Showing posts with label Nonresident Nepali. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nonresident Nepali. Show all posts

Thursday, March 05, 2015

NRN संगठनका पद हरु र म

नेपालमा एउटा CDO भन्ने पद छ ----- राम्रै पद होला, महत्वपुर्ण पद होला ---- तर मेरो आफ्नो लागि ठ्याक्कै interest नलागेको पद। I have absolutely no interest whatsoever ------  मेरो लागि NRN संगठनको प्रत्येक पद --- तल देखि माथि सम्मको प्रत्येक पद त्यस्तै हो ---- मलाई ठ्याक्कै interest छैन। अहिले पनि छैन, पछि पनि छैन। I have absolutely no interest whatsoever. मलाई NRN को कुनै पद खानै छैन। ठ्याक्कै छैन। अहिले पनि छैन। पछि पनि छैन।

सन २०३० सम्म मा संसारको प्रत्येक देश घुमिसकने ambition भएको मान्छे म। I am a global citizen.


Monday, November 24, 2014

सगुन, अंजन, छेपाक, डिल्ली, विनोद, कृष्ण (२)

सगुन, अंजन, छेपाक, डिल्ली, विनोद, कृष्ण

एउटा टेक स्टार्टअप ले राउंड २ मा जान का लागि राउंड १ मा २०-३० हजार डॉलर ले पनि पुग्ने बाटा हरु छन, ५० हजार देखि एक लाख डॉलर सम्म चाहिने बाटा पनि छन, मैले न्यु यर्क को नेपाली समुदाय का २-४ जना सँग विगत केही महिना गफ गर्दा एउटा टीम लाई दुई लाख डॉलर राउंड १ मा चाहिने जस्तो एस्टीमेट भएको थियो। साढ़े तीन देखि पाँच लाख लाग्ने बाटा पनि छन।

तर राउंड १ मा ३०-५० हजारले पुग्ने यदि छ भने पनि सफल भएको खण्डमा आखिर त्यसै स्टार्टअप ले पनि राउंड २ मा गएर ५ लाख डॉलर, एक मिलियन डॉलर fundraising गर्ने र खर्च गर्ने हो।

So it really is a matter of scheduling. कुनै स्टार्टअप २०-३० हजार मै हुने, कसैलाई ५-१० लाख चाहिने भन्ने होइन। सबै सफल स्टार्टअप त्यो मिलियन डलरको बाटो बाट जाने नै हो। नौबिसे हो त्यो रोड मार्कर।



Tuesday, November 11, 2014

NRN America: Democratization, Digitization

ANTA: Democratization, Digitization: Diwali, Chhath, Holi

राजनीतिक अधिकार बिनाको नागरिकता भनेको निर्दलीय प्रजातन्त्र जस्तो हो। प्रजातन्त्र पनि कहीं निर्दलीय हुन्छ? राजनीतिक अधिकार बिनाको पनि कुनै नागरिकता हुन्छ? कि त NRN हरुलाई visa दिन खोजेको हो भने visa दिन खोजेको भन्ने।

नेपाल एउटा अत्यन्त गरीब देश हो। तर संसारको सबैभन्दा ठुलो र तेस्रो सबैभन्दा ठुलो अर्थतन्त्रबीचको देशलाई आर्थिक प्रगति गर्न धेरै गारहो नहुनुपर्ने। शिवरात्रीको मेलामा भीड़मा बीचमा उभि दिए मात्र पनि भीड़ले नै मंदिर भित्र पुर्याइदिन्छ। त्यस्तै नेपालमा basic law and order र basic democracy मात्र maintain गरेको खण्डमा भारत र चीनको सामीप्यले देशको धुरन्धर विकास हुन्छ।

नेपाल जस्तो गरीब देशले देशका मान्छेलाई बाहिर जान सकेसम्म सजिलो पारिदिने, र प्रवासमा रहेका नेपालीलाई नेपाल फर्कन र/अथवा नेपालमा योगदान पुर्याउन सकेसम्म सजिलो पारिदिने। द्वैध नागरिकताको कुरा त्यो हो। शिक्षा र आर्थिक opportunity कालागि विदेशीएका नेपालीलाई नेपालको अर्थतन्त्रमा सकेसम्म बलियो हिसाबले बाँधने concept द्वैध नागरिकता हो।

अमेरिकामा ४,००० नेपाली NRNA सदस्य भएपछि बल्ल काठ्माण्डुमा NRNA लाई seriously लिन थालियो। विश्वमा अमेरिकाको, न्यु यर्क शहरको विशेष स्थान रहेको देखियो। तर अमेरिकाको NRN संगठनले आफ्नो आङ्गको जुम्रा पनि देखन सक्नुपर्यो।

चुनाव सकिएपछि सदस्यताको ढोका बन्द गरिएको भन्ने हल्ला छ। आफुलाई जिताउने जस्ताले सदस्यता लिई हाले, नया नया सदस्य किन चाहियो भन्ने thinking हो भने त्यो गलत thinking हो। सदस्यता ४,००० बाट २०,०००, त्यसपछि २०,००० बाट ५०,००० बनाउँदै जाने तर्फ सोँच्नुपर्छ। र सदस्यता लिने १२ महिना हुनुपर्छ। आफुलाई इच्छा लागेको बेला NRN अमेरिकाको वेबसाइटमा गएर सदस्यता लि हाल्ने। यो membership drive NRNA अमेरिकाको नम्बर एक जिम्मेवारी हो जस्तो लाग्छ।

बरु चुनावको दिनभन्दा एक महिना अगाडि एक किसिमको cut off point बनाई दिन सकिन्छ। त्यो दिनभन्दा पछि पनि सदस्य बन्न चाहिं पाइने तर त्यस चुनावमा सहभागी हुन त्यो दिन अगावै सदस्य भई सक्नुपर्ने।

Online voting बड़ो राम्रो व्यवस्था हो। तर दुई वर्षमा एक पटक online voting गरेर दुई वर्षकालागि आम सदस्यलाई bye bye गर्नु भने राम्रो होइन, लोकतान्त्रिक होइन। अमेरिकामा सबैभन्दा बढ़ी नेपाली न्यु यर्कमा छन, तर अमेरिकाका नेपाली जति सबै न्यु यर्कमै छन भन्ने सोँच्नु हुँदैन। Event जति सबैलाई फोटो र video मार्फत digitize गरेर सकेसम्म सबैलाई सहभागी बनाउने प्रयास भइराख्नुपर्छ।

NRNA अमेरिका को Executive Committee को बैठक जति सबैको minutes online राख्दै जानु पर्दछ। ताकि आम सदस्यले आफ्नो प्रतिक्रिया दिन सकुन। Bookkeeping त्यसरी नै transparent हुनुपर्यो।

तर संगठन जति नै मजबुत गरे पनि, र संगठनले मदत गर्न सके पनि, नेपालमा आर्थिक क्रान्तिमा सहभागी हुन चाहनेले सफल entrepreneur भएर देखाउन जरुरी छ। Entrepreneurship का आफ्नै principles छन। संगठन एउटा कुरा हो। Entrepreneurship अर्को कुरा हो।


Friday, October 03, 2014

Dual Citizenship: A Boon To The Home Country


Only steam leaves the pot. For a country like Nepal, some of the most educated, some of the most enterprising people have left the country over decades. But the love for country is intact, it is strong. And the homeland could benefit hugely from that crowd.

In this era of the Internet and globalization, the phrase "brain drain" is old fashioned, it is passe. I personally think the best I can do for Nepal is by planting one foot in NYC and another in Nepal.

And the dual citizenship concept is key. It has so far been thwarted by the sick people who form the current political class in Nepal. These people have a vested interest in keeping the country poor. These people are untouched by the daily arrivals of body bags from the Gulf states. This political class feels threatened by the Nepali diaspora. They dragged their feet on the dual citizenship issue for as long as they could, for close to a decade. And now they have offered a citizenship without political rights to the NRNs. It would be a grave mistake to accept it. I am less concerned about the NRNs. For me this arrangement would be the biggest hindrance to Nepal's rapid economic growth anyone could put in place.

Why would people who are supposed to lead Nepal to prosperity are so hellbent on getting in the way of the country's rapid economic growth? Obviously we have a democracy in name only in Nepal right now. The political leaders don't feel the need to act in the best interests of the people.

They will do what they will do. But it is shameful the most educated, the most accomplished Nepalis on the planet would be so eager to accept this deal. No deal would be better than this bad deal.

Multiple Citizenship
How to Obtain Dual Citizenship
Dual Citizenship in the Age of Mobility
In the past, including the recent past, policymakers considered dual citizenship a problem. Leading politicians of previous centuries saw it as an abhorrence of the natural order, the equivalent of bigamy. Citizenship and political loyalty to the state were considered inseparable. Policymakers worried that dual citizens would not integrate into the country to which they had emigrated but rather would maintain exclusive loyalty to the country of original citizenship. And, in times of war in the 19th and early 20th centuries, they feared “foreign” interference by citizens belonging to the enemy......... Moreover, democratic legitimacy was at stake. Policymakers feared that dual citizenship would violate the principle “one person, one vote.” Also, diplomats were worried that they could not protect their citizens in the country whose citizenship the newly naturalized citizen also held........... Yet, over the last few decades, an astonishing change has taken place: an increasing number of policymakers regard dual citizenship not as a problem for integration, legitimacy, foreign policy, and diplomatic protection, but rather as a possibility that needs to be negotiated from various standpoints, ranging from simple pragmatic tolerance to active encouragement. Certainly, dual citizenship is not a completely new phenomenon, but we have witnessed its rapid spread only recently. More than half of all the states in the world, countries of immigration as well as emigration, now tolerate some form or element of dual citizenship.

राजनीतिक अधिकार बिनाको नागरिकता


  • निर्दलीय (partyless) प्रजातन्त्र (democracy)
  • आत्म निर्णयको अधिकार (right to self determination) बिनाको संघीयता (federalism)
  • राजनीतिक अधिकार (political rights) बिनाको नागरिकता (citizenship)
All three are very similar concepts. But of the three, the most primitive has got to be the citizenship without political rights. And that is what the most educated Nepalis on earth are agreeing to in a deal with the scoundrels running Nepal today. The thugs are calling the shots, looks like.

NRN लाई दोस्रो दर्जाको नागरिक बनाउने तैयारी
NRN लाई दोस्रो दर्जाको नागरिकता

Thursday, October 02, 2014

NRN लाई दोस्रो दर्जाको नागरिक बनाउने तैयारी

२००५-०६ को लोकतान्त्रिक क्रान्ति र त्यसपछिको मधेसी क्रान्तिमा मैले फुल टाइम दिएको हुँ। उड़ाउनेले "पत्रकार" भनेर उड़ाईदिने गरेका पनि छन। तर मैले त्यति बेला पत्रकारिता गरेको होइन। मेरो काम नितान्त राजनीतिक थियो। पत्रकारिता भन्नु पुर्वाग्रह हो। तर मैले न कुनै संगठनको सदस्यता लिएँ, पद त लिने कुरै भएन। त्यसको कारण थियो। मैले डिजिटल tools प्रयोग गरेको थिएँ। रणभुमि नेपालमा थियो।

सीके राउतको रिहाईकालागि फेरि २० दिन जागियो। संघीयताको मुद्दामा बेइमानी हुने खतरा छ। तर मेरो दिल र दिमाग भविष्य तर्फ मुडिसक्यो। आर्थिक क्रान्तिको मुद्दा। २०-३० वर्ष चल्ने मुद्दा।

NRN को चुनाव भयो अमेरिकामा। पहिलो पटक NRN movement अमेरिका पसे जस्तो। अहिले मात्र होइन, १०-१५ वर्षपछि पनि NRN संगठनको कुनै पद मलाई खानु छैन। तर हालै भएको एउटा ठुलो निर्णय डिस्टर्ब गर्ने किसिमको छ। यसले नेपालको आर्थिक क्रांतिलाई डिस्टर्ब गर्छ।

NRN लाई दोस्रो दर्जाको नागरिक बनाउने तैयारी भइरहेकोछ। यो बड़ो चिन्ताको विषय हो। नेपाल पछाडि पर्नुको नम्बर एक कारण नै नेपालको राजनीती हो। राजनीतिक अधिकार बिनाको द्वैध नागरिकता NRN लाई दिन खोजेर नेपालका नेताहरुले पुच्छरले कुकुर हल्लाउने षडयन्त्र भैरहेको छ। बड़ो गलत निर्णय हुन लागेको छ। सावधान।


Saturday, March 01, 2014

5,000 Members



The United States possibly was one of the last countries for the Non Resident Nepali movement to enter. It flourished on all continents except this one for years. And finally when it arrived it had managed to accumulate 400 members in four years.

But looks like those days are over. A recent membership drive has put the membership past 3,000. And that is in large measure because you can get your membership online. Estimates of Nepalis in America put the number at 200,000. I think to expect the NRNA will get at least 5,000 members is modest. The NRNA deserves to become the largest Nepali organization in America.

The organization suffered because the democratic process was disallowed. But some recent changes are welcome. You should be able to get your membership online. Any member should be able to contest for Officer positions, and all members should be able to directly vote for those Officer positions. The committees that run the association should organize online meetings. You put those basics into place and the next thing you know you have a truly pan American organization. Geography is no longer holding you back. All book keeping should be kept transparent and online.

The empowerment of the community comes from the organization’s commitment to the basic democratic process itself. Such a commitment to democracy and transparency will jack up the membership base to consistently large numbers. People running for Officer positions would engage in membership drives to boost their chances, and that would be swell.

The annual ANA Convention has a long tradition, and it deserves to continue with it. That convention is as good a platform as any for the NRNA as well.

The dual citizenship issue remains the unfinished business of the NRNA. And that mystifies me. Because making dual citizenship possible for global Nepalis is the easiest and the single biggest step the government in Nepal can take for Nepal’s rapid economic growth. Nepali politicians who oppose Foreign Direct Investment, either through active opposition or, more likely, plain inaction, and those who stand against dual citizenship for global Nepalis are directly responsible for Nepali women ending up in the brothels in Mumbai, and Nepalis landing in body bags from the Gulf states. Those politicians are standing in the way of job creation inside the country.

Only a mass based NRNA in America can help with the cause of dual citizenship. A NRNA with 200 members simply does not have legitimacy. At 5,000 members you are finally talking. At 10,000 members you matter. The membership drive has to be ongoing.

There are more than 30 Nepali organizations just in New York City. There are tens of Nepali organizations in most major urban areas across the country. The NRNA could be that umbrella organization that brings Nepalis together across this country. And it is a good thing the association asks for individual and not organizational membership.

There is power in numbers. For the first time I have some respect for the NRNA in America. 5,000 has been that magic number for me. The membership number has to go past that for me to take the NRNA seriously. Leaders contesting elections and winning after massive membership drives have legitimacy. Enough of backroom deals and undemocratic appointments and shady court actions.

Once the NRNA in America gets the basics of democracy and transparency right and goes past 5,000 members, it will become a serious national chapter of the global NRN movement for the first time. And it might even claim leadership of the global movement at some point. It will be able to add muscle to the dual citizenship debate.

In a culturally diverse country like America, and especially in cities like New York, a well run NRNA will bring up opportunities for alliance building with organizations that represent other countries. Transparent and online book keeping will create opportunities for massive fundraising and creating new programs.

If the Officers of NRNA America will hold online meetings, that means the gulf between the NRNA chapters in the 60 plus countries is going to be zero. Everyone can come on Skype. It is amazing how Viber has taken off. The NRN movement was always meant to be global. But lack of robust coordination has kept the movement in the doldrums. I am for more skyping and less air travel. Use social media to the max. Keep all interested members in the know. Publish meeting minutes and money details on Facebook groups.

5,000 members spread across the country might mean those running for Office might also have to conduct primarily online campaigns. That would be interesting. That would also be cheap. Which means anyone could participate, and that would be a good thing.

I have wondered out loud many times in many places as to why the top global Nepali entrepreneurs are not out of America but rather Second World countries like Russia. If America is the ultimate country, what gives? One of the things holding the community back has been a lack of large, mass based, democratic, transparent, robust organizations. Minus that the community has been nimbling along with some sort of an inferiority complex.


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