Early morning on Saturday, October 8th 2005, the lives of thousands of people in Jammu and Kashmir changed forever. A massive earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale destroyed homes, families, towns and villages. Uri and its surrounding areas and Tangdhar sector in Kupwara in Kashmir Division and Poonch in Jammu Division in the Indian-administered part of Jammu and Kashmir have been particularly affected. The grave human tragedy calls for urgent help from all sections of the society. Especially now when winter is approaching and it is extremely difficult for people to bear the cold winter chill. In this hour of need, Yakjah Reconciliation and Development Network (YRDN) In collaboration with Society for Consumer Protection and Environment (SCOPE) Has decided to extend all possible help and support by offering volunteering services for networking and long term intervention in the affected areas. We appeal to all those who receive this appeal to generously donate. Your donations will make a difference to the families of those who have lost loved ones, homes and nmuch more. Donations should be in the form of crossed cheques or demand draft, payable in the name of Society for Consumer Protection and Environment, which would be the nodal organization based in Jammu from where relief would be directed to Poonch and Kashmir (Uri). Yakjah would extend help in coordinating, networking and monitoring the local groups in identified villages in Poonch and Uri. The demand draft/cheque should be sent to Anu Sharma, c/o SCOPE , 7, Panj Bakhtar Road, Jammu Tawi, Jammu and Kashmir,(India). SCOPE's account no. is 8945 and the acount is held in Jammu and Kashmir Bank, Residency Road, Jammu Tawi, India. Phone- 91- 191- 2548534 (Office) and Anu Sharma- 09811163931 In case you are based in Bangalore or Delhi and have warm clothes, blankets, sheets, sleeping bags etc. (in good condition) to donate, which we will send on to Poonch and Uri, please get in touch with Ashima Kaul (Delhi, cell no. 09868868746) or Yoginder Sikand (Delhi cell no. 9899437610) or Ali Sharif (Bangalore, cell no. 9880365936) NOTE: For any queries please get in touch with: Yakjah Reconciliation and Development Network Address: C-8 Press Apartments, 23 I.P.Extension, Delhi –110 092 (India) Phone: Ashima Kaul in Delhi – 09868868746, Yoginder Sikand in Delhi – 09899437610, Pradeep Dutta in Jammu- 09419118514 and Syed Shahnawaz in Srinagar- 09419014344 E-Mail- ashimakb@yahoo.com, ysikand@yahoo.com Yakjah is a group of Kashmiri and non-Kashmiri professionals based in New Delhi, Jammu, Kashmir, Bangalore, Calcutta and Mumbai. They have been working with Kashmiri children through creative media for the last three years (since 2002) to reconcile different ethnic and communal groups in Jammu and Kashmir so as to battle the forces of militancy, polarization, communal divide and corruption. Society for Consumer Protection and Environment (SCOPE) Address: 7, Panj Bakhtar Road, Jammu Tawi, Jammu and Kashmir, (India). Phone- 91- 191- 2548534 (Office) and Anu Sharma- 09811163931 E-Mail- scope@scopeforchange.org and anu.sharma@scopeforchange.org Website- www.scopeforchange.org