The Buddhist Channel: Towards a "compassionate, life affirming, socially engaged" information portal

Dear Friends in the Dharma,

2010 has been a particularly challenging year for us, as far as our finances go. Our key financial backer (who has been heavily subsiding the site's operation for the last 10 years and wish to remain anonymous) recently suffered a period of cash flow crisis.

As a community based service, and a project which we do out of love and happiness, we do not actively solicit donations from our readers. Hence for the whole of 2010, ad hoc donations received by us amounted to US$ 798.50 and RM 4,400, which was just enough to support the site for two and a half months of operation.

Next year on May 8, 2011, the Buddhist Channel celebrates its 10th anniversary. It was born on a day of infamy. On that day the towering 2,000 years old Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan were destroyed by the Talibans.

Out of concerned on the lack of a news outlet dedicated to Buddhist news, the (then) Buddhist News Network (BNN) was first established. The BNN was later re-branded as the Buddhist Channel in 2005.

As our 10th anniversary approaches, we survey a much changed digital landscape. How the Buddhist Channel continues to stay relevant depends on how we create new tools and adapt to this rapidly changing environment.

We have identified 3 key areas that will impact you as a stakeholder:

• The advent of social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr etc)'

• Pervasive high speed broadband (more Wi-fi enabled areas, 4G etc)

• Mobile internet (with rising popularity of smart phones such as iPhones, Androids phones, iPads etc).

These factors will continue to play significant roles in how you access, and participate in creating, sharing and disseminating Buddhist related news and events to your community.

We believe that by transforming the BC into a "socially engaged media news" site, you will get much added value for your time spent here. Therefore, from just being a news site, we transform the BC into a "compassionate, life affirming, socially engaging" information portal.

As such, we invite your participation to join us in this transformation by helping to cover for these initial expenses:

• fees for system administrator to upgrade system (upgrade of Content Management System, server migration for greater efficiency and more cost effectivness - for higher bandwidth access and greater server capacity)

• webmaster and graphic designer (free lance supporters)

• total revamp of the site to enable it become a "social media driven news site"

• editorial development

We are appealing for your immediate assistance to help us raise US$ 6,430 by December 22, 2010.

Your participation will go in a long way to help us leave a lasting legacy for the global Buddhist community.

To make a donation, please select any one of the payment choice below:

Method 2: Via Cheque:

Please make your cheque to "Bodhi Vision" and mail it to:

Bodhi Vision
No. 45B, Jalan SS24/8
Petaling Jaya
Selangor DE, Malaysia
Tel: 603-7804 7615
Fax: 603-7806 1829

If you wish to bank in directly to Bodhi Vision, please use the following info:

Bodhi Vision
Bank A/C No.: 2122 00 000 44661

Bank: RHB Bank

SWIFT Code: RHBBMYKL

Bank's Address
Taman Megah Branch, Petaling Jaya
11 - 15, Jalan SS 24/11 Taman Megah
47301, Petaling Jaya
Selangor, Malaysia
Tel: (603)7804 1258 / 7481 / 7090 / 9040
Fax: (603)7804 1629

We thank you for your love, great compassion and generosity in the sharing the Buddha Dharma. May you and your loved ones be well and happy always.

With much loving kindness
Lim Kooi Fong
Publisher
www.BuddhistChannel.tv
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia