Money, message, organization: those are the three components of power. I have focused much on the message department so far. My next push is in the organization department, and Hamro Nepal is my vehicle.
Hamro Nepal is cutting edge in its ways. I am a political activist. But I was at this party last night where I got referred to as a "journalist" by the emcee, and by the event's presiding officer before the program began. My blog is not a newspaper, it is a political tool. I have spent much time on the phone with people in Kathmandu.
I am no journalist, not that there is anything wrong with those who are. My specialty is political leadership. That is what I offer.
But then there is an element of wanting to minimize my part in the democracy movement, and that has to be attributed to the strong anti-Madhesi prejudice. Only those efforts are destined to fail. All my work has been transparent and archived online.
How do you grow the organization? You expand the membership. You tell people of the organization. You ask them if they support the cause of a Democratic Republic in Nepal and voting rights for the Nepalis in America. If they are unsure and unclear, try and convince them to the effect. Be prepared to handle about five objections per person. Then ask them for the membership fee of $10. And they are in.
Hamro Nepal hopes to be efficient, as in business efficient. Face time stays at the center, but otherwise the organization is going to be high tech. Look at the event yesterday. There were about 10 speakers who got about five minutes each. Those in the audience had to travel. There was time spent away from families. There were large expenses involved. And people from outside the city could not have come, although one couple did.
What if 20 members of Hamro Nepal were to decide to speak on one topic and use Audio Blogger to that effect, and organize 20 audio clips, five minutes or less each at the Hamro Nepal Virtual Parliament? The production is free. Once displayed, the clips could be heard by any Nepali anywhere on the planet, granted they can come online. It only cost each of the 20 individuals five minutes each. And because it is so easy to do, you can do this as often as you want, on as many topics as you want. The leadership could meet without meeting, and so more frequently than in a traditional organization.
Another is to do with coalition building. Hamro Nepal's market is potentially 100,000 strong. It could rope in maybe 1,000 of those 100,000 Nepalis in the US. The organization could end up a glowing hot core in the community. And because of its online, transparent ways, it could be replicated by the communities from the other countries, like Bangladesh, or Kenya or Peru. And Hamro Nepal could lead without actively leading. All it would have to do to lead is to set up an example. That is Hamro Nepal's advantage as a pioneer organization. Hamro Nepal could end up playing a key role in forging the blac identity. I think Hamro Nepal not only has appeal for the immigrant communities. It could also be a great tool for the empowerment of African Americans.
Some Nepali organizations act territorial often times. I call it the infighting of the powerless. The truth is it is not true there are too many Nepali organizations. The truth is the reverse. There are not enough. I have gone to a few democracy rallies in the city. It is the same 50 to 100 people at each rally, each party. Organizations like the Youth Council and the Alliance have perhaps 10 core members each, and maybe 50-100 supporters each, with much overlap. And both have charters that seriously limit them. Youth Council is clearly affiliated with one political party, the Koirala Congress. Nothing wrong with that, but that can be limiting sometimes.
And so Hamro Nepal does not feel like there is competition for territory. If there are 30,000 Nepalis in New York City, what about the other 29,800 people? Hamro Nepal would like to launch organizational tools to reach out to as many of those as possible. All of those 30,000 people organize their own little parties, maybe once a week, maybe once a month. Instead of expecting them to show at some event in Jackson Heights, or in front of the UN, why not encourage them to turn those parties into Do Events, Blog Events? Why not weave them all into one big galaxy of parties that communicate with each other through the online medium? The member is at the center of the organization, it is not the president. If the members are at their house parties, that is where the organization should go. And most of those 30,000 people come online regardless of educational background. Online might be the only place to meet a vast number of them. And that is why Hamro Nepal's 10-10-10 pyramid comes in handy.
These tools that Hamro Nepal is cultivating are all designed to be shared. It is not Hamro Nepal's goal to end up the last standing Nepali organization. Rather it hopes to work with as many other organizations as possible through the ecosystem concept. But that cooperation will only be enhanced if those organizations come around to adopting tools like the virtual parliament, otherwise Hamro Nepal will grow at the expense of those organizations, which is just fine by us. Some healthy competition will do the community good.
Hamro Nepal is an invention.
Hamro Nepal, Latest Hamro Nepal Virtual Parliament $10 and commitment to a Democratic Republic gets you membership. Contribute to Nepal's rapid economic growth, earn voting rights for Nepalis in America. After you become a Member, make a list of all Nepalis you know, and call them up. Be prepared to handle about five objections per person. We are looking for members worldwide.
Paramendra Bhagat, NY $10 (paramendra-at-yahoo.com)
and commitment to a Democratic Republic gets you membership. Contribute to Nepal's rapid economic growth, earn voting rights for Nepalis in America.