The Engine Room - Island Aid - Latest & Highlighted Discussions

The Silent Tsunami - Join Avaaz and Sign the Petition

Rick — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 22:50:31 GMT

Dear friends,

An emergency summit of world leaders is addressing the skyrocketing food crisis. The head of the United Nations will receive our call to action at the summit this Wednesday. Help us hit 500,000 signatures!

Sign the petition

The world food crisis is skyrocketing – steadily rising prices are squeezing billions and triggering food riots from Bangladesh to South Africa. Aid agencies say 100 million people are facing starvation.

In response, the United Nations is convening an emergency summit of world leaders in Rome this week. There is a real danger that rich country leaders will push half measures and band-aid solutions – we need a huge global outcry to demand rapid, massive, coordinated action.

The head of the UN, Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, will receive our petition at the summit at 9:30AM on Wednesday morning. This is a huge opportunity for our voice to reach our leaders directly, but we need half a million voices in the next 60 hours. Click below to sign the petition if you haven't yet, and forward this email to everyone you know:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/world_food_crisis/5.php?cl=94434988

Already over 200,000 Avaaz members have joined our call for emergency food aid and deeper solutions such as investing in food production in poor countries and fixing harmful rich country policies such as burning food as biofuels. Our campaign was launched in response to a personal video appeal to our community from the foreign minister of Sierra Leone, where 90% of the population are facing severe hunger. Click above to watch the video.

The food crisis, like the climate crisis, is a planetary emergency. It's another sign of how interdependent and fragile our world is. And how we all need to work together, across all our borders and divisions, to save it.

With hope,

Paul, Ricken, Graziela, Galit, Iain, Ben, Pascal, Veronique, Milena and the whole Avaaz team.

PS – here's a link to see past Avaaz campaigns: www.avaaz.org/en/report_back_1

And here's some more background information on the food crisis:

The Director of the UN Human Development report warns in the Guardian that the Rome summit could just put a band-aid on this crisis:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jun/02/food.globaleconomy

The BBC analyzes the 'Silent Tsunami' of the food crisis:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/world/2008/costoffood/default.stm

The US will face criticism at the summit for 'burning food' as biofuels:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/30/business/worldbusiness/30food.html?em&ex=1212379200&en=7893996338e2f455&ei=5087%0A

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ABOUT AVAAZ
Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means "voice" in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Paris, Washington DC, and Geneva.

Don't forget to check out our Facebook and Myspace and Bebo pages!

Breakthrough in Treating Cerebral Malaria

Rick — Wed, 28 May 2008 22:22:26 GMT

By Michael Kahn

LONDON (Reuters) - Suppositories derived from sweet wormwood kill the deadliest malaria parasites quickly and offer a stop-gap treatment for people in remote areas until they can reach a hospital, researchers said on Friday.

Their study found that a single dose of any artemisinin derivative given rectally was better at clearing parasites after 24 hours than a conventional injection of the older drug quinine for people with severe malaria.

The researchers published their findings in the journal BMC Infectious Diseases.

"Early effective treatment with artemisinin-based suppositories has potential as a lifesaving intervention, particularly at the periphery of the healthcare system," World Health Organisation researcher Melba Gomes and colleagues wrote.

Malaria is caused by a parasite transmitted by mosquitoes. The disease kills a child every 30 seconds, mainly African children under the age of 5, according to the World Health Organisation.

It has become resistant to some drugs and work on a vaccine has been slow. One effective treatment is Novartis AG's Coartem, a pill which consists of the older drug lumefantrine plus an artemisinin derivative.

But people severely ill with malaria unable to swallow a pill often need a quinine injection or suppository made with artemisinin, Gomes said in a telephone interview.

Artemisinin is derived from sweet wormwood and has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years.

"When you can take a drug by mouth, you don't have severe malaria," said Gomes, who led the study.

The researchers analyzed 15 studies that included more than 1,000 people to compare the artemisinin-based suppositories to quinine injections for people infected with the deadliest malaria parasite, plasmodium falciparum.

They found not only was it better than quinine but that also a single, potent dose was five times more likely to reduce the number of parasites by over 90 percent than multiple, weaker doses.

Suppositories are much safer and easier to administer than injections, which means people without healthcare training could give the treatments in remote areas, the researchers said.

"The rate of killing parasites is faster," Gomes said. "If you get enough drug at once you can get rid of most of the parasites within 24 hours."

(CLICK HERE to see original article - Reporting by Michael Kahn; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

NOTE: Artemisinin, the key ingredient obtained from Artemisia annua , has a long history of use as an antimalarial remedy. Artemisia annua , or “sweet wormwood,” is mentioned in the Recipes For 52 Kinds Of Diseases found in the Mawangdui Han Dynasty tomb, dating from 168 B.C.

WHO recommends ACT treatment containing Artemisinin. A rtemisinin is given alongside lumefantrine to treat uncomplicated falciparum malaria. Lumefantrine has a half-life of about 3 to 6 days. Such a treatment is called ACT (artemisinin-based combination therapy ); other examples are artemether-lumefantrine, artesunate- mefloquine , artesunate- amodiaquine , and artesunate- sulfadoxine / pyrimethamine . Recent trials have shown that ACT is more than 90% effective, with a recovery of malaria after three days, especially for the chloroquine -resistant Plasmodium falciparum .

Island Aid Art Raffle

Rick — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 08:48:42 GMT

For those who could not attend our concert, it is not too late to help with the funding drive for Lautan Megah.

New York artist Robin Collins has donated this fine work of art to support Island Aid. You can purchase raffle tickets by donating $20 via our PayPal button on the website or by mailing cheques to our San Francisco office. The raffle closes on the 15th of April so please spread the word. The painting is titled "Flourish"

A smaller similar work is available in case you dont have space for "Flourish" (about 4ft x 5ft)

Please note that shipping is not covered by Island Aid. The cost of shipping will be the responsibility of the winner.

Finally in Padang

Rick — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 09:46:10 GMT

Lautan Megah is anchored off Pulau Pisang directly below Island Aid headquarters in Padang. The 2,500nm delivery voyage has given us great confidence in this fine little ship. Weather conditions throughout Indonesia have been some of the worst in living memory with 30kn + winds and very large seas for almost the entire period. We were motoring directly into the wind and seas and our wind speed indicator was often showing over 40 knots over the deck. We were delayed several times on the last leg by "unplanned events".

Our ships tender's towing eye snapped off the north coast of Java in very heavy seas. One of the emergency tow lines then parted within seconds and the tender was spun round stern first and towed under before we could reduce speed. Our crew managed to attach the tow lines again but we could not right the boat because the fuel tank in the keel and the under floor compartment forward were keeping her afloat inverted. We towed the tender inverted for 5 hrs to a small island off Jepara. After waiting over an hour for rain squalls to clear, we anchored in the dark in the lee of the island. The following morning we arranged for a local fishing boat to tow the tender to the beach where we pumped her dry. There was no serious damage and we flushed out the outboard and it has run well every since.

Off Pakis, just East of Jakarta our main engine died and we anchored to change filters. We cleaned the day tank to remove sludge and flushed out all fuel lines and strainers. Air locks kept us busy all night with shut downs every 20 minutes. We anchored close to Pakis and called Bp Muhadi out from Jakarta to help. Together we cleaned and checked every part of the fuel system and Muhadi checked our injectors and compression and ensured us that the engine was in good condition and that he was convinced that we had an airlock problem or fuel blockage.

We resumed our trip and had no problems all night but in the morning we had several shut downs just off Banten. A police patrol boat ordered us to anchor to check our paperwork and Bas and I worked on the engine while we waited. We finally found a crack in the cover of our rpm cable that was letting air into our primer pump and compounding problems caused by air trapped in the fuel plumbing. We reversed the impeller in the priming pump, adjusted the by-pass valve and sealed up the rpm cable. This solved the problem.

24 hrs latter we were back at sea and passing through the Sunda Straits. As we turned the South West tip of Sumatra the weather moderated and the sun broke through the clouds. The remainder of the delivery was easy going with light winds and calm seas.

Are islands a metaphor for our planet

Rick — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:44:41 GMT

Small islands have always exerted a powerful pull on our souls. We yearn to visit them and as soon as we set foot on an island we fall under its trance . Why? Are islands like an oasis in the desert that our mad modern world has created around us?

Are islands a metaphor for our planet .... on a scale we can relate to better .... maybe because we can walk around an island and embrace all of it in a few hours or a day?

Are islands pulling us into their sphere to change us? So we can return to normality and help change that? This thread is devoted to the mystery of islands. Anything of interest that pertains to islands is valid subject matter . Strange stories, facts, stats, insights and legend all qualify.

Or just describe your relationship with an island that changed you in some way... most of us have been island-struck at some stage of our lives. ... and we long to return to that time and place. ..... share your thoughts and inspirations here.

Route Options - Crew Space Available

Rick — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 11:40:06 GMT

We are planning a non-stop voyage via Bali's north coast, Madura, Java north coast, Thousand Islands, Sunda Straits, Krakatau, Lampung, Enganno, Mentawais and Bungus just south of Padang. We would love to take longer and stop and if we find paying passengers we can change our plan. Departure is set for the 14th of Feb. from Bali.

Island Aid Concert - New York - 27th January - Please Pass this on

Rick — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 22:34:00 GMT

On January 27, 2008, Aliza Weinman, our NYC representative for Island Aid and Adam Bailey, our recently returned Sweden representative for Island Aid will be hosting a benefit event at the Sage Theater, 711 7th Ave. (near 48th St) in New York City.

The multimedia event features a powerful and varied program of international entertainment, food, drink all set in a creative ambiance.

Island Aid has secured underwriting for this event from a source, who wishes to remain anonymous, but the underwriter has stipulated that all proceeds from ticket sales get forwarded for the specific purpose of financing Island Aid's new aid ship the KM Lautan Mega.

Tickets are $100 for a single, $150 for a couple, $300 for a table of six and two student tables for $120. Ticket purchase is covered under non-profit tax statutes.

Please be among those who support Island Aid in this essential program. Tickets can be purchased using the “Donations” link from the Island Aid website (please add your name clearly in the info box)

Update from Luwuk

Rick — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 04:33:42 GMT

I just sent this blast:

Preparations for departure are proceeding at a frantic pace. David Willcox with his team arrived yesterday and everyone slept on board last night… a huge milestone and hard to believe given the state of the boat a few hours before. Today we are fitting the transducer for our new depth sounder and a boarding platform aft. Tomorrow we leave and pick up our speedboat down the coast. No time for more now. Next report on arrival in Bali.

Rick

ps Our website went down a few days ago but will be up again tomorrow. Seems our old Island Aid credit card expired and I had forgotten to update our server company.

Discussion about "Help Island Aid while you Search and Shop"

Jessan Dunn — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:12:57 GMT

Help Island Aid while you Search and Shop

I’ve just downloaded the GiveStream toolbar and will only use it from now on—- sa-weet! I can search and shop and benefit Island Aid – all at the same time!

Now, if I can figure out a way to benefit Island Aid while I sleep, too—that would be—- mah-vah-lous!

Ah! – I’ve got it! Dream—- and, then, accomplish those Dreams to continue to benefit Island Aid!

Rock on …

Banggai Images

Rick — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 15:18:09 GMT

Packing for departure tomorrow morning but just found these images of the Banggai Islands.

Banggai Cardinal Fish – Endangered Species

Bajau Live-aboard in Banggai harbour

Banggai Village scene

Generate Donations while you Search and Shop

Rick — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 13:55:26 GMT

LAUTAN MEGA needs funding to operate and I would like to introduce a new piece of equipment we have just installed in the ENGINE ROOM.

GiveStream is a new and unique on-line FUNDING GENERATOR. You can help Island Aid without spending anything at all just by telling others about our special ISLAND AID GiveStream page

This elegant machinery puts ISLAND AID into the income stream of around 250 retail merchants, each of which generates a certain percentage as a donation direct to us following a successful purchase.

The ISLAND AID GiveStream Center also includes an easy to download toolbar with the organization’s logo prominently placed so that supporters could use the excellent product search engine for finding the very best deals, search the web through Google, (all the while generating donations to the organization) and afford the organization daily exposure to its supporters. Supporters are not asked to do anything that they are not already doing every day…. just do if via our portal and help us without it costing them a cent.

If you tell enough other friends about this idea, ISLAND AID will be in a draw to be awarded upto $10,000 in matching donations from GiveStream.

Click Here to Make a Difference

Banggai Islands - First Stop

Rick — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 07:42:50 GMT

Luwuk is situated in Indonesia in the eastern part of Central Sulawesi. The picturesque town stretches along the slopes of the mountain range, which divide this part of Sulawesi from east to west. Luwuk used to be far away from the big tourist highways. However, during the last two or three years due to better flight and ferry connections this town has gained more importance. Today many travellers choose the way via Luwuk to go to the Togean islands. There are regular flight connections from Manado in the North and from Palu in the West.

Luwuk is also the starting point for a visit of the Banggai Islands. Until now this archipel has no touristic infrastructure at all. In spring 2000 the area was hit by a strong earthquake, which caused considerable tectonical changes. The eastern side of the islands was uplifted while on the western side some small islands disappeared under the sea level. There were also many injuries and deaths among the local people.

As far as diving is concernd there is still much to be discovered in this region. There are hundreds of islands and most of them are surrounded by coral reefs and according to local fishermen there is still much fish to be found here. The Banggais are also home of an endemic species of Cardinal fish. Click here to visit Yani and Jerome’s website

New Direct Donation Link

Rick — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 07:09:04 GMT

If members would like to help in a very simple but effective way, they can post the following link to any text in any website they have or in a blog or discussion group. Check your blog or discussion group format to add a link, highlight the text you want to link ie Click to Donate to Island Aid

or copy and paste this html code from this post:

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_xclick&business=rick@electriclamb.org&item_name=Island%20Aid&item_number=IAEngineRoom&no_shipping=1&return=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2eelectriclamb%2eorg%2fthanks%2ehtml&cancel_return=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2eisland%2daid%2eorg&cn=Need%20%24200%2b%20tax%20receipt%3f&tax=0&currency_code=USD&lc=US&bn=PP%2dDonationsBF&charset=UTF%2d8

The link will take donors to Island Aid’s donation page. Please don’t change the html code or funds could go elsewhere.

Cheers

Anniversary Reminders

Rick — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 05:28:05 GMT

I just sent this blast: The third anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami passed quietly in Padang. Torrential rain and some local flooding marked the day but there were no tremors in the area. The predicted tsunami did not eventuate but the fear of it was widespread. Perhaps this is a good thing. It is too easy to become complacent and the clairvoyant’s vision at least served the purpose of focusing the entire West coast on the very real potential threat.

Preparations for the delivery voyage have kept Jane and I extremely busy and we are delighted to report that a total of 8 volunteers will join us in Luwuk on the 8th of January. Jack Schultz was planing on joining us but a knee replacement got in the way. Jack sent us the funds for his place on board regardless and he will fly out later next year to join the ship in Sumatra… thanks Jack!

David Willcox and partner Jasmine Meagher have assembled a media production kit that includes laptops, video cameras, still cameras, hard-drives and software to document the voyage as we go. They have already contacted several major media outlets to run the story.

Chris Willcox, Eion Lindsay, Loyd and Anne Sheperdson, Grant and Annette Webb, make up the rest of the team. Thanks to all for helping us reach our target number of volunteer crew.

We have just engaged Bp Basrul, an experienced Ships Engineer to round out our local crew. Captain Tanwir, Bp Siman, Yan (chef), Petrus & Lauta will be joined by Bp Nasdion, our in-house lawyer and close friend.

Sam Schultz has been busy negotiating with a dockyard in Bali so that we can slip and paint Lautan Megah soon after we arrive.

Dr Aliza Weinman and Ken Murray are working hard on a concert to be held in New York on the 27th of January. I’ve attached the draft text to give everyone as much notice as possible.

It is hard to believe that it has been three years since the tsunami struck Sumatra and other regions of Southeast Asia with its devastating impact. As many of you know, delay has been a factor from the moment the catastrophe occurred. Even with the best of intentions, it was a month before assistance could be brought to the most affected area and even that suspended response only occurred due to the dedicated efforts of Rick Cameron and the people that now form Island Aid (Island-Aid.org). Rick and others realize that the area remains as vulnerable now to nature’s temper as it was in 2004 as they have continued to be called on to launch rescue missions.

In a recent example, on September 12th & 13th 2007, three mega quakes bracketed the southern Mentawais generating a tsunami and causing widespread damage. Since then over 70 quakes of 4.5 or greater intensity have buffeted the area. Island Aid assisted aid deliveries during and after these occurrences.

They have also dedicated themselves to finding a way to be better prepared for the next assault. The strategy was to acquire a ship that could respond with medical personnel and supplies to the place that most needed assistance for tsunami relief or other medical emergencies in the region. They have previously implemented this strategy using a chartered ferry in the months following the Tsunami, and then using smaller boats during the years since. The dream of acquiring a ship of their own became a reality in the past few months. Island Aid has contracted to purchase the Lautan Megah for the aforementioned purpose, as well as serving as the new home of the organization.

Dr, Aliza Weinman, who specializes in Emergency Medicine, was with Rick on the first ship to reach the victims in 2004 and now resides in New York City. She and several others are part of a fledgling group to assist in this effort. On January 27, 2008, they will be hosting a benefit event at the Sage Theater, 711 7th Ave. (near 48th St) in New York City.

There will be international entertainment, food, drink and creative ambiance. The group has secured underwriting for this event from a source, who wishes to remain anonymous, but has stipulated that all proceeds from ticket sales get forwarded for the specific purpose of financing the ship.

Tickets are to be $100 for a single, $150 for a couple, $300 for a table of six and two student tables for $120. Ticket purchase is covered under non-profit tax statutes. Our goal is in the $5000-$10,000 range for this one time event. Please be among those who support Island Aid in this essential program.

More news soon….

Padang Deserted - Fear of Tsunami Widespread

Rick — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 10:01:38 GMT

I just sent this blast: Not so Merry Christmas in Sumatra. Padang & Bengkulu authorities are taking a Brazilian psychic’s prediction seriously and coastal populations have deserted their homes. Padang is a ghost town today and rumors are everywhere that the quake could strike between the 23rd and the 30th of December. The extract below from the Jakarta Post:

Nov 19, 2007 JAKARTA (AFP) — Local officials in a quake-prone Indonesian province said Monday they were taking precautionary measures after a Brazilian psychic warned a powerful earthquake would strike next month.
Husni Hassanuddin, a spokesman for Bengkulu province on Sumatra island, said the Indonesian embassy in Brasilia had passed on a letter from a “professor” and psychic predicting a quake would rock the island on December 23.
“During a recent meeting with all senior officials in Bengkulu, we determined a number of evacuation shelters for residents, especially those who live in the coastal areas,” he told ElShinta radio.
He said there would be several evacuation drills around the province prior to December 23.
“Though we call it a rumour, we take this information seriously. We don’t want people to blame us if it really happens,” he said.
Another Bengkulu official, Fauzan Rahim, told state-run Antara news agency that he had seen a copy of the letter from Jucelino Nobrega da Luz, which predicted an 8.5-magnitude quake on Sumatra, but did not give an exact location. Sumatra is home to nine other provinces.
Antara said da Luz had sent a letter in 1998 predicting the tsunami that devastated Indonesia in 2004. He also issued a warning in 2006 forecasting September’s 8.4-magnitude quake in Bengkulu, which left 23 people dead, it said.
A seismologist from the Indonesian Meteorology and Geophysics Agency told ElShinta that no technology in the world could predict an earthquake.
“We have told people repeatedly that we cannot predict a quake. If there’s information about the date on which a quake will occur, it is surely untrue,” he said.

Tsunami Quakes Give Electromagnetic Warning Many Days Ahead of Rupture

Rick — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 04:36:16 GMT

Article in Brightsurf

This Swedish family ran and survived in Phuket – Dec 26th 2004

Large earthquakes may broadcast warnings, but is anyone tuning in to listen?

December 13, 2007 – Like geological ninjas, earthquakes can strike without warning. But there may be a way to detect the footfalls of large earthquakes before they strike, alerting their potential victims a week or more in advance. A Stanford professor thinks a method to provide just such warnings may have been buried in the scientific literature for over 40 years.

In October, Japan instituted a nationwide earthquake warning system that heralds the advance of a big earthquake; its sophisticated machinery senses the shaking deep in the earth and transmits a warning signal that can beat the tremors to the surface by seconds.

Antony Fraser-Smith, professor emeritus of electrical engineering and of geophysics, has evidence that big temblors emit a burst of ultra-low-frequency electromagnetic radio waves days or even weeks before they hit. The problem is that nobody is paying enough attention.

Fraser-Smith has been interested in electromagnetic signals for decades. Most of these waves come from space, he said, generated in the upper atmosphere by the sun and then beamed down to Earth.

In 1989, Fraser-Smith and his research team were monitoring ultra-low-frequency radio waves in a remote location in the Santa Cruz Mountains as part of a long-term study of the signals reaching Earth from space. On Oct. 5, 1989, their equipment suddenly reported a large signal, and the signal stayed up for the next 12 days. At 2:00 p.m. on Oct. 17, 1989, the signal jumped even higher, about 20 to 30 times higher than what the instruments would normally ever measure, Fraser-Smith said. At 5:04 p.m. the 7.1 magnitude Loma Prieta earthquake hit the Monterey Bay and San Francisco Bay areas, killing 63 people and causing severe damage across the region.

Fraser-Smith originally thought there was something wrong with the equipment. After ruling out the possibility of technical malfunctions, he and his research team started to think the Loma Prieta quake had quietly announced its impending arrival, and that their equipment just happened to be in the right place at the right time to pick up the message.

“Most scientists necessarily make measurements on small earthquakes because that’s what occurs all the time,” Fraser-Smith said. “To make a measurement on a large earthquake you have to be lucky, which we were.”

Along with Stephen Park, earth sciences professor at the University of California-Riverside, and Frank Morrison, professor emeritus of earth and planetary science at UC-Berkeley, Fraser-Smith continued to study the phenomenon of earthquakes emitting electromagnetic waves through a study funded by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

When the USGS terminated the funding in 1999, he decided to move on to other things. But he was recently drawn back into this issue by a local private company that wanted to use his methods to develop earthquake warning systems.

“I took a new look at the measurements, concentrating entirely on large earthquakes,” Fraser-Smith said, “and all of a sudden I could see the forest through the trees.”

He found three other studies describing electromagnetic surges before large earthquakes, just as he had found at the Loma Prieta site. The earliest report was from the Great Alaska earthquake (M9.2) in 1964. Up until now, most of the focus for earthquake warnings and predictions has been on seismological studies, but no seismic measurements have ever shown this kind of warning before a big quake, Fraser-Smith said.

This technique will probably only yield results for earthquakes of approximately magnitude 7 or higher, because background waves from the atmosphere will tend to mask any smaller signals. But these are the quakes people are most concerned about anyway, from a safety and damage point of view.

Some seismologists are suspicious that these results are real, Fraser-Smith said. But it would take little effort to verify or disprove them. He is calling for federal funding for a mission-oriented study that would place approximately 30 of the ultra-low-frequency-detecting instruments around the world at hotspots for big quakes. It would cost around $3 million to buy 30 of these machines, he said, which is cheap compared to the cost of many other large studies.

Every year, there are on average 10 earthquakes of magnitude 7 or higher around the world. So within just a few years, he said, you could potentially have 10 new measurements of electromagnetic waves before big quakes-surely enough to determine whether the previous four findings were real.

Stanford University

Lautan Megah Proposal is on-line

Rick — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:20:00 GMT

A Supply Vessel funding proposal is now posted at:

h ttp://homepage.mac.com/rickcameron/Island_Aid/

Delivery Departure Date now 8th Jan

Rick — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 04:55:31 GMT

Because of the shortage of seats on flights from Australia and into Luwuk, we have rescheduled our departure. Lautan Megah will depart Luwuk on the 8th of January 2008 and arrive Bali between the 18th and 21st of January. We still have space for 3 or 4 more paying volunteers.

Post Ideas and Questions in this Forum

Rick — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:28:04 GMT

The announcements forum is just for that… news that is mission critical. This General Discussion forum is for everything else. As we grow we will create other specific forums…. or you can do that yourself.

Lautan Megah Delivery Voyage - Luwuk, East Sulawesi to Benoa, Bali

Rick — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 00:07:59 GMT

We are working hard to be ready to depart Luwuk on the 31st of December but some crew are finding it difficult to get flights confirmed. There are Lion Air & Merpati flights from Bali and Jakarta to Ujang Pandang several times a day but only Merpati is available from Ujang Pandang to Luwuk. We will publish the latest schedule later today.

If some crew are delayed, we will more the departure date back so leave a float of say 3 days for your flight home from Bali (or stay a week and enjoy the island

Our earliest arrival date in Bali is the 10th of January. Latest is the 13th of January.

More soon.

Welcome to The Engine Room - Island Aid!

CollectiveX — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 23:02:40 GMT

Welcome to The Engine Room – Island Aid!

This site serves as a secure private meeting place providing members of The Engine Room – Island Aid with tools to centralize communication, synchronize calendars, and share files. Furthermore, the network area enables members to learn more about each other and build deeper working relationships.

How to get the most from this Groupsite

CollectiveX — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 23:02:40 GMT

To get the most from your experience as a member of The Engine Room – Island Aid, a Groupsite powered by the CollectiveX platform for groups, it is important that you have an understanding of how this Groupsite will empower you to share, communicate and network securely within this Project Workgroup.

The video below provides a brief 3-minute introduction to Groupsites. Please take a moment to view it fully. It will help you to become actively involved in making this a productive Project Workgroup.

For additional, more detailed, instruction we encourage you to view the full demo tour.

Thank you,

The Engine Room – Island Aid