On the auspicious occasion of H. M. the King’s 84^th birthday anniversary and the 200^th anniversary of the birth of the world renowned composer Franz Liszt, the Sod-Nian Kurmarohita Foundation with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Hungary is organizing a charity concert, the proceeds of which will be in part presented to H.M. the King for his charity activities and in part contributed to the Foundation for its scholarship grants aimed at promoting the education of disadvantaged rural youth.

The concert will take place on Friday 23^rd September 2011, at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. Two distinguished artists, world renowned opera tenor Kim Jun Man and Jamorn Supapol, Thailand’s leading virtuoso pianist, will perform works by eminent composers, including Liszt, Shubert, Chopin, Puccini, Verdi and Rossini.

Donations are welcome

Tickets can be reserved with the foundation at 02 245 5173 and 02 247 6782.

Please find below a description on the activities of the foundation:

“The Sod-Nian Kurmarohita Foundation"

Background

Sod Kurmarohita devoted his whole life to create a cooperative system in Thailand, with ardent confidence that, Thailand would survive with the cooperative system, in which there would be no monopolization, exploitation of labor and advantage taking by capitalists and middlemen. He pioneered the plan by the cultivation at Paendin Thai Plantation, at Nong Jab Tao Village and Hin Wong, Na Jomthien Sub-District, District of Satahib, Chonburi. The village has existed since the time of King Taksin the Great.

His utmost determination was to improve this village to be the first cooperative village of Thailand and income from sales of farm produce, such as tapioca, pineapple, tangerine orange etc. would finance the Rai Paendin Thai Foundation in building public utilities, roads, waterworks, power plant, schools and hospital, including old folk home.

His ideas caused him into heavy debts. He also suffered from diabetes and his project failed. He died of kidney failure.

Before his death, he left his novels and articles he wrote about the struggle for the cooperative system and anti-capítalism, for example, the Cooperative Town, Ideas from Paendin Thai Plantation, Raya, the Blue Blood, The Red Blood, KrokeKrathing etc.

His family, whose members are Nian, his beloved wife, and children, all vowed to establish the Sod Kurmarohita Foundation to carry out his ideal as much as it can be feasible in promoting the cooperative system and his novels. Therefore, the foundation was formed. When NianKurmarohita died, their children added the name Nian, his long-time life mate to the name of the foundation, to be the present, Sod-NianKurmarohita Foundation.

Objectives

• To promote and disseminate the cooperatives system.
• To aisseminate his novels and literary pieces.
• To promote young Thai people to be educated on writing skill in various fields.
• To promote and support young people to be educated on the cooperative sciences.
• To promote and support provincial young people to have the opportunity for access of
  compulsory education.
• To participate with other charity organizations to conduct activities for social contribution.
• No political involvement.

Past Activities :

The Foundation has granted seholarship to students with good academic records but lack of
fmancial support :

1988 – 1995: Six scholarships of 3,000 bahts each granted to students of primary and secondary classes, the students were selected from schools around Na Jomthien Sub-District, District ofSattahib, Chonburi.

1995: Six scholarships of 4,000 bahts each to selected students.

2006: Two scholarships, 20,000 bahts each, to undergraduate student of Kasetsat University, two scholarships of 10,000 bahts each, granted to undergraduate students ofMae Jo University, Chiang Mai.

2009: Organizing a charity concert of which the proceeds were contributed to the Red Cross Society for the Molecula Biology Laboratory for Neurological Diseases,Chulalongkom Hospital, Thai Red Cross Societyand the Foundation for its seholarship fundings.

Granting scholarships of 15,000 bahtseach to undergraduate students studying
cooperative sciences,two to KasetsatUniversity, and two to Mae Jo University, Chiang Mai.

2010: Granting scholarships of 15,000 bahts each to undergraduate students studying literature,
one to Thammasat University, another to Chulalongkom University.

2010 Granting scholarships of 15,000 bahts each to undergraduate students studying
cooperative seiences, two to Kasetsat University, and two to Mae Jo University, Chiang Mai