GP ji, here is info on NRN NCC-US from NAC Resolutions Sept. 5 2004: http://www.nepalcouncil.org/News_detail.php?newsid=16 "Non-Resident Nepalese (NRN) Cell NAC will create within it a cell to handle the NRN-NCC ( Non-Resident Nepalis-National Coordinating Council) functions for North America and to work with the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) including its International Coordinating Council." Also, below is ANA President message that just came out today: Dear ANA Members and well wishers, Warm greetings to you all from the Nations capital Washington DC. I am Sure you all had a great THANKSGIVING and would like to wish you a very HAPPY AND MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR 2005. It gives me great satisfaction and pleasure to keep you updated on ANA and NECC activities. I am happy to share with you in this note, briefly, what has happened recently and what we are planning to accomplish with your help. 1) ANA CONVENTION 2005 Nepalese Society, Texas is very happy to host ANA convention 2005 in Dallas, Texas. NST has already started its work to make the upcoming event a grand success. We have been communicating with local community members so that we can work together as a solid team and achieve our goals. At this time we are in the process of constituting various sub-committees whose responsibility will be designated for specific sector. Anjan Shrestha and Gouri Joshi have been working hard to find a venue for the convention. Raja Upadhaya from Denver has volunteered to negotiate the deal. Thank you Anjan, Gouri and Raja Babu. A few prospective venues are on our list. We will be finalizing the venue very shortly. I am so proud to inform you all that NST local and surrounding community is very optimistic and supportive for the convention. Each and everyone want to be a part of it. So there is no doubt in my mind that this convention will be very successful and fruitful. This is the time that we all have to put our differences on a side and join hands together. I personally request all of you to come and join with us and support our community. Lets get it done. Hope to see you all in Dallas July 1-4, 2005. Also, please see http://www.anaonline.org/conventions/ana2005.php for convention details as they arrive. 2) NRN CONFERENCE IN DOHA (QATAR) The forthcoming NRN-ICC meeting will be held in the capital of Qatar- Doha from 21 to 23 January 2005. ANA has vast experience of working with NRN communities in the USA and CANADA. It would be really nice if some ANA representative could go to Doha to share your valuable experience with ICC members and other NRNs. In addition to the ICC meeting, a regional conference of NRN organizations of the Middle East is also going to be held during the same time. If you can attend and want to represent ANA, please contact me. 3) NECC STUDY ATTORNEY REPORT NECC Attorney Russel Warfel - Meyers, Rodbell and Rosenbaum, P.A. ask us to submit the site plan again to PG County for the permit. If people in the surrounding areas of the temple complain again, our attorney will ask why we can not built the temple when the county has granted us permission. Our attorney tried to call Citizens group several times but they did not reply. We will submit our Building Site Plan to PG County again before we think about moving from there. Let us see what happens. 4) ANA IRAQ FUND ANA leadership has closed the fund. Please see http://www.anaonline.org/iraq/ for details of contributors. ANA volunteers have been working hard trying to figure out the most transparent and best way to ensure that 100% of the funds are given to the family members. ANA has secured a commitment from our Life Members in Nepal, Chandi Dhakal (also Vice President -FNCCI), Mirgendra Raj Pandey, Sulav Pant, NRN President Upendra Mahato, Prakash Uprety, Labor Leader Laxman Basnet, HE Minister Prakash Mahat, and many distinguished members of civil society who are willing and ready to help in disbursement of the funds. So far, ANA has decided to use the official record of the government to verify the identity of the victim's family members, but we are still exploring all options regarding disbursement. ANA is strongly committed to its pledge that every penny will directly go to the victim's family members. We will try as hard as possible to ensure that money will go directly to the victims family and not be transferred. Nepal HMG Government has not be able to verify all victims family as of writing this message according to Royal Nepalese Ambassador H.E. Kedar B. Shrestha. He wrote a letter to HMG Home Ministry via Foreign Ministry to give us the list. We were told to wait till we received the list. We are waiting and exploring other options. 5) ANA BYLAWS ANA Bylaws Amendment were due by last ANA Executive on November 13,2004, however due to co-ordinating problem among the Bylaws committee members it is delayed. Dr. Kunjar Sharma, (Chair), Dr. Shailendra Shukla, Dr. Anup Pahari, Dr. Jeet Joshi and Mr. Raja Upadhaya are urged to submit the draft amendment to the ANA membership by the end of January 2005. 6) ANA HOME PAGE In a massive effort to improve ANAs online communication, a new team of volunteers is working on the ANA home page. An early design is posted at http://www.anaonline.org or at the same address as the previous page http://www.ana-home.org, but it is still in progress. If you have some technical skills and would like to volunteer to help improve the website, please contact us to find out how to help ana@anaonline.org 7) ANA MAILING LIST Along with the change in the web service, we are in the process of updating our email list. If you would still like to receive this announcement, please email us ana@anaonline.org to be added on the list. If you do not email us, you will no longer be sent this message. Remember ANA will not sell or distribute your email address to any third party. PLEASE EMAIL US TO BE ON THIS MAILING LIST. Lastly, I urge all members, friends to unite and let us solve the needs of ANA. United we can do it, Again, OUR FAMILY WISHES YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONE A VERY HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR 2005. Thank you and God Bless you, Krishna Nirola President ANA