EWCA Discussion Board

By Nirendra Maske (ISI ‘66-’68)
Kathmandu Chapter Liaison

Kathmandu Chapter members at East-West Center Day celebrations.

East-West Center Day was celebrated by the EWCA Kathmandu Chapter on 17 May, 2008, and the occasion marked the formal launching of the sister relationship between the EWCA Brisbane Chapter, Australia, and the EWCA Kathmandu, Nepal Chapter. The Brisbane Chapter celebrated the EWC Day on 18 May, 2008.

The occasion was used by the chapter to visit the “Balbhojan” with food for children, an education program, and to distribute educational kits to about 60 underprivileged and street children. We also visited and helped serve them lunch provided by “Balbhojan.” It was a memorable visit.

By P.M. Belliappa (RS ‘78)
Chennai Chapter President

Mr. P.M. Belliappa addresses the Chennai Chapter at East-West Center Day celebrations. To the right are Dr. Gopalji Malviya and Mr. Frederick J. Kaplan.

The East-West Center Alumni Association, Chennai Chapter celebrated its Annual Day on May 28, 2008 at the Strokeside Hall of the Madras Boat Club (founded in 1886).

The Chief guest, Mr. Frederick J. Kaplan, Consul, Public Affairs, American Consulate General in Chennai, delivered a talk on “Indo-US Relations: Past, Present and Future.” Professor Dr. Gopalji Malviya, Head of the Department Defence and Strategic Studies University, presided. Interestingly, Mr. Fred Kaplan was the Chief Guest last year at the same venue. It was sort of a review of Indo-US relations during the twelve-month period that had elapsed. Continue Reading »

By Peter Nunan (ISI ‘66-’68)

Brisbane Chapter members celebrating East-West Center Day at the Nepalese Pavilion in South Bank, Brisbane, Australia

On Sunday 18 May, the Brisbane chapter celebrated EWC Day with a picnic next to the Nepalese pavilion in South Bank, which was built for the EXPO 88. The place was chosen because we were inaugurating our sister chapter relationship with the Kathmandu Chapter in Nepal. We chose that chapter for this initiative because we have a local member who was born there, Bhishna Bajracharya.

At the picnic and chapter meeting were Bhishna Bajracharya and his wife Edilyn; Karen and Peter Nunan; Iraphne and Ralph Childs; and Pat Byrne, Aline and Jeremy Webb, chapter President.

We plan to exchange brief biographical details with the Nepalese (Kathmandu) chapter, to help us decide what we will do next in this relationship. A meeting in a Nepalese restaurant is planned for late June to discuss our options.

By Beryl Yang

EWCA Hawaii Chapter 2008 Travel Grant Recipients (from left to right): Carl Polley, Thuy La, Maria Chelo Manlagnit, and Turro Wongkaren. Not shown: Stuart Candy

On Saturday, May 10, the EWCA Hawaii Chapter sponsored a celebration of East-West Center Day at Hale Halawai. Following opening remarks by special guest speaker Raymond Burghardt, the Hawaii Chapter announced five student recipients of the EWCA 2008 Summer Travel Grant: Thuy La (Vietnam), Maria Chelo Manlagnit (Philippines), Carl Polley (USA), Turro Wongkaren (Indonesia) and Stuart Candy (Australia). Continue Reading »