| ashu |
Posted
on 06-Oct-00 03:21 PM
What follows is from Mr. Shyam Karki (nepal1975@yahoo.com).
Karki is the president of the Association of
Nepalis in the Americas or ANA.
This is here to inform newcomers in Boston
about ANA, and to help Karki spread
his message to this Nepali community.
ANA's home-page is: http://www.ana-home.org
oohi
ashu
********************
From Mr. Shyam Karki in upstate New York
This year's Dasain is very significant for the reason that for
the first time, we Nepalis in the Americas have our own Home
(Nepal Educational & Cultural Center) with a temple dedicated to
Lord Pashupatinath and Lord Buddha. And we have a full time
Purohitji Acharya Shreedhar Gyawali at the temple.
I watched with
pride as Purohitji spread Jau seeds for Jamara for the Dasain
festival. The Opening Ceremony of the Temple last weekend
(September 30) in the Metropolitan Washington area was a great
joyous occasion as it was the realization of our dreams of years and
years. It was gratifying to see Nepalis perform Puja in our own
temple.
The Pratisthapan was officiated by Purohitji Acharya
Gyawali and Lama Kalsang with assistance by Acharya Keshab
Sharan and Acharya Pravar Gulab Maharaj. Many Nepalis had
driven/flown from all across the country signifying their immense
pride.
My dear friends, it was indeed a day to be proud of. Who
could have thought a few years ago that Nepalis (numbering a
couple of thousands in the USA & Canada) will be able to have
their own center? Determination, hard work, patience and united
effort by all of us paid off. It really shows that we can do almost
anything if we really want to and work at it long enough without
being distracted.
I have been informed that more than $17000.00
was donated to the Center despite the fact that no fund raising
event was scheduled. We had a great start, now we have to
complete the project.
Let us congratulate ourselves for a splendid job we have done.
Each and everyone of us has made a significant contribution in our
own ways to make it happen, and make no mistake about it, it
belongs to each and everyon of us; Nepalis in the Americas.
Over the next couple of months, I will be concentrating on the Visa
status. We have already agreed on the draft and the challenge will be to
get it done in Nepal. We will be working closely with our colleagues in
Nepal to explain why it is in the best interests of all the parties concerned
and why it's a win win situation.
We need to lobby very strongly in Nepal
to get this resolved as early as possible. Please give me a call or e-mail me
at nepal1975@yahoo.com if you want to be a part of it. All of us have to
work at it to make it happen.
Preparation for the 2001 Annual Convention in Philadelphia is going
on very smoothly. Various committees have already started working and
more than 40 people are involved at local level. I have been informed that
the hosts are shooting for a record attendance and
are planning accordingly. I have mandated that every Nepali in the
Americas be given equal opportunity to actively participate at the
Convention. Please follow the ANA homepage
(http://www.ana-home.org) for a "call for proposal".
Nepali Entrepreneurs Group (NEG) has completed the
preparation of the Directory and will be ready for distribution at the
Philadelphia Convention. They are working on creating an
emergency fund ($10,000) to help each other in times of cash flow
problems.
Initially, every business will contribute $100.00 towards the fund.
The fund will be expanded by investing and making annual
contributions. Details are being worked out to make it a type of
co-operative fund. I am very excited as it will be a great way for
Nepali owned businesses to network and help each other.
I have been informed that steps are being taken to form such networking
groups among the information technology, engineering and health care
professionals. If anyone is interested in such initiatives, please contact me
and I will facilitate the process by
bringing like minded people together.
Public Affairs Group is planning to organize a forum on "how to lobby
your elected representatives" and is working on bringing Members of the
Congress, their staff, local elected officials and lobbyists to participate in
the forum. Anyone interested in working on this project, please contact
me. The vitality of any organization is always determined by its
membership base. We had planned to bring our membership to 1000 at
the end of my tenure of 4 years. We were on target up to the Hartford
Convention (about 500 members). However, this year, we are far behind
because of unique circumstances. Most of our renewals and recruitment
happen at the Annual Convention. This year, Atlanta Convention was a
joint convention of different Nepali organizations and it was agreed not to
organize any membership renewal and recruitment campaign. As a result,
instead of planned increase in membership, we lost quite a lot ( no
renewals). So please help us to make it up by being a member or
renewing your membership.
Please mail your check ($25.00 for Individual, $40.00 for Family, &
$500.00 for Life Member) to;
Bidya Ranjeet,
49White creek St,
Mansfield, CT 06250.
and help us reach our goal. With your help, we can make it. There is also
another reason to be a member of the ANA. Next year is an election year
and the membership gets to decide the future direction of the ANA, gets
to elect the next team of leaders. ( In the fall executive meeting of the
ANA, it was decided that people who are members by December 31,
2000 will be eligible to vote). The more, the members, the more validity
and legitimacy to the voice of the ANA in broader issues. The ANA
elections are by mail balloting and this means the membership gets to
exercise its right to vote whether they attend the Annual Meeting or not.
ANA elections are decided by the whole membership, not by a fraction of
the membership that attends the Annual meeting. ANA, my dear friends is
Democracy in Action and urge you to be proactive.
We have so much to do at the ANA. I am always looking for
community activists to volunteer to serve in different committees. You have
my word that no one will be denied membership in a committee they want
to serve on. If you have ideas, suggestions, please contact me. We need
you. ANA is your organization. You set the agenda, you work at it, you
make it happen.
On a personal level, I will be running at the Canadian International
Marathon on October 15 in Toronto. This will be my first Marathon (26.2
miles) and I have never participated in any running event. Wish me the
best. I feel, I need it very much.
With best regards to you and your families.
Shyam Karki
President, ANA.
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