Dear NASeA Community,
It has been 12 months since I and my fellow executive officers took office and vowed to serve you and our great organization NASeA. I wanted to list out some of our key accomplishment during the past 12 months below which I will also be presenting to the NASeA General Assembly on Sunday, Sep 02 in Indianapolis at the ANMA NASeA Convention.

NASeA Guides on five differents topics:
NASeA has published four different guides on different social, community and cultural topics to assists individuals and organization plan and execute different activities. These guides include ‘How to organize blood drive’, ‘How to organize Walk and Run Event, Measures to take for the Safety and Security for Nepali employee working for Convenience Store/ Gas Station and ‘How to Organize Dheusi Bhailo in your City and State.
These guides are available at http://naseaonline.info/?page_id=1597 . Also published is the “proceedings of the 2011 NASeA ANMA Convention held in Atlanta http://naseaonline.info/?page_id=1597
Several other guides are being prepared and be shortly released including ‘How to Establish and Maintain Nepali Language School in the US’.

Community Services:
Blood Drive: Over 400 units of blood collected through the 7 blood drives that Dr. Lila Bdr. Karki coordinated through the Community Services Committee of NASeA collected have saved 1200 lives.
Emergency funds: The committee also raised funds over $7000 emergency funds over the past year to help the needy both in the US and in Nepal.
Tax information that NASeA tax professional Kumar Bhandari provided benefitted many http://naseaonline.info/?page_id=1249
Emerging and Outstanding Leadership Award will be presented by the NASeA Community Services Committee at the Indinapolis convention to the emerging and established social leaders who have been consistently providing services to Nepali community.

Monthly Activities:
The twelve different Monthly Talk Sessions that Ram Baral organized as the chair of Public Relations Committee brought 12 great personalities in 12 monthly talk session in the past year from around the world who have kept the name of Nepal and Nepali high and who have inspired thousands others.
Children Webinars that Sangita Dongol and Sushma Bajracharya organized every month via Children and Youth Committee encouraged children in different parts of the United States to share not only their interest and hobbies but highlight Nepali heritage and culture.
Monthly Satsang through Cultural Committee and its chair Janak Baral invited different spiritual and religious people through NASeA TV. Some recorded activities have been
archived for your viewing http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasea-tv
Yoga on the Web that we had planned to broadcast every month will be resumed shortly.

Finances:
NASeA has a total balance of $45,445.83 in bank according to NASeA treasurer Gobinda Shrestha. This is an increase of about $14,000 from the last convention in Altanta from which time me and my fellow executive members took office. Recently we have established the bylaws mandated Finance Committee whose members include former president Tek Thapa, former treasurer and vice president Ram Dongol, NCNC board of Director Madhav Bhattarai, NASeA treasurer and NASeA President. This committee provide guidance and supervision on financial activities.

Advocacy of Human Rights and provision of Immigration Information:
NASeA through Immigration and Human Rights Committee raised strong voice against the violations of human rights of Nepali migrant in Lebanon and middle east http://naseaonline.info/?p=1405 and http://www.janapukar.com/archives/104212/
The chair of the committee Narayan Khadka brought 6 different attorneys in conference calls to answer questions and concern of Nepali immigrants.

Technical assitance to partner organization:
Through External Relations Committee, NASeA provided technical assistance to many nepali organization is cities, states and universities of United States including in Arkansas, Orlando. North Carolina, Nepalese Student Association in Auburn University, Georgia State University. The chair of the Committee Bimal Nepal coordinated nine different monthly networking sessions with these organizations in the past year.

National Conventions of Nepali:
The four NASeA co-chairpersons Ram Dongol, Dr. Ram Baral, Dhana Timilsina and Dr. Dibya Pradhan as well as Gobinda Shrestha, Raja Ghale and Mohan Bista have made outstanding contribution in promoting and stregthening the ANMA NASeA National Convention that being held in Indianapolis beginning Friday, Aug 31 www.jointconvention.org

Membership promotion:
Over 20 new life members joined NASeA over the past year and many are in line of joining life members of NASeA. Vice Presidents duo Ram Dongol and Dhana Timilsina lead multiple projects and represented me in several occasions.

Cultural Promotion:
NASeA and Nepali culture was highly visible in over half dozen international festivals that NASeA tool part in where Nepal booth and Nepali dances were performed by children going to Nepali School. Dipendra Thapa, former president Raja Ghale Sushma Bajracharya, Krishna Shrestha and Sangita Dongol, Sailedra Devkota, Arun Dhital are all to be thanked for their unique role in making these events successful. NASeA was represented widely in the Dasain and New Year festivals organized by Nepali organizations in different cities and states.

Project Promotion:
Seven different projects in Nepal and the US were supported through funds, promotion and technical assistances. NASeA supported project are listed in our weblink below and they include Ganga Ghar, Himalayan Children Charities, Nepal Wireless Project, Ama Nepal, Maiti Nepal, Abi Kattel Foundation www.naseaonline.org

Visibility:
Online, print and radio media has captured various good work NASeA has been doing via their portal. Further NASeA in facebook, Twitter and Wikipedia have enhanced NASeA’s visibility.

NASeA team:
I am proud to work together with professors, engineers, enterpreneurs, people with PhD and masters that comprise my executive team, advisors and former presidents.
Mohan Bista, Kumar KC, Priti Khatri, Madhav Mainali, Hari Bhandari, Madav Dhakal, Choodamani Khanal and Dr. Tilak Shrestha contributed in strengthening the regional structure and adding to the quality service of organization. Dr. Bishwa Acharya, Saubhagya Shrestha, Bob Gerzoff, Dr. Prakash Malla, Dr. Prahlad Pant, Bala Pant, Tek Thapa, Bhaskar Dawadi, Shakti Aryal, Raja Ghale, Tara Pun, Khusi Ram Tiwari, Dr. Nayaran Rajbhandari, Suman Silwal, Shailendra Bajracharya, Saunak Ranjitkar, Srijana Sharma, Gobhardan Shrestha and Lekh Sharma have provided critical support in different times that has supported NASeA to a great extent. Vice president duo Mr. Timilsina and Mr. Dongol led several events that brought good name to NASeA. As the longest running officer, Ram Dongol’s experience continue to provide key support in many activities NASeA fulfills.

Nepalese Cultural Centers:
Orlando and Atlanta and the Nepali organizations in each of these cities have done a great deal of groundwork towards the establishment of Nepalese Cultural Center. NASeA is continually supporting the efforts lead by Dr. Prahlad Pant in Atlanta and Krishna Pokhrel in Orlando in helping materialize the dream of their team for a physical structure that Nepali community could call a home. The first walk and run event http://naseaonline.info/?p=1332 that Dipedra Thapa coordinated in March and that he would coordinating in November will promote and raise funds for the cultural center.

Governance:
For all of the above activities to happen a strong governance was needed. That was provided by 14 different executive meetings over the past 12 months in different cities of Tampa, Alpharetta, Clarkston, Louiville, Columbia and Lawrenceville. Besides, NASeA general Secretary Sagun Shrestha have been providing providing strong administrating and IT support who updates NASeA website almost daily and who upload all minutes for your viewing at http://naseaonline.info/?p=1405

Sincerely,
Sanjeeb Sapkota
NASeA President

Dear All,
Following are the winners of the NASeA ANMA Writing Competition in three different categories. Congratulate to all the winner children and their parents. We would like to thank the Essay committee headed by Dr. Sushama Pradhan and the judges in the three categories whose names are given at the end of this message.

A. Winners of High School writing contest
1. Anima Shrestha – First place winner (Georgia)
2. Simran Khadka – Second place winner (North Carolina)
3. Bhabika Joshi – Third place winner (Texas)

B. Middle School writing contest
1. Sukrity Dhungel – First place winner (North Carolina)
2. Sushil Sharma – Second place winner (North Carolina)
3. Rojal Adhikari – Third place winner – NA

C. Elementary School ‘Show and Tell Contest’
1. Summit Pradhan – First place winner (North Carolina)
2. Christine Poudel – Second place winner (Toronto, Canada)
3. Rujula Shrestha – Third place winner, (Georgia)

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Annual NASeA/ANMA Student Writing Contest 2012

Nepalese Association in Southeast America (NASeA) and the Association of Nepalese in Midwest America (ANMA) are announcing their annual student writing contests open to all high school, middle school and elementary school students of North America in their respective categories.
No matter who we are, no matter where we live and no matter what life we choose to lead, we are all Nepali in one way or another. In addition, whether we are aware of it or not, we are all shaped and influenced by our Nepali culture and traditions. Our roots lead us deeper to Nepal and nurtures us directly or indirectly through nutrients of Nepali cultures and traditions that has evolved over thousands years of Nepali civilization.
The goal of this essay contest is to increase awareness about Nepal and its culture so that we can know and preserve our culture and ultimately gain a better understanding of ourselves.

Following are the brief details about the individual contest for high school, middle school and elementary school. For detail information regarding guideline, eligibility, submission date, judging committee and judging criteria read the corresponding attachment.

High School Contest (Grade 9-12)
Title – Preserving Nepalese Identity and Building its Future in the USA

This year’s theme for the ANMA/NASeA joint convention is “Preserving Nepalese Identity and Building its Future in the USA”. Write an essay that centers on the joint convention theme.

Some questions to answer are: What are your cherished Nepali values passed to you by your parents? What are the Nepali traditions, festival and customs you will like to observe, follow and pass to future generation and why do you like those? What are the things you will do to preserve and maintain those tradition, festival and values?

(Guideline: The essay should incorporate how you are going to maintain Nepali identity by following Nepali traditions, rituals and customs in your life in North America. Nepali values, rituals and traditions that you cherish most and would like to hand down to future generation. How do you think we can preserve our Nepali identity and build its future in North America?)

Awards & Recognitions:
High school essay contest is sponsored by NASeA and ANMA. The first-place winner will be awarded a prize of US $300 along with an award certificate. The second and the third place winners will receive $100 and $50 respectively, along with their award certificate. The top three essays will also be published in NASeA’s upcoming Yeti View Point magazine. The winners will be honored during NASeA/ANMA joint convention in Labor Day Weekend, 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The award for the high school writing contest is sponsored by Dr. Devi Gurung States and Himalayan Health Care Project from Saint Louis, Missouri.

Middle School Contest (Grade 6-8)
Title – Me and My Nepal

Memoir writing should cover what are the North American cultures, things, or events in your life in North America that that keeps bonding between you and Nepal alive or bring you back memories of your days in Nepal.

(Guideline: We are looking for North American cultures, things or events that trigger your bonding with Nepal or remind you of Nepal. Thus, do not include Nepali traditions that you and your family follow in North America and Nepali festivals and celebrations that you observe in North America as trigger points of your memory. Tell us your memory about how these things have been helping you to be bonded with Nepal).

Awards& Recognitions:

Middle school narrative writing contest first, second and third place winner will be awarded a prize of US $100, $75 and $50 respectively, along with their award certificate. The top three narrative writings will also be published in NASeA’s upcoming Yeti View Point magazine. The winners will be honored during ANMA/NASeA joint convention in Labor Day Weekend, 2012 in Indianapolis, IN, USA. We would like to invite all interested students to participate and play vital role in making our effort successful.

The award for the middle school writing contest is sponsored by Dr. Sanjeeb Sapkota of Atlanta, Georgia.

Elementary School Contest (grade 1-5)
Title – Show and Tell: “Nepal – the Country of Mt. Everest and Buddha”

Assume that you have to do a “show-and-tell”, but this time instead of telling, you will be writing. The topic for this year’s show and tell is “Nepal – the Country of Mt. Everest and Buddha”. You can do “Show and Tell”: on anything related to Nepal, for example – Nepali food you like to eat, Nepali festivals you liked the most, Nepali Flag, Temple, Mountain, City, etc. Ask your parents to provide a picture of the object you are doing “show and tell” and write about it. Please do not forget to send us the picture along with your writing.

Awards & Recognitions:

Elementary School “Show and Tell Nepal” contests’ first, second and third place winner will be awarded a prize of US $40, $35 and $25 respectively, along with their award certificate. The top three writings will also be published in NASeA’s upcoming Yeti View Point magazine. The winners will be honored during ANMA/NASeA joint convention in Labor Day Weekend, 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.

The award for the elementary school essay competition is sponsored by Nita Khatiwada from Lexington, Kentucky.

We would like to invite all interested students to participate and play vital role in making our effort successful.

Eligibility:

1.The content is open to all North American Region school students enrolled in 2012-2013 and to all home-school students in grade equivalent to regular school grades.
2.All essays must reflect the contestant’s own research and originality in writing.
3.Limit one submission per student.
4.Essay must be submitted online via email before deadline to all Judging Committee members (email of judging committee for each category is given below).

Essay specification:

1.Written in English language.
2.Student’s name, email address and day-time phone number must appear at the top of the essay.
3.Word limits: 800-1000 words for high school; 600-700 words for middle school; 400-500 words for grade 4th and 5th and 300 -400 words for 1st to 3rd grader. All words, except title and bibliography will be counted towards the word limits.
4.Type using MS-Word, Double-spaced and page numbered.
5.Submit in MS-Word format to Judging Committee Chair and carbon copy to all committee members.

Time table:
1.Essay submission deadline – July 23, 2012.
2.Winners will be notified by – Aug 13, 2012.
3.Recognition of Winners – September 1, 2012 (during cultural program of NASeA/ANMA annual joint convention).

Judging criteria:
1.Scope of research (20%)
2.Organization of content (15%)
3.Originality (20) %
4.Logic development (10 %)
5.Spelling and grammar (10%)
6.Clarity and sincerity of thoughts (10%)
7.Completeness (15%)

The judging committee – High school

•Dr. Sushama Pradhan, NC, USA – Chairperson: spradhan@gmail.com
•Mr. Sushil Shrma, KY, USA – Co-Chair: sushishma@gmail.com
•Dr. Batu Sharma, NC, USA – Member: batusharma@gmail.com
•Dr. Dhruba Tripathi, AB, Canada – Member: dakshintara@yahoo.com

The judging committee -Middle school

•Dr. Sushama Pradhan, NC, USA – Chairperson: spradhan@gmail.com
•Mr. Gopndra Bhattarai, IN, USA – Co-Chair:gopendrab@hotmail.com com
•Dr. Archana Kattel, FL, USA – Member: archana.kattel@gmail.com
•Ms. Srijana Khatiwada Sharma , GA, USA – Member: srijana98@gmail.com
•Mr. Jyoti Vaidya, London, ON, Canada – Member: jyotivaidya@hotmail.com

The judging committee -Elementary school

•Dr. Sushama Pradhan, NC, USA – Chairperson: spradhan@gmail.com
•Ms. Sreejana Uprety, MO, USA – Co-Chair: shreejana_uprety@hotmail.com
•Mr. Basanta Khadka, NC, USA –Member: bkhadka2001@yahoo.com
•Mr. Jhalendra Shrestha, AB, Canada- Member:jhalendra@yahoo.com

Dr. Sushama Pradhan
Committee Chair,

NASeA/ANMA Student Writing Contest, 2012