ADHIKAAR INVITES YOU FOR
NAYA BARSHA HAPPY HOUR
AT
WHISKY TRADERS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2009
There are many reasons to celebrate...
... because Naya Barsha 2066 (Nepali New Year) starts on April 14th
... because warm weather is around the corner
... and what could be better than drinking for a Cause….
Address:
71 W 55th St (between 5th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas)
New York, NY 10019
(212) 582-2223
Nearest Transit:
57th St-6th Ave(F)
5th Ave-53rd St(E, V)
57th St-7th Ave (N, Q, R, W)
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
ADHIKAAR INVITES YOU FOR
NAYA BARSHA HAPPY HOUR
AT
WHISKY TRADERS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2009
There are many reasons to celebrate...
... because Naya Barsha 2066 (Nepali New Year) starts on April 14th
... because warm weather is around the corner
... and what could be better than drinking for a Cause….
Special price drinks!!
Address: Nearest Transit:
71 W 55th St 57th St-6th Ave (F)
(between 5th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas) 5th Ave-53rd St (E, V)
New York, NY 10019 57th St-7th Ave (N, Q, R, W)
(212) 582-2223
NAYA BARSHA HAPPY HOUR
AT
WHISKY TRADERS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2009
There are many reasons to celebrate...
... because Naya Barsha 2066 (Nepali New Year) starts on April 14th
... because warm weather is around the corner
... and what could be better than drinking for a Cause….
Special price drinks!!
Address: Nearest Transit:
71 W 55th St 57th St-6th Ave (F)
(between 5th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas) 5th Ave-53rd St (E, V)
New York, NY 10019 57th St-7th Ave (N, Q, R, W)
(212) 582-2223
Nepali Women in New York Celebrate a Historic Day of Solidarity & Sisterhood
Queens, NY: On the occasion of the International Women’s Day 2009, yesterday Adhikaar organized a conference titled, “Nepali Women’s Sisterhood: Unity in Diversity.” Over 100 Nepali sisters and brothers came together and shared personal stories as well as ideas for strengthening our community. This was the first conference that brought together such a diverse group of women (and male allies) in our community into one room to share and learn from each other.
Bharati Rai made the opening remarks. Ms. Rai works six days a week, and on Sundays she volunteers to teach English at Adhikaar. Shanti Giri officially opened the conference by lighting the panas. Ms. Giri has worked as a nanny all her life. She had lived in isolation since coming to the US almost twenty years ago, until she found Adhikaar and its support system a few months ago. Now, she is one of our most active members.
In the opening plenary, speakers representing Nepali women representing the diversity of our community gave short presentations. Our speakers included current and former nannies, nail salon workers, gender specialists, women’s rights activists, political activists, students, and professor. The panelists in order of presentation were: Janesh Gurung, Archana Pokhrel, Dr. Geeta Acharya, Nima Sherpa, Sharada Laxmi Shrestha, and Bharati Silawal-Giri. The panel was moderated by Renu Sharma Sapkota, the President of Nepali Women’s Welfare Organization (NWWO). Our sisters from NWWO helped us in organizing this event, and worked with us for months to make the event successful. Adhikaar Youth Group member Rinzin Sherpa introduced the panelists.
Adhikaar’s community organizer, Narbada Chhetri, spoke about her own process of empowerment through Adhikaar and also shared the good news that the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights is moving forward in the New York Senate. We also had distinguished guests from Nepal, who were in New York to participate in the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) meetings. Bindra Hada, the Secretary for Women and Social Welfare, talked about what her Ministry has been doing, and presented the future roadmap. South Asia Coordinator for Gender Equality Architecture Reform (GEAR) Bandana Rana spoke about the struggle for gender equality within the UN system.
In the afternoon, participants broke into four groups for small group discussions. The informal setting allowed all the participants to share their personal stories. Each group’s facilitators then shared some of the key issues with the whole group. Brinda Rai, Goma Sen, and Nemu Joshi were the facilitators for the adult groups. Akash Timilsina facilitated the youth group, and Sumeet Shrestha presented the group’s key points. Issues discussed ranged from daily struggles as immigrant women and the impact of economic crisis, sharing information and resources, constitution writing process in Nepal, to lack of role models for youth.
Adhikaar Youth Group members (age 16-25) actively participated in the process, from planning the event to managing logistics, speaking on the panel, and having an engaging discussion in the afternoon.
Pabita Bagchand got the program started, and also ended the program, with two very uplifting songs. Delicious lunch was provided by one of our own – Basanta Shrestha. NWWO Vice President Usha Tamang closed the program with a thank you note.
Bharati Rai made the opening remarks. Ms. Rai works six days a week, and on Sundays she volunteers to teach English at Adhikaar. Shanti Giri officially opened the conference by lighting the panas. Ms. Giri has worked as a nanny all her life. She had lived in isolation since coming to the US almost twenty years ago, until she found Adhikaar and its support system a few months ago. Now, she is one of our most active members.
In the opening plenary, speakers representing Nepali women representing the diversity of our community gave short presentations. Our speakers included current and former nannies, nail salon workers, gender specialists, women’s rights activists, political activists, students, and professor. The panelists in order of presentation were: Janesh Gurung, Archana Pokhrel, Dr. Geeta Acharya, Nima Sherpa, Sharada Laxmi Shrestha, and Bharati Silawal-Giri. The panel was moderated by Renu Sharma Sapkota, the President of Nepali Women’s Welfare Organization (NWWO). Our sisters from NWWO helped us in organizing this event, and worked with us for months to make the event successful. Adhikaar Youth Group member Rinzin Sherpa introduced the panelists.
Adhikaar’s community organizer, Narbada Chhetri, spoke about her own process of empowerment through Adhikaar and also shared the good news that the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights is moving forward in the New York Senate. We also had distinguished guests from Nepal, who were in New York to participate in the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) meetings. Bindra Hada, the Secretary for Women and Social Welfare, talked about what her Ministry has been doing, and presented the future roadmap. South Asia Coordinator for Gender Equality Architecture Reform (GEAR) Bandana Rana spoke about the struggle for gender equality within the UN system.
In the afternoon, participants broke into four groups for small group discussions. The informal setting allowed all the participants to share their personal stories. Each group’s facilitators then shared some of the key issues with the whole group. Brinda Rai, Goma Sen, and Nemu Joshi were the facilitators for the adult groups. Akash Timilsina facilitated the youth group, and Sumeet Shrestha presented the group’s key points. Issues discussed ranged from daily struggles as immigrant women and the impact of economic crisis, sharing information and resources, constitution writing process in Nepal, to lack of role models for youth.
Adhikaar Youth Group members (age 16-25) actively participated in the process, from planning the event to managing logistics, speaking on the panel, and having an engaging discussion in the afternoon.
Pabita Bagchand got the program started, and also ended the program, with two very uplifting songs. Delicious lunch was provided by one of our own – Basanta Shrestha. NWWO Vice President Usha Tamang closed the program with a thank you note.
Last Month at Adhikaar- February 2009
Adhikaar’s Executive Director is back
Tax Workshop
Pap Appointments
Domestic Workers’ Lobby Day in Albany
Adhikaar’s Executive Director is back
Adhikaar’s Executive Director Luna Ranjit is back from Nepal after sorting out her visa issues. As shared before, her green card application was denied by the immigration in 2008. Currently, she has transferred back to H-1B status again.
One of Adhikaar’s major focuses is Immigration reform. Adhikaar, with other national organizations, has joined hands to push for fair immigration reforms in the new administration.
Tax Workshop
We organized a tax workshop and low cost tax filing on February 15, 2009. A Nepali accountant Mr. Ashok Lamichhane donated his time to Adhikaar in order to assist with tax filing and answering questions. 25 participants attended the workshop and 8 took advantage of the low cost filing. The workshop covered a range of topics from the recent economic downturn in relation to taxes to paying taxes even if you are undocumented.
Free Pap Test
In collaboration with the American Cancer Society in Flushing, we arranged for free pap tests for six women at the Queens Hospital Center. It was the first test for most of the members and two of the members required a follow up visit after the test results, including a minor surgery for one of them. Adhikaar staff and volunteers assisted some of the community members to the hospital for interpretation. Adhikaar is looking to provide these free services in a regular basis for community members who are not able to attend free health fairs that are mainly organized in the weekend.
We had originally schedule pap tests for 12 people, but 6 appointments were cancelled due to state budget cuts. Two hospitals St. John's Queens Hospital in Elmhurst and Mary Immaculate Hospital in Jamaica have closed down.
Lobby Day at the State Capitol
Our community organizer Narbada Chhetri and member Radhika Pradhan joined hands with Domestic Workers United and visited the NY State Senate to push the passage of the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. We got an opportunity to share stories from our community members with the state senators.
The bill emphasizes living wage and other important benefits such has sick leave, holidays, overtime pay and at least one day off a week for the domestic workers. Adhikaar has been supporting the campaign since our inception, and we have strengthened our involvement in the last year.
Tax Workshop
Pap Appointments
Domestic Workers’ Lobby Day in Albany
Adhikaar’s Executive Director is back
Adhikaar’s Executive Director Luna Ranjit is back from Nepal after sorting out her visa issues. As shared before, her green card application was denied by the immigration in 2008. Currently, she has transferred back to H-1B status again.
One of Adhikaar’s major focuses is Immigration reform. Adhikaar, with other national organizations, has joined hands to push for fair immigration reforms in the new administration.
Tax Workshop
We organized a tax workshop and low cost tax filing on February 15, 2009. A Nepali accountant Mr. Ashok Lamichhane donated his time to Adhikaar in order to assist with tax filing and answering questions. 25 participants attended the workshop and 8 took advantage of the low cost filing. The workshop covered a range of topics from the recent economic downturn in relation to taxes to paying taxes even if you are undocumented.
Free Pap Test
In collaboration with the American Cancer Society in Flushing, we arranged for free pap tests for six women at the Queens Hospital Center. It was the first test for most of the members and two of the members required a follow up visit after the test results, including a minor surgery for one of them. Adhikaar staff and volunteers assisted some of the community members to the hospital for interpretation. Adhikaar is looking to provide these free services in a regular basis for community members who are not able to attend free health fairs that are mainly organized in the weekend.
We had originally schedule pap tests for 12 people, but 6 appointments were cancelled due to state budget cuts. Two hospitals St. John's Queens Hospital in Elmhurst and Mary Immaculate Hospital in Jamaica have closed down.
Lobby Day at the State Capitol
Our community organizer Narbada Chhetri and member Radhika Pradhan joined hands with Domestic Workers United and visited the NY State Senate to push the passage of the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. We got an opportunity to share stories from our community members with the state senators.
The bill emphasizes living wage and other important benefits such has sick leave, holidays, overtime pay and at least one day off a week for the domestic workers. Adhikaar has been supporting the campaign since our inception, and we have strengthened our involvement in the last year.
Last Month at Adhikaar- January 2009
1. CPR Training
2. Youth Group Open Mic
3. Job Search Assistance
CPR Training
We organized the first CPR training for our members on January 21, 2009. The training was arranged in response to popular demand from our community members. The Child CPR training was conducted by a bilingual trainer from the Red Cross. One of our member leaders, Bharati Rai, completed the training earlier and assisted interpretation during the training. Nine members who work as nannies received Red Cross CPR certification at the end of the training.
Youth Group Open Mic
Adhikaar Youth Group organized its first event on Jan10, 2009. The Open Mic was held at a restaurant in Jackson Heights. Adhikaar Youth Group members and friends showcased their talents through various performances including dance, skit, songs and poems. This event was completely organized by the Adhikaar Youth Group members. More than 50 community members, mostly youth, attended the event. According to an Adhikaar Youth Group member, “This event was our first step towards creating a lasting dialogue between younger and older Nepali immigrants.”
Job Search Assistance
In addition to our on-going programs, we have started to provide job search assistance, and job search skill training to our community members in response to the community demand. The dire effect of the economic meltdown has started to show in our community and many of our low-wage members have been out of jobs for months. We have also received reports of employers and employment agencies taking advantage of the fear of the economy by decreasing wages, increasing workloads, and charging higher fees.
We assist community members by posting their information at various job websites. We also teach them better communication and negotiations skills, and tell them about their rights. We have also created an informal job referral network to share information about available job and training opportunities.
Individual Assistance
We continue to provide individual assistance to our community members in a variety of areas, including translations, lawyer referrals, medical bill negotiations, and immigration assistance.
2. Youth Group Open Mic
3. Job Search Assistance
CPR Training
We organized the first CPR training for our members on January 21, 2009. The training was arranged in response to popular demand from our community members. The Child CPR training was conducted by a bilingual trainer from the Red Cross. One of our member leaders, Bharati Rai, completed the training earlier and assisted interpretation during the training. Nine members who work as nannies received Red Cross CPR certification at the end of the training.
Youth Group Open Mic
Adhikaar Youth Group organized its first event on Jan10, 2009. The Open Mic was held at a restaurant in Jackson Heights. Adhikaar Youth Group members and friends showcased their talents through various performances including dance, skit, songs and poems. This event was completely organized by the Adhikaar Youth Group members. More than 50 community members, mostly youth, attended the event. According to an Adhikaar Youth Group member, “This event was our first step towards creating a lasting dialogue between younger and older Nepali immigrants.”
Job Search Assistance
In addition to our on-going programs, we have started to provide job search assistance, and job search skill training to our community members in response to the community demand. The dire effect of the economic meltdown has started to show in our community and many of our low-wage members have been out of jobs for months. We have also received reports of employers and employment agencies taking advantage of the fear of the economy by decreasing wages, increasing workloads, and charging higher fees.
We assist community members by posting their information at various job websites. We also teach them better communication and negotiations skills, and tell them about their rights. We have also created an informal job referral network to share information about available job and training opportunities.
Individual Assistance
We continue to provide individual assistance to our community members in a variety of areas, including translations, lawyer referrals, medical bill negotiations, and immigration assistance.
Last Month at Adhikaar- December 2008
1.Union Square Awards Reception
2.Domestic Workers’ Vigil
3.Youth Creative Writing Workshop completed
4.CNPI Training completed
5.SAALT Training
6.House Party for Adhikaar
7.Daily News article
Union Square Awards Reception
We are happy to share with you that Adhikaar received one of the seven Union Square Awards presented in the year 2008. The award was given at an event organized on December 6, 2008 at the Riverside Church in Harlem. The award is a framed photograph of the steps of the Supreme Court, which was taken by the anonymous donor who established the award, and comes with a $50,000 grant. Union Square Awards is a project of the Tides Center. Fifteen members, including Adhikaar staff and board members, attended the event.
Domestic Workers’ Vigil
To honor of the International Human Rights Day on Dec 7, Domestic Workers United (DWU) organized a children’s vigil in front of the city hall to call for the passage of Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights. The bill emphasizes living wage and other important benefits such has sick leave, holidays, overtime pay and at least one day off a week for domestic workers. Eight Adhikaar members and staff attended the vigil. Adhikaar extensively works with Nepali domestic workers to promote better working conditions and secure their rights.
Youth Creative Writing Workshop completed
Adhikaar Youth Group members completed a two-part creating writing workshop led by published author Meera Nair. As a part of the workshop, the participants completed a 5-page paper. The participants were very happy to learn a new writing style other than book reports and term papers and felt they were able to articulate their thoughts more easily.
CNPI Training completed
Adhikaar’s long time supporter and volunteer Rushil Shakya completed a 12-week media justice training provided by the Community News Production Institute at the People Production House. This radio training was especially designed to promote the community voices from grassroots advocacy organizations like Adhikaar. At the end of the project Rushil completed a radio piece about Adhikaar that can be found at the following website. Just click the play button to listen to this radio report.
http://peoplesproductionhouse.org/cnpi/adhikaar_maiti
SAALT Training
Adhikaar’s Executive Director Luna Ranjit and Development Associate Rinku Bastola attended an advocacy training in December 2008. This was the second and last of the two-part training provided by SAALT to five South Asian organizations that were chosen for a pilot project - Advocates for Community Empowerment (ACE).
House Party for Adhikaar
Adhikaar’s former board member Tafadzwa Pasipanodya hosted a small house party for Adhikaar in Washington, DC. Eight people attended the event and learned about Adhikaar’s important work in the Nepali-speaking community. We raised $200 in donation from the house party.
Tafadzwa is a human rights lawyer and one of the co-founders of Adhikaar. She currently works at Foley Hoag, and continues to support Adhikaar.
Daily News article
Adhikaar and our Executive Director Luna Ranjit received a full page feature in the New York Daily News after receiving the Union Square Awards. The article can be viewed by clicking the following link.
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/bronx/2008/12/12/2008-12-12_a_helping_hand_for_nepali_women_new_to_n.html
2.Domestic Workers’ Vigil
3.Youth Creative Writing Workshop completed
4.CNPI Training completed
5.SAALT Training
6.House Party for Adhikaar
7.Daily News article
Union Square Awards Reception
We are happy to share with you that Adhikaar received one of the seven Union Square Awards presented in the year 2008. The award was given at an event organized on December 6, 2008 at the Riverside Church in Harlem. The award is a framed photograph of the steps of the Supreme Court, which was taken by the anonymous donor who established the award, and comes with a $50,000 grant. Union Square Awards is a project of the Tides Center. Fifteen members, including Adhikaar staff and board members, attended the event.
Domestic Workers’ Vigil
To honor of the International Human Rights Day on Dec 7, Domestic Workers United (DWU) organized a children’s vigil in front of the city hall to call for the passage of Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights. The bill emphasizes living wage and other important benefits such has sick leave, holidays, overtime pay and at least one day off a week for domestic workers. Eight Adhikaar members and staff attended the vigil. Adhikaar extensively works with Nepali domestic workers to promote better working conditions and secure their rights.
Youth Creative Writing Workshop completed
Adhikaar Youth Group members completed a two-part creating writing workshop led by published author Meera Nair. As a part of the workshop, the participants completed a 5-page paper. The participants were very happy to learn a new writing style other than book reports and term papers and felt they were able to articulate their thoughts more easily.
CNPI Training completed
Adhikaar’s long time supporter and volunteer Rushil Shakya completed a 12-week media justice training provided by the Community News Production Institute at the People Production House. This radio training was especially designed to promote the community voices from grassroots advocacy organizations like Adhikaar. At the end of the project Rushil completed a radio piece about Adhikaar that can be found at the following website. Just click the play button to listen to this radio report.
http://peoplesproductionhouse.org/cnpi/adhikaar_maiti
SAALT Training
Adhikaar’s Executive Director Luna Ranjit and Development Associate Rinku Bastola attended an advocacy training in December 2008. This was the second and last of the two-part training provided by SAALT to five South Asian organizations that were chosen for a pilot project - Advocates for Community Empowerment (ACE).
House Party for Adhikaar
Adhikaar’s former board member Tafadzwa Pasipanodya hosted a small house party for Adhikaar in Washington, DC. Eight people attended the event and learned about Adhikaar’s important work in the Nepali-speaking community. We raised $200 in donation from the house party.
Tafadzwa is a human rights lawyer and one of the co-founders of Adhikaar. She currently works at Foley Hoag, and continues to support Adhikaar.
Daily News article
Adhikaar and our Executive Director Luna Ranjit received a full page feature in the New York Daily News after receiving the Union Square Awards. The article can be viewed by clicking the following link.
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/bronx/2008/12/12/2008-12-12_a_helping_hand_for_nepali_women_new_to_n.html