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The Nepal Digest Fri Jan 14, 2000: Poush 29 2056BS: Year9 Volume94 Issue441
Today's Topics (partial list):
Gayatri Mantra and its meaning
"Maiti" Needed in Every Neighborhood in the West
Wealth and Responsibility
Commemorating Suji
Workshop in Boston
Budhanilkantha graduates
AFVs News
******************************************************************************
* TND (The Nepal Digest) Editorial Board *
* -------------------------------------- *
* *
* The Nepal Digest: General Information nepal-request@cs.niu.edu *
* Coordinator: Rajpal JP Singh a10rjs1@mp.cs.niu.edu *
* Editor: Pramod K. Mishra pkm@acpub.duke.edu *
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* Chapter Coordinators - Canada Chapter (TND Foundation) *
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* TND Archives: http://library.wustl.edu/~listmgr/tnd/ *
* TND Foundation: http://www.nepal.org tnd@nepal.org *
* WebSlinger: Umesh Giri ugiri@uswest.com *
* *
* +++++ Food For Thought +++++ *
* *
* "Heros are the ones who give a bit of themselves to the community" *
* "Democracy perishes among the silent crowd" -Sirdar_Khalifa *
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******************************************************************
Forwarded by: Rajpal J.P. Singh <a10rjs1@cs.niu.edu>
To: The Nepal Digest <nepal@cs.niu.edu>
Subject: Gayatri Mantra and its meaning
Date: Mon, 20 Dec 1999 11:18:38 -0500
GAYATRI MANTRA -ITS MEANING:
----------------------------
AUM BHOOR BHUWAH SWAHA,
TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM
BHARGO DEVASAYA DHEEMAHI
DHIYO YO NAHA PRACHODAYAT.
Summary of the Mantra
----------------------
Oh God! Thou art the Giver of Life, Remover of pain and sorrow, The Bestower
of happiness, Oh! Creator of the Universe, May we receive thy supreme
sin-destroying light, May Thou guide our intellect in the right direction.
Word for Word Meaning of the Mantra
-----------------------------------
Aum = Brahma ; bhoor = embodiment of vital spiritual energy(pran) ; bhuwah =
destroyer of sufferings ; swaha = embodiment of happiness ; tat = that ;
savitur = bright like sun ; varenyam = best choicest ; bhargo = destroyer of
sins ; devasya = divine ; dheemahi = may imbibe ; dhiyo = intellect ; yo =
who ; naha = our ; prachodayat = may inspire ;
Meaning of Gayatri Mantra
-------------------------
Rishis selected the words of various Mantras and arranged them so that they
not only convey meaning but also create specific power through their
utterance. Gayatri Mantra inspires wisdom. Its meaning is that "May the
Almighty God illuminate our intellect to lead us along the righteous path".
All the problems of a person are solved if he/she is endowed with the gift
of righteous wisdom. Once endowed with far-sighted wisdom, a man is neither
entangled in calamity nor does he tread the wrong path. A wise man finds
solution to all outstanding problems. Only those persons who do not think
correctly find difficulty and take wrong steps due to foolishness. Chanting
of Gayatri Mantra removes this deficiency. The teachings and powers
incorporated in the Gayatri Mantra fulfill this purpose. Righteous wisdom
starts emerging soon after Jap(recitation) of this Mantra is performed.
******************************************************************
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 21:58:38 -0500 (EST)
From: "Pramod K. Mishra" <pkm@duke.edu>
To: The Nepal digest Editor <nepal-request@cs.niu.edu>
Subject: "Maiti" Needed in Every Neighborhood in the West
In quick succession, we have received the news of two murders of Nepalis
in the US--One in Alabama of a Nepali student by a white man and another
of a Nepali young woman, Suji, by her own husband. Both these cases are
unique and not so unique. Unique because a Nepali was killed in the
South, where violence has traditionally revolved around Black-White
issues. The Minnesota case was unique because this case of a Nepali
woman was not a case of working class violence but one of urban, middle
or upper-middle class Nepali's, possibly English-educated, Westernized
"love marriage" turning sour under the pressure of immigration in the
land of opportunity. Yet, both these cases were not unique, because
interethnic and spousal violence are everyday occurrences everywhere, but
particularly in the United States. In this piece, however, I'd like to
focus on the spousal violence.
I have no specific information available about Suji and her husband, but
from what I know from an e-mail sent by Mr. Padam Sharma, President of
Info-Nepal, the couple were high school sweethearts; they loved each
other. Even after her death, the husband said, "I love her; that's why I
did this to her." These words raise a number of questions and
speculations--and I leave these to the police detectives to figure out.
What I'm going to focus in this piece is the reality of potential
violence existing in a Nepali family in a heigtened form once displaced
from the accustomed cultural moorings. For all one knows about Nepal,
this violence might have occurred even in Nepal, even in Kathmandu, but
not probably in its present intensity, resulting in death. Suji would
have gone to her friends, to her parents' house, to her relatives; given
the presence of various cultural support systems, symbols, and
ideological apparatuses, she would have used them to alleviate her
condition. If nothing worked after a while, she could have asked for
divorce after a period of separation.
The first problem a Nepali woman faces in the US when she follows her
spouse is loneliness. This loneliness doesn't necessarily stem from the
absence of her husband alone. In fact, it can be said that if her
husband were to be present all the time, it's more likely that another
kind of problem would arise, namely, lack of interest in each other
because of boredom or conflict of a different kind induced by excessive
proximity. For we have to admit that spousal dynamics do not work in
Nepal or India for the most part on the basis of one-on-one relationship;
each spouse's social and psychic energies are distributed at various
nodes of the social and kinship network. Kathmandu's case is unique in
this sense that in social and kinship terms, it is just the opposite of
the impersonality of metropolitan cities; it is well known in Kathamandu
that very often generations live there in close proximity. (In the big
cities of India, such as Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, and Delhi,
impersonality has come about to a great extent, but these cities are
still marked by their clearly identifiable provincial cultural,
linguistic, caste boundaries and identities.) And the visit of daughters
and sons-in-laws is a routine, ritualized affair in Kathmandu. So, a
spouse, be it male or female, does not plumb the emotional, intellectual,
and psychic depths of the partner as a condition for marriage and develop
emergency routes and byways for critical situations. I'm talking here
about the so-called love marriages, let alone the arranged marriages.
A woman faces more loneliness because in her Nepali upbringing
independent ways of finding her identity and voice are not emphasized.
She is made to rely on marriage as the most important outlet for the
expression of her personality and discovery of her self and identity.
That happens in most families even in the cosmopolitan, English-educated
families of Kathmandu, let alone those of rural areas. As a result, a
woman who follows her husband as an appendage to his and his family's
ambitions and can't say NO to an unknown life in the US because of
expectations built around living in the West finds herself in a peculiar
situation.
Language barrier hits first, even for those who know English. But the
more difficult barrier is one of culture--and by culture, I don't just
mean festivals and rites, but the culture of capitalism, in which human
life revolves around work, production, and consumption. Consumption
becomes a substitute for social relations, and it becomes difficult even
for Third World participant in consumerism to substitute commodities for
social and cultural relations. And this difficulty is made worse by the
struggling financial situation of a student life.
Certainly, there are support systems in the US, particularly in the
universities and colleges, such as the various free English language
classes and church groups. But they are not the same as the cultural
structures that exist back home. Back home, an individual, by virtue of
a traditionally assigned position, easily recognizes oneself and accepts
the assigned place; there is the weight of a whole tradition and its
ideology to make that assignation work smoothly. But these support
groups, no matter how egalitarian and multicultural in their orientation
(and one must recognize the conscious effort they make to be
compassionate, friendly, and helpful), they remain hierarchical in a
different sense without the traditional ideological support of the
culture back home. A socially-oriented individual from a non-Christian
Third World country, when inducted in the group of a language class or a
church group, even though socially treated equal is in fact made to be an
object of the lessons to be learnt or a target of a new set of religious
ideologies to know. Reciprocity seldom occurs. In other words, the
person's language and religion do not find equal footing with the
language and religion to which one exposed. As a result, alienation
occurs because a person from another cultural setting does not recognize
himself or herself in the hierarchy, even though he or she goes along
with it.
In the case of secular social gatherings, the problem of gender
difference and their assigned roles once again pops up as a problem. The
big shock one receives, as I did at first, is one of freedom of
association between men and women. There are no doubt unstated
expectations and structures of demarcations that implicitly guide norms
of associations between men and women in the US, but at the surface this
openness appears outrageous. For a man from South Asia, it is
liberating; he has a bigger pond to fish from, even though the fish may
prove to be more slippery and accustomed to different lures. For a South
Asian man has more freedom to express his desires and fulfill them. In
the case of a South Asian female, this whole idiom of fishing doesn't
even arise--for there is no equality there in this matter. This freedom
may be tempting for the man but for the woman it is nothing short of
traumatic. For one thing, she is not trained to paddle her own canoe,
but even when she does, it is completely against the conventional
expectations. More often than not, therefore, she lives in fear that her
man would get caught in the spectacle of freedom and so lose him. She
panics, feels further alienated, and makes both her own and her family
life a nightmarish experience.
Now, the question is, What can be done about this situation given the
reality that many Nepali women would follow their husbands to the West
for economic and professional reasons? We also know that the condition
of women in Nepal, even in the cities, can't be changed because the
attitudes of the majority of fathers, brothers, sons--legislators,
lawyers, the professional class, and even many women--can't be changed
overnight. There is a long struggle for this overhaul. So immigrant
women will always face isolation, loneliness, and alienation, caused by
cultural displacement.
There are some things that can be done about it. First of all, it is
important for the husbands to know that this problem exists, and it can
take bad, at times dangerous turn. It can create discord in the family,
affect work and productivity, and ruin careers. But under no
circumstances would he participate in the patriarchal logic of violence,
the usual method of dealing with spousal problems in Nepal. One must
make a commitment to non-violence in this regard. No body contact in
anger has to be the norm. If one can't stay at home because of trouble,
just leave. Separation and divorce are much better both for men and
women than living in violence. The Nepali communities both in Nepal and
abroad need to get out of their tendency to stigmatize divorce and begin
to recognize it as a difficult but respectable way out of a marriage gone
sour. If Suji and her husband were separated and divorced, their lives
wouldn't have been ruined. Now one is dead; the other would have to
spend his life in prison. Even after he survives the brutality of an
American prison and comes out, he will be deported. In any case, his
life is ruined, no matter.
Then, of course, come the support systems that exist within the cultural
framework of the West. Various counseling mechanisms come under this
rubric. Each college and university in the US has some sort of
Counseling and Psychological Services, which are manned or womanned by
marriage counselers or therapists. Although it is difficult for an
American-trained counseler to understand the complications of a Third
World marriage, this nonetheless offers an opening for conversation about
marital problems. Many ways can be found from here.
Finally, and most importantly, the role of the cultural organizations.
There are many Nepali organizations in the US, both broader and local.
If the broader umbrella organizations fulfill the need for immigrants to
connect once a year at a national or North American basis, the role of
the local organizations can't be emphasized more. The responsibility is
upon them to form women's social activities group, women's caucuses, and
while eating "daal-bhaat" frankly talk about the issues affecting their
lives and ways to improve them. Usually, what happens is when Nepalis
get together, they get together with their spouses and children, eat
daal-bhaat, talk about their careers, politics, exchange news and get
back to their working lives. This is good. But there has to be
women-only gatherings, where women could talk about their own specific
problems and struggles once every month or two months. The same applies
to men.
I'm here not talking about just the motivated activists, running various
women's organizations; they have their roles. But the problem I see
there is that many activists get a kick out of ego massage, an easy way
to feel good because one develops this incredibly simplistic approach to
the problems and develops an attitude of condescension toward both the
women they serve and the men who find themselves in this bind. Such
feel-good activism hasn't accomplished much; it's good only for the c.v.
and chat with other activists--and frowns and giggles. But if such
activists help organize women's groups based on equality of exchange of
narratives and friendship rather than on the relationship of analyst and
analysand, they can really help immigrant lives. It is also important
for such local Nepli organizations and their women's groups to help
foster friendship among women and develop closer relationship depending
on age, interests, etc. In other words, such groups can play the role of
"maiti" and fill the vacuum caused by cultural displacement.
I'm sure others would have other angles. And I think it is important
that we discuss this issue thoroughly.
******************************************************************
Date: Jan 11, 2000
To: The Nepal Digest <nepal@cs.niu.edu>
Forwarded by: RJ Singh <a10rjs1@cs.niu.edu>
Subject: Wealth and Responsibility
Source: Reuters
New-rich in US seek to avoid raising spoilt brats
By Jessica Hall
NEW YORK, Jan 11 (Reuters) - The newly minted multi- millionaires of the Internet gold rush want more from their financial advisors than just estate planning -- they want help in preventing wealth from corrupting their children's values.
In the past two years, Merrill Lynch and Co. Inc. (NYSE:MER - news) has seen growing demand for ``financial parenting'' services that help with the problems some families face in dealing with sudden wealth.
``Some clients may be concerned that their children won't grow up with the sensitivities or values they had,'' said Susan Thomson, a spokeswoman for Merrill Lynch's Private Client Group that serves families whose assets total at least $100 million.
Merrill Lynch's family office helps these clients with everything from paying bills, to finding the best private schools or the best doctors for their children, to planning vacations.
So far, about 10 of its 50 elite clients have used the financial parenting services, but demand has been increasing as more and more families find themselves suddenly enriched by the boom in dot.com shares.
``With the growth of the Silicon Valley gold rush and the long-term bull market, we're doing it more often,'' Thomson said.
``Wealth can be an enhancement and a peril,'' said Scott Cooper, who heads Merrill's family office.
Clients want their wealth to give their children opportunities they did not have themselves when they were young.
But they also fear their children will turn into ``trust-slugs,'' who are dependent on family money and have no incentive to follow a career, Cooper said.
``They want to know 'what's the appropriate amount of wealth to leave my children?'' he said.
Merrill may work with families directly or may send clients to outside psychologists and other experts as needed. The firm also provides information on volunteering, summer jobs and other ``constructive opportunities'' for children.
Children of newly-wealthy parents will grow up in a vastly different socioeconomic environments than their parents and may not share the same perspective on wealth and work, he said.
Instilling strong work ethics and values in children must start at an early age and must be reinforced with a consistent message, child development experts said.
Without that effort, parents are going to be disappointed in children they see as self-indulgent, said Dr. Lawrence Balter, a professor of applied psychology at New York University and author of several books on parenting.
Balter's advice to newly wealthy parents: ``avoid living vicariously through your children. If you are suddenly wealthy ... you shouldn't give your children everything you didn't have.''
Parents also should make a point to show children that many people are not as privileged.
``Go to a food drive. Even if your Range Rover drives you to the shelter, at least they can help dole out food and see people in need,'' Balter said.
Cooper said wealthy families today are less inclined to leave large chunks of wealth to their children than in the past.
``Families continue to lower the bar on what is appropriate (to leave children) ... we see these families having heightened interest in philanthropy,'' Cooper said.
******************************************************************
Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2000 23:59:48 -0600
From: Padam Sharma <psharma@outtech.com>
To: psharma@outtech.com
Subject: Commemorating Suji
In early October 1999, a 20+ years, young and beautiful, Suji Suwal
left Kathmandu to be with her childhood boyfriend and husband Rakesh
Rimal in the USA. The couple took a one-bedroom apartment in the City
of Richfield, a southern Minneapolis suburb. Rakesh, a senior at St.
Cloud State University was about to finish his classes and enter into an
IT career opportunity in the Twin Cities. The couple were beginning a
new life full of love, hope, and dreams. In their parent’s words,
“Rakesh and Suji were made for each other.” After a decade of love, they
were finally going to start their conjugal life in the USA and live
happily ever after.
Suji’s first call from the US to her parents and Rakesh’s mother in
Nepal was one of excitement and satisfaction of being in a distant
lighted and beautiful metropolis with her love Rakesh. Suji’s second
call was of continuing happiness of being together with Rakesh and
‘don’t worry about us’ words to her loved ones in Nepal. A few weeks
later, Suji’s third call was one of loneliness of apartment life as
Rakesh was too busy attending to his commitment of finishing his
remaining classes and starting a new job. Rakesh had little time for
Suji. Suji was bored and wanted to go back to Nepal.
The next call never came. The Nepali community in Minnesota was in
shock and disbelief watching news of Suji’s death reported on local TV
and newspapers on December 21-22. On December 20, the police and
paramedics found Suji lying on the floor with signs of head trauma and
blood. Her husband Rakesh was sitting in a corner, reportedly hysteric
and suicidal. The news accounts tell Rakesh uttering, “I did this to
her because I love her”. Rakesh is in jail charged with second degree
murder of his beloved Suji.
What transpired between the two in the two months following their much
awaited joyful reunion will perhaps remain a mystery. However, one call
by Suji or Rakesh before the tragedy could have saved Suji’s life and
Rakesh’s misery throughout the rest of his life.
With permission from both Suji and Rakesh’s families in Nepal, the
Nepali community in Minnesota is organizing a cremation ceremony for
Suji on Saturday, January 8, 2000 at Forest Cemetery in St. Paul,
Minnesota. The ceremony is expected to cost about $2000 and we have
asked all individuals and families (both professionals and mostly
students) in Minnesota to make a generous contribution to cover the
cost.
I am sending this letter to you, to ask for your help in contributing to
Suji’s dignified cremation service in this distant land. Any money
collected in excess of the cost of cremation will be used to initiate a
“Suji’s First Call for Help” crisis intervention program for Nepali
students and young families trying to survive the stressful study, work,
immigration, cultural shock, and abusive environments in the US.
A "Suji Rimal Benefit Account' is now open at Western Bank, 4700 W.
77th St., Suite 160, Edina, MN 55435. You can mail your donations
directly to the bank or you can send your checks written for “Suji Rimal
Benefit Account” to: Empower Nepal Foundation, 2000 Como Avenue, St.
Paul, MN 55108.
Let us all come together to pray for Suji’s soul to rest in peace.
Padam P. Sharma
2000 Como Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55108
Phone:(651) 644-3733 (Home)
(612) 832-2703 (Work)
Email: psharma@outtech.com
******************************************************************
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 17:14:25 -0500
Subject: Re: Fwd: The Nepal Digest - Jan 4, 2000 (19 Poush 2056 Bk
From: AikoAnne Joshi <aiko7@juno.com>
Hello, TND members:
I am relocating to the Washington, D.C. area and was wondering if any
Nepalis living there could suggest safe areas to live in? I have found a
few places located right in the city of D.C., studio apts. at very
inexpensive prices but don't know how the neighborhoods are. I would
prefer to rent a small, one bedroom house in Maryland suburbs conveninet
to the Metro. I won't have a car.
any infor would be greatly appreciated. thanks! hopefully, the next TND
edition will come out before I move. I move end of January.
Aiko Joshi
"Those who do not try to create the future they want, must _endure_the
future they get."
**********************************************************
From: JSMARTWKS@aol.com
Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 17:49:11 EST
Subject: libraries
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Hello
I am the student at NYU who just wrote in request of a subscription. But, I
have a second request. I am creating an online web installation for a
professor of mine (she us a Professor of Interdisciplinary Arts) which
juxtaposes the burning of libraries with the burning of species in the
Rainforest. It is an artwork which seeks to highlight the integral loss of
information as a result of both of these activities. It will be connected to
the Museum of Modern Art on-line sites etc. When I was reading a 1995
e-mail, someone mentioned the burned libraries in Nepal. Do you have any
further information on this? Also, another part of the digest discussed the
downloading of the fonts for languages spoken in Nepal. I am interested in
finding how to say burned or destroyed by fire in Nepali. This is for one
aspect of this project which says "burned" or "consumed by fire," in the
language of the nation the library was in. But, of course I have a problem
typing it into my computer. Do you know a site in which I can download the
font or can you yourself tell me how to say "burned" or "destroyed by fire"
in Nepali? Even if we do the latter, (so I can scan in the word) the scanner
most likely will not recognize the characters. If nothing else, do you have
any advice on how to write in Nepali "burned" or "destroyed by fire" in
Nepali for a web site?
Thanks. I apologize if this e-mail sounds convoluted. Any questions please
e-mail me.
Starr
******************************************************************
Date: Sat, 08 Jan 2000 06:13:35 -0800
From: gopal dongol <dongolg@cuug.ab.ca>
To: NEPAL@cs.niu.edu
Subject: greetings
Greetings:
The warm blazing wind flowed from the west
That is the "Chinook Arch" in decades at its best
With the curls of cloud pumped from the warm pacific
Which pushed the jet stream far north to the Arctic (line separating
warm and cold front)
Calgary has brown Christmas in temperatures of double digits (+19
degrees C)
Remembering the past years which were in its low frigids (-15 degrees C)
Could it be weather-wise at its premium?
The heaven must have blessed for the new millennium
Over a year ago, my father passed away so suddenly
I was also rubbed in Bolivia, as an act of foolery
My brother broke his arm which brought me some fear
When I left for Nepal in the haze of tears
Last year a bolt of horror flashed through me
Remembering the vivid pictures that came to me
I made myself felt that I shouldn’t cry
Even though the seeping tears burnt my eyes
Let me forget what had happened in the past
It’s hard to tell how long the effects would last
I liked it when the Bolivians say "Que bueno!"(How nice!)
It sounded like the Nepali word "ke.Bhayana?(What is not right?)
Himalayas, has Lamas that beat the drum
Andes has Llamas that lurk along musical strum
We understand when we say Que ?(or Ke?) for what?
Both has energy to produce millions of watts.
In the Andes they said to me "Que pasa?" in a friendly trend (What’s
going on?)
In Nepali it (ke.Pasa) means "what’s the matter friend?"
We both say "Que tal?" but has different meanings (spanish=how are
things? Nepali=what type?)
This has brought me very close feelings
With best wishes,
Gopal Dongol
*****************************************************************
From: "Bal K Sharma" <bsharma@uhc.com>
To: tnd@nepal.org
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2000 15:39:08 -0600
Subject: Empower Nepal Foundation (ENF) Collects Donations to Fund
Projects in Nepal
Dear TND subscribers:
Recently I read in TND that some Nepal-loving people were trying to
identify charitable organizations so that they could make some donations to help
Nepal. This encouraged me to write this email to introduce Empower Nepal
Foundation (ENF) to TND Subscribers.
Many of you might be aware that ENF has a mission of pooling resources from
abroad and directing them to help Nepalese people in Nepal. If you are not aware
and would like to know more about ENF please visit ENF Web site located at
<empowernepal.hypmermart.net> or <welcome.to/enf>. The web site explains the
organization, projects, and ENF activities. You will see how your monetary
contributions are being used to invest into the future of Nepal. Also, ENF board
would like to hear your feed back.
After visiting ENF web site, may be, you would like to make tax-deductible
(in the US only) donations for the current ENF projects or you could come up
with a new project to help your local community in Nepal through ENF. Please
remember that your one day's salary in the developed countries can make a
difference in the villages we all came from. Thank you for your attention.
Sincerely,
Bal Krishna Sharma, Ph.D.
******************************************************************
From: "Shailesh Gongal" <shaileshgongal@hotmail.com>
To: A10RJS1@cs.niu.edu
Subject: Workshop in Boston
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 22:57:01 EST
Pharkera ke Painchha?
A Workshop on Evolving Opportunities in Nepal
Kanak Mani Dixit and Shanta Dixit, discussants
Cambridge, 15 January 2000 (Saturday/Sanibaar)
(Greater Boston Nepali Community and Himal Khabarpatrika, organisers)
We welcome participants from beyond the Boston area (see below).
With more than 22 million people, even on a global scale, Nepal is hardly a
small country.
Neither does it have to be poor. In fact, the hills and plains hold the
possibility of delivering a
fine quality of life for the population. All we need are the people to make
it happen. Given
Nepal’s history of poor (or absent) education, the importance of good
overseas
education thus looms large. The many Nepali students presently at colleges
and universities
in North America are a substantial pool of talent that could be catalytic in
changing
socio-economic conditions back home.
Most discussions on "returning to Nepal" have tended to center on simplistic
notions of
nationalism that are unconvincing at the practical level. For too long, the
arguments have been
based on the emotional "pharka he pharka" formula, failing to address the
complex nature of
the choice confronting students at the stage of planning careers. This
complexity refers to
financial considerations, family expectations, academic qualifications and
professional
objectives, as well as the societal roadblocks that dampen the
returnee’s spirit.
It is also true, however, that students overseas tend to be insufficiently
informed about
changing conditions and new opportunities back home in Nepal. For example,
after ten years
of democratic exercise, the polity and social sectors beckon to idealistic
individuals with
interest in activism, law, public health, journalism or environment. At the
same time, the
evolving marketplace is creating space for the adventurous in service
industries, trade,
manufacturing and transport.
Because of the dearth of self-confident and well-trained professionals, the
return of even a few
can make a big difference to Nepal. The returning individuals, meanwhile,
can look forward to
pioneering careers that are personally fulfilling in comparison to many
kinds of work available
in adopted societies. This is not to deny that there will be situations
where it is clearly
advantageous for a Nepali to seek a working life outside Nepal. In the end,
"to return or not to
return" is a decision to be taken in the light of specific personal
situations. As long as the
choice is made after thorough reflection on career goals, host country
conditions and home
country realities, there will be less to regret later on.
Workshop Details
10:00 a.m. - Meet at TBA, MIT, Cambridge
10:15-11:30 - Presentations
"Trends in the Nepali Polity" by Kanak Mani Dixit
"Choices in the Social Sector" by Shanta Dixit
(Participants will receive a folder with
contributions
from Nepali professionals in diverse
disciplines,
sharing their views on the workshop topic.)
11:30-11:45 - Coffee break
11:45-1:00 pm - Discussion
1:00 p.m. - Lunch (please make reservation)
(Informal discussions can continue after lunch.)
(Kanak Mani Dixit is editor of the Himal (South Asian) and Himal
Khabarpatrika. Shanta Dixit
is an educator and public health specialist. Both lived in New York City
from 1980 to 1990.
The former studied International Affairs and Journalism at Columbia
University and then
worked at the UN Secretariat. The latter studied Public Health at Columbia
University and
turned to education upon returning to Nepal. She is Director of Rato
Bangala, which runs a
Grade 1-12 school, trains teachers, and publishes literature for the young.)
Signing In, Hospitality
The GBNC welcomes participants from beyond the Boston area. Please let us
know if you
need accommodation for the night of Friday, 14 January. Attendance at the
workshop is free,
but we ask you to register by phone or email. There will be a small charge
for those who want
to stay for lunch.
To sign in (and for further information), please contact Sandeep Lama at
617-623-9459
(slama@bu.edu)or Sachit Rajbanshi at 617.868.8232 (Srajbanshi@aol.com)
The discussants can be contacted directly at dixitkanak@yahoo.com and
shantaji@yahoo.com. More information on the workshop will be available at
the Himal
Khabarpatrika website at http://www.himalmag.com/pharka.htm
********************************************************
From: JSMARTWKS@aol.com
Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2000 17:28:48 EST
Subject: subscription
To: NEPAL-REQUEST@cs.niu.edu
Hello!
I am a student at New York University who is very interested in getting a
subscription to your magazine. Can you let me know the procedure I need to
go through. In addition, I would love to visit Nepal to teach English, do
you have any tips?
Much thanks.
Starr
**************************************************************
Date: Wed, 05 Jan 2000 17:21:06 -0500
From: Wei Wang <xiaomei@rci.rutgers.edu>
To: tnd@nepal.org
Subject: (no subject)
Hi.
I live in the U.S. and am trying to gather information about
thunderstorms in Nepal, and about trains. If you could send some
information(that is if you do that) it would be much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Kermie Meng
*************************************************************
To: tnd@nepal.org
Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2000 15:04:40 -0800
From: "Suren Shakya" <suren.shakya@mailcity.com>
Subject: Budhanilkantha graduates
Hi, I am trying to locate/contact graduates of Budhanilkantha School, especiall the first six batches. The effort is to solicit advise and support to revive SEBS. As a first order of business, locating all graduates would be a good step forward. BNKS alumni are urged to register themselves in the SEBS website at http://www.rajan.com/sebs/index.htm . We are looking forward to having a online meeting and discussion at the end of January. Please spread the word. Thanks.
******************************************************************
Date: 13 Jan 2000 12:55:48 -0000
To: List Member <NEPAL@cs.niu.edu>
From: "Alternative Fuel Vehicles Nepal" <AFVsNepal-owner@listbot.com>
Subject: AFVs News
Alternative Fuel Vehicles Nepal
1. Meeting of Citizens Monitoring Group (CMG)
Martin Chautari, 13 January 2000
The Citizens Monitoring Group (CMG) which is conceptualized as one of the
components to assist Environmental Sector Program Support program of
DANIDA/HMG-Nepal is still in fluid stage. In a meeting organized at the
Ministry of Environment and Population (MoPE), representatives of core
group of CMG, MoPE's joint secretary, Danish technical advisor of ESPS
discussed the activities carried out by the proposed CMG towards the
legalization of CMG as a truly representative association of all NGOs
involved in environmental sector in Kathmandu. Mr. Amod Pokhrel,
co-ordinator of core group highlighted activities taken so far which
included rapport building with core group members and outlining of
activities of the CMG. Most of the members of core group were in favor of
having a loose kind of network whereby the co-ordinator of core group
coordinates with MOPE, ESPS and CMG. MoPE's officials however were
skeptical about the loose network and insisted that CMG should come as a
legal entity in the form of NGO of NGOs. Members of core group expressed
that building an NGO of NGOs entails several legal complications and it
slows down the progress of work. After a long debate, it was decided that
the core group may organize an action plan workshop where various NGOs
working in the field of environment will participate. In this workshop,
the institutional arrangement of CMG will be discussed and its legal
status will be determined.
2. Legal suit filed against MOPE
Martin Chautari, 13 January 2000
In response to the inconsistent notice issued by Ministry of Population
and Environment (MOPE) regarding Nepal Vehicle Mass Emission Standard,
advocate Krishna Shrestha filed a legal suit in the supreme court of
Nepal. The legal suits states that various points of the notice are
contradictory and illegal. "Some portions of the notice are also against
the spirit of Environmental Protection Act," said Krishna Shrestha.
3. Workshop by LEADERS Nepal
Martin Chautari, 13 January 2000
Come 22 February, Earth day 2000, there will be a global mapping of
Nitrous Oxide (NOx) in ambient air. There will be 10,000 samples of NOx
concentration collected form Asia alone through Environment NGOs Network
of the region. This was announced in a day long workshop on People's
Participation in Environment Quality Monitoring Using Easy Method and
Tools. The workshop was organized by LEADERS Nepal, an NGO working in air
quality, with the help of Japan Environment Corporation.
N2O is responsible for the global warming. The NOx concentration mapping
will serve as a rough indicator of global consumption of fossil fuel.
This global mapping will be done by passive sampling method developed by
Dr. Kazuo Amaya of Japan. In this method, a simple one in nature, a
sampler is exposed in ambient air for an hour. The chemical present in the
sample reacts with the NOx present in the ambient air and gives color.
Higher the concentration of NOx greater will be the intensity of the color
developed in the sampler.
Welcoming all the participants and guests from Japan Mr. Amod Pokhrel,
general secretary of Leaders Nepal stated the grave situation of air
pollution in Katmandu. He
presented a paper on Presence of Particulate Matter in Kathmandu. He
earlier brought attention of Dr. Govinda Bhatta, Secretary of Mope and
chief guest of the program towards a news carried the same day by a weekly
news paper . The news was about hanky panky believed to be happened during
the decision to allow the import of Micro buses, a substitute for ousted
Vikram tempo. Mr, Bhatta cleverly declined to answer the question though
he earlier promised to clarify the situation.
As many as nine issue papers were presented in the workshop, mostly by
Japanese Scholars. Mr. Sumit Pokhrel of Leaders Nepal highlighted
Leaders' involvement in awareness raising campaign initiated at different
Colleges.
The chief guest Mr. Bhatta earlier released Citizen's Report '99 on Air
Pollution in the Face of Urbanization. The report was prepared by Leaders
Nepal. The report is the outcome of regular air quality monitoring
carried out by the NGO. The report also includes report on presence of
lead in ambient air in two stations of Kathmandu, namely Jorpati and
Putalisadak.
******************************************************************
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 23:01:33 -0600
From: Padam Sharma <psharma@outtech.com>
To: Friends and Supporters <ppsharma@yahoo.com>
Subject: Adieu Suji..
About 75 Nepalese and friends of Nepal from the Twin Cities, St. Cloud,
Mankato, Moorhead and other communities in Minnesota bid a very
dignified and emotional farewell to Suji Suwal Rimal on Saturday,
January 8, 2000. Suji’s cremation service was held at Forest Lawn
Crematory in St. Paul from 1 to 4 PM. The service included Geeta reading
and Pinda-dan ritual by a Hindu priest, chanting of Buddhist hymns, and
reading of condolence message from the Royal Nepalese Ambassador, Mr.
Damodar Gautam.
The emotional highlight of the ceremony was readings of letters and poem
from Suji’s grieving parents, father Surya Suwal and mother Shreemila
Suwal.
I am writing this letter to thank each one of you who supported the
effort of Minnesota Nepali community to organize a dignified memorial
service for Suji. I specially recognize the efforts of volunteers who
participated in fund raising and other arrangements for Suji’s cremation
service. This crisis has touched all our hearts and it brought together
Nepali individuals and communities from Minnesota and elsewhere in the
United States.
Many questions remain about this tragic event that has devastated two
loving families in Nepal. Evidence to be presented in the court during
Rakesh’s upcoming trial, and Rakesh’s own recount (if any) of the event
will perhaps shed some more light on what happened between the two and
why Suji had to give her life.
This tragedy awakens us to the dangers of battering and abuse Nepali
women suffer from their own male partners and relatives. As I said
before, funds in excess of the cremation cost will be utilized to
initiate ‘Suji’s First Call for Help’ crisis intervention and peer
support program for Nepali individuals and families settling in
different communities in the Americas. We are also open to alternative
suggestions to best memorialize Suji’s life.
Till today, your contributions to Suji Rimal Benefit Account have
reached about $2500 which is $500 in excess of the cost of cremation.
We, along with Suji’s parents in Nepal, would greatly appreciate if
you continue to donate to the Suji Rimal Benefit Account, Empower Nepal
Foundation, 2000 Como Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108.
We could not save Suji while she was alive. Let her sacrifice and
spirit help us develop a community support network so others get a
chance to live, and help each other live, a longer and fulfilling life.
Learn to give and share not to ask and tear
The more you do unselfishly
The more you live abundantly
Love all, then you'll find
Life good and friends of best kind.
..... a poem from Suji’s notes
Thank you for your overwhelming support.
Minnesota Nepali Community
January 13, 2000.
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