia. Partners Asia continues the longtime mission of Foundation for the People of Burma, strengthening civil society through community-led education, development and access to health care for those most in need. Please finds us at www.partnersasia.org.
At the heart of Partners Asia: Impoverished ethnic minorities, girls and youth vulnerable to labor exploitation, and migrants displaced by conflict and land grabbing. They are our strength—and Myanmar-Burma’s future. I am leading Partners Asia along with Executive Director Therese Caouette, who has 30 years of experience in Southeast Asia mobilizing a global network to train and support refugees and migrants in disrupted, isolated communities. Go to www.partnersasia.org.
History
Founded in 1999, Foundation for the People of Burma (FPB) is the largest, independently supported, U.S.-based humanitarian organization focusing exclusively on Burma and its borders.
We’re dedicated to strengthening communities from within. Innovative and nimble, we work with local partners to develop integrated solutions that last. From remote hamlets to crowded urban alleys, we listen to local voices, build local capacity and support local needs as determined by local people.
We develop leadership and provide training and resources so neighbors have the skills to work together on health, education and community development—even if cyclones or political storms cut them off from the rest of the world.
We’re inspired by the courage, integrity, resiliency and collaborative spirit of our local partners. In a land marked by repression and injustice, they quietly create and manage solid programs that bring health and hope to tens of thousands beyond the reach of conventional international aid.
FPB was established in 1999 as the Burma People’s Relief Group by Hal Nathan, at the time Senior Portfolio Advisor at Seneca Capital Management. A practicing Buddhist, Hal traveled to many countries in Asia, including Burma. After meeting and listening to the stories of many in Burma as well as refugees that had fled across its borders, Hal knew that building a small, nimble organization, staffed primarily by local Burmese people, would truly foster needed change at the community level.
Our first projects focused on aid for refugees living on the Thai border. Since then, FPB has had the great fortune of expanding the number of projects, the breadth of their scope, and the depth of their impact. We currently operate with a small staff in San Francisco and Seattle, dozens of Burmese partners and countless volunteers in the U.S. and Asia.
Foundation for the People of Burma was established is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing suffering and providing training and humanitarian resources to people of all ethnic backgrounds and religious beliefs. All contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Partners Asia was established in 2012 to carry on the work of Foundation for the People of Burma. Please visit us at www.partnersasia.org.