Is blood red the only colour that warrants Attenti

Last year was the most turbulent and bloody one in the history of the Sri Lankan ethnic conflict.

The government is on the cusp of completing a famous victory against Sri Lanka’s Tamil rebels. Now it needs to avert a massacre, and make peace AFTER a terrible battle on April 3rd-5th, Sri Lanka’s surviving Tamil Tigers withdrew to a government-designated “no-fire zone”—a narrow beach, packed with refugees, on the country’s north-eastern coast. The army claimed to have killed 525 of the rebels, including two fierce women commanders, Vidusha and Durga. Killing (or capturing) their leaders, above all Velupillai Prabhakaran, the Tigers’ supremo for three decades, is now the last big goal of a brutal, but brilliantly successful, two-year campaign. It may not be easy.

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Friends of OfERR

OfERR has, in the famous words of the Beatles, "got by with a little help from our friends". Over the last 25 years, people from all over the world and here in India have travelled millions of miles to help us help ourselves. Doctors, engineers, psychologists, psychiatrists, nursery school teachers, IT specialists among others have all come and shared their expertise with our refugee community. We in turn, are not just willing, but passionate about learning and improving our activities.

So what does it mean to be a 'friend of OfERR'? It doesn't mean money. It’s not another commitment. We just ask for your support. For you to understand who we are. To understand what we do. To stand with us. For us to know there are people out there who care.

As a friend of OfERR you can contribute your skills and expertise to the Refugee community, from which ever part of the world you live in, at your convenience. As OfERR is an organisation of Refugees and there are always ways in which you can help us. Fundraising, Proposal writing, Report writing, Public relations, event management, Communications, Website, Human Rights, Management, Legal, Accounts and Auditing, Setting up OfERR offices internationally, Advocacy, Academic, Research, Documentation, Medical and Health, Nutrition, Counselling, Tsunami, Education, Teaching English, Spirulina, Technical, Computer Software, Computer Hardware, the list goes on.... So basically we can use mostly any professional who has a little time to spare.

You can join our journey by becoming a friend of OfERR's. Please fill in the form below and we will put you on our database and call on you when we require help in your particular area of expertise.

Choose the appropriate category of Friends:
New Friend of OfERR – You have heard about us through a friend/ our Website or other source and would like to enroll in our friends of OfERR program, so you can begin to help the refugees from where ever in the world you live, by volunteering your SERVICES at your convenience. Please fill in this form.
New Friends of OFERR

Old Friend of OfERR – You have already had some association with OfERR in the past and would like to re-establish contact with OfERR by becoming a friend of OfERR and continue to help the refugees from where ever in the world you live, by volunteering your SERVICES at your convenience.
Already volunteered with/ worked with/ or supported OfERR over these past 25 Years? Please fill in this form.
Old Friends of OFERR

Prof. Gladstone Xavier, OfERR Resource Person Conflict Transformation and Peace Building

Professor Gladstone Xavier has been a Resource Person and Friend of OfERR's for over 10 years. His relationship with OfERR began when he was still a student conducting research on refugees.

"I've seen OfERR grow from a group of motivated volunteers to a workforce of skilled and trained" -Gladstone. Professor, Loyola College, Chennai.

Tharuna Bhavesh, OfERR Resource Person, Women's Empowerment

Tharuna, has been instrumental in OfERR's women in pursuit of empowerment program. Her company Asthtva conducts Self Defense work shops for the refugee girls and women, to help them deal with harassment and give them a sense of confidence.

"They are the people with love, faith and hope. When I visited them what touched me the most is that -they live their lives to the fullest and they share with each other and us what ever little they have.

What ever hardships that they have gone through and are going through one thing that they don't forget to wear is a "SMILE" – Tharuna Bhavesh, Founder/CEO, Asthtva & Asthtva Foundation