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GOPIO NEWS
SPECIAL BULLETIN
April 11, 2012
A Publication of the Global
Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO)
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Issue: XI-5 |
April 11, 2012 |
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Join Our List |
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NOTE: GOPIO News is a FREE bi-monthly
newsletter of GOPIO International, based in the USA. We need your help in
reaching out more NRIs/PIOs around the world. Please go to the bottom of the
news bulletin and click the FORWARD button and type e-mail addresses of
your friends and relatives. One could also subscribe this newsletter by visiting www.gopio.net and type in the e-mail
address. All preivous issues of GOPIO News are provided at GOPIO News Archives.
If you do not wish to receive this newsletter in future, please click
SafeUnsubscribe at the end of this newsletter.
GOPIO is a community
supported non-profit organization taking up issues of the Indian Diaspora and
attempting to unifying the community in its common causes. Support GOPIO by
becoming a Life Member or chapter member. One can become Life Member online by
visiting http://www.gopio.net/online_membership.html.
We are bringing a special bulletin to invite you to many programs planned in the
next three months in different parts of the world. As a servie ot the Diaspora
community, admissions to many of these programs are FREE. Check details at
individual programs below.
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OIFC DIASPORA ENGAGEMENT MEET
IN NAIROBI, KENYA ON 13TH APRIL, 2012 |
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The Office of Indian Facilitation Centre (OIFC) of India's Ministry of Overseas
Indian Affairs (MOIA) in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industries
(CII) in partnership with Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO
International) and Indian High Commission in Nairobi, Kenya has arranged first
of its kind Diaspora Engagement to be held on 13th April,
2012 in Nairobi, Kenya.
Tentative Program Outline: Diaspora Engagement Meet B2B
Meetings, MoU signing between OIFC and diaspora associations and Cultural
Program.
0930- 1000 Hrs Registration
1000- 1400 Hrs OIFC Diaspora Engagement Meet
Brief Program Inaugural Session:
Opening remarks by the
Secretary MOIA & Chairman OIFC
Lighting of the inaugural lamp
by the dignitaries from India and East Africa
Welcome address by the
Ambassador of India to Kenya
Keynote address by the Hon'ble Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs
Address by the representatives of the Government of East African countries
Interaction with the audience
High Tea
Business Session:
Welcome remarks by the High Commissioner of India in Kenya
Introductory remarks and presentation on MOIA by the Secretary MOIA & Chairman
OIFC
High Commission of India,Nairobi
Presentation on OIFC by the CEO, OIFC
Presentation on IDF & other initiatives by a MOIA representative
Special remarks by partner organization GOPIO.
Presentation by 2-3 state governments on investment opportunities and the state
level initiatives for engaging the diaspora with Indian states
Emerging India: investment opportunities and business prospects presentations by
2-3 Industry players from India
Interactive Q & A Session with Secretary MOIA and senior representatives of the
Indian Missions in Kenya and other East African countries
Concluding Remarks
1400-1500 Hrs Networking Lunch
1500-1700 Hrs B2B Meetings between the delegates and the representatives of
State Governments and Industry players from India
1500-1700 Hrs MoU signing between OIFC and potential Indian diaspora
association(s) in East Africa
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GOPIO HEALTH - DIABETES
AWARENESS PROGRAM IN SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA ON APRIL 14TH
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GOPIO HEALTH
A Global Initiative To
Improve The Health of PIO Community
Cordially invite you to
attend
A DIABETES AWARENESS
PROGRAM
Do You Know That People from the Indian Subcontinent are THREE times more likely
to develop Diabetes than Americans?
Come Learn from the Experts "How to Conquer this Disease"
This program will help you
understand if you are at risk and How to Defeat and How to manage Diabetes
Date: Saturday, April 14,
2012
Time: 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Place: Sunnyvale Hindu Temple
Speakers: Sangeeta Ahuja
RD, CDE & Jeevan Zutshi
FREE Admission - Advance
Reservation is required - RSVP by April 12, 2012
For information contact:
Jeevan Zutshi: 510-589-3702: jeevanzutshi@aol.com
Raj Bhanot: 408-687-1955
Chandru Bhambra: 510-299-0906
Sangeeta Ahuja: 203-329-9744
For more information about GOPIO Health Council visit:www.gopiohealth.net
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GOPIO TO HOST SEMINAR AND
INTERACTIVE SESSION ON INDIA-US GEO-ECONOMIC STRATEGIES AND ROLES IN 21ST
CENTURY |
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Global Organization of People
of Indian Origin
(GOPIO International)
in collaboration with
GOPIO Business Council & GOPIO
Chapters of Tri-State NY-NJ-CT
cordially invite you to a presentation and interactive session on
India-US Geo-Economic
Strategies & Roles in 21st Century
Starting at 12:30pm on Saturday, April 14, 2012
Kubera Hall at Hindu Temple of
New York
45-57 Bowne Street, Flushing,
Queens, New York
Program: 12:30pm
- 1:00pm Registration
1:00pm - 3:30pm Session
Speaker: Prof. Prabhu Guptara,
Distinguished Prof of Global Business,
Management & Public Policy, William Carey University, India
"Examining Indian and US
Geo-Economic Roles in the 21st Century"
Speaker: Prof. Maya Chadda,
William Paterson Univ, NJ (GOPIO Member)
"India's post-Cold war quest
for a geo-strategic doctrine"
Speaker: Seth Bornstein, Exec
Dir,
Queens Economic Development Corp, NY
Speaker: John Choe,
Exec Dir, One Flushing, New York
Interactive Q/A
3:30pm - 4:00pm Snacks, Networking
Admission is Free. Advance
registration required.
Sponsors: GOPIO and John Messer Esq.
Co-Sponsors: Indian Jewish Council, Pro
Pol LLC, IndUS Forum, Richmond Hill Econ Development Council and NFIA
For registration, contact:
Dr Abraham Phillips -
1-732-673-8134 abe.phillips@sabercloud.com
Ashook Ramsaran
1-917-519-5783 ramsaran@aol.com
Bio-Profiles of Lead Speakers
Prof. Prabhu Guptara  -
Born and educated in India, Prabhu has two passions: India and the global
context. For fifteen years, till he retired in March 2011, Prabhu was Executive
Director, Organizational Development for Wolfsberg (a subsidiary of UBS, one of
the largest banks in the world) responsible for the Distinguished Speaker Series
(top political and business leaders) and for Think Tanks (industries, markets
and global trends) through which his job was to add value to the bank in
innovative ways. Earlier roles include: a Governor of the Polytechnic of Central
London, Member of the Council of the British Institute of Management, of the
International Federation of Training & Development Organizations (IFTDO), of the
Association for Management Education and Development (UK), of the South East
Regional Council of the Confederation of British Industry. Guptara is
Distinguished Professor of Global Business, Management & Public Policy, William
Carey University, India and the 2012 Distinguished Speaker, IndUS Forum, USA.
Organizer, chair and lecturer by invitation for numerous international
conferences, he has contributed widely to radio and television in the UK and
other countries (The Money Program, Any Questions) and has written for Financial
Times (London, UK), The Guardian, The Times and other publications. He is
included in Debrett's People of Today and in Who's Who in the World. He is the
Publisher of THE INTERNATIONAL INDIAN (Dubai); Columnist, FORWARD Magazine
(Delhi) magazine; Distinguished Professor of Global Business, Management and
Public Policy, William Carey University (Meghalaya, India); Director of the
best-known Indian food company in Switzerland; and has been a member of the jury
of numerous literary and cultural competitions in the UK and the Commonwealth.
He is committed to the development of India and works hard to that end through a
range of NGOs, educational and other organizations.
 Prof.
Maya Chadda -
Maya Chadda holds an M.A. in Government from NYU and a Ph. D. From the Graduate
Faculty, The New School of Social Research and is a research fellow at the
Southern Asian Institute, Columbia University. Her publications include Indo- Soviet Relations(Bombay,
Vora & Co.); Paradox of Power: The United
States Policy in Southwest Asia (Santa
Barbara, California, Clio Press); Ethnicity Security and
Separatism in South Asia ( New
York, Columbia University Press/Oxford University Press) and Building Democracy in South
Asia: Pakistan, Nepal and India (Lynne
Rienner Publishers, March 2000). Maya Chadda has worked as a consultant to the
United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the United Nations Family Planning
Agency (UNFPA). In 1998 she was appointed as the Director of Undergraduate
Research for William Paterson University responsible for setting up a grant and
scholarship program and served on the review board of the United States
Institute of Peace, a prestigious think tank in Washington DC.
Chadda is a recipient of
many grants, the most recent among these is the Rockefeller Residency Fellowship
at Bellagio, Italy. In 1998 she was given the Excelsior award for excellence in academic
achievement by the Association of Indians in America and the Network of Indian
Professionals. Chadda is a member of Council on Foreign
Relations and has served on its Task Force on South Asia.
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GOPIO DIABETES AWARENESS
PROGRAM IN WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK, WED. APRIL 25TH |
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GOPIO-CT ANNOUNCES 2012 AWARDS
OF OUTSTANDING ACHIEVERS |
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When Global Organization of People of Indian Origin Connecticut Chapter
(GOPIO-CT) celebrates its sixth anniversary at the Italian Center of Stamford,
five Indian Americans will be honored by the organization for their achievements
and contributions at an Awards Banquet on Saturday, April 28. They are: Mr.
Vivek Maru, Dr. Faquir Jain, Ms. Chandra Prasad, Ms. Neena Singh and Ms. Malika
Bhandarkar. Dr. William "Vijay" Pinch will be honored with a Friend of India
award.
"The award selection is a
rigorous process conducted by an independent committee which evaluates all
nominations and we are glad we select the best possible candidates every year,"
said GOPIO-CT President Shailesh Naik.
The evening's program will include a cocktail reception, awards ceremony,
entertainment by local performers, dinner, dance and live music. "Every year we
gather together to celebrate the achievements of some fine, distinguished
individuals from our community, to congratulate them and let them know that we
are proud of their achievements in their careers and day today life and we would
love to emulate and show them as role models to our next generation," Naik added
Mr. Vivek Maru is Chief Executive officer of Namati,
an international organization that tests the potential of legal empowerment
through innovative interventions and research. Namatis' work seeks a better
understanding of the impacts of legal empowerment and to create the most
effective mechanisms for achieving them. Mr. Maru graduated from Harvard
College, magna cum laude, and Yale Law School. He has served as senior counsel
in the Justice Reform Group of the World Bank and clerked for Hon. Marsha Berzon
on the ninth Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals, among his many
accomplishments. Mr. Maru is recognized in the category of Social Entrepreneur.
Dr. Faquir Jain,
professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the
University of Connecticut is being recognized in the category Applied Science
and Research. He is involved with design and fabrication of
microelectronic/optoelectronic devices and ICs. He has collaborated to form
Biorasis Inc. to commercialize a minimally invasive glucose sensor for real
time, continuous glucose monitoring.
Ms. Chandra Prasad is a multi-talented writer whose work
has received praise in Booklist and USA Today. She created the popular career
guide "Outwitting the Job Market" and has written scores of articles on
diversity and the workplace. She has published several books and is currently
developing a novel for young adult readers. Ms. Prasad is recognized in the
category of Arts and Letters.
Ms. Neena Singh is being recognized for her community
service here and in India. She has volunteered in many non-profit activities -
helping visually impaired senior citizens; tutoring under-privileged teens;
cooking and serving in soup kitchens; and raising funds for local charities and
for project - Pingalwara in Amritsar, a home for the underprivileged and
mentally challenged. Neena is co-President of the PTA of the Greens Farms
Academy and co-Leader of the Girls' Scout Troop and is active in community
building activities in Wilton and Stamford.
President's Young Person Award goes to Ms. Malika Bhandarkar,
an accountability expert who influences decision makers at all levels to amplify
the message "Women Count for
Peace". With a Masters in International and Development Economics from Yale
in 2005, Ms. Bhandarkar joined President Clinton's Tsunami Recovery Office at
the United Nations in New York. Malika and her team work in post-conflict
countries, at the invitation of governments, with national Ministries and civil
society organizations, to build responsive accountability systems that monitor
and enhance gender equality and women's empowerment. She is about to embark on
a 10-country pilot initiative to further set and implement new standards and
practice.
Friend of India Award goes to Dr. William "Vijay" Pinch,
professor of History and Chair of the History Department at Wesleyan University.
Dr. Pinch's principal areas of research and teaching are South Asian history,
religion and history, and maritime world history. Dr. Pinch was born in India.
He is author of numerous book chapters, essays and reviews as well as articles.
He has published three books: Warrior Ascetics and Indian
Empires, Peasants and Monks in
British India and Speaking of Peasants; Essays
in Indian History and Politics in Honor of Walter Hauser.
Over the last six years, GOPIO-CT, a chapter of GOPIO International has become
an active and dynamic organization hosting interactive sessions with policy
makers and academicians, community events, youth mentoring and networking
workshops, and working with other area organizations to help create a better
future.
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GOPIO CONVENES DIASPORA
CONFERENCE IN ST. VINCENT - JUNE 1-3, 2012 |
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Following the sporadic series of conferences on the Indian Diaspora in the
Caribbean since 1975 held mainly in Trinidad and Tobago, a conference every year
is being organized in various parts of the region.
The tentative conference schedule for the next five years is as follows:
2011 - Conference in Trinidad and Tobago - done
2012 - Conference in St. Vincent
2013 - Conference in Suriname
2014 - Conference in Belize
2015 - Conference in Trinidad - 170th anniversary of Indian Arrival
2016 - Conference in Jamaica
This year's conference will be held in St. Vincent on the weekend of June 1st ,
2nd and 3rd, 2012 on the theme "The Indian Diaspora in St.
Vincent and the wider Caribbean". The
conference will coincide with Indian Arrival Day in St. Vincent on June 1st
which has been formally recognised by St Vincent and the Grenadines Parliament
since 2007.
The conference aims to bring together academics, scholars, students, teachers,
organizations and people with an interest in the Indian Diaspora in the
Caribbean to discuss their research findings. Space will be provided for less
formal presentations from activists and practitioners in the field in order to
contribute to the limited store of public knowledge on Indians in the St.
Vincent. Possible presentation topics can include, but are not limited to
conversion, resistance, discrimination, politics, history, family histories,
migration, literature, gender, oration, performance, art, sports, recreation,
accommodation, survival, the media, etc. At least a quarter of the paper to be
presented must deal with Indians in St. Vincent.
The population of St. Vincent is approximately 100,000 consisting mainly of
persons of African descent. There are small numbers of mixed persons of Carib
and African origin, Europeans and South Asians/East Indians. Indians form about
5,000 (5%) of the total population. Although Indians in St. Vincent are
scattered in several villages, there are distinct areas where they are
concentrated, namely Richland Park, Calder and Rosebank as well as Akers,
Georgetown, Park Hill and Orange Hill.
The St. Vincent Chapter of GOPIO (The Global Organization of People of Indian
Origin) will be the main host and organizer of the conference. GOPIO was founded
in New York in 1989 initially to fight human rights violation of People of
Indian Origin (PIO). GOPIO has now set its priorities in pooling the resources,
both financial and professional, for the benefit of PIOs in the countries they
live.
The conference organizers will provide free accommodation, breakfast and lunch,
and ground transportation for the weekend for presenters only.
Other participants would be provided with subsidized services. Rooms can be
shared to minimize the cost of accommodation. Participants are free to choose
their own accommodation at their own cost. However, all participants should stay
at or near the conference venue for security and convenience. Participants are
encouraged to invite and bring their friends and family members for the weekend
in St. Vincent.
The tentative program is as follows:
Friday June 1-
ceremonial opening at 6.00 p.m. with a feature speech, concluding with cocktail
reception
Saturday June
2 - all-day presentations from 9.00
a.m. to 5.00 p.m., concluding with a cultural show and/or film screening
beginning at 7.00 p.m.
Sunday June 3 - all-day island guided tour that
would include tangible, intangible and natural heritage and historical sites
such as monuments, museums, beaches, events, ceremonies and activities.
Call for Papers on Indian Diaspora Conference in St. Vincent
Please send
abstracts of 200 words and brief
biodata (via MS Word attachment) by April, 1, 2012 to
Dr. Arnold Thomas in St.
Vincent - arnoldthom@yahoo.co.uk, and Dr. Kumar Mahabir in
Trinidad -dmahabir@gmail.com
In the Subject line, please type "St Vincent Indian Conference". The deadline date
for the submission of the full paper is May 1, 2012.
Contacts: Dr. Arnold
Thomas in St. Vincent (GOPIO Regional Coordinator, Caribbean) atarnoldthom@yahoo.co.uk, Dr. Kumar Mahabir in
Trinidad (Assoc Prof, University of Trinidad & Tobago & Co-Chair, GOPIO Academic
Council at dmahabir@gmail.com
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GOPIO LIFE MEMBERSHIP AND
CHAPTER FORMATION |
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GOPIO is a non-partisan, non-sectarian global organization with chapters in
several countries, actively promoting the interests of people of Indian origin
worldwide by monitoring and addressing current critical issues of concern, and
by enhancing cooperation and communication between groups of Indians living in
various countries.
GOPIO Individual Life membership is open to
all who believe in the mission of GOPIO. The one- time fee is $5,000 for
Platinum Life Membership, $2,500 for Gold Life Membership and $1,500 Silver Life
Membership and half the amount for each category for those from developing
countries and India.
GOPIO is looking forward to opening chapters
in all major cities of the world so as to network people of Indian origin all
over the world. If you do not have chapter in your city, please visit GOPIO
website (www.gopio.net) and
get details of chapter initiation (visit http://www.gopio.net/chapter_initiative.htm).
Process involves sending a letter of intent to start a chapter by a committee of
five people or more. For more information, contact:
GOPIO Chairman - Inder Singh, Tarzana, California, USA, Tel: +1-818-708-3885,
E-mail: gopio-intl@sbcglobal.net.
GOPIO President - Ashook Ramsaran, Fresh Meadows, New York, USA, Tel:
718/939-8194, E-mail:ramsaran@aol.com
GOPIO Executive Vice President - Sunny Kulathakal, Bahrain, Tel: +973 39441956
or +91 9845756692, E-mail: Kulathakal@yahoo.com
GOPIO Senior Vice President - Dr Piyush Agrawal, Weston, Florida, USA, Tel:
+1-954-684-6494, E-mail:sudhapca@aol.com
To become a Life member of GOPIO, one can sign up online at http://gopio.net/online_membership.htmor fill up the form and send
it with a check to: GOPIO International, PO Box
560117, New York NY 11356, USA.
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EDITORIAL BOARD |
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Chief Editor: Dr. Thomas Abraham, Founder
President and Chairman Emeritus, GOPIO (Stamford, CT, USA)
Editor: Ashook Ramsaran, GOPIO President (New York, USA)
Webmasters: Prashant Gupta (Hyderabad,
India) and Abu Thomas (New Rochelle, NY, USA)
Contributors of this
issue: Ashook
Ramsaran (President, GOPIO Intl.), Markandey Rai (GOPIO Kenya), Sangeeta
Ahuja (GOPIO-Health, Stamford, USA), Shailesh Naik (GOPIO-CT, USA), Dr.
Arnold Thomas (GOPIO-St. Vincent)
GOPIO NEWS welcomes
NRI/PIO related stories from all over the world. Be a volunteer correspondent or
reporter. Contact Dr. Thomas
Abraham, Tel: 203-329-8010, E-mail: gopio@optonline.net.
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