Showing posts with label Multiple citizenship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Multiple citizenship. Show all posts

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.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Democratic Fermentation: NRN Style

Nepali architect - Arniko in Miaoying Temple
Nepali architect - Arniko in Miaoying Temple (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
For the first time in its history, the Non Resident Nepali Association has become a mass based organization in America. This is a major milestone. Once the elections are over in a month, and people have the option to become members again, it is estimated the number might hit something like 10,000 to the current 4,000.

This makes the NRNA the largest Nepali organization in America, and now there is no more need for another umbrella organization. There must be a few hundred Nepali organizations across America, big and small. And that is all good. But there was a need to have one organization that brought everyone together from all parts of the country. That void has been filled.

Other than a large membership base, and perhaps more important, the basic democratic process seems to have taken root in the organization, starting from the election process itself. When an organization has 4,000 members spread across America, you have no choice as a candidate but to wage a decent campaign. You have to go out there and ask for votes, or go online.

I like to joke, which is the most socio-economically backward ethnic group in NYC? Is it the Nepalis, the Tibetans, or the Bhutanis? Considering Nepal is the poorest country outside of Africa, if Nepalis are not number one from the bottom in NYC, the crowd has got to be close to the bottom, there must be a pool of such ethnic groups.

How do you organize such people? Is it possible to buck the trend? As in, could Nepal continue to be the poorest country outside of Africa, but Nepalis in NYC organize themselves in such ways that the community makes major advances as a group over a period of something like 10 years?

I think that is possible. And turning the NRNA into a mass based organization is key to any such attempt. It is not just about dual citizenship. It is also about making socio-economic advances here itself, right here in New York City. Being better organized as a community helps, and that is to do with applying the basic democratic process.

For the longest time it felt like the minuscule ANTA had more members than the giant sounding NRNA. All that has changed. 2014 is proving to be a watershed year for the organization.

When you move from 200 members to 4,000 members, that is a move in the right direction. When members can register online, that is good. When members can vote directly for those running for office, that is swell. Online voting is a tremendous idea. A candidate creating a public Facebook page elevates the conversation.

The issue of dual citizenship remains the top item on the agenda, as yet the perennial unfulfilled goal. Politicians in Nepal are scared shitless that if they were to allow the NRNs dual citizenship, some of them might show up in Nepal to run for office, and then where are we? I remember one Holi in the 1980s when all planets in the solar system came to form one straight line, and that was supposed to be the end of the world. Nothing happened. At the end of the last century, all computers of the world were supposed to go haywire. Nothing happened. There is nothing to fear and everything to gain from the dual citizenship idea. In today’s globalized world Nepal has to think of all members of its diaspora as its ambassadors. Like I like to say, you can bring in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) or you can keep sending your workers out to Malaysia, Qatar, and where have you.

But then basic democracy is not enough. Recently I jotted down some ideas as to what a new Madhesi organization in the city might look like. Even with its recent love for basic democracy the NRNA will remain an organization where ordinary members have nothing much to do after they have paid their membership fee of 10 dollars and voted for somebody. Then all activity shifts to the few dozen active ones. I am not a big fan of that arrangement.

The basic building block of organizing Nepalis in the city has to be the Home Meeting, perhaps once a month, about 10 member strong. The emphasis has to be on helping more of the Nepalis who wish to come over to the US to come over, to help with the first phase of seeking lodging and a job. Most of that gets taken care of informally right now. Maybe there is room for something more organized. And then there has to be major emphasis on people making $10 per hour or less to help them get past that barrier. A lot of that might be to do with education and training, much of which can be done online for cheap these days. And there the social element can be a huge factor between someone moving upward, or staying stuck in third gear.

I think the same basic model of organizing can also work for Nepalis in the higher income brackets. In case you have not noticed, most of the top earners among Nepalis meet regularly, and compare notes, and help each other out.

The NRNA in NYC and in America should not just focus on the distant, seemingly abstract goal of dual citizenship, important as it is, but should primarily focus on helping its ordinary members advance socio-economically locally. Part of that also is about being efficient. Don’t get in the way of these Nepalis and the city itself and all that it has to offer. When you put together disorganized events that don’t have much focus or direction, you are basically inviting people to show up and waste their time. They work crazy hours for little pay. On their day off, they’d rather do laundry, or go visit Times Square, than show up for your event.

Can you blame them?
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Thursday, October 11, 2012

संगठनका कुरा (2)


संगठनका कुरा

मैले हिजो प्रभु मनी को कार्यलयमा टिपेको विश्व सन्देश को पछाड़ी पट्टी कोर्दै थिएं। विश्व स्तरमा नेपाली त्यही हुन जुन नेपालमा दमजम हुन। र त्यों कुराको झझल्को नेपाली समुदाय भित्र mass base नभएका नचाहेका तर नेतृत्व पद खाई रहेका अनगिनती ब्यक्ति हरुले दिई रहेको अवस्था छ। Living room politics बाट पद हरु बांडने पुरानो परम्परा छ।

Mass base मा जानु, democratic process follow गर्नु, पदकालागी खुला चुनाव गराउनु, संगठनको हिसाबकिताब खुला किसिमले वेबसाइट मा राख्नु, खुला बहस गर्नु -- यिनै साधारण अभ्यासले विश्व स्तरमा नेपालीहरूको empowerment हुन्छ। संगठनका अलावा agenda को कुरा आउँछ। Vision को कुरा आउँछ।

60-70 देशमा संगठन विस्तार भएको होला तर dual citizenship को कुरामा र 100 million dollar fund को कुरामा प्रगति भएको देखिंदैन। संगठन पनि mass based छैनन।

NRN (Non Resident Nepali) Association को संगठनमा थुप्रै कमी कमजोरी छन। त्यस बारे केही सुझाव दिन चाहन्छु।

(1) Pyramid of 10 --- व्यापक membership drive गर्ने। सदस्य हरू लाई कम्तीमा 10 बढ़ीमा 20 को संख्यामा संगठित गर्ने। महिना मा एक पटक house party गर्ने समुह। त्यस्तो 10 unit को नाइके को conference call मार्फत अथवा internet मार्फत अर्को समुह। And so on.

(2) Public Facebook page, private Facebook group, public Facebook group. Lots of use of photos and videos. Plenty of textual reports, discussions.

(3) Online voting. प्रत्येक सदस्यले मत दिन पाउनु पर्छ। Ohio जस्तो अनकन्टार दुर्गम ठाऊँमा 10 जना खुसुक्क जम्मा भएर राष्ट्रिय नेतृत्व चयन गर्ने चाहना पंचायती सोंच भयो। Leadership by consensus भनेको रोग हो। चुनाव नै हुन नदिने, कस्तो अचम्मको सोंच? चुनाव नहुने संगठन भनेको कहिल्यै झ्याल ढोका नखोलिने घर जस्तो हो। NRN को global leadership को पनि चुनाव नै हुनुपर्छ र त्यों चुनाव 1,000 delegate ले मत खसाल्ने चुनाव हुन सक्दैन। दुनिया भरका 20 लाख NRN हरू मध्ये व्यापक membership drive गरेर one person one vote का आधारमा आम आदमीको स्तरमा वोट हुनुपर्छ। NRNA को सदस्य हो भने global conference अगाड़ी online आउने, एक हप्ता को window हुन्छ, online गएर वोट खसाल्ने। जम्मा भएको delegate लाई पनि वोट खसाल्न नदिने कस्तो अचम्मको परिपाटी?

(4) 100% transparent, online book keeping. के कति पैसा उठ्यो र खर्च भयो त्यों प्रत्येक सदस्यलाई थाहा हुन पर्छ। Meeting को minutes online राखिनुपर्छ।

(5) NRN को न्यू योर्क चैप्टर ले Memorial Day Weekend मा प्रत्येक बर्ष convention गर्न पर्छ जस्तो मलाई लाग्छ। दुनियाको राजधानी हो यो।

Agenda अझै फराकिलो बनाउनु पर्यो। मुख्य मुद्दा dual citizenship को हो। त्यसमा नेपालका नेताहरूले बड़ो मुर्खता देखाएका छन अहिलेसम्म। त्यों बिना नेपालमा आर्थिक क्रांति संभव छैन। त्यति गहन मुद्दा हो त्यों। 100 million डलर फंडको कुरा राम्रै हो तर global financial market tap गर्ने कुरा त्यो भन्दा 10,000 गुना राम्रो हो।

नेपाली हरुले प्रत्येक देशमा आफ्नो अधिकार खोज्न पर्यो। 150 बर्ष अगाडी बोस्टन मा Irish ले नागरिक नभए पनि मत खसाल्थे मेयर कालागी। आज नेपालीले न्यू योर्क मा त्यही खोज्न पर्छ। त्यस्कालागी नेपाली समुदाय बाहिर जान पर्ने हुन्छ। Indian संग हातेमालो गर्न पर्ने हुन्छ। Chinese संग। Hispanic र African संग।

बलियो संगठन बाट पैदा हुने नेटवर्क ले सदस्य हरु लाई बिभिन्न किसिमका फ़ायदा हरु हुन्छन्।
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