Renown Artists in Asia Come Together for NFT Charity Auction in Aid of Vulnerable Displaced Afghans

Now in its second week, the Mars Panda NFT Charity Auction in support of UNHCR, has launched over 30 NFTs from digital and fine arts artists, NFT influencers, and professional footballers on the Mars Panda NFT marketplace.

The auction, organised by Mars Panda, an all-in-one aggregation blockchain platform based in Singapore, aims to channel the enthusiasm for art and unique pieces (both digital and physical) to raise awareness of the plight of displaced Afghan families and mobilize funding to provide urgent humanitarian assistance delivered by UNHCR. The auction will close on March 4.

Among the NFTs featured on the auction are signed jerseys from José Luis Gayà and Carlos Soler of Spanish Football Club Valencia CF, and contributions in various art forms from artists such as Abu Jalal bin Sarimon, Anindito Wisnu, Dark Zodiac, Lanzavecchia + Wai, Raka Jana, Scrubb, Soul Curry Art, and Yeo’s workshop artists Quynh Dong, Zimbiri and Filippo Sciascia.

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Apart from established artists, the auction also features bright young talents. Through a Malay Youth Literary Association (4PM) and Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Hamlatul Arsy Mulia collaboration, 4 to 6-year-old students of Playscapes, a childcare centre run by 4pm, teamed up with their teachers and volunteers to produce an artwork titled ‘Weaving a Community’. Under YAM Pgn Anak Hamlatul Arsy’s guidance, the children used six layers of laser cut stencil to complete the artwork.

YAM Pgn Anak Hamlatul Arsy (@the_curiousunicorn), a visual development artist and 2D animator, has also contributed her own artwork titled ‘Swim against all odds, 2021’ to the auction. The painting represents the importance of perseverance – that no matter what happens in life, one has to keep on swimming, against all odds.

On 31 January, the auction launched its first batch of NFTs, from VIP contributors. This includes a one stroke painting from Venerable Phra Medhivajirodom, UNHCR Patron and well-respected Buddhist monk, scholar, writer and social worker from Thailand.

Afghan people face one of the world’s most rapidly growing humanitarian crises. Within Afghanistan, half of the population face acute hunger, over 9 million people are displaced, millions of children are out of school, fundamental rights of women and girls are under attack, farmers and herders are struggling amidst the worst drought in decades, and the economy is in free fall.

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UNHCR requires $608.8 million in 2022 to deliver on its commitment to protect and assist displaced persons and host communities both within Afghanistan and in hosting countries.

The funds will be used to deliver protection, core relief items, shelter, cash, and other forms of emergency assistance to displaced Afghans, while supporting investments in health, education, and livelihoods to build resilience and eventually enable sustainable return and reintegration.

All proceeds from the charity auction, minus administrative and operational costs, will be donated to UNHCR in support of vulnerable displaced families affected by the Afghanistan emergency.

Mars Panda is a unique platform that has a know-your-customer (KYC) process to identify and verify each client when they open an account. This has allowed it to be chosen as the NFT platform to power Singapore’s inaugural NFT charity auction, Blockchain for Good by Blockchain Association of Singapore, in September 2021 for the National Trade Union Council U-Care Fund and subsequently also supported local Singapore newspaper, The Straits Times, with its first-ever NFT auction, The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund also took place successfully in December 2021.

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