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