The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO International) is
holding its Bi- Convention 2011 in Iselin, New Jersey, USA from November 18 -
20, 2011. Everyone is invited to participate. The venue is the Renaissance
Woodbridge Hotel in Iselin, New Jersey, USA.
GOPIO's conference on November 19, 2011 will evaluate, assess, debate, discuss
and deliberate on the current, critical issues of interest and concern that
confront persons of Indian origin of more than 25 million people living in many
countries outside of India. The overall theme is "Issues and Concerns of
the Indian Diaspora" and
will examine issues of: Consular services, property, taxation and related
issues; Consular Services, Property, Taxation & Foreign Accounts Disclosures;
issues related to health, women and youth; the Kolkata Memorial and Indian
Migration; Technology, Business and Entrepreneurship; challenges and opportunities
for political and economic empowerment and successful adaptation in adopted
countries.
The program will start with an evening Inaugural Reception Dinner on Friday,
November 18 starting at 6:00pm at the Renaissance Woodbridge Hotel in Iselin,
New Jersey. Then conferences will be held on Saturday, November 19 followed by
an elaborate Reception and Convention Banquet that evening that are expect to be
well attended.
As in previous GOPIO international events, many prominent persons have attended
as special guests. These included present and former presidents (Guyana's
President Bharrat Jagdeo), prime ministers (former Prime Minister Mahendra
Chaudhry of Fiji and former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday of Trinidad & Tobago),
ministers (Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs and Civil Aviation Minister
Vayalar Ravi) and other government officials at various levels and from many
countries. Notable and prominent VIPs from the global Indian community are
expected to attend this year as well.
A memorable colorful souvenir brochure for this occasion is being published and
will be distributed free of charge to all our Corporate and Personal sponsors,
Participants, Government agencies, members and guests.
GOPIO, since its inception in 1989, has been creating awareness and promoting
understanding of issues of concern -- social, cultural, educational, economic,
or political - of the NRI/PIO communities around the globe. GOPIO also provides
an active and well recognized platform for dialogue and discussion to the
worldwide Indian Diaspora and to further advance that objective, GOPIO has been
at the forefront to network the globally spread overseas Indian community by
regularly organizing conferences in various parts of the world. During the last
five years alone, GOPIO has organized ten international conferences, both in
India and overseas. GOPIO recognizes that NRIs/PIOs have contributed
significantly to the countries of their settlement and adoption and have added a
special glitter to the resurgence of India. GOPIO conferences and conventions
help bring the Indian Diaspora closer to mother India and strengthen the
inherent bond between India and its diaspora.
Chief Guest - Honorable
Nirupama Rao, Ambassador of India to the US
Program Summary
Friday, November 18, 2011
11:00am GOPIO
Executive Meeting (Not Open to the Public)
2:00pm GOPIO General Council Meeting:
Country, Chapter and Council Reports (Open to the Public)
6:00pm Reception & Dinner
Saturday, November 19, 2011
9:00am GOPIO General Council
Meeting
10:00am Session I: (Inaugural Session) Issues and Concerns of the
Indian Diaspora
11:00am Session IIA: Consular Services, Property, Taxation
&
Foreign Accounts Disclosures
Session IIB: Kolkata Memorial - Indian
Migration
1:30pm Session IIIA: Health, Nutrition & Wellness
for the Indian Diaspora
Session IIIB: PIOs/NRIs: Technology,
Business and Entrepreneurship
3:15pm Session IVA: Issues of Abuses, Inter-Generations &
Women
Session IVB: Road to Entrepreneurship:
How to Leverage Diaspora
Networks to Jump Start New Ventures
4:45pm Session VA: Conclusions,
Resolutions
Session VB: Workshop - Road to Entrepreneurship
7:00pm Reception
8:00pm Banquet
Sunday, November 20, 2011
10:00am GOPIO Executive Committee &
General Council Meetings
Registration:Registration
fees for all events: $125 per person ($200 per couple).
Registration fee for delegates from outside USA & Canada are waived.
Choice of all events or selective events per registration fees schedule.
Register on line via PayPal or payment by check. Make check payable to GOPIO at
a US bank and send to GOPIO Convention 2011, Regus Business Center, Suite 600,
33 Wood Ave, Iselin, NJ 08830 USA.
For On-Line Registration visit www.gopio.net orhttp://www.gopio.net/Convention/Gopio_Convention_2011_Register.html.
Contact Registration Chairperson Jaswant Mody at jmody23@hotmail.com (tel +1-732-236-7084).
Advertising:Advertising
in Convention Souvenir Brochure - Contact: Navin Pathak,Chairperson, Advertising Contact tel: 1-732- 983-0154,
mail: npathak@entryindia.com
Sponsorships:Sponsors
and supporters are invited to participate. Contact General Convener Dr Piyush Agrawal, at sudhapca@aol.com (tel
+1-954-648-6494). Refer to sponsorship rates atwww.gopio.net
Venue: Renaissance Woodbridge Hotel, 515 US
Highway 1 South, Iselin, New Jersey 08830 USA (tel: 1-732-634-3600)
Accommodation: Rooms at $99 USD per night at
Renaissance Woodbridge Hotel ((tel: 1-732-634-3600)
Contacts:
Dr
Piyush Agrawal, General Convener at sudhapca@aol.com (tel
+1-954-648-6494)
Arvind
Sood, Co-Convener at ak-sood@hotmail.com (tel
+1-732-277-6313)
Dr
Rajeev Mehta, Co-Convener at rajimehta@hotmail.com (tel
+1-732-463-7929)
Dr
Greesh Sharma, Co-Convener at gcs42ol@yahoo.com (tel
+1-267-467-4878)
Jaswant
Mody, Chair, Registration at jmody23@hotmail.com (tel +1-732-236-7084)
Mahendra Pratap, Treasurer at mpratap@progia.com (tel +1732-216-5807
Navin Pathak, Chair Advertising at npathak@entryindia.com (tel +1732-983-0154
Nami Kaur, Chair Media at namique@gmail.com (tel +1 914-969-2504
Inder
Singh, Advisor at gopio-intl@sbcglobal.net (tel
+1-818-708-3885)
Detailed Conference Program
Saturday, November 19, 2011
9:00am - 10:00am Conference Registration
9:00am - 10:00am GOPIO Elections
10:00am - 11:00am Session I: Issues and Concerns of the
Indian Diaspora
- Inaugural Session
Chair Inder
Singh (USA - Chairman of GOPIO International)
Co-Chair Dr Piyush Agrawal (USA -
Convention General Convener)
Special Guest: Joint Secretary G.
Gurucharan (MOIA, India)
Special Guest: Hon. Upendra Chivukula
(Deputy Speaker, New Jersey Assembly)
Thanks Munish
Gupta (India/USA - Chair of GOPIO Media Council)
11:00am -- 12:30pm Session IIA: Consular Services, Property, Taxation
& Foreign Accounts
Disclosures
Chair Inder Singh (USA -
Chairman of GOPIO International)
Co-Chair Arvind
Sood (President, GOPIO Edison, New Jersey, USA)
Speakers Dr
Thomas Abraham (Former Chairman, Founding Pres GOPIO International)
Sam Kannappan (GOPIO of Houston, Texas, USA)
Molly Banerjei (GOPIO of Toronto, Canada)
Cecil Nazareth (ACA-CPA, IFRS Partners, New York, USA)
Alex Vilanilam Koshy (Indian Pravasi Action Council, Newark, New Jersey, USA)
Q&A
Thanks Navin
Pathak (Chair of Advertising, GOPIO Convention 2011)
11:00am -- 12:30pm Session IIB: Indian Migration & Kolkata Memorial
Chair Dr
Parmatma Saran (India-USA, Prof City University, New York)
Co-Chair Vijay
Nahata (India-USA-Caribbean)
Speakers Ashook Ramsaran (USA -
Exec VP, GOPIO International)
Satruhan Sukdeo (USA - Pres, GOPIO of Upper New York)
Schlain Bhayla (South Africa - UDS, Washington, DC)
Sylvia Gilharry Perez (COEICH - Belize)
Dr Jagat Motwani (India-USA, former Chair of GOPIO Academic Council)
Dr Chona Thomas and Sunny Kulathakal (Middle East)
Q&A
Conclusion Jhairam
Persaud (Vice President, GOPIO of Upper New York)
Thanks Nohar Singh (Guyana-USA)
12:30pm -- 1:30pm Lunch
1:30pm -- 3:00pm Session IIIA: Health, Nutrition & Wellness for the
Indian Diaspora
Chair Sangeeta
Ahuja (USA- Chair, GOPIO Health Council)
Co-Chair Zafar
Iqbal (GOPIO Metro DC, Washington, DC, USA)
Speakers Dr Vivian Rambihar
(Canada -Co-Chair, GOPIO Health Council)
Dr Sunita Kanumury (USA -
President, AAPI)
Sangeeta Ahuja (USA -
Chair, GOPIO Health Council)
Jeevan Zuthsi (USA - Co-Chair, GOPIO Health Council)
Dr Sunanda Gaur (USA - PID, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA)
Q&A
Conclusion Dr Rajeev Mehta
(Co-Chair, GOPIO Health Council)
Thanks Dr
Renuka Misra (Area Coordinator VA/DC/MD, GOPIO North America)
1:30pm -- 3:00pm Session IIIB: Challenges & Opportunities for
Political Empowerment Toward
Successful Adaptation in Adopted Countries
Chair Mridul
Pathak (GOPIO International)
Co-Chair Jay
Bandhari ( President GOPIO Northern Virginia)
Speakers Hon
Upendra Chivukula (Deputy Speaker, New Jersey Assembly)
Prof Paul Tennassee (UDC - Washington, DC)
Hon. Prabha Ganeshan, MP (Sri Lanka)
Q&A
Conclusion Mahindra
Pratab (Treasurer, GOPIO Convention 2011)
Thanks Shailash
Naik (President, GOPIO Connecticut, USA)
3:00pm - 3:15pm Coffee/Tea Break
3:15pm -- 4:45pm Session IVA: Living in Fear: Gender &
Inter-generational Abuse
Chair Sudha Acharya (Executive
Director, SACSS; GOPIO Founding Life Member)
Co-Chair Dr
Najma Sultana(SHAHI Group, GOPIO Founding Life Member)
Speakers Veera
Mookerjee (SACSS, New York, USA)
Chan Jamoona (Exec Dir UHCC Senior Center, New York, USA)
Maneesha Khelkar (Executive Director, Manavi, New Jersey)
Bhanu Dwarika (Program Coordinator, Asian Heritage, DC37 - New York, USA)
Q&A
Conclusion Dr
Ramesh Pandey (GOPIO Metro DC, Washington, DC)
Thanks Bina
Mahabir (Co-Chair, GOPIO Media Council, New York, USA)
3:15pm -- 4:45pm Session IVB: Road to Entrepreneurship: How to Leverage Diaspora Networks to
Jump Start New Ventures
Chair Dr
Abe Phillips (Session IVB Co-Coordinator, Saber Cloud, New Jersey)
Co-Chair Saji
George (Session IVB Co-Coordinator, Saber Cloud, New Jersey)
Speakers Dr. Sid Gautam, Prof;Founder/ Dir,
Center for Entrepreneurship
at Methodist University, NC
Shaheen Majeed, Director and Vice
President, Sabinsa Corporation, NJ
Dr. Yesu Persaud, Chairman of Demerara
Distillers Group,
Founder of the Institute of
Private Enterprise Development (IPED, Guyana
Ms. Pavni Bagga, Innovation Zone Officer for
Camden (NJEDA)
Mr. M.R. Seetharam, Chairman, M.S. Ramaiah
College of Engineering, Bangalore
Presentation Deepak Sharma, Kotak Mahindra
Bank Ltd, Mumbai, India
Panelists: Mr.
Suresh Arya, Partner, Klick Capital LLC
and Founder of Imbot, Anisoft
Mr. Nick Pahade CEO, TRAFFIQ, New York, NY
Ms. Preeti Pandya, CEO, International Sleep
Network (ISN)
Ms. Sahasra Sambamoorthi, Entrepreneur, Dancer,
Choreographer
Ms. Preeti Gupta Shah, Founder of Copper Pages.com,
CPA,
Financial Planner &and
Entrepreneur
Mr. Ragy Thomas, CEO, Sprinklr
Mr. Siby Vadakekkara, CEO, Marlabs
Q&A
Thanks Jay Banerjei (GOPIO
Toronto, Canada)
4:45pm -- 5:30pm Session VB: Workshop on Road
to Entrepreneurship:
How to Leverage Diaspora
Networks to Jump Start New Venture
4:45pm -- 5:30pm Session VA1: Conclusion
Chair Dr
Greesh Sharma (President, GOPIO Princeton, New Jersey, USA)
Co-Chair Mahavir Arya (GOPIO
Sydney, Australia)
Speaker Ashook
Ramsaran (USA - Exec VP, GOPIO International)
Session VA2: Resolutions
Chair Sunny Kulathakal (GOPIO
International Coordinator, Middle East)
Co-Chair K N Gupta (President,
GOPIO India - New Delhi, India)
Thanks Netram Ramdudhan (Public
Relations Officer, GOPIO Upper New York)
