The revered Korean Dharma master and Buddhist activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (법륜스님) and volunteers from the Buddhist humanitarian relief organization JTS Korea returned to southern Türkiye on 28 August to review progress on a school project that JTS initiated in the Turkey-Syria border region following the devastating earthquakes that rocked southern Türkiye and parts of Syria in February 2023.
Soon after reports of last year’s earthquakes spread around the world, JTS Korea volunteers responded by placing team members on the ground to reach out to those at the epicenter of the crisis in Türkiye (formerly Turkey). Ven. Pomnyun Sunim joined JTS Korea volunteers and local relief groups to provide humanitarian aid to survivors of the disaster, distributing supplies and offering support for those in need.*
Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism, and based on the principle that helping others is the best way to enrich one’s own life. Charged with bringing hope, empowerment, and self-reliance to underprivileged communities in developing countries, JTS is run and manned by unpaid volunteers, who ensure that all donations benefit marginalized communities. JTS carries out relief work in countries suffering from humanitarian disasters, and has engaged in humanitarian projects in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka. JTS has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
On 28 August, the Ven. Pomnyun Sunim and the JTS team were welcomed by volunteers from the White Helmets organization, who gave them a tour of the school project, which, when completed, will be able to accommodate up to 4,000 children.
“When Sunim first came to survey the earthquake-damaged area, the school was completely collapsed and in a dilapidated state. Today, a beautiful new building in pastel colors stood tall,” JTS remarked. “This school is being rebuilt as part of the Türkiye-Syria earthquake recovery project, a collaboration between JTS and the White Helmets.” (Jungto Society)
▶️ Published by BDG on September 13, 2024
