Extend ICCT a special shipping discount for one-time use

Dear Friends,

As most of you know, ICCT Memphis (India Cultural Center and Temple) is celebrating its second Kumbhabhishekam from May 31 to June 4 2017. This is a very special event, that takes place only once every 12 years. A pivotal element of the second Kumbhabhishekam is a set of life size vigrahas (statues) specially commissioned by ICCT to be hand carved from black granite by skilled artisans (shilpis) in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, India.

The statues were completed and ready for shipment nearly 3 months ago, but their export wasn't approved by the presiding authority - Archaeological Survey of India - due to the recent political turmoil in Tamil Nadu (the port of origin). Thanks to the persistence and painstaking efforts of our associates, ASI officials have finally agreed to inspect and approve the vigrahas for export in the first week of May 2017. Sadly, despite overcoming this roadblock, our prior shipping arrangements (sea freight) have been rendered inviable due to the delay, as the vigrahas can no longer arrive in time for the event by sea. Our only option to bring the vigrahas here in time is to have them flown in.

Shipping such a heavy cargo by air is not the kind of decision a non-profit organization can make lightly, and we need every bit of support we can muster. For this we seek to implore FedEx to permit ICCT a one-time use of employee discount rate or similar (~75% off) to ship the vigrahas. Our only hope to succeed in this effort, is to garner enough support among FedEx employees and leadership via this petition to be able to confidently approach FedEx executive leadership with our request.

Please add your voice to our chorus by signing this petition in support of ICCT.