Asia Society Presents
A Day of Remembrance
Communities Coming Together After the Tsunami

Saturday, January 29
1:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M.

At Asia Society and Museum
725 Park Avenue at 70th Street, NYC

View the Schedule

The tragic tsunami that struck the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004, has reverberated through many communities in New York City. Asia Society’s Day of Remembrance will bring together members of New York City’s Thai, Sri Lankan, Indonesian and Indian communities to recognize the suffering, to remember those who have lost their lives and to help build hope for the future. This free program will include blessings and performances rooted in each of these cultures. It will be a day of homage to the depth of loss and to the hopes for beginning the process of rebuilding.

“The tsunami disaster did not only devastate communities that are 10,000 miles away; it has also devastated communities here in New York City,” says Rachel Cooper, Director of Cultural Programs and Performing Arts at Asia Society. “Many Americans watching the story unfold in the news media tend to see the people affected as victims. With this day of remembrance we wish to bear witness to the fuller humanity of people, which may be seen through their culture and arts, and to recognize both a commonality and cultural legacy that help give people the strength and resilience to move forward.”

The event will include blessings and performances representing cultures in India (Hindu priest blessing and Sanskritti Center performance), Indonesia (Imam blessing and performers from Aceh), Sri Lanka (Sri Lankan Monk blessing and dances from Tamil and Sinhalese traditions) and Thailand (Thai monk blessing and candle dance by the Thai Cultural Center).

Admission to the Day of Remembrance is free. Seating is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. Members of the press interested in attending should contact the Asia Society’s Public Relations Department at 212-327-9271 or pr@asiasoc.org.

This program is part of Asia Society’s sustained programmatic focus on the implications of the tsunami disaster. Events encompass all of the Society’s program priorities—policy, business, social issues, education, arts and culture. Asia Society has established and is collecting donations for the Tsunami Relief and Rebuilding Project, which will benefit selected nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working on long-term reconstruction and rehabilitation in Asia (all donations will be given in their entirety directly to these NGOs). Donations will be accepted at the Day of Remembrance. Further information about the Society’s response to the tsunami, including donation information and online special reports, are also available on the Society’s website at http://www.asiasociety.org/resources/tsunami/index.html.

Asia Society is America’s leading institution dedicated to fostering understanding of Asia and communication between Americans and the peoples of Asia and the Pacific. A nonprofit, nonpartisan educational institution, the Asia Society presents a wide range of programs including major art exhibitions, performances, media programs, international conferences and lectures, and initiatives to improve elementary and secondary education about Asia. The Asia Society is headquartered in New York City, with regional centers in Washington, D.C., Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Manila, Shanghai and Melbourne, Australia. For more information, contact the Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10021. 212.288.6400. (www.asiasociety.org).

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