Minutes of Meeting

Date: Thursday, July 29^th, 2010  (6:30 -7:30 PM EST)

1. Call to order

Bineet Sharma called to order the meeting of CAN-USA members at 6:30 PM EST on 8/29/2010.

2. Roll call

A roll call was called by the facilitator. The following members were present:

Bineet Sharma (BKS)

Pradeep Khanal  (PK)

Prabuddhda Dahal (PD) – tele conference

Prajesh Shrestha (PS)

Suresh Ojha (SO)

Pukar Malla (PM) – tele conference

3. Purpose of the meeting and discussion

The purpose of the meeting was to apprise the members of past and present CAN-USA activities and discuss on the new businesses.

BKS thanked members for helping out in publication of July 2010 Newsletter, successfully holding the 3^rd Annual Development conference in July 4^th weekend in Boston.  Dr. Ramesh Malla, President of ASNEngr was specially cited for his help during joint CAN-USA/ASNEngr conference in Boston. Prabuddha Dahal’s presentation on Disaster Preparedness at the NRNA Regional Conference at Houston was recognized as one of the most successful contribution in the conference.  Nisha Thapa was commended on her role for the Disaster Preparedness kick off meeting of the concerned parties in Nepal.  BKS let members know that details of all these activities are available in our website www.can-usa.org.

After that a lively discussion ensued for present and future activities of CAN-USA. 

SO cited need for exploring possibility of writing to US congressmen so that we can have meaningful contacts with US aid organizations in Nepal.  PM, BKS and PK agreed that now such initiation can be jointly done through ANMF/ASNENgr/CAN-USA.

BKS explained that Nepal Research and Education Network (NREN) with 45 MBPS dedicated line had potential of supporting three important projects CAN-USA Supports: Open University, Telemedicine and Disaster Preparedness.  While nature of support level was still unknown but, there was general concession that CAN-USA should provide full support for NREN and utilize the potential of NREN.

The CAN-USA Annual General Body Meeting (AGM) and election date was tentatively discussed and agreed upon to be by the end of September.  Name of the election commissioner was identified to be Mr. Dorji Lama of Fremont, CA. 

Bineet Sharma was nominated by Pradeep Khanal and seconded by all to represent CAN-USA for the Skill Knowledge, Innovation and Education (SKIE) task force of NRN National Co-ordination council. 

A need for Advisory board for CAN-USA was discussed and several names were cited to be candidates to be in the advisory board.  It was decided that there would be equal number of Advisory Board Members from Nepal and USA.  The names coined were Mahabir Pun, Sanjib Raj Bhandari, Bal Joshi from Nepal side, Dr. Gewali, Dr. Bijay Bdr Karki, Kiran Joshi from US side.  To get started a white paper on the concept paper on Advisory Board will be written by Pukar Malla.

Possible representation in ANMA/NASeA labor day weekend conference in Lexington Kentucky was discussed specially in Joint Disaster Preparedness initiative.  PD told that he may be able to attend the conference.

A discussion brewed about providing a Job Fair during CAN-USA AGM and Election Day.  It was decided that we will find out a lead person who can lead the job fair.

PD passionately brought, one more time, the need to think about changing CAN-USA’s name for expanding our mandate and reaching out to more members.  It was generally agreed that it is about time to bring the discussion to the general mass and if needed can vote on the topic during our election day.  Idea was coined to create a task force in the leadership of Nabin Acharya.

4. New Business

1.      CAN-USA election to be held by last week of September or early October which will be Annual General Body meeting and a Job Fair/Workshop

2.      Bineet Sharma will represent CAN-USA in SKIE task force of NRN NCC

3.      CAN-USA will participate in ANMA/NASeA joint conference in Lexington, KY

4.      CAN-USA Advisory board will be formed in the near future

5.      CAN-USA will explore the possibility of changing name

5. Action Items:

• BKS will talk to the possible election commissioner candidates and finalize the name
• SO will draft the letter to congressmen and PM will edit it
• BKS will talk to Job Fair/Lead candidates and form the group.
• PM will draft the white paper on Advisory Board (AB)
• BKS, PM, SO will initiate the preliminary talk with possible AB members
• PD possibly will represent CAN-USA in ANMA/NASeA conference.
• BKS will talk to Nabin Acharya to head the CAN-USA name change task force and also talk to legal counsel on steps needed to take and also with Nepali counterpart and let them know that the co-operation unshakable even if name will change.

6. Adjournment

BKS adjourned the meeting at around 8:15 PM PST.

Minutes prepared by: Bineet Sharma

These companies are actively recruiting:

·         Centrify

·         Academix Direct

For immediate consideration please send your resume or inquiries to: jobsinquiries@Can-usa.org

Please free to contact directly as well.

Watch Rajan Pant’s (controller of the digital certificates, ministry of science and technology) interview with USNepalOnline on Nepal ICT prospects: http://www.usnepalonline.com/technology/interview-with-rajanraj-pant-in-new-york.html

July 8^th, 2010 meeting was very lively and engaging.  We had an insider view of Nepal Research and Education Network (NREN) from our guests Kishor Panth and Prashant  Manandhar who are active volunteers for Nepal Wireless Project and work very closely with Mahabir dai.  Together with other volunteers like Gaurab Upadhyay, they help out technically to bring the internet to villages.  They explained that the wireless projects in the villages are successful because the projects are requested by the villagers themselves and partly maintained by villagers as well.  This is perfect example of how organically grown projects can be sustained instead of projects brought over by foreign donation without paying attention on how to empower locals with ownership of the projects.

It was also eye opening for us that the project processes of Nepal Wireless project are now streamlined, equipments are standardized, towers used are permanent and the network is maintained in a consistent manner since last year.  So, today if a village is determined to bring internet in their village (Library, VDC, School, Office, and Banks etc.) a blueprint of the project is available to get it done quickly.

Highlight of the discussion concentrated on how the NREN (45MBPS connectivity) can be used by the projects dearest to CAN-USA and other professional organizations:

·         Disaster Preparedness

·         Tele-Medicine

·         Open University for Nepal (OUN)

Kishor ji emphasized that the CAN-USA should continue the Networking events and also have frequent brainstorming sessions with Nepal counterpart in a regular basis which will have a high impact.

The Networking event concluded with the following remarks:

1.        Next Bay Area networking event will continue on 3^rd Thursday of the month (August 19^th) but in a lunch setup at Ming’s restaurant with a guest speaker.

2.        Networking and brainstorming session with Nepal counterpart should continue in at least once in two months basis.

3.        CAN-USA should work with professional organizations to support NREN

Attendees:

Bhushan Mudbhary

Bineet Sharma

Kishor Panth

Pradeep Khanal

Prashant Manandhar

Samana Ghimire

Computer Association of Nepal-USA (CAN-USA) is an American organization dedicated to the professional development of its members and technological progress of Nepal.  It is a tax exempt 501 (3) © non-profit organization with members throughout the United States.  The organization continues to utilize the creativity and talent of its members and the broader American community to develop technology-rich solutions that address some of Nepal’s challenges. Please visit http://www.can-usa.org/ for more information.

A Report from Nepal by Nisha Thapa

About one month ago, I was invited by the Computer Association of Nepal (CAN) USA to  a conference as the keynote speaker and representative of the US-Nepali disaster relief community in Kathmandu. The conference was a part of a joint initiative between CAN USA, the American Nepali Medical Foundation (ANMF), and the American Society of Nepalese Engineers (ASNEngr). Though honored by the invitation and excited about the experience, I was overwhelmed by such an important role.

I have been heavily involved here in the U.S in organizing community health screenings, and running a free clinic for uninsured people from Bhutan, Nepal, and Tibet as a part of the Himalayan Health Care Project.  My only experience in disaster relief was fundraising for the post-earthquake relief effort in Haiti with student volunteers from Harvard’s Operational Medicine Institute (OMI).

With this limited experience, I reached out to the best resource for disaster relief I could think of: The executive director of OMI, David Callaway. I found his insights invaluable, particularly his perspective on alliances, or as he called it, Disaster Diplomacy. This meant that the need to identify and reach out to Nepal’s allies is imperative. These allies are the Nepali army and police (the first responders), the Indian Embassy, Indian NGO’s, and other disaster relief entities such as the International Red Cross and the United States Agency of International of Development (USAID).

Bringing together some of the best minds and organizations of Nepal in this historic precedent for establishing a functional disaster relief infrastructure has already made strides in the effort. For the agencies such as the Nepal Society of Earthquake Technology (NSET) who have been doing this work for years, a new platform has been established to prop up the importance of their work.  Joint initiatives between organizations such as the Computer Association of Nepal (CAN) - USA, the American Society of Nepalese Engineers (ASNEngr) and the American Nepal Medical Foundation (ANMF) have been forged to develop disaster response plans. Various organizations that attended the meeting were hopeful that this joint initiative led by U.S Diaspora would bolster their ongoing efforts by integrating technology with disaster preparedness.

Our U.S based organization, Sahayeta.org, is piloting medical software called the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) at Model Hospital in Kathmandu, and in our Himalayan Health Care Project here in Bay Area. Electronic health records allow easy access and storage of medical records and billing information while facilitating better communication between health professionals, management and patients. EMR also allows for better preparedness in disaster recovery since the records can be easily duplicated and stored at multiple locations. Our hope is that the software will eventually be used to serve other disaster relief communities such as in places like Haiti, where the lack of technology made record keeping of patients and procedures challenging. This brings us to the central problem of disaster management: you cannot manage a disaster after it has happened. You must be prepared before it occurs. While an earthquake might be inevitable for Nepal, we must take the initiative to ensure that disaster impacts are mitigated. Disaster response plans are currently being drafted, but setting short term goals are equally as urgent.  Between preventative health care and Disaster Diplomacy, we have got a lot of work to do, and no time to spare.

Nisha Thapa is the founder and the president of Sahayeta.org.  She can be reached at nishathapa82@gmail.com.

Houston, TX, USA. May 28-29, 2010

Prabuddha Dahal

A joint panel discussion on earthquake disaster preparedness in Nepal was organized by ANMF/ASNEngr/CAN-USA in Houston, TX during the 4^th regional conference of NRN. The panel was chaired by Dr. Prahlad Pant and moderated by Dr. Bishnu Phuyal.

The chair, Dr. Pant, opened the discussion by emphasizing the need for urgent attention to disaster preparedness in Nepal. The moderator, Dr. Phuyal, highlighted how the cooperation of the three agencies has already made a positive impact, leading into a conference with wide participation. He then invited the panelists to share their perspective on disaster preparedness.

The first panelist, Dr. Gaury Adhikary (E.C, ANMF), showcased how ANMF had participated in numerous healthcare services in Nepal and has had a strong footing in the field. He expressed his organization’s interest and ability to quickly mobilize medical personnel and medical assistance shortly after disaster has occurred.

The second panelist, Dr. Rajendra Shrestha(V.P, ASNEngr),  agreed that an effort to make better use of resources and a higher level of cooperation between the three organizations was necessary. Dr. Shrestha graphically explained to the audience how geological formation of the Indian sub-continent and the Himalayas has put Nepal at a high risk of major earthquake activity.

Prabudhda Dahal (V.P, CAN-USA) explained the possibility of complete failure of communication and transportation infrastructure during an earthquake and stressed the need for alternate communication mediums, such as walkie-talkies or satellite phones, to build a back-up communication system. He also underscored the need for effective use of technologies, such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), before, during, and after a major disaster. For such a massive task, he stressed the need for cooperation between the three agencies and urged the audience to get involved through membership or by volunteering time.

(Click here to view complete presentation)

Suman R. Timsina of NRN emphasized the need for cooperation between all fellow Nepalese living around the globe and assured, as an NRN executive, to work towards achieving such cooperation through NRN’s programs and networks.

The session was highly interactive, with curious and active participants, who not only listened and questioned the panelist, but also provided suggestions. Below is a list of suggestions/questions that came from the participants:

1.      Participants suggested that the joint effort be expanded to

a.       Organize similar presentation on the status and path forward for disaster preparedness in Nepal

b.      Prepare projects and participate in disaster awareness in Nepal especially in public places and institutions such as Schools and Hospitals with large number of people.

2.      Participants suggested that the three organizations should build a coalition and partner with other agencies for Building code enforcement in Nepal

a.       Majority of the attendees seemed unsure on how to take this issue in a manner that will generate results

3.      Another suggestion worth noting is a potential for cultural barriers

a.       What is the preparation to address cultural ethnocentrism following a disaster, thereby, limiting flow of essential goods and/or services from or via one community to another

b.      Efforts should be focused on  bringing politicians and social scientists together to discuss this issue

c.       Learn from other areas that have seen such conflicts during disaster (Haiti?)

4.      Mr. Sharda J. Thapa suggested that satellite phone companies could be willing to provide sets so we need to approach them with this request. He graciously agreed to help connect to these providers.

5.      Participants raised questions on the availability or establishment of a contingency fund. If there is none in place, it is something that needs immediate attention.

6.      The need to develop a comprehensive plan to bring government and local agencies, such as Mahanagarpalika, together with the Aid and Non-Profit organizations.

Prabuddha Dahal is Vice President of CAN-USA and is an expert in GIS.  He can be reached at prabdahal@gmail.com

Dear CAN-USA members and friends:

As you know the event unfolding in Haiti after the major earthquake in January 2010 rallied Nepali community in US to raise funds for the victims in Haiti as a community to community help.   That noble action also ensued the desire among all of us concerned to join force to attempt to come up with a broad Nepal earthquake disaster relief and preparedness recommendations that could be an exemplary initiative Nepali diaspora have ever taken in line with CAN-USA’s past actions to take up this issue.

This document is the proposed ANMF/ASNEngr/CAN-USA Joint  initiative on Earthquake Disaster Relief and Preparedness in Nepal sponsored by the America Nepal Medical Foundation (ANMF), American Society of Nepalese Engineers (ASNEngr), and Computer Association of Nepal USA (CAN-USA).   This document has been drafted with constant deliberation during past more than 4 weeks by these three organizations.

The proposed joint initiative by these three technical/professional organizations (ANMF, ANSEngr, and CAN-USA) to research and provide a set of recommendations which can be taken as a blueprint for actions in the ground for pre and post earthquake event in Nepal.

The actual action items resulting from the recommendations  of this joint study are likely going to be far reaching and broad in nature and no single organization will likely be able to complete them by itself along.   It will require a sustained and deliberate effort by all major non-resident Nepali organizations and national and international government and non-government organizations.

For this reason we are also seeking early support from major social organizations like NRN-NCC of USA and ANA to give us a moral support by signing this document.  During early stage we would like to assemble a team of approximately 12 professionals representing these five organizations and other concerned organizations, including some in Nepal. 

Sincere thanks to Suresh bhai for first draft of this document, and SumanJyu, AmbikaJyu and RogerJyu of NRN-NCC for providing early support.

Please use this thread to provide your valuable comments on the topic, your ideas and anything else which you think is vital for this study and would help this committee to do their work.

-Bineet

1. Call to order

Bineet Sharma called to order the ad hoc teleconference meeting of the Greater San Francisco Bay Area Nepali Community at 7:00 PM PST on 1/14/2010.

2. Roll call

A roll call was called by the facilitator. The following persons were present:

Amod Pokhrel                 CAN-USA

Anil Pandey                     Motherland Nepal

Ashish Hada                    Sahayata (Attended from East Coast)

Bineet Sharma                 CAN-USA

Bishnu Thapa                   NRN/NAC GS (Attended from East Coast)

Govind Sahi                     Community at large

Harihar Dahal                   Sunny Sagarmatha Society

Ishwor Sapakota               Sunny Sagarmatha Society

Jain Thapa                         BACC

Nisha Thapa                      Sahayata

Pratik Pandey                    Community at large

Roger Adhikari                 Community at large

Suresh Ojha                      CAN-USA

3. Purpose of the meeting and discussion

Bineet stated the purpose of the meeting was to establish a coordination committee to methodically and deliberately approach the issue of bringing together growing Nepali community for this devastation suffered by Haiti.  CAN-USA general secretary stated that this would be a good exercise for the Nepali community as KTM could be facing similar fate as the 8.0 magnitude earthquake is long overdue.

It was agreed after passionate discussion that earthquake preparation for Nepal is critical but there should be a follow-up meeting to discuss this issue specifically.

Anil Pandey cited an Emergency Fund ($4,500) which has been in the works for such calamity in Nepal.  Roger Adhikari, Govind Sahi concurred that a bylaws are being written for proper disbursement of such fund.  There was a concession that such hard earned fund may not be needed to be tapped for Haiti’s purposes.

Suresh Ojha asked for a research committee to investigate and analyze what could be needed in a similar situation in Kathmandu which shares a lot of similarities with Haiti.  He also requested a quarterly meeting of all of the Bay Area organizations to share the information.

Roger Adhikari cited that there has already been couple of such meetings in the past.  It was agreed that information on all future meetings should be widely disseminated to all interested parties.

At the end of the meeting a general concession was agreed upon to establish an ad hoc co ordination committee which will be comprised by representatives from Bay Area Organizations and volunteers from the community at large.  The fund will be raised and coordinated through NAC/NRN organization which is a 501 (3) © tax exempt organization and disbursed through US Red Cross.  All the organizations and well wishers will help in sending emails and rally around for the fund raising.

4. New business

a)   Haiti Fund Raising Coordination Committee:  An ad hoc co-ordination committee was established with Bineet Sharma leading the effort.  Other members include Harihar Dahal, Govind Sahi, Roger Adhikari, Nisha Thapa, Bishnu Thapa, Ashish Hada, Ishwor Sapkota, Anil Pandey, and Jain Thapa representing their respective organizations.  Other organizations are encouraged to nominate their members as soon as possible.

Action Items for the coordination committee:

1.      Brochure: Bineet Sharma will work together with Bishnu Thapa and other members to draft a brochure.  After approval by the full committee members the brochure will be used to solicit the donation from the community members.

2.      DJ Night: Nisha Thapa is organizing a DJ night specifically to raise funds for the Haiti victims. She is contemplating travelling to Haiti later to provide her medical service as well.  Coordination committee will work together with her to advertise her event and help in fund raising.

3.      Donation Solicitations with community members:  Coordination committee will work together with local community organizations to spread the call for donation through emails, meetings and other means.

4.      Next meeting: Coordination committee will meet in a regular and ad hoc basis until this fund event is closed.

b)   Nepal Disaster Research Committee:  Suresh Ojha will head a research committee to investigate specific actions that the members of the Nepali Diaspora can take to prepare for the expected 8.0 earthquake in Kathmandu and make recommendations for an efficient and coordinated response once the quake hits.  The goal is to present the recommendations by the ANA conference in July.  The members of the committee include Amod Pokhrel, Nisha Thapa, Ashish Hada.  The committee is expected to grow to include members from all facets of the community and multiple different disciplines.

c)   Quarterly Meeting of Bay Area Organizations: The meeting already in progress organized by Roger Adhikari will suffice this purpose.  The meeting notification will be circulated to include all interested organizations.

5. Adjournment

Bineet Sharma adjourned the meeting at around 8:45 PM PST.

Minutes submitted by:  Bineet Sharma

Minutes approved by: Roger Adhikari, Gobind Sahi, Harihar Dahal, Iswor Sapkota, Amod Pokhrel, Suresh Ojha, Bishnu Thapa, Anil Pandey

1. 3 separate workshops (each for 3 areas)
2. 1 single workshop (Integrating all 3 areas)
3. Job Search and Career Advancement sessions bundled into one workshop, Graduate School Planning being the other
4. 2 separate workshops for Job Search and Career Advancement only (No need of Graduate School Planning)

Also, please provide us with any other suggestion/ideas you might have. We want CM 2.0 to be successful but more importantly impactful.

Thank you for your input.

Regards,

CM 2.0 Planning Team