First in Height, First in Flight

Nepal Center of North Carolina,Inc.

SANGALO

April 2007 (Baisakh, 2064 V.S.) Issue 7, Year 7 Editor Address: Printed at: Nagendra Neupane 102 Arrow Head Drive Triveni Computer Offset nagensharma@gmail.com Cary, NC 27513 Kupondiol, Kathmandu

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From Left to Right: Registration in Progress for New Year, Lekh Jee handing over a Check for $2000 for Health Post Project in Nepal, Ladies dressed-up for Nabin Bhatatrai Concert, Food and friendship served, Ready for cultural program, Children’s at Games

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Sanskriti SangaloIssue 3, Year 3September 2002 (Bhadra, 2059 V.S.)Est. 1999First in height First in flight

Editorial

I would like to welcome to everybody in Nepal Center of North Carolina (NCNC). Every year NCNC publishes “ Sangalo”, an annual magazine published at the end of each year. Its previous name was “Sanskriti Sangalo”. It is hard to pronounce and long. Therefore, staring with this issue we have decided its name to change as “Sangalo”

“Sangalo” means “collection”. Therefore, this is a collection of our memories, thoughts, and past. Majority of our members are Nepali and Nepal-related individuals. Therefore, I will prefer to create this edition of the magazine in two sections as in the previous years. The first section will be in English and second section in Nepali.

I look forward to your continued support and contribution towards the progress of our community. NCNC is fortunate to have some of the most dedicated and talented members amongst us in our community. That talent and ability to work with each other helps to move the NCNC forward. NCNC is one of the fastest growing communities in the Triangle. Every year there is an increasing number of members in our community. We have now around 400 members in NCNC from different communities including Raleigh, Greensboro, and Charlotte.

Sangalo is our own magazine and it is our own medium through which we can share and distribute our happiness and sadness. Therefore, I would like to encourage everybody to submit their thoughts in the form of an article. “Sangalo” does not move smoothly without your support and help.

I would like to express my appreciation to Dr. Jaya Raj Joshi who provided helpful comments and grammatical corrections. I want to thank to all writers, poets and columnists for their valuable articles and creations. In the preparation of this newsletter, I am indebted to Mr. Ishwar Devkota and all the members of the NCNC Board of Directors for their hard work. Thanks also to my son, Mr. Saugat Neupane for his computer work and layout.

Views expressed in these articles are, of course, those of the authors. Editors and NCNC, Inc does not necessarily endorse the opinions express thereof and are not liable for the damage to anyone due to the information contained in these articles.

I would greatly appreciate learning about any errors or omissions that the readers of this issue may discover. I can be contacted at neupanen@bellsouth.net. Or you may send your comments and suggestions to the editor at the above address.

Thank you for being a part of our community.

Nagendra Neupane(Chief Editor)

In this issue

English Section: PageAppeal from NCNC President **Community News **About NCNC, Inc. **List of Life Members **--Born in America 2006 **

Poems:

Sahaja **By: Jagadishwar Devkota

One Lonely Affair **By: Shraddha Sharma

Friendship **Kisan UpadhyayaBy: Kisan Upadhaya

Article:

Medical Supplies Project to Nepal **

Some Tips for Worker Visa (H-1B) ** Madhukar Devkota By: Madhukar Devkota

Peace, Challenge and Opportunity **Sailendra Devkota By: Sailendra Devkota

Triangle area businesses of Interest **4

Nepali Section:

President’s Appeal

With great pleasure I have yet another opportunity to report to you that NCNC had a tremendous year of 2006. As I always repeat, it is a center for our own Nepali brothers and sisters and our American friends to meet and build a bond of friendship, develop better citizenship through exchange of ideas and knowledge while maintaining our original roots which is imbedded deep inside our hearts. Each one of us who came here, have a desire to do something meaningful to the homeland we left behind. And others who have their yet another generation here also want to see that their children continue similar desire and tradition to do something for our original home Nepal. Essentiallyy, for us now and for our generation in future, NCNC is a forum to embrace Nepal in a significant way. I have not met any American friend who has been to Nepal and does not want to do as mush as we want to do for Nepal. To facilitate these desires has been the purpose of NCNC.

Yes, we have received overwhelming support from our friends who have expressed many moving sentiments. May our desire to enjoy peace, strengthen friendship, and opportunities for the future inspire all of us. Let NCNC flourish.

Formally, NCNC is a 501 c(3) registered non-profit organization. NCNC has various activities throughout the year that are of interest to Nepali and our American friends in NC. Here are some of the other activities from 2006:

New friends and family program, 2006: The meeting of the new friends and families and the very first meeting of the new year 2006 was celebrated on Saturday 25th, February at E.S King Village (Q-building), Jackson Street,NCSU Family Housing Complex, Raleigh, NC 27607. This has always been an excellent time to meet many of our new friends in town. It's a pleasant surprise that we have grown so much in number and a pot-luck dinner was very casual where there were lots of opportunities to interact among 150 plus folks.

New Year Convention 2063, April: A huge one-day convention was organized for Nepali New Year 2063 on April 22 Our venue for the function was Community United Church of Christ located at 814 Dixie TRL, Raleigh, NC 27607. Program started with Reception, Grand Programs for Children of all ages simultaneously in three rooms with Prizes, Learning with Fun, games, story telling etc. Welcome, Introduction, and NCNC

updates in Main Hall, Catered Dinner, Separate Dinner for Children in Game Room, Cultural Program with Dances, Songs, Muktaks, Kabita, Jokes and more. My heart felt congratulations to all organizers and also participants (about 200) for this huge event with so little budget. Human Rights in Nepal, April 9-11:With this series of events, the Duke Human Rights Initiative seeked to focus attention on the serious human rights situation in Nepal. I had opportunity to attend most functions myself.

These events were cosponsored by the Asian/Pacific Studies Institute, Center for Documentary Studies, Cultural Anthropology, Duke Center for International Studies, Duke Human Rights Consortium, Duke Human Rights Initiative, Duke Performances, Duke Special Collections Library, thnomusicology, Franklin Humanities Institute Seminar, Human Rights Working Group, N.C. South Asia Center, Women’s Colloquium, Women’s Studies.

Special Event Ma-Ha Sanjh, July 13: Last year, Center for South Asia Studies at Duke University, helped us stage a Nepal's Nationally Acclaimed drama "Malati Mangale", a small fund was also available form UNC’s graduate student initiative program. Center for South Asia Studies at Duke University again supported us for staging a drama from Nepal “Ma-Ha” this summer. Both were huge successes with more than 250 in attendance. We had, I would say. 75% of the Nepali folks residing in North Carolina attend and there were at least 30 to 40 or more area Carolinians in the event.

Please note that the MaHa team will help raise funds for a 13-bed health post in Haripurwa Village in Sarlahi District with the estimated cost of about $25,000 and also raise funds for other HeNN projects.

HeNN is a global charity founded and run by Nepalese with registered chapters in Nepal , UK , Australia and USA. HeNN-USA, a registered 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, planned the entire US tour. This effort is being led by Shailesh Gongal, Chairman of HeNN-USA . With a slogan 'One Dollar a Month Fund for Nepal ,' HeNN aims to raise at least a dollar a month from every Nepali to provide health and education to the needy communities in Nepal. NCNC was very pleased to be able to raise $2000.00 for this effort. Go NCNC!

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Fun Four Festival in Greensboro, July 4:NCNC had an exhibition stall where we displayed information about Nepal, and typical Nepali handicrafts. Basanta Khadka ji and his group presented a typical Nepali dance and songs for half hour. This was a great program.

In past, we have also participated in Durham Center Fest. We also aim at participating in Laze/Daze festival of Town of Cary this year.

Participation in other Nepali Conventions September: NCNC had very memorable participation at 2006 Joint Convention of Nepalese Association in Southeast America (NASeA) and Nepalese Association in Midwest America (ANMA) during Labor Day Weekend, 2006, in Chicago. Dashain program October 7: For the Nepalese Diaspora in North Carolina, Dashain this year was entertaining as they celebrated it with Nepal’s pop artist Nabin Bhattarai, in North Carolina, Herb Young Community Center, Cary.

Bhattarai's performance added much delight to the jubilant crowd already filled with pageantry and colour of the festival. We had about 300 people in the crowd. Special thanks to Mr. Scott Freese of International Campus Ministries of the Triad who volunteered to drive a Bus for our bahiniharu from Salem College. Fund Rasing Dinner at Davidson College October 27: Ms. Utsha Khatri believed that too many Americans are unaware of the political conflict that has ensued for over a decade in Nepal. Although the crisis in Nepal has arisen from a political conflict, her interest lied in the social consequences. Too many innocent, uninvolved Nepalese citizens have been affected by the politics. The orphanage they raised money for is one that is run by an American man, whose brother teaches at her school. He houses children, many of whom have been rescued from life-threatening situations due to the violence. NCNC coordinated a program and our Nepali bahini haru from Salem College, Lorna from Greensboro presented dances. I was asked to speak at the function and was very glad to be able to help Utsha and the program she cared about. I was particularly pleased with her initiative.

Participation in International Festival in Raleigh in November: Every year since our formation we have been active participants in the Festival with our pageantry and color to promote the cultural theme of the Festival. This is

one of the many ways we have been contributing to the community.

We also raised more than 2000 dolalrs during this function for our expenditure. Thank you so much for all volunteers for working so hard.

International Dinner, Salem college November: The Salem College International Club organized a night of exotic food and cultural celebration at their ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL DINNER. Like always they have been donating profits to charity and this year our bahinihary coordinated by our own Liberty Pandey had donation were added to the Orphanage Utsha helped out from Davidson.

Discussion with Mandira Sharma,Human Rights Watch 2006 Global Award Recipient, November 20:

Each year, Human Rights Watch issues an award to an individual who has made a special contribution in the area of human rights in the face of great risk and challenges. This year, Mandira Sharma is the award recipient. Mandira is the founder of Advocacy Forum, a widespread network of human rights attorneys that have conducted investigations and filed cases on behalf of thousands of victims of human rights abuses during Nepal’s 10-year civil war. I had an opportunity to meet her here. Our own Nagendra Neupane ji has interviewed for Sangalo.

Christmas party on the 16th of December: This year's Christmas party on December 16, 2006, at Upadhaya's residence was a fabulous one. The turn out was great and food was super. This was yet another opportunity to meet our friends around here in the Triangle.

Thanks to Kisan and Pam Upadhaya and members of their family, Manoj and Sushama ji, and Bimsen and Geeta Basnet ji for taking lead to organize and host this function along with NCNC.

Project to Send Medical Supplies to Nepal, on-going: We have made lots of progress to send surplus medical supplies from here to much needed places in Nepal. Individuals associated with four organizations NCNC, Holly Springs Rotary, West Triangle Chapter of UN Assoc., UNC Medworld are now working on feasibility so that it can become a regular activity. We would welcome your support in anyways possible. Nepali Language Class at NCSU, and at UNC: Two levels of Nepali classes are being offered at NSCU from this fall and a beginning class at UNC, Chapel Hill. Nepali, an Indo-European language is the official

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language of Nepal. It is also one of the national languages of India and is also spoken in Bhutan and other countries of Southeast Asia. Elsewhere, Nepali is spoken with increasing Nepali Diaspora in respective places such as, USA, Japan, Russia, Middle East, and European countries. Please contact Dr. Harihar P. Bhattarai, (919) 513-1119 (hpbhatta@sa.ncsu.edu) for more information. This basically summarizes our activities for the year 2006 and what a tremendous amount of satisfaction we have achieved with your active participation and support. We have truly realized the value of a full year at NCNC. We have desire to do more: typically we want to empower our community with sufficient knowledge in civic society so that they can realize their fullest potential. We wish to conduct at least one annual seminar on basic orientation that includes government, society, civic and legal responsibility, educational, financial and health care planning, and other contemporary issues that are a must for new assimilates in the society. Our goal is to introduce themselves to the opportunities available through formal seminars, outing, guidance manual leaflets etc. We are seeking a find of $2,000 annually to conduct this program.

To run our all NCNC annual programs we typically wish to increase our total current reserve of $7,500 by at the least $5,000 more for this purpose to be efficient. So my dear friends, this is my appeal to you to please support NCNC by being Life Member and donating anything you can towards our operating resources. We are in need of minimum of $3,500 this year so that we can deposit $10,000 in CD to yield $400 yearly to rent venue for our functions.

On other notes, some of us participated in “Race for Cure” fund raising program this summer and helped to raise 1,500 plus for the just cause. It was very uplifting experience to be among the crowd of about 10,000 people who want to contribute. We were also able to help out with translation of official nepali documents to English. I am aware of many of our community members are involved in different activities such as donating blood, volunteering many other ways, and I hope we can continue to reach out with every little opportunity we get in the coming year. Once again, lets us continue making most of the time we have, treasure every moment and share with someone special. For this coming year and every year, may you delight in the beauty of the world, and discover joy and

hope. Wish you very happy, healthy, safe, peaceful and prosperous year 2064. Thank you and with kind regards=============================Community News: Monthly Devi Pooja : Narayan Deo along with community at Hindu Bhavan in Morrisville, NC performs monthly Devi Pooja on the Second Sunday of every month. Pooja is conducted by the utterances of relevance shlokas by the group followed by Hawan, Arati and Nam Sankirtan. Usually a pot luck lunch is organized after the pooja. Contact the following for details.Narayan/Annapurna Deo @ 919-460-1260

Nepali Women’s Global Network announces Annapurna Activist Prize: The Annapurna Activist Prize will be given in honor of NWGN’s founder Annapurna Deo’s lifetime work on behalf of Nepali women and children.  This U.S. $1,000 award will be given annually to a Nepali individual who has made outstanding contributions toward increasing awareness, promoting education and advancing the rights of women and children in Nepal. Applicants may download an application form at nepaliwomen.org .

The Annapurna Award is funded by Captive Daughters. The Captive Daughters organization is committed to ending the exploitative practice of sex trafficking through education, awareness, and activism building. 

The Everest Club is a Nepali Student Club at NC State University. We are very please to see the club’s progress each year.

Exploris: is a private non-profit dedicated to encouraging people to respect differences, appreciate similarities and make connections with people of the world. More information can be found at www.exploris.org

About NCNC, Inc.

The Nepal Center of North Carolina is an organization that includes North Carolinians of Nepali origin, as well as people interested in Nepali cultural development. We attempt to bring about positive change, and to help build responsible citizenship through educational and cultural means, but primarily - we are about friendship. As our traditional culture begins to interweave with contemporary American culture, we recognize the

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necessity to preserve parts of our Nepali culture and cultural values in a meaningful way.

Our annual activities include but are not limited to the following.1) Hosting two semi-Annual Conventions (one logistic

and the other cultural) normally attended by about 200 people.

2) Participation in festivals such as Raleigh International Festival, where we present a Nepali cultural booth and program.

3) Donate money for relief works and charities.4) Creating new, and continuing current, partnerships

with area institutions (such as universities) by providing information about Nepal.

5) Helping non-Nepalese going to Nepal by orientation, information and guidance.

6) Helping Nepalese move into North Carolina. Provide Nepalese Translations.

7) Publishing an annual newsletter with extensive educational information.

8) Greet and host dignitaries related to Nepal visiting North Carolina.

9) Maintaining an active relationship with other Nepalese Associations in North America.

10) Organizing Nepalese cultural programs.11) Administering Nepali learning classes.12) Teaching of English as second language is available

upon request.13) Teaching Nepali Dancing skills.14) Coordinating programs in cooperation with other

organizations for a mutual interest.

Born in America:

Parkar Khatri Parents: Ramesh/Kabita KhatriHospital: Rex Hospital, Raleigh, NC

Abhishek AcharyaParents: Adarsa/Bimala AcharyaHospital: Wake Medical Center, Raleigh, NC

Rumina C. ThapaParents: Ram/Niruja ThapaHospital: Wake Medical Center, Cary, NC

Elina Cherise Luitel PereraParents: Shaluka /Pragya LuitelHospital: Rex Hospital, Raleigh

Ria GautamParents: Rajesh/Asmina GautamHospital: Wake Medical Center, Cary, NC

Rhea ShresthaParents: Yam Kumar/Roshni Hospital: Wake Medical Center, Cary, NC

Jaya Dev BhattaParents: Aashish/Shashi BhattaHospital: Wake Medical Center, Cary, NC===========================

NCNC Life Members:

Arun and Pratima Dhital wishing all NCNC family

HAPPY and PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR 2064.

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श्री नगेन्दर न्यौपान का रचना हरु पढनुहोस्१) हरायका कैदीहरु ( क बि�ता सङ्रह)२) य त्राको �ङ्लादेश् ( यात्रा सस्मरण )३) अन्तिन्तम घुटको ( कथा सङ्रह)नेपलमा पइने स्थानहरु १) रत्न पुस्तक भन्डार, काठमान्डौ२) साझा प्रकाशन्, काठमान्डौ Read Nagendra Neupane's following Books in English:1 An Odyssey to Bangladesh (Travelogue)2. The Last Swallow (Collection of Stories)Available at: International Neplai Literary Society1227 Hornar Road, Woodbridge, VA 22191Phone: (703) 491-1014, email: nagensharma@gmail.com

NASeAWishes all NCNC members

HAPPY and PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR

2064.

Mr. Narayan and Mrs. Annapurna DeoMrs. Shanti RajlawatMr. Ishwar and Mrs. Kamala DevkotaDr. Jaya Raj Joshi and Mrs. Sundara JoshiDr. Pete Andrews and Mrs. Hannah AndrewsMr. Mark Trustin and Dr. Marcia AngleMs. Lynn KnauffMrs. Rama DworkinDr. Narayan and Mrs. Nirmala RajbhandariMr. Bibhor Rimal and Mrs. Pranita RimalMr. Janak Marhatta and Mrs. Prabha MarhattaMr. Madan Risal and Mrs. Meena RisalMr. Madhav Dhakal and Mrs. Sushma DhakalDr. Samantha Thapa and Mrs. Rashmi ThapaMr. Subodh and Mrs. Pratima GautamMr. James and Mrs. Elizabeth EdwardsMr. Nagendra and Mrs. Bhagawati NeupaneDr. Ganga D. Sharma and Mrs. Saroj SharmaMr. Manoj Lama and Mrs. Sushila LamaDr. Ramesh Amatya and Dr. Sudha AmatyaDr. Padam P. Paudel and Mrs. Usha PaudelMr. Shree Kant and Mrs. Laxmi GautamDr. John Paul and Mrs. Jill PaulMr. Ed Wesolowski, Jr. and Ms. Lucy SiegelMr. Kisan and Pam Upadhaya

Welcome to New Life members from 2006

Dr. Sanjay and Banu ShahDr. Quentin and Marjorie LindseyMr. Suresh Thapa and Sarala Thapa Mr. Lekh Nath and Rajeshwari DulalMr. Bhimsen and Mrs. Geeta Basnet

ShahajaJagadishwar Devkota

You are Niru, incarnated, To fill a void of some one who, Very dear to our hearts, Immortal and secured for ever.

Your Mom shall shower you with, Relentless love, compassion and all, From the heaven, from the eternity, To sail your life smoother as ever.

Your mom leave you not alone, But among many others, A host of loving family, A dearest father to lean on.

Great mother gave you the greatest, A father'love to last longer, Uncles , aunts, sisters and many others, To feel at home in her absence.

Our Shahaja, the dearest and lovely, you have lost one but retain many, To call them of, your very own, To grow with them, to lean on them.

Your mother's uncle that much I say, I have given you an aunti possibly best, To care, to love as alternate, In the absence of your inner one.

You have a place to call a home, you have an aunti to call a mom Older sisters are all yours, All the brothers are your own.

Do come home always, with your dad, sisters and all, Our home is your home, open and secured to feel at home.

We will be with you, always, Every steps of your life, To guide and rejoice your success, As an unit of your clan.

You have a great future, A better fate awaits you, To fulfil that unfilled, if any, left behind by the dear one.

You shall grow to be some one, Pretty,smart and above all, you shall smooth the wrinkle Left on hearts of every one. ===================

One Lonely Affair

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Shraddha Sharma

You came - time was gratefulYou left – time was unfair………I stood still, all to myselfLoneliness now, was my only affair.

Days came and went by…..Buds unfolded, blossomed and crumpled downDoves flew, chanted and left without a frownAgain, I was there, all in solitude and despair, I shed countless tears, …….lived like thousand years, Every tear was worth dropping……. Every second was worth waiting…… For, I will see you again, One more lifetime is worth living.

FriendshipKisan Upadhaya

Knowing that you're about to depart.Breaks my lonesome heart,Thank you for your love and concern,I'll promise I will never discern.

You're truly an awesome friend,I hope it will never end.I love your lovely smiles,Which be seen from more than a mile.

First time I saw you in the night,You were sitting by candlelight.As I walked up to you,I was taken by your plight.

Whenever I am alone,It hurts my lonely soul.Your friendship is like a beautiful flower,Which I admire it all of the hour.

Medical Supplies Project to NepalWe are very pleased to report to you that we have some members and our friends in our community who have been working to send some medical supplies to needy in Nepal. Following is outline of our project thus far. If you are interested to help and want to be part of it please let us know.

NCNC, Inc. has made preliminary contacts through our members potential hospitals/Health Posts in Nepal and

have requested what their need is. We have assigned two people thus far to monitor as coordinators to two separate hospitals. This is for get going.

Rotary in Nepal and we in NCNC here can select more hospitals. But one person or team with a suitable backup should monitor and follow-up with just one hospital.

We have made Health Posts aware of their responsibilities. That being, they ought to be non-profit, be able to clear customs, and receive and transport to the site (If we fund this portion, things would move faster).

NCNC members will periodically monitor the supplies through actual field visits in Nepal as they know the hospital, and people involved.

Medical Supplies are collected as "MEDICAL SURPLUS" from UNC or may be other hospitals. There are volunteers to do this. We may need to find local shippers to take to port; USPS etc.where NCNC can find members to do it.

They are shipped through International Shipper specializing in shipping medical supplies. Example: www.medshare.org. Money may be required or may not be. But shipping costs here locally is required. We need initial fund of about $2000.00 to get the ball rolling.

Please note that we have previous experience in other areas which suggests, at times transportation costs are so much higher that it is not worthwhile shipping from here at all. In fact one may end up buying it cheaper there at these days and times.

Please note that this is a proposed joint venture at this end of individuals associated with four organizations NCNC, Holly Springs Rotary, West Triangle Chapter of UN Assoc., UNC Medworld. On receiving end are Hospitals, Rotary Clubs if needed. And on Monitoring end are our NCNC coordinators who know the Hospitals and all Partners here.

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HELP NCNCBecome Life Member

NCNC is yours

Some Tips for Worker VISA (H-1B) - Madhukar Devkota

We all know that America is a land of immigrants. USA has opened its door to immigrants since 1776. Many laws have been changed to date to get the present shape of immigration laws. The present immigration law is very complex and changes everyday. Immigration is a federal law, and a federal authority regulates immigrations and the rights of the aliens (foreign nationals). You have to constantly keep updated with the changes that happen everyday in the immigration law. The official website of the United Stated Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is: http//www.uscis.gov/. Since, this is an official web site, you can trust the contents of this website. The same website contains all the USCIS forms and other immigration related information.

The population of Nepalis or Nepali-Americans is rising every day. Unofficial sources estimate that the population of people from Nepali origin is around 50, 000 now. More than 6,000 Nepali students came to this country in 2006. The significant numbers of Nepalis are coming here from diversity visa lottery program and from family and from employments based petitions. The student and DV visas are very popular visas in Nepal. Since Nepali are smart in their studies, many Nepalis find jobs in different organizations and settle down here first through legal permanent residency or popularly known as “Green Card” and finally through US citizenship.

Since US immigration law is vast and complex, all the students want to get working visa popularly know as Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker/OR Temporary Specialty workers visa (H-1B) after completing higher studies in universities and colleges. In this article we only discuss about the H-1B visa.

Employers may file this visa petition for an alien to come to U. S. temporarily to perform services. Students who have completed bachelor’s degrees from US or overseas are also eligible to apply for this visa, if US employers needs their services.

H-1B is very popular and is in demand as a work visa in US. It is one of the platforms to be eligible to apply for legal permanent residency (LPR). This visa is created to benefit US employers who seek to hire aliens for professional/specialty occupation like a computer programmer, accountant, fashion designer or engineer. There are 50, 000 H1-B quotas each year for persons with

a U.S. bachelor’s degree or an equivalent degree from overseas. You may also qualify, if you have several years of progressive experience in an occupation, in which your employer wants to hire you. Each year, new H-1B program starts on October 1st, and employers can file the petition for non-immigrant worker starting April 1st. This is the most popular visa and the quotas for a given year run out very fast. This year’s quota ended on May 27, 2006. It took only a months and 27 days to fulfill the 50, 000 quota. If your company wants to file an H-1B for you next year, it is advisable to file H-1B immediately starting April 1st of the coming year. If you are here in the U.S., you have to be on legal status, before your H-1B starts on October 1st. The employer can also bring foreign workers from their home country on an H-1B visa, through visa counselor processing. Employer has to file the H-1B here and USCIS will notify US counselor office in their home country.

There are additional 20, 000 quotas, for people with Masters or higher degrees from US universities. These quotas do not apply to non-profit organization like universities or government research organizations. The USCIS can no longer counts against the cap any person who has already been counted within the past six years unless the H-1B applicant would be eligible for a new full six years of authorized H-1B admission at the time the new petition is filled. The H-1B visa is valid only for 6 years, 3 years at a time. If your labor certification is under process for more than a year, or even after labor certification has been approved and if your company has filed an immigration petition for alien worker, on Form I-140 for you, you can get an extension of H-1B for the duration of one year at a time. If your I-140 is approved, you can apply for 3 years of H-1B. Quota limitation does not apply to anyone who is already on H-1B status. If you have a spouse and children, you can apply with Form I-539 to change their status to H-4. As long as you are on H-1B, with employer petitioner, you will not fall out of status.

If you want to go back to your home country, after working here for 6 years on an H-1B visa, and if you spent full one year in your home country, you are eligible to receive another H-1B for six years. Then you will be treated as new alien for H-1B.

If you are already on an H-1B visa, you can switch to another company. The new company has to file H-1B for you. Good thing is that you can move to a new company any time of the year, and there is no quota limitations for such move. The alien in H-1B status can apply for labor

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certification, I-140, and or a green card, without going back to his or her home country. The dual intention is acceptable for H-1B.

These are the benefits of an H-1B visa: You can work legally in the US for your H-1B sponsor, you may travel in and out of the US, remain here continuously until you H-1B visa status expires, and, finally, visas are available for accompanying relatives.

These are the limitations of an H-1B visa: You are initially restricted to working only for the company that acted as your H-1B sponsor. You can change jobs later. Employers must have an attestation on file with the US. Labor Department before they can sponsor you for H-1B status. H-1B status can he held for no more than six years. Then, you must return to your home country, unless you are eligible to change to another nonimmigrant category or apply for permanent residence. Accompanying relatives may stay in the US with you, but they may not work, unless they qualify for a work visa on their own right. Remember, the government approves H-1B for the benefit of US employers.

Always keep your visa and passport valid. Never fall out of status. If you overstay in the US, without a visa, there are certain years of bars before you can re-enter this country. Once you are out of status, it is very difficult to get in status once again. If you need to extend your visa, apply well in advance. Consult an immigration attorney to know your options. Never violate the law, and respect the rules, regulations, and immigration laws. A minor charge now will affect you in a longrun while applying for a green card, citizenship, and other benefits. Charges like shoplifting, assault, and harassment may be considered minor charges in Nepal but are considered big charges here. Keep your passport and other documents in safe place, and make copies of all the documents and put them at a separate location. If you get caught by police, never lie or run; instead, consult an attorney immediately. If you are an alien, never work without authorization from the USCIS.

Note: The information in the article is provided solely for the general knowledge and should not be used to determine any course of action in a specific matter. These tips are written for general knowledge and do not represent the opinions of the organization where the writer works.

Peace, Challenge and Opportunity -Sailendra Devkota

Our motherland Nepal, home to Mount Everest is dominated by the world’s most imposing mountains. Although the country is relatively small, 80% of its territory is occupied by dramatic peaks of the Himalayas. This small hospitable country has been an exceptionally popular destination for travelers, whether they are in search for climbing challenges or spiritual enlightenment.

The skies of Nepal is full with clouds and new moons at this time. They are playing to each other simultaneously. These two are two opposite factors. So, only one is possible in absence of the other. People have no doubt they want moon but not the cloud. We are waiting for a new moon to rise in the sky. Right now, this is just an afternoon and we can’t see moon in the daylight. So, we are hoping to see the bright moon very soon.

Nepal has great political significance. We might have different views about it. But either directly or indirectly everybody is affected by the politics. As we know, Nepal’s politics has accelerated and has gone through many turns and steps since 1950. However, Nepal has still not developed as expected. Corruption seems to be the main cause of it. We do not have to go far back to analyze the Nepali politics. The past decade of the 90s is good enough to reveal some of its problem and prospects.

In 1990, following a short movement for the restoration of democracy by the banned political parties, a multiparty parliamentary system was restored in Nepal. The general election was held in 1991, and the Nepali Congress (NC) party won a commanding majority in the parliament in that election. However, soon after forming a majority government, an internal discord developed within the NC party. The main opposition party United Marxist-Leninist Communist (UML) split into two factions. Forty dissident UML members of the parliament (MPs) formed a new Nepal Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist, CPN-ML). Another breakaway left party, the Nepal Communist

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Party (Maoist), engaged in revolutionary activities in all parts of Nepal since 1996 under the slogan "People's War”

The parties have to show that they can rise above petty interests for the cause of democracy by braving every threat and persecution to bring the Maoists to the political mainstream. The chance for peace in this seven-party action comes after repeated wasted opportunities in reciprocating the Maoists' genuine ceasefire offers of four months in the past. A genuine people's government would surely have taken the rightful step in this bilateral ceasefire. It is time to establish the peace, harmony and development in the country. It is time for us to unite as a nation, and for the greater good Nepali people.

Although several months have passed since the major political changes, the signing of the final peace agreement between the Maoists and Parties, the progress is moving slowly but appears to be moving in a positive direction. As we are coming out of the civil war of the past decade, we eagerly await and opportunity to see its end. Our heart has been torn out by these years of violent turmoil. Our nation is on the verge of becoming a failed state.

That leader is great who can lead in the time of difficulties. That leader will be immortal who can propound the new ideology and vision for the betterment of the society. That leader will succeed who can pull the nation towards progress and development. This is not only the challenge but also an opportunity to be a great successful and immortal leader.

Even in these darkest times, a glimmer of hope shines before us. The wish to see the Maoists succeed in the negotiation and to see them integrate into the political mainstream may not be a mere wishful thinking if certain recent incidents are embraced fully and enthusiastically by the people and the international community. The support of the international community may not mandatory is nevertheless very useful.

Mr. Devkota has B.Sc. degree from Tribhuwan University, Nepal and he is currently a graduate student at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina USA.

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Triangle Businesses of Interest Nepal Center of North Carolina, Inc.,www.geocities.com/ncnc2003Center for South Asia Studies, NCSUDr. Afroz Taj, 919-515-9302 (office)http://sasw.chass.ncsu.edu/fl/faculty/taj/hindi/

Geet Bazaar, www.wknc.org, WKNC 88.1Every Sunday from 10 am to NoonPhone: (919) 515 2400, (919) 860 0881

Royal India Restaurant, (919) 981-08493901 Capital Blvd., Ste. 103, Raleighwww.royalindia.citysearch.com

Palika Bazaar Call Aanand,Phone: (919) 463-0338Dresses, Lahanga, Luggage, DVD/CD, JewelryChatham Square, CaryKalashriFashions, Handicrafts, Paintings, Jewelry etc.Chatham Square, CaryPhone: (919) 302-7633Peace Land ‘s Travel & Tours, Inc.Phone: 1-888-461-4722 All your Air ticketing Needs to Nepal now representing COSMIC AIR for domestic and International Flights at Rupees Rate for Nepali National where applicableTriangle Indian Market Desi Groceries, Variety of the freshest and best ethnic vegetables and spices are availablePhone: 919 380-0350India Palace IIExotic Indian Cuisine962 B Airport Blvd. MorrisvillePhone: (919) 460-3339

Dale’s Indian Cuisine &Tandoor India RestaurantDale’s: (919) 286-1760Tandoor: (919) 484 2102 SuchiFine Indian Cuisine, Specializing in South Indian DishesChatham Square, CaryPhone: 919- 466-7273Galaxy Cinema770 Cary Towne Blvd.Phone: (919) 463-9989

Cool Breeze/Chowpatty ChaatIndian fast Food and Ice CreamsChatham Square, CaryPhone: (919) 463-9130HIMALAYAS IMPORT INC,An authentic importers of Himalayan Artifacts Asheville, NC, Phone: 828 225 0506MANOJ LAMA 

Shamim Beauty ParlorFull service salon in the TriangleChatam square, Cary(919) 465-0063India Garden RestaurantKing of Indian CuisineCary Town Center, CaryPhone: 919- 319-3722Udupi, CaféPure Vegetarian South Indian DishesChatham Square,Phone: 919-465-0898Spice and CurryIndian Restaurant and GroceriesPhone: 919-544-7555Dechen Collections (Tibetan Store)Gifts from Tibet, Nepal, & around the World307 Blake St., Raleigh(919) 899-6817VGS India MartLargest Selection of Groceries from India, Sweets, Snacs, Videos, DVDs & Audio5410 Highway 55, (919) 544-3738Himalayan Frontiers     Tibet World Imports           Triangle Town Center Commons, Raleigh (919) 792-2575MithaiHouse of Indian Desserts, 919-806-0100e-mail: mithai@verizon.netwww.mithaius.com

Final Account as of 2/01/2007 - Lekh Nath Dulal Debit Credit BalanceBalance 1/31/2006 6940.98

1. NCNC Meet and Greet Function 2/25 Expense and check charges

96 6884.98

Special Contribution, Life Memebrship Received

390 7234.98

2. New Year Celebration 3/22 Hall Rental 220.00 7014.98

Food initial payment 450Utensil, paper goods, supplies for Games, prizes

281.06

Pizzas, Cookies, Soda, Ice 108Food final payment 571Income from gate 7602 Life Membership / 100.00

210 6574.92

3. Program Ma-Ha

Tickets income 1890.00 Sound System and Hall rental

500.00

Contribution from Center for South Asia Studies

500.00

Contributinn Help Nepal Project

2000.00

Misc. income expense Brochure and Newsletter…

155.00 6309.92

4. Dasain Celebration, October 7, 2006Food Catering 1500Sound System 300.00Hall Rental 790.00Income 2875NASeA contribution 200Expense Paper goods 80.43Life membership + Lutheran Contribution

300

Expense of Nabin and Entourage

1200 5814.49

5. International Festival 2006, November 4, 2006 Rental Deposit 200.00

Food Advance 700.00 Income Deposit 1625.0 Income deposit 1160.00 -

Misc expense, Tags, supples

62.00

Income from Bazaar 137.25 7774.746. Expense for Winter Meeting

NCNC contribution 200.00 7574.74

Ending Balance 1/25/07: $ 7574.7414

President: Mr. Ishwar Devkota

Vice President: Mr. Nagendra Neupane

Vice President Dr. Sushama Pradhan

General Secretary: Mr. Madhukar Devkota

Treasurer: Mr. Lekh Nath Dulal

Board Director Ms. Shanti Rajlawat

Board Director Mr. Kisan Upadhyaya

Board Director Mr. Rabindra K.C.

Board Director Mr. Basanta Khadka

NCNC EXECUTIVE MEMBERS 2006-2007

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Since 1999August 19, 2006

Dr. Harihar P. BhattaraiDepartment of Foreign Languages and LiteratureNorth Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607

Reference: FL 295C 007 SPTP-Elementary Nepali IDear Harihar ji, Nepali Class debut in our own esteemed institution in the USA; NCSU, home of the Wolfpack, is phenomenal. This class provides a wonderful opportunity to learn nepali language to our ever-increasing Nepali Diaspora here and our American friends. In the broader sense, I genuinely feel events like this create opportunities for our fellow country men. It’s a wealthy endeavor and reminds me of the quote by Gandhi ji "A man's true wealth is the good he had done to his fellowmen.." Congratulations!

As a present president of our 501 c(3) registered non-profit organization called Nepal Center of North Carolina, Inc. (NCNC), I feel honored to invite your entire class to our all annual functions. Typically, we have two annual conventions per year. One during Dasain festival in October and the other during the Nepali new year in April. We encourage participants to wear nepali costumes during these events, there will be ethnic cuisine to savor, cultural program to enjoy, and lots of opportunity to interact on one to one basis and thus fulfill our wish to develop friendship. I remain certain that students will be delighted with the pageantry and color of the event, and also find the convention of educational value. In NCNC, we have received philosophical personalities from Nepal, national heroes, diplomats, and leaders in our effort to remain connected with events back home. Also, we continually attempt to promote Nepal and Nepali and remain networked through international conventions, presenting nationally renowned drama, play, and music concerts here. This class thus offers us one more avenue on our efforts and we look forward for mutually rewarding association.

With you yourself as a founding member, we established NCNC seven years ago with a mission to promote friendship and closer cultural, academic, socioeconomic ties and exchanges between the people of the State of North Carolina and the people of Nepal; and to help individuals and families of Nepalese origin visiting or residing in North Carolina more easily learn about life in American society while preserving, enhancing and sharing their own cultural knowledge, heritage and traditions. Supplementary to that mission, yet another mission was imbedded, which is our desire to provide Nepali learning opportunities to our youngens, and others so interested. You have realized that dream of which I am, in particular, very proud of. In closing, may I quote Mother Teresa "We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop."

Please let us know if we can be of any assistance and congratulations once again! With very best wishes for the successful class,

Very truly yours,Ishwar Devkota, President NCNC

First in Height, First in Flight

Nepal Center of North Carolina, Inc.

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Duke Human Rights InitiativeDuke UniversityP.O. Box 90402

Durham, N.C. 27708-0402 (919) 323-4868FAX: 416-1356

Ishwar DevkotaPresidentNepal Center of North Carolina

April 23, 2023

Ishwar,

I am so grateful for your support on behalf of the Human Rights in Nepal program, held at Duke from April 9-11. Your involvement helped to create an informative, organized and successful series, calling attention to the state of affairs in Nepal and highlighting the talents of four notable luminaries. This three-day series of events was truly an ambitious program, and without your participation, it wouldn’t have been such a success. Also, as you probably know, the timeliness of this program is both urgent and tragically appropriate.

In the broader sense, I genuinely feel like these events created the space for connecting the networks of social justice advocates, the scholarly community, and the Nepali / South Asian Diaspora, in order to continue to raise awareness of and mount pressure for the restoration of democracy and rights in Nepal. On a personal level, it was also a real delight to get to know you while planning this program, it was wonderful to be introduced to the Nepali community through your contacts, and I look forward to getting to know you better.

Human Rights are often conceived as legal practices, relegated to the realm of the juridical and political – the lawyers, policy-makers, international affairs experts, and NGOs. However, the Human Rights in Nepal program demonstrates that often the most valuable “human rights” discussions are being deployed not at the United Nations, but through artistic performances, critical debates, and information-sharing in communities like Duke, and organized by efforts such as the Duke Human Rights Initiative. All our speakers during this program have shown evidence of this, and each speaker’s genre (fiction writing, journalism, documentary film, and performance art) has a very special task when woven into histories of conflict, violence and social struggles. Again, I thank you for the integral role that you played in this collaborative effort, and I look forward to hopefully working with you again in the future.

Regards,

Dawn Peebles, Cultural Anthropologydawn.peebles@duke.edu

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Dawn and Mandira with hosts

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