Neelam

Sushil Koirala, September 9

Nepali Convention 2007: Venue Options: Flushing

I was talking to Santosh Thapaliya yesterday at the Murari Sharma event (Sushil Koirala, September 9, Neelam) about the convention and he suggested I look into Queens College in Flushing as a potential venue option.

I proceeded to do that online, and I think that is a great idea. I called up the place. I am still waiting on the details. They do rent out the place for conventions, they said. But that they will call me back with details.

Queens College
Queens College - CUNY
Queens College - CUNY
Queens College in Flushing, New York
Queens College -- A CUNY Campus in Flushing
GEVA: Directions to Queens College - Flushing, NY
New York Summer Camps and Summer Programs - Queens College ...
New York State > Flushing > Queens College > Departments and ...
Queens College - Flushing, NY, School - Social Web

Flushing, Queens - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
City of Flushing
Flushing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Flushing
Welcome to Flushing Town Hall
Flushing - Neighborhood Profile of Flushing in Queens New York Flushing dominates the north central Queens, New York. It's the biggest urban center in the borough, and the growing heart of Chinese and Korean communities

Hotels & Motels near CUNY - Queens College Campus - Flushing, NY

Buddhism & Meditation in Flushing, Queens, New York

The place is near the first venue explored, the Ganesh Temple community center. And that could still come in handy.

The place is also near JFK.

You take a train, and then it is a short bus ride after that, perhaps five minutes. Some people think it is a bad idea to have a venue where the bus gets into the picture. I disagree. A five minute bus ride should not be a problem.

What is needed is a good venue. The concert hall should be large. There should be ample space for as many forums as we want. And the idea of a college campus is you can imagine thousands of people huddling. Can not imagine that with the more urban LaGuardia College.

2100

I just had another conversation.

They have something called Colden Center, capacity 2100. That would be great for the three evening events.

Queens College/Colden Center for the Performing Arts
Queens College/Colden Center for the Performing Arts
Colden Center - Queens College Tickets - Maps, Events, Seating ...
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Colden Center at Queens College Seating Chart, Colden Center at ...
Colden Center for the Performing Arts @ Queens College
Colden Center for the Performing Arts - New York City - Reviews of ...
Colden Center for the Performing Arts, Flushing, NY : Reviews of ...

And we would need about half a dozen smaller halls, capacity 100-200, for the forums.

Queens College/Colden Center for the Performing Arts
Queens College - LeFrak Concert Hall
The Facilities At the heart of the music building is the Samuel J. and Ethel LeFrak Concert Hall, a 487-seat recital hall that may be the finest in the metropolitan area.
Queens College--LeFrak Concert Hall - Flushing, NY, 11367 - Citysearch

The fees look reasonable for the quality of the offering. The location is great.

I have a feeling we might be close to finalizing the venue also. We already finalized the date.

Nepali Convention 2007 Shifted To Last Weekend In May
April Convention Venue Options 1
April Convention Market Research 1
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April Convention: Creating A Glowing Core
April Convention: Emerging Picture
Chicago Convention September 2-4
April Revolution, April Convention

NRNA: Not An Umbrella Organization?

I have great respect for Upendra Mahato. I take enormous Madhesi pride in his entrepreneurial success. Getting to meet him was my personal highlight of the ANA convention. (ANA Convention: Reflections)

And I think he has been providing amazing leadership to the NRN movement. But I do have a few questions, a few criticisms. Foremost is the 75 district concept. If you were to set up one clinic per district, you are looking at only 16 of the 75 in the Terai. That is anti-Madhesi. That is prejudice on the part of the Pahadi members of the NRNA, and internalized prejudice on the part of the Madhesi members. Madhesi hum lenge sau mein pachas.

Another is the issue of internal democracy in the diaspora organizations, my number one gripe. These organizations have to learn to become mass based where anyone can join, larger numbers of people do join, and the president is directly elected by all the members.

Right now the NRNA is more like the diaspora Chamer of Commerce than anything else in its composition. The association cherrypicks the richest, the most successful few. It is too top bottom. There is a need for a fundamental reorientation. It needs to become bottom up. Internal democracy, transparency, one person one vote.

Many of those same people might get elected by the diaspora masses, and that will be fine. But they do have to get elected.

But NRNA can not hope to rope in everybody. How many NRNs are there worldwide? I go for the ecosystem concept. Like my organization, now small, Hamro Nepal. It is not a NRN organization. We have members in Nepal. Our operational methods are quite different.

If the NRNA gets mass-based, democratic, and transparent, it will have a greater chance of not getting reduced to being an umbrella organization.

In The News

Maoist not abiding by code of conduct; continuing forceful extortions NepalNews they are forcing industries to recruit their cadres ...... Advisor of the Bishal Bazar Business Association, Subash Pandey said that the Maoists are threatening the businessmen indirectly to give donation as demanded by them. .... the Maoists are demanding donations from different names time and again. ..... “Our Association gave the donations to the Maoists on behalf of all the businessmen affiliated to the Association, but on Thursday, Maoists again tried to collect donations from all shops.” ....... the government seems helpless to check such activities. The government had been fulfilling the demands of the Maoists but has remained indifferent about the Maoists excesses.
Koirala, Bhattarai agree on party unification
NHRC tells Maoists to send details of disappearance
Over a dozen protestors injured in police action; hundreds health workers arrested when police batton charged in a protest rally organized by the Greater Democratic Madhesi Front ..... a dozen are in critical condition. .....
Probe commission grills Defense secretary
OHCHR urges Maoists to respect human rights
Cabinet forms high-level committee to look into protests
Maoists, SPA problem for country: RJP Chief Thapa Addressing the First Madheshi National Conference of the party in Janakpur
Government doing homework for summit talks: DPM Sherchan government staffers are not helping the government, as they have been involved in gheraos and sit-in-protests for several demands which the government cannot fulfil.
CA polls will be held within Sept-Oct 2007: DPM Oli

Prime Minister presents insignia to newly appointed CoAS Katawal
Arms management issue delaying CA election: NC general secy.
SPA leaders hindering peace process under influence of regressive forces: Mahara
NRN seeks provision of dual citizenship in interim constitution made the appeal during the joint convention of Association of Nepalese in Midwest America (ANMA) and Nepalese Association in Southeast America (NASeA) held in Chicago, USA, from 2 – 4 September 2006. ...... President of Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) Dr. Upendra Mahato ...... “NRNA is not an umbrella organization but a common platform of all overseas Nepalis united with a ‘by-Nepali-for-Nepali’ vision.” ..... apart from over one billion USD received by Nepal in remittances, the overseas Nepalis have invested around 150 million USD in different economic sectors in Nepal and urged Nepalis living in US to send more remittance and support the flagging tourism industry by encouraging foreign friends to visit Nepal

Government, Maoist chief negotiators discuss upcoming summit level talks

ADB grants US$ 55 m to Nepal road construction Kantipur
Koirala meets Bhattarai
Govt forms committee to tackle protests
OHCHR calls on Maoists to fulfill commitments to stop rights abuses
Agitating construction entrepreneurs arrested
Kin of missing to move SC
RAPE BY MAOIST : Village reels under fear
Maoists thrash NC workers
MPs flay Katuwal's appointment, question government's modus operandi the government was acting against the spirit of Jana Andolan II by rewarding those who played major role in suppressing the pro-democracy movement. ...... Expressing grave concern over Prime Minister's inability to spare even 20 minutes for SPA meeting, Pokhrel heavily objected the PM's modus operandi and his regular meetings with the regressive forces. Pokhrel also sought a suitable reason on why the PM, who regularly can pay a visit to the king, does not show up in the House. ...... MP Pokhrel also demanded dissolution of the House saying "the continuation of a parliament, which is rejected even by the prime minister, does not make any sense." .... MP Bharat Mohan Adhikary demanded that an Act to penalise the suppressers of Jana Andolan II be tabled in the House. He hailed the decision of the High Level Probe Commission to interrogate the king. ..... alleged the government of not paying serious attention towards the capital's deteriorating security situation.
दर्जन परियोजनामा २० कम्पनीका प्रस्ताव
कर्मचारी आन्दोलनमा गलत तत्त्वः शेरचन
संविधानसभा अर्काे भदौ-असोजमा ः ओली
मधेस टुक्राउनबाट सचेत हुन आग्रह
गृह प्रशासन कमजोर भएकामा आलोचना
माओवादी-स्थानीय झडप
जलविद्युत् ः राजनीति र राष्ट्रियता
सैनिक दृष्टिकोणमा सैनिक ऐन
अधुरो अन्तरिम संविधान

मुठभेडको तयारी
सरकारले जनचाहनाको उपेक्षा गरेपछि मुलुक पुनः द्वन्द्वको दलदलमा भासिने खतरा बढेको छ गिरि जाप्रसाद कोइरालाको सहमतिमा सुर  क्षा निकायहरूले सुरक्षाका निषेधात्मक नियमहरू फेरी लागू गर्न लागेका हुन् .... जनताको सुरक्षा गर्न लाचारी प्रकट गर्ने तर सुरक्षाका नाममा यात्रामा हिँडेका जनतालाई कटबाँस देखाएर हुर्मत लिने व्यवस्थाको पुनरावृत्तिले सरकारको निरङ्कुश मानसिकताको सानो तर महत्त्वपूर्ण उदाहरण प्रस्तुत गरेको छ । ..... वर्तमान सरकारले परविर्तनका सन्देशहरूलाई न विस्तारति गर्न सकेको छ, न त परविर्तनलाई संस्थागत गर्ने प्रयत्न नै गरेको छ । महेन्द्रनगरका बलबहादुर डगौरा भन्छन्, "वर्तमान सरकारले स्थायी शान्ति स्थापनाको प्रक्रियालाई नै विवादमा पारििदएको छ ।" ....... सुरक्षाकर्मीहरूको आवश्यकताभन्दा बढी चलखेलले फेर िहिंसा निम्त्याउने त्रास सबैमा देखिन्छ । ..... सरकारले आफ्नाविरुद्ध केन्दि्रत हुँदै गएको परििस्थतिको सही आकलन गर्न सकेको देखिँदैन । ...... जनताले जुन उद्देश्यका साथ जनआन्दोलन गरेका थिए, त्यो उद्देश्य पूरा गर्न सरकारले चाहिँदो दृढता र इच्छा नराखेको आरोप आन्दोलनका उत्प्रेरकहरूले नै लगाउन थालेका छन् । ..... दिनहुँ नयाँनयाँ खिचलो खडा गरेर सरकारले माओवादीसँग अनावश्यक विवाद बढाउन खोजेको अनुभव गर्दैछन्, नागरकि समाजका सदस्यहरू । वर्तमान सरकार मुलुकलाई संविधानसभाको निणर्ायक मोडसम्म पुर्‍याउन खोजिरहेको छैन भन्ने निष्कर्ष निकाल्दैछन् उनीहरू । ...... सरकारले माओवादीलाई शासनमा सहभागी नबनाएसम्म द्वन्द्वको समाधान हुन नसक्ने कुरामा सबैले सहमति जनाए । ..... झण्डै आठ सय किलोमिटर लामो सोझो घुमाउरो यात्रामा वर्तमान सरकारको कार्यशैलीप्रति सन्तुष्टि जनाउने एक जना मात्रै पनि नभेटिनु निश्चय पनि स् वाभाविक थिएन । जनआन्दोलनको बलमा अस् ितत्वमा आएको सरकार चार महिना पनि पूरा नहुँदै अकर्मण्य सावित हुनु चिन्ताजनक विषय हो । ...... परविर्तनलाई संस् थागत गर्न कुनै पनि राजनीतिक दलहरूले चासो राखेका छैनन् । हिंसात्मक द्वन्द्वको समयमा जस् तै राजनीतिक दलका गतिविधिहरू शून्य छन् । ..... सरकारी पक्ष एकपटक फेर िमुठभेडको तयारीमा जुट्न थालेको आभाष पाइन्छ । ..... नेपालको अहिलेको राजनीतिमा माओवादीलाई अल कायदाको समकक्ष राखेर हेर्ने अमेरकिी दृष्टिकोण बढी नै हावी भएको देखिएको छ । अमेरकिी दृष्टिकोणले सात दलका शीर्ष नेताहरूलाई मात्र प्रभावित गरेको छैन, शान्ति स्थापनाका लागि खडा भएका सरकारी संयन्त्रहरूमा पनि आफ्नो बलियो पकड बनाएको छ । यसले गर्दा शान्ति प्रक्रिया नै अविश्वास र सन्देहको घेरामा परेको छ । ..... प्रधानमन्त्री कोइरालाले माओवादीहरूको हतियार व्यवस्थापनलाई हतियार समर्पणका रूपमा प्रस्तुत गर्नुभएपछि सात दलको आशयप्रति माओवादी नेतृत्व सशङ्कित भएको हो । राजनीतिक समस्या समाधानमा नपुगेसम्म संसारमा कहीँ पनि विद्रोही पक्षले हतियार बुझाएको उदाहरण छैन । ...... प्रधानमन्त्री कोइरालाले पार्टीका महामन्त्री केबी गुरुङमार्फत प्राविधिक रूपले नै नेपाली काङ्ग्रेसलाई संवैधानिक राजतन्त्रका पक्षमा उभ्याउनुभएर मुठभेडको राजनीतिलाई निम्त्याउनुभएको छ । ...... कान्तिपुर टेलिभिजन का लागि भदौ २३ बिहान इन्द्र लोहनीसँग कुरा गर्दै अध्यक्ष प्रचण्डले आफ्नो दल वार्ताबाट नहट्ने बताउनुभएको छ । ...... माओवादी अध्यक्ष प्रचण्डले राजनीतिक विषयको टुङ्गो नलागेसम्म आफूहरूले कुनै हालतमा हतियार नबिसाउने उद्घोष गररिहेकै बेला प्रधानमन्त्री कोइरालाले पुनः घुमाउरो पाराले माओवादीलाई हतियारबाट अलग गर्ने विकल्पमै जोड दिनुभएको छ । ........ शिखरवार्ताप्रति आशावादी देखिए पनि माओवादीले भित्रभित्रै शहरी विद्रोह र अन्तिम मुठभेडको तयारी गरिरहेको सङ्केत प्राप्त हुन थालेको छ ...... सत्तारुढ दलहरू भने शिखर वार्ताप्रति त्यति इच्छुक नभएको देखिन्छ । ...... अन्ततः मुठभेडमै जानुपर्ने आन्तरकि निष्कर्षमा पुगेको माओवादीले शिखरवार्ताको तयारीसँगै राजधानीमा हरेक दिन दबाबमूलक प्रदर्शन गररिहेको छ । .....सोही दिन सरकारले हजारौँको सङ्ख्यामा माओवादी लडाकू दस्ता राजधानी भित्रिएको आशङ्कामा सुरक्षाकर्मीहरूको परचिालन गरेको थियो । ..... भदौ २१ गते अखिल नेपाल टे्रड युनियनको चौथो राष्ट्रिय सम्मेलनको उद्घाटन समारोहका लागि भनेर दिनभर माओवादी कार्यकर्ताहरूले उपत्यकाको चक्रपथभित्र सवारी अवरुद्ध पारे । ...... माओवादीको कामीडाँडा बैठकले सशस्त्र जनयुद्ध, सशक्त जनआन्दोलन, शान्ति वार्ता र कूटनीतिक प्रयासबाट अग्रगमनतिर जाने कार्यदिशा पारति गरेको छ । गाउँमा सरकारको प्रत्यक्ष उपस्थिति हुने कुनै पनि योजना लागू गर्न नदिने पछिल्लो नीति माओवादीको छ । गाउँमा इलाका चौकीहरू पुनःस्थापना हुने र गाविससचिवहरूले गाउँमै बसेर काम गर्ने सुर कस् न थालेपछि माओवादी सत्ताको कुनै अर्थ नरहने डरले उनीहरूले यस्तो नीति ल्याएको हुन सक्दछन् । ....... उपत्यकाभित्रका दुई सय ५० विद्यालय र २५ क्याम्पसमा नयाँ सङ्गठन बनाएको उनकोे दाबी छ । स्वेच्छिक वा करकापले, उपत्यकाभित्रका दुई हजार विद्यार्थीहरूलाई उनीहरूले माओवादी जनवादी शिक्षाका बारेमा प्रशिक्षण दिएका छन् । साउनको अन्त्यतिर निजी क्ष्ाेत्रका फाउण्डर तथा पि्रन्सिपल गरी चार सय जनालाई बालाजुस्थित होली गार्डेन स्कुलमा सामेल गराएर अन्तरक्रिया गराइयो । यी सबै गतिविधिबाट माओवादीहरू शहरी विद्रोहको आधार तयार गर्दैछन् भन्ने अड्कल गर्न गाह्रो पर्दैन । ....... माओवादीकै प्रयासमा अन्य विद्यार्थी सङ् गठनका गणतन्त्र पक्षधरलाई समेट्ने उद्देश्यले संयुक्त गणतान्त्रिक विद्यार्थी मोचर्ा गठन गरएिको छ । त्यसैगरी, विभिन्न पार्टीका रुष्ट तथा राजाविरोधी नेता-कार्यकर्ता समेट्न लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र मोर्चा, नेपालको निर्माण गरएिको छ । ..... मध्यमवर्गीय तप्कालाई संविधानसभाको नारामार्फत एकीकृत गर्ने प्रयासमा छन्, माओवादीहरू । ..... माओवादीभित्र शहरी गुरिल्ला युद्धकलाका ज्ञाता मानिनुहुन्छ, चन्द्रप्रकाश खनाल -बलदेव) ..... विद्रोहबाहेक अन्य विकल्प छैन भनेर जनतालाई भन्छौँ । अनि, लाखौँलाख जनतालाई सडकमा उतार्छौं । ...... अलि फरक खालको हुनेछ, शिखरवार्ता । त्यसमा दलहरूले भनेझैँ हतियार व्यवस्थापनको कुरा पनि उठ्ने छैन, न त माओवादीले यो भएन भने वार्ता भङ्ग गर्छौं नै भन्ने छन् । जनआन्दोलनको म्याण्डेटअनुसार सरकार चलेको छ या छैन भन्ने प्रश्न उठ् नेछ । माओवादीलाई 'बाइकट' गरेर सत्ता चलाउने कि संयुक्त सरकार बनाउने भन्नेबारेमा छिनोफानो हुनेछ । अबको वार्तामा संसद् विघटन, अन्तरमि संविधान, माओवादीसहितको अन्तरमि सरकार बनाउने र त्यसपछि मात्र हतियार व्यवस् थापनको कुरा उठ्छ । ....... माओवादीले राष्ट्रसङ्घमाथि होइन, सात दलमाथि शङ्का गरेको हो । उनीहरूले हतियार र सेनाको कुरा उठाउन थाले, छिटोभन्दा छिटो हतियार गोदाममा पुर्‍याउने कुरा गर्न थाले । राजनीतिक मुद्दालाई बेवास्ता गरेर शक्ति क्षीण गर्ने रणनीति दलहरूको रहेछ । ......
हतियार नै बाधक ः केपी ओलि केपी शर्मा ओली, ५५ .... उहाँ पञ्चायतकालमा लगातार १४ वर्ष जेल बस्नुभएको छ । ..... कूटनीतिक शैलीमा विरोधीहरूलाई प्रहार गर्न खप्पिस मानिनुहुन्छ । ....... नेपालको इतिहासमा एक जनाभन्दा बढी महिला राजदूत भएका छैनन ...... शिखरवार्ता हुनलाई कुराको चुरो हुनुपर्‍यो नि ! अहिले कुरो 'टफ बार्गेनिङ्' मा पुगेको छ । अर्को कुरो हतियार नै मुख्य बाधक बनेको छ अहिले । ...... हातमा हतियार देखाउँदै संविधानसभामा जाने, अन्तरमि सरकारमा सामेल हुने भन्नु कति जायज होला ? यस प्रश्नको जवाफ माओवादीबाट जति छिटो आयो, त्यति छिटो समस्या हल हुँदै जान्छ । ...... उहाँहरू भर्खर प्रजातान्त्रिक प्रक्रियामा हुनुहुन्छ, त्यसैले गालीगलौज बढी गर्नुहुन्छ । .....