GOPIO NEWS BULLETIN

February, 2004

CONTENTS

  • PIO Human Rights Perspectives and Experiences
  • Campaign for Diwali US Postage Stamp
  • GOPIO Cultural Council
  • GOPIO Business Council Chairman Hosted in New York and Cleveland
  • GOPIO CHAPTER NEWS

-          GOPIO-Suriname to Organize Diaspora Conference

-          GOPIO Belgium Facilitates EU-India Dialogue in Technology Cooperation

  • INDIA AMERICAN TECHNOLOGISTS WIN TOP US HONORS
  • PAKISTANI AMERICANS HELP KERALA GIRL GET ARTIFICIAL LIMB
  • GOPIO CHAPTER FORMATION
  • EDITORIAL BOARD

PIO HUMAN RIGHTS PERSPECTIVES & EXPERIENCES

GREAT EXPECTATION AND GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THIS ISSUE FOREFRONT

Human Rights Perspectives and Experience: People of Indian Origin in the Caribbean, Americas, Asia, Africa, Europe

In-Depth Reports, Discussions and Analyses.   Experiences of People of Indian Origin Living Outside  of India in Countries with Significant PIO Population. Reports on Fiji, the Caribbean, USA, Canada, UK, Europe, Africa, Guyana, Trinidad, Surname, and others.

OBJECTIVE

Based on a theme of 'Human Rights Experiences', the Conference brings to focus the nature and elements of human rights abuses as they affect Indians living outside of India. The conference will examine those regions where Indian immigrants assimilation has been harmonious. The conference organizers expect to attract scholars, rights advocates, and policy makers the world over to examine the causal nature, extent and consequences of such abuses and to address some of the underlying issues therein. Hopefully, the lessons so learned can be a yardstick for other groups in tackling this ubiquitous problem now simmering in many regions of the world.

Sponsored  By  
St. Johns Universitys
Center on Latin American & Caribbean Studies (CLACS)

on Saturday, March 20, 2004 @ 9:00am at
St. Johns University
Marillac Terrace

8000 Utopia Parkway

Jamaica, New York 11439, USA

Co-Sponsored By
Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), Inc. and

GOPIO NEW YORK
Supported By  
The Guyanese East Indian Civic Association (GEICA)
And Several Other Institutions & Organizations

Contact:

GOPIO - Ashook Ramsaran, Tel: 718-969-8206, E-mail: ramsaran@aol.com

GOPIO - Prof. Surendra Kaushik, Tel: 914-762-6168, E-mail: skaushik@pace.edu

GOPIO New York Lal Motwani, Tel: 718-470-1026, E-mail: lmotwani@nyc.rr.com
GEICA - Prakash Singh, Tel: 718-939-8194, E-mail: geica@aol.com 

St. Johns. Univ. Dr. Camacho-Gingerich, Tel: 718-990-1932, E-mail: clacs@sju.edu

 

CONFERENCE OPENING SESSION, SATURDAY, MARCH 20TH

9:00am         Opening Remarks     

St Johns University   Dr Alina Camacho Gingerich

          GOPIO Dr Thomas Abraham (Chairman), Mr. Inder Singh (President)

and Mr Ashook Ramsaran (Secretary General)

          GEICA           Mr Prakash Singh

 

9:45am         General Remarks

          Former Fiji PM Mahendra Chaudhry

          Former Trinidad PM Basdeo Panday

          New York State Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Donaldson

10:45am        Break & Refreshments

10:45am        Keynote Address

          Dr Vinay Lal             UCLA   California

          Dr Ralph Premdas      UWI    Trinidad

12:00pm        LUNCH

1:00pm         Session I        Country Reports -- Region I
                    South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Other Africa, Mauritius, Middle East

Speakers to be announced soon

2:00pm         Session II      Country Reports -- Region II
                    Australia, Canada, Europe, United Kingdom, United States, Other Americas

Dr Jagat Motwani                         GOPIO, New York

Dr Surendra Kaushik            Pace University

Dr Dolly Hassan                            Attorney, Lecturer

Dr Edon Warslie                           Attorney, Legal Consultant

Dr Tarachand Singh             Community Advocate

Mr Inder Singh                             President, GOPIO International

Mr Bal Naipaul                     York University, Canada

Dr Leonard Baynes                       St Johns University

Dr Balgopal Pallassana                   Univ of Illinois

Dr Mohan Gautam                        Leiden Univrersity, Netherland

Dr Huq Qureshi                             GOPIO - Netherlands

 

3:45pm         Break & Refreshments

4:00pm         Session III     Country Reports -- Region III
                   The Caribbean, Guyana, Malaysia, Trinidad, Suriname, Fiji, Bangladesh

Hon Mahendra Chaudhry                Fiji

Dr Ganesh Chand                          Fiji

Dr Jitendra Roy                            HBCU, New York

Dr Dwijndra Battacharya                HRCB, New York

Hon Ravi Dev                     Guyana

Ms Rhyaan Shah                           Guyana        

Dr Rishie Thakur                            University of Guyana

Dr Prem Misir                      University of Guyana

Hon Basdeo Panday             Trinidad

Dr Kumar Mahabir                Trinidad

Dr Baytoram Ramharack       New York University

5:45pm         Concluding Remarks

Sun, March 21, 2004           Plenary Session               Off-Premise

9:30am         Introductory Remarks

9:45am         Plenary Session

12:00pm        Resolutions

12:15pm        Closing Remarks

1:00pm         Lunch

                            

Conference Admission is Complimentary. Attendance Confirmation Requested

The conference will be preceded with WELCOME DINNER/RECEPTION and CONFERENCE INAUGURATION on Friday, March 19th at 7 p.m. at the Worlds Fair Marina, Flushing, New York

GUESTS OF HONORS

  • Hon. Mahendra Chaudhry, Former Prime Minister and Leader of the Fiji Labor Party.
  • Hon. Basudeo Panday, Former Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, Trinidad and Tobago
  • Hon. Gregory Meeks, U.S. House of Representatives

Contribution $25 per person. RSVP required. Call GOPIO New York president Lal Motwani at 718-470-1026 or E-mail at lmotwani@nyc.rr.com

CAMPAIGN FOR DIWALI US POSTAGE STAMP


The first ever White House Diwali celebrations was held in 2003 where a select group of Indian American community leaders and those appointed by the Bush Administration were invited to the White House.  The Indian American community has initiated a petition drive to get a Diwali stamp issued by the U.S. Postal Service.  The Postal Service require 500,000 signatures. The organizers are requesting every one to sign and forward the following message to family members and friends.


http://www.petitiononline.com/diwali03/petition.html

Until today, there are only 86000+ signatures have been filed on this petition and needs 414,000 more. Please forward to your friends, relatives, neighbors and anyone else who is interested to have the first Diwali Stamp.

 

This petition has been initiated by Amitabh Sharma (aaam@bellsouth.net), South West Regional Vice President of the National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA). NFIA President Niraj Baxi said that issuance of the Diwali stamp would be a recognition of the Indian American community and appealed everyone to particiapate.

 

GOPIO BUSINESS COUNCIL CHAIRMAN HOSTED IN NEW YORK AND CLEVELAND

In an effort to expand GOPIO Business Council activities, the Council Chairman Dwarkesh Shah of Germany visited New York on Janaury 31st and Cleveland on February 5th and met prominent businessmen and businesswomen as well as community leaders. The luncheon in New York was organized by GOPIO Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham while the dinner in Cleveland was hosted by Ash Chawla, Founder and President, PDM Healthcare and organized by Paramjit Singh.

GOPIO Business Council was launched in April 2000 in New York with the objective of networking NRI/PIO business people as well as the various NRI/PIO chambers of commerce and industry. GOPIO Business council organized the third Global Indian Entrepreneurs Conference in New York in September 2002.

At these programs, Mr. Shah introduced the GOPIO Business Council purpose, and discussed possibilities of developing future programs. As India is finally being recognized as an emerging global business leader; its economy is in one of its fast growing and most successful periods ever, multinational and foreign investment is necessary to the continued growth of Indian business, both in India and abroad.  Shah further said that there are over 20 million people of Indian origin throughout the world constituting a professional, successful, and innovative new global community capable of supporting global Indian business.

Through entrepreneurial spirit and initiative, we can promote and enhance the growth of the global Indian economy and our united power is far more capable of driving and protecting Indian businesses worldwide than the Indian government alone, Shah added. To build on this sentiment, Mr. Shah stated that the GOPIO would come out with a formula on how people of Indian origin all over the world and NRI/PIO & Indian businessmen can unite under one roof without losing identity.

 Contact: Dwarkesh Shah, Chairman, GOPIO Business Council, Stuttgart, Germany, Tel: +49-711-7222072, E-mail: info@imexma.com

GOPIO CHAPTER NEWS

GOPIO SURINAME TO ORGANIZE DIASPORA CONFERENCE

REGIONAL CONFERENCE on INDIAN DIASPORA

April 13 -16, Suriname

The Conference hotel will be KRASNAPOLSKY. The hotel rate will be USD 80.00 single/double inclusive of taxes and breakfast.

The conference fee US$ 125 Includes coffee breaks, lunches, social activities and proceedings.

Special airfares from Port of Spain and Miami are being worked out.

Contact: Harold R. Ramdhani, Suriname, e-mail: ramstour@sr.net

 

GOPIO BELGIUM FACILITATES EU-INDIA DIALOGUE

GOPIO Belgium has been holding discussions with the European Commission in an effort to facilitate faster EU-India dialogue on scientific co-operation. GOPIO Belgium President Sunil Prasad reports that the European Commission is very keen that India becomes a strong partner in its co-operation.

Last December when GOPIO Belgium had organized a Seminar on India- Opportunities Unlimited", the Seminar was opened by Dr. Tilak Viegas, a PIO, of the Directorate General of the European Commission. Dr. Viegas had called upon the Indian Government to aggressively participate in the European Union Sixth Framework Programme, 2002-2006. Under the FP Programme the Indian organizations will have access particular to all of the thematic priorities: genomics and biotechnology for health, information society technologies, nanotechnologies, intelligent materials and new production processes, aeronautics and space, food safety and health risks, sustainable development and global change, citizens and governance in the European knowledge based society, anticipating EUs scientific and technological needs.

Although science and technology co-operation between the EU and India has a successful and long history and India is participating in some projects, the extent of the participation is not very significant and deep. Compared to EU-China Co-operation programme (EC grant amounting to Euro 281.55 million), Indias participation (EC grant) is very minimal.

GOPIO Belgium realized the opportunities for India and how it will benefit the country in the long term. The GOPIO chapter took the initiative and called upon the Government of India to respond to the offer by the European Union. GOPIO hailed India joining the Galileo Consortium as part of an effort at building a multi-polar world in which India contributed to Euros 350 million. In January last month, during the 2nd. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in New Delhi, GOPIO Belgium President Sunil Prasad briefly raised the EU-India co-operation issue with the officials of the Government of India.

As a result of GOPIOs active lobbying with the Commission, a high level delegation from the Ministry of Science and Technology, will visit Brussels from 2-5 March 2004 to hold discussions with the Commission. This will be the 1st. meeting of the Steering Committee of the EU-India S&T Agreement and will pave the way for more closer and deep co-operation.

Contact: GOPIO-Belgium, Sunil Prasad, President, Tel: 32 (0) 2 224 0203, E-mail: sunil.prasad@coditel.net

INDIAN AMERICAN TECHNOLOGISTS WIN US HONORS

The US National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is top most organization one could dream of getting into for engineers and technologies. The 2004 list, announced recently has eight Indian Americans out of a total of 72. This is the highest achieved by the Indian American community and is much above other ethnic groups such as Korean Americans, Chinese Americans and Jewish Americans. GOPIO extends congratulations to each of the achievers.

THE LIST OF 2004 HONOREES

Arup K. Chakraborty, Warren and Katherine Schlinger Distinguished Professor and Chair, department of chemical engineering, University of California , Berkeley . For the application of theoretical chemistry to practical problems, including immune system recognition, polymer interfaces, sensor technology, and catalysis.

Rakesh K. Jain , director, Edwin L. Steele Laboratory, department of radiation oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital , Boston . For the integration of bio-engineering with tumour biology and imaging gene _expression and functions in vivo for drug delivery in tumours.

Pradman P. Kaul , chairman and chief executive officer, Hughes Network Systems., Germantown, Md. For leadership in the development of satellite communication networks.

Kishor C. Mehta , P.W. Horn Professor of Civil Engineering and director, Wind Engineering Research Center, Texas Tech University, Lubbock. For systematic studies of structural damage caused by windstorms and leadership in the development of structural design standards for wind loads.

Rajagopal S. Raghavan , senior staff associate (retired), Phillips Petroleum Co., Tulsa , Okla. For pioneering contributions to the interpretation of pressure data in wells to improve the definition, engineering, and production of complex oil and gas reservoirs.

Shivaji Sircar , professor of practice, chemical engineering department, Lehigh University , Bethlehem , Pa. For contributions to the fundamental science and technology of adsorption separations and their applications in process industries.

Vijay Vittal , Harpole Professor, department of electrical and computer engineering, Iowa State University , Ames . For improvements in real-time control and dynamic security assessment for electric power systems.

Darsh T. Wasan , vice president and Motorola Chair, department of international affairs, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. For pioneering research, inspirational teaching, and the development of novel technology in colloidal processing and interfacial rheology.

PAKISTANI AMERICANS HELP KERALA GIRL GET ARTIFICIAL LIMB

It is now the turn of Pakistanis to return the love showered on little Noor in Bangalore.

Thanks to help from some Pakistani Americans, seven-year-old Akhila from Kerala, who lost her right hand in an accident three years ago, can lead a normal life now. After three months of treatment, Akhila is back home from Houston with an artificial limb.

Doctors had warned her parents that she could develop permanent problems in limb movement unless she was treated immediately. Her father BS Buhari, a teacher, knocked on many doors for help.

Meanwhile, Akhila started writing with her left hand and stood second in an all-India scholarship examination, making news.

The Non-Keralites Residents' Association took up her case and a US-based voluntary body, the House of Charity comprising mostly expatriate Pakistanis came to her rescue.

The House of Charity has also promised to foot Akhilas future bills. It has already spent Rs 20 lakhs.

 

GOPIO CHAPTER FORMATION

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 President Inder Singh, Tarzana, California, USA, Tel: 818-708-3885, E-mail: gopio-intl@sbcglobal.net GOPIO Secretary General Ashook Ramsaran, Fresh Meadows, New York city, Tel: 718-353-1900, E-mail: ramsaran@aol.com

Editorial Board

v      Dr. Thomas Abraham (Stamford, CT, USA)

v      Prashant Gupta (Chicago, IL, USA)

v      Sunil Prasad (Brussles, Belgium)

GOPIO NEWS welcomes NRI/PIO related stories from all over the world. Be a volunteer correspondent or reporter. Contact Dr. Thomas Abraham at gopio@optonline.net

Visit GOPIOs Official site at www.gopio.net