Tzu Chi is one of the two large Buddhist organizations in Taiwan (the other being Fo Guang Shan). Tzu Chi was founded by Master Cheng Yen, a nun, on April 14, 1966 in Hualien, Taiwan. The society started as a group of thirty housewives who saved a small amount of money each day.
Whereas many buddhist societies focus on personal enlightenment and meditation, Tzu Chi focuses on community service and outreach (especially medical, educational, and disaster relief). Tzu Chi maintains a small number of monks and nuns, and conducts its mission via an international network of volunteers. The volunteers are easily recognized by their uniforms (navy blue shirt with a ship imposed on a lotus flower as a logo on the left breast; white pants, shoes and socks; and a black belt with the same lotus ship logo as a clasp). Tzu Chi remains a non-profit organization and has built many hospitals and schools worldwide.
The organization was heavily criticized in the early 1990s for spending much of its focus in relief efforts outside of Taiwan, but these criticism ended after the 921 earthquake, when the organization was able to draw on its logistics experience to provide disaster relief. In contrast to the official government efforts to deal with the disaster, which were considered uncoordinated and haphazard, Tzu-Chi was widely praised for its efforts.
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Tzu Chi Foundation, guided by the four Buddhist principles of kindness, compassion, joy and giving, is a volunteer-led non-profit charitable organization that strives to ease suffering on Earth by inspiring a worldwide network of volunteers to provide spiritual support and humanitarian services to all, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, nationality or religion.
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Tzu Chi Foundation aims to provide services in four major areas:
- Charitable Services (including emergency disaster relief, emotional & financial support for people/families in need.)
- Medical Services (providing medical services to the underprivileged.)
- Educational Services (actively supporting educational programs in the communities, and offering Chinese language instructions.)
- Cultural Services (through periodicals and television programs, actively encouraging cross-cultural understanding, and teaching compassion for all.)
In addition to the four major service areas, Tzu Chi is also concerned with Environmental Protection, International Relief, Bone Marrow Registry (as well as blood and organ donation registry), and Community Volunteerism.
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Tzu Chi Indonesia
Gedung ITC Lt. 6 Jl. Mangga Dua Raya
Jakarta 14430 - Indonesia
Telp : 021-6016332,
Fax : 021-6016334
http://www.tzuchi.or.id
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Tzu Chi USA Main Office
222 E. Palm Ave, Monrovia, CA 91016
Tel: (626) 305-1188
Fax: (626) 305-1185
Email: info@us.tzuchi.org
http://www.tzuchi.org
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