NEW YORK (TIP): Bill and Melinda Gates, co-chairs of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, co-hosted the fourth annual Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards on September 24 in New York to celebrate outstanding work around the world that is directly linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (Global Goals).
The Changemaker Award was presented to youth activist Payal Jangid for her fight against child labor and child marriage in India. Hailing from Rajasthan, 17-year-old Payal Jangid was on Wednesday conferred the Changemaker Award by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation at the Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards held in New York. Becoming the first Indian to win the award, Payal was recognized for her work towards the abolition of child marriage in her village, Hinsla, which is a child-friendly village (Bal Mitra Gram), and other neighboring villages.
The Global Goalkeeper Award was presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India for the progress India is making in improving sanitation through the Swachh Bharat mission. Before the Swachh Bharat mission, over 500 million people in India did not have access to safe sanitation, and now, the majority do.
On September 25, 2015, at the United Nations headquarters in New York, 193 world leaders committed to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (Global Goals). These are a series of ambitious objectives and targets to achieve three extraordinary things by 2030: end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and fix climate change.
Goalkeepers is the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s campaign to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (Global Goals). By sharing stories and data behind the Global Goals through events and an annual report, we hope to inspire a new generation of leaders—Goalkeepers who raise awareness of progress, hold their leaders accountable, and drive action to achieve the Global Goals.
CINCINNATI (TIP): An Indian origin owner and operator of a Hamilton pain clinic pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court Sept 23 to illegal distribution of controlled substances, health care fraud and violating the anti-kickback statute.
Nilesh Jobalia, 54, of Cincinnati, entered a guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost; Anthony Groeber, Executive Director, State Medical Board of Ohio; Steven Schierholt, Executive Director, State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy; and Stephanie B. McCloud, Administrator, Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation, announced the plea.
“Today Dr. Jobalia accepted responsibility for trafficking drugs by means of a prescription pad, health care fraud, and receiving kickbacks,” U.S. Attorney Glassman said. “He faces a substantial term of imprisonment for his crimes.”
According to court documents, Jobalia owned and operated Cincinnati Centers for Pain Relief in Hamilton, Ohio from March 2013 through December 2017. Although the practice was not licensed as such, it operated almost exclusively as a pain clinic. Patients were prescribed fentanyl, oxycodone, methadone, morphine and other controlled substances on many occasions without actually being seen by the doctor.
Jobalia’s practice also billed Medicare, Medicaid and the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation for medically unnecessary prescriptions and services not rendered. For example, prescriptions to one customer alone caused the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation to pay more than $450,000 for medically unnecessary drugs. In total, Jobalia caused more than $2 million in false claims.
“Our investigators started looking at Dr. Jobalia in 2015 for suspicious prescribing, and we’re pleased to see this case come to a just end,” said BWC Administrator/CEO Stephanie McCloud. “Even more so, we’re pleased to see him out of practice and out of the BWC system. Our injured workers are better off.”
Jobalia also received more than $103,000 from a pharmaceutical company for purported speaking engagements about a fentanyl spray, a medication intended for breakthrough cancer pain.
NEW YORK(TIP): Two India Americans are among Eleven Stony Brook students among a select group from 69 colleges around the globe chosen for the Millennium Fellowship, a partnership between the Millennium Campus Network and the United Nations Academic Impact initiative and the Millennium Campus Network. The students are all working on various projects that focus on the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Lakshta Kundal and Agam Singh have been selected to be Millennium Fellows. This year there was a record 7,020 applications for this selective program from young leaders on 1,209 campuses across 135 nations.
Lakshta Kundal’s Plastic-Free Project (PFP) serves to educate, challenge, and inspire college students to shift from conventional to conscious living. PFP calls all students to take part in a 21-day challenge uniquely designed to help them develop eco-conscious lifestyle habits to tackle today’s most pressing environmental issues, especially ocean pollution, with the opportunity to win prizes and awards.
Launched in 2018, the selective Millennium Fellowship is a semester-long leadership development program. Students receive the fellowship based on their leadership on sustainable development-related projects that advance the SDGs in their communities. As Millennium Fellows, they will participate in a leadership development program to improve their student organizing, partnership building and community impact skills.
STERLING, VA (TIP): U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers intercepted an Indian national in possession of a fraudulent German passport Monday at Washington Dulles International Airport. The man was refused admission to the United States.
Authorities declined to prosecute the Indian man. Privacy laws prevent CBP from releasing his name because he was not criminally charged.
The 28-year-old Indian national arrived from Accra, Ghana, Sept 15 Monday morning and presented the German passport to a CBP officer during inspection. The CBP officer detected discrepancies in the passport’s biographical page and referred the man to a secondary examination.
File photo of the back patch of a CBP officer in an airport environment During the secondary examination, CBP officers were unable to access the passport’s electronic chip and suspected the chip to be altered or damaged. Under questioning, the man admitted to purchasing the passport in Ghana. CBP officers seized the passport and refused the Indian national admission to the United States.
“Customs and Border Protection officers are highly skilled at detecting impostors and fraudulent identity documents. The nation’s security is dependent on CBP officers doing their job, recognizing those who are attempting to enter by illegal means among the millions of travelers who enter the country for legitimate purposes,” said Casey Durst, CBP’s Director of the Baltimore Field Office.
Special Guest Honored: Journalist Crisitan Benavides
PIX11 reporter, and three-time Emmy Award winner
Plan International USA’s (Plan) NYC Leadership Council (NYCLC) is hosting its third annual fundraiser in celebration of International Day of the Girl.
The event will feature journalist Crisitan Benavides, who will speak at the event.
To Celebrate the International Day of the Girl, join Plan’s NYCLC on Wednesday, October 2nd, 2018 from 6 to 9 pm at Grant Thornton (venue sponsor) NYC, 757 Third Avenue, 9th Floor
This year’s theme is “Challenges and Hope South of the Border” celebrating the potential of girls globally. Girls are often prevented from realizing their basic rights. They are silenced and excluded from the choices that shape their futures. Plan and the NYCLC believe girls belong in school, on the playing field, and in leadership positions. Their voices belong in discussions that affect the political and economic life of their communities and countries.
This year’s event will feature a conversation with three-time Emmy winning journalist Cristian Benavides, who recently traveled to Central America’s Northern Triangle to report live from the root of America’s migrant crisis.
The event will also feature a discussion about the challenges girls face around the world and how these barriers can be overcome. The event on October 2 will focus on Plan International’s programs in El Salvador and Guatemala to improve the lives of children and families there.
Funds raised at the event will support scholarships for middle school girls in Guatemala, build employment and entrepreneurship skills for youth in Guatemala, and help to combat gender violence in El Salvador.
In recent years, tens of thousands of families from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala have migrated to the United States seeking asylum from the region’s violence and civil wars.
Featured Speakers
Cristian Benevides
Cristian Benavides, PIX11 reporter and three-time Emmy Award winner, this past spring traveled to Central America’s Northern Triangle to report live from the root of America’s migrant crisis. He will join a discussion about the challenges girls face around the world and how these barriers can be overcome.
Rose Nguyen
Rose Nguyenis a freshman at Princeton University and a member of Plan International USA’s Youth Advisory Board. She will speak at the event about her experiences with Plan and the organization’s youth activities.
Parth Patel Photos / Courtesy Plan-USA 2019
Parth Patelis a senior at the University of Florida studying computer engineering and a member of Plan International USA’s Youth Advisory Board. He will speak at the event about his experiences with Plan and the organization’s youth activities.
For more detailed information about the event, visit: events.planusa.org/event/nyclc-international-day-of-the-girl-celebration-2019/
Plan International USA
Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organization that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. Plan believes in the power and potential of every child.
Working together with children, young people, supporters, and partners, Plan strives for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children. For more information, please visit PlanUSA.org.
The NYC Leadership Council
The NYC Leadership Council is a group of passionate New York City and tri-state business owners and professionals who support Plan’s global gender equality initiatives, designed to ensure girls everywhere can learn, lead, decide, and thrive.
Program
“Challenges and Hope South of the Border”
Join the New York City Leadership Council for Plan International USA to celebrate International Day of the Girl.
This exciting event will focus on programs in El Salvador and Guatemala, where Plan is helping girls build secure futures, right in their own communities.
Save Your Place: Get your tickets today to save your place at the celebration.
Sponsorship
Individual and CorporateSponsorships available.
You can help create a brighter future for girls in Central America.
As a sponsor, you will be recognized in Plan’s marketing materials, at the event, and on social media.
This exciting event will focus on programs in El Salvador and Guatemala, where Plan is helping girls build secure futures, right in their own communities.
Attendees will include strong advocates for women and girls around the world. You can join forces with this powerful group and reach an audience of influential women, including members of the NYC Leadership Council and women leaders from across the New York area.
2019 Theme — “GirlForce: Unscripted and Unstoppable”
Investing in girls is investing in a better future that is equal for all
Since 2012, 11 October has been marked as the International Day of the Girl (IDG).
International Day Of The Girl(IDG) exists to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girlsface all over the world. … IDGis meant to promote the empowerment of young girlseverywhere, while also advocating for the attainment of their basic human rights, like education and bodily autonomy.
THEME
“GirlForce: Unscripted and Unstoppable”
Twenty-five years ago more than 30,000 women from 200 countries arrived in Beijing for the World Conference on Women determined to recognize the rights of women and girls as human rights. What started as global women’s movements campaigning for sexual and reproductive health rights, political participation and equal pay, to name a few, expanded to movements organized by and for adolescent girls.
Today, girls’ movements are stopping child marriage, promoting girls’ education, standing up against gender-based violence, demanding action on climate change, tackling issues of self-esteem, and standing up for girls’ rights to enter temples or public spaces during menstruation. Girls are also engaging with municipalities to advocate for financial investments in their communities and for truly inclusive development that recognize their needs. Girls are proving they are unscripted and unstoppable.
For this year’s International Day of the Girl (October 11), the UNICEF is working alongside and supporting all girls to amplify their voices and stand up for their rights. Under the theme, “GirlForce: Unscripted and Unstoppable”, International Day of the Girl will celebrate achievements by, with and for girls since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and passage of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Empowering girls in Brazil via Sports. Photo / UN Women 2017 – Gustavo Stephan
BACKGROUND:
Marking 25 years of progress for girls
In 1995 at the World Conference on Women in Beijing countries unanimously adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action– the most progressive blueprint ever for advancing the rights of not only women but girls.
Twenty-five years later, the Platform for Action remains a powerful foundation for assessing progress on gender equality. It calls for a world where every girl and woman can realize all her rights, such as to live free from violence, to attend and complete school, to choose when and whom she marries, and to earn equal pay for equal work.
The next two years are pivotal for gender equality as the global community celebrates progress and highlights areas for acceleration to empower girls and women. First, 2019 marks the 25th anniversary of the groundbreaking International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), where governments recognized that reproductive health, women’s empowerment and gender equality are key to sustainable development.
This November, countries will advocate for achieving zero unmet need for family planning, zero preventable maternal deaths, and zero sexual and gender-based violence and harmful practices against women and girls.
In 2020, the global community will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration. As a follow-up to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Beijing Declaration is the first to specifically call out girls’ rights. Because girls are discriminated against from the earliest states of life, through their childhood and into adulthood, the Platform of Action has one strategic objective with nine indicators specific to advancing girls’ rights. The Platform of Action nine indicators for girls:
Eliminate all forms of discrimination against girls
Eliminate negative cultural attitudes and practices against girls.
Promote and protect the rights of girls and increase awareness of their
needs and potential.
Eliminate discrimination against girls in education, skills development and
training.
Eliminate discrimination against girls in health and nutrition.
Eliminate the economic exploitation of child labor and protect young girls
at work.
Eradicate violence against girls.
Promote girls awareness of and participation in social, economic and
political life.
Strengthen the role of the family in improving the status of girls
Beyond Beijing+25, 2020 marks five-years since the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 5, which calls for the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, everywhere by 2030. To achieve the SDGs we will need to include the voices and power of girls.
ICPD and the Beijing Declaration unleashed remarkable political will and worldwide visibility for gender equality. Beijing also connected and reinforced the activism of women’s movements on a global scale. Since then, governments, civil society and the public have translated the Platform for Action’s promises into concrete changes in individual countries. These have ushered in enormous improvements in the lives of women and girls.
CAMPAIGN
As part of a year-long effort with and for girls, UNICEF and partners will bring together programming, advocacy, communication, fundraising, and public engagement elevating progress for and with girls. A communications toolkit and key messages are available.
More information will also be available at: https://www.unicef.org/gender-equality/international-day-of-the-girl-2019
Key momentswill include:
International Day of the Girl
Digital movements and events globally, including Working Group on Girls
Speak Out event at UN New York, Plan International’s Girls Takeover and a
Girl Summit in Geneva.
Release of UNICEF’s report on 25 years of progress for girls.
Futurizing Beijing and Europe Regional Beijing+25 Consultation26-30 Oct 2019
The Nairobi Summit on ICPD25: Accelerating the promise12-14 Nov 2019
World Children’s Day: 30thAnniversary of CRC20 Nov 2019
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women25 Nov –
16 Days of Activism 10 Dec 2019
International Women’s Day8 Mar 2020
64rd Commission on the Status of Women:
25thAnniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action 9-20 Mar 2020
UN General Assembly 15-30 Sep 2020
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
Share stories of girls who are “unscripted” and “unstoppable” in their communities, families or schools. Examples could be girls stopping discrimination and child marriage, girls breaking stereotypes, or girls increasing access to secondary education and skill development.
Interview women aged 35-45 years oldwho were girls when the Beijing Declaration of Action was adopted in 1995 and ask themwhat’s changed for them in the past 25 years.What’s a piece of advice they would give to their younger selves or girls today.
UNITED NATIONS(TIP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the 74thUNGA, September 27, was not the man the world saw and heard at Howdy Modi, Houston on September 22. Nor was he anywhere near his usual self when he addressed rallies of thousands back in India. Here was a calm and relaxed philosopher Narendra Modi speaking about the age-old Indian culture which looked upon the world as a family and believed in Mahatma Gandhi’s principles of “Truth and Non-violence”.
Modi said that the whole world was celebrating this year the 150thbirth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi who gave the message of “Truth and Non-violence” . He exhorted the international community to embrace the message of the Indian Spiritual Master Swami Vivekanand who delivered a message of Harmony and Peace a hundred years ago on the US soil, at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago.
Listing the achievements of his government, he said the Indian example will inspire many developing nations. He said the dreams for the realization of which his government is working are the dreams of the whole world.
He began with the initiative “Swachh Bharat” (Clean India) which he described as the biggest cleanliness drive of the world. Under the initiative, 110 million toilets have been made in less than 5 years, which, he said must be an inspiration to the whole world. Incidentally, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation honored Modi with Global Gatekeeper Award for his “Swachh Bharat” initiative two days before he addressed the UNGA.
The other achievements he listed included the health insurance scheme under which 500 million are benefitted annually, the financial inclusion scheme under which 370 million poor people have opened bank accounts. These schemes give the poor allover the world a new hope.
Digital identification program, containing corruption which saved the country $20 billion are some other initiatives of his government which may well be emulated by other nations. Of late, inspired by the UN ‘s recommendation of end to single plastic use, India has launched an initiative in this respect.
From the past achievements of his government Modi moved on to some plans in the future. Water conservation and water supply to 150 million homes in the next 5 years is one of the priorities of his government . There are plans to build in far flung rural areas 60, 000 miles of roads.
By 2022, when India will be celebrating 75 years of Independence, 200 million homes for the poor will have been built.
So much has been possible, Modi said because of the cooperation of all. Together we progress has been the principle his government followed. Mutual Trust, mutual cooperation and development.
India’s successful initiatives may well encourage other nations to follow suit.
Turning to India’s age-old culture , Modi said that India has always believed in peace, not in conflicts. His country has taken initiatives for the benefit of the whole world because India believes the whole world is a family.
India has been a leading nation in dealing with the issue of global warming. In order to contain damage from natural disasters, India took the initiative of setting up “Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure” which will create an infrastructure which will be resilient to natural disasters.
Prime Minister Modi mentioned next the extraordinary contribution of Indian soldiers to UN Peacekeeping. He said the sacrifices made by Indian soldiers are unparalleled.
Modi waned the international community of the threats from terrorism. He called upon member nations to come together to put down terrorism.
He said the 21stcentury modern technology is bringing about many changes in the spheres of social life, personal life, economy, security , connectivity and international relations, and added that under the circumstances a divided world is in nobody’s interest. Nor does the world have the option to stay confined to national boundaries. “In this new era, we will have to give new strength and direction to multilateralism and to the United Nations”, Modi said.
He reminded the world community of the message of Swami Vivekanand who a hundred years ago, at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago had said: “Harmony and Peace; Not Dissension”. Modi said, “India’s message to the world today is similar to Swami’ Vivekanand’s – Harmony and Peace.”
“I present to you my family of 50,000”: Modi to Trump
By I S Saluja
HOUSTON(TIP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s community reception in Houston on September 22 turned out to be an election rally for US President Donald Trump whom Modi described as “my friend” and “India’s friend”. Modi heaped praises on Trump for having strengthened American economy and providing leadership to world. Trump reciprocated with a list of achievements of Modi a little later before inviting Modi to speak. It was quid pro quo of the finest order.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, hands held, walk in the NRG Stadium, Houston, Sept 22
Amid chants of “Modi, Modi”, Prime Minister endorsed Trump for 2020 US Presidency when he said “Abki Baar Trump Sarkar”, reminding the gathering of Indian Americans of the chant during recent general elections in India earlier this year where the chant was “Abki baar Modi Sarkar”. Modi a little later , inviting Trump to address the gathering said that Trump had introduced his family to him when he had visited the White House during his last visit to the US, and he was now presenting to him “my family of 50,000”, to the great delight of the man who loves crowds and applause.
At hand were about 60 lawmakers belonging to both the Republican and the Democratic Party.
An estimated 50, 000 strong crowd went hysteric whenever Trump praised Modi or later, when Modi spoke about India’s strength and resolve to deal with a hostile Pakistan.
Defended his government’s actions in Kashmir and, in thinly veiled remarks, Modi accused Pakistan of harboring terrorists and promoting terrorism in the region.
Trump sat in the front row as the Indian prime minister told cheering crowds his decision to remove all autonomy from Indian-administered Kashmir would bring progress and better rights for its people.
India has faced international criticism over its actions in Kashmir. Thousands of people have reportedly been detained, and access to mobile or internet services has been severed for millions of people in a communications blackout, part of a security clampdown in the wake of Delhi’s decision.
The rally, on Sunday, marked the first time Modi had discussed the decision to remove Kashmir’s special status on a world stage, and followed months of fierce rhetoric from Pakistan, which also claims the disputed region and has sought to raise the issue with the UN.
Without directly naming Pakistan, Modi accused the country of “hatred towards India” and of supporting terrorism.
“Whether it is the 9/11 attack in America or the 26/11 attack in Mumbai, where are its conspirators found?
“The time has come for a decisive fight against terrorism and those who support terrorism,” he said. “I want to stress here that President Trump is standing firmly against this.”
Trump, who was given a rapturous welcome at the event, said he was committed to protecting “innocent civilians from the threat of radical Islamic terrorism”.
About 50,000 Indian Americans attended the “Howdy Modi!” rally, where crowds chanted “Modi! Modi! Modi!” as he took to the stage, following a 90-minute cultural program featuring 400 dancers.
Trump, introduced by Modi as “my friend, a friend of India, a great American president”, was given a standing ovation at the event in Houston, a Democratic stronghold in Republican-dominated Texas. Houston is expected to be a critical battleground in Trump’s 2020 re-election bid.
Modi, who was re-elected this year with a thumping majority, enjoys wide support among Indians both at home and abroad, especially among the middle classes, said Manoj Joshi, a fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, a New Delhi-based thinktank. “He is extremely popular, particularly when it comes to the Indian diaspora in the US where there is a lot of Gujarati diaspora, from his home state,” he said.
The rally was held as Kashmir remains under a security crackdown, apparently to prevent unrest. Outside the stadium, protesters accused Modi’s government of human rights abuses against Kashmiris.
Iltija Mufti, the daughter of the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, said on Twitter: “While people in Kashmir have been gagged, mass hysteria is orchestrated elsewhere to justify this decision.” Her mother was among thousands reportedly detained as part of a crackdown by security services.
The jampacked NRG Stadium to welcome Prime Minister Modi
Modi’s speech came just days before the UN general assembly’s meeting in New York, where the Pakistani prime minister, Imran Khan, is expected to accuse Modi of being complicit in torture and mass detention in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Michael Kugelman, a south Asia expert at the Wilson Center, in Washington DC, said while Modi generally preferred to keep quiet about Kashmir with global audiences, it was unsurprising that he had raised the issue in Texas.
“I think he wanted to try to blunt international criticism by demonstrating just how popular the move [to remove Kashmir’s special status] was among Indians — including Indian Americans in the US,” said Kugelman. “And indeed his comment got louder applause than just about anything he or Trump said during the whole event.”
Though the scrapping of Kashmir’s special status faces major opposition within the region, it is widely supported elsewhere in India.
A group of Sikhs with PM Modi. Seen, among others are J.S. Bakshi (second from left), H.P. Singh (third from left), Dr. Surinder Singh (fourth from left)
It was unsurprising an Indian leader would criticize Pakistan in a political speech, said Kugelman, but he added: “It is significant that Modi did so with Trump seated right in front of him, and at a moment when the US-Pakistan relationship has enjoyed a renaissance thanks to Islamabad’s help with Taliban talks in Afghanistan.”
NEW YORK (TIP): GOPIO’s Founding Life Member, former President and Chairman and current Executive Trustee of GOPIO Foundation has died September 27 morning at a hospital in the Los Angeles area. GOPIO Treasurer Kewal Kanda informed Dr. Thomas Abraham, Chairman, GOPIO International . Inder Singh was 87.
In a message, Dr. Abraham said: “It is a great loss for all of us, GOPIO, Indian community in the USA and the Indian Diaspora. May his soul rest in peace. GOPIO will do appropriate tribute for his contribution to build GOPIO and for his service to the Indian American community and the Indian Diaspora”.
For more information, please contact Dr. Thomas Abraham at 203-328-8010
NEW YORK(TIP): A teenaged Indian girl has received the “Changemaker” award here by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for her fight against child marriage in her village in Rajasthan. Payal Jangid received the award on Tuesday, September 24 night here during the Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards hosted by the Foundation. “The award recognizes her campaign to end child labor and child marriage,” the foundation said in a tweet.
HOUSTON , TX(TIP): A Sikh law-enforcement officer has been fatally shot multiple times during a traffic stop in the U.S. state of Texas, a media report said , September 27.
Harris County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal, 42, pulled over a vehicle when someone approached him from behind and opened fire near Cypress city, the Houston Chronicle quoted Sheriff Ed Gonzalez as saying.
Dhaliwal was a 10-year veteran on the force, and the agency’s first Sikh deputy.
“He was a hero,” Gonzalez said. “Deputy Dhaliwal was a trailblazer.”
He was taken by helicopter ambulance to the Memorial Hermann Hospital, where he died. Authorities detained a possible suspect, the sheriff tweeted.
According to the media report, the dashcam video shows Dhaliwal and the suspect, still in his car, having a conversation with no sign of confrontation. A few seconds after Dhaliwal returned to his squad car, the suspect ran up and shot him.
Mr. Gonzalez recounted Dhaliwal’s efforts after Hurricane Harvey in Texas in August 2017, and how he went to Puerto Rico after the island was devastated by Hurricane Maria in September that year.
Dhaliwal worked with United Sikhs, a global humanitarian relief and advocacy nonprofit, to help organize the donation of truckloads of supplies for first responders after Harvey.
Four years ago, the then Sheriff implemented a policy to allow Dhaliwal to wear turban and beard for the first time while patrolling Harris County streets.
There are no words to speak to how heartbroken we are, how devastated, Mr. Gonzalez said.
India’s best bet in Afghanistan would be a negotiated withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan, for this would check the Taliban’s proclivity to engage in trouble- making outside Afghan territory.
Donald Trump’s calling off Taliban peace talks is to India’s advantage; an outreach to the outfit could secure it.
It is perhaps for the best that the U.S.-Taliban talks were called off earlier this month. The Taliban leadership’s proposed visit to Camp David in the United States would have led to a slew of significant geopolitical changes with implications for the region and beyond.
Perhaps the Taliban became far too greedy and impatient, or the U.S. President has pulled out what he thinks is the Trump card to gain a negotiating advantage especially given that the American establishment is not too happy with the deal. There were misgivings about the deal that the chief U.S. negotiator to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, was about to ink with the Taliban.
Back to square one
The Taliban, having fought against and displaced the powerful coalition forces over the past 18 years, has the luxury of time on its side, even as it is steadily increasing its political legitimacy within Afghanistan. Recall that this is not the first time U.S.-Taliban talks are breaking down, and every time the Americans have had to come around to negotiating again. Mr. Donald Trump on the other hand may not have the luxury of time. As for the international community, it has grown tired of the Afghan story.
In any case, we are back to another season of heavy fighting in Afghanistan with devastating attacks being mounted by the Taliban far more frequently than before.
What implications does the cancellation of U.S.-Afghan talks have for the volatile South Asian region in general and for India in particular?
Implications for Afghanistan
The direct fallout of the American pullout from the negotiations is more bloodshed in the country. The gloves are now off (not that the Taliban was greatly restrained earlier) and the Taliban has already started carrying out major attacks with the American troops fighting back. However, the current dispensation in Afghanistan, led by President Ashraf Ghani, might not be too displeased with the outcome. The September 28 elections are likely to go ahead, and Mr. Ghani has a chance to continue as President without having to share power with the Taliban — a prospect Kabul has been uneasy about for a long time — to the extent that he actively discouraged all talks with the Taliban that did not involve Kabul. The Ghani government will also be pleased with the fact that U.S. troops are likely to continue in the country, for if left alone the government will not survive long.
The larger question that should concern the Afghan people is whether the Taliban is a changed lot or not. The Taliban has been making direct and indirect assertations about how they are a much-evolved group on the question of girls’ education, treatment of women and minorities, among others. But these are claims at best and that is precisely why a deal with the Taliban should include commitments on its domestic behavior.
What it means for India
Even with a properly negotiated deal, the ascent of the Taliban in Afghanistan would have meant a certain amount of regional uncertainty and geopolitical recalibration. Pakistan, for instance, has been counting on the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan which it deeply believes gives it strategic depth vis-à-vis India. Pakistani triumphalism in the context of Afghanistan would have meant pinpricks for India. Now that there is no deal between the Taliban and the U.S., there is likely to be more violence internally within Afghanistan while the external implications would be more or less contained. This calculus might change if and when the Taliban returns to power and foreign troops withdraw.
India’s best bet in Afghanistan would be a negotiated withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan, for this would check the Taliban’s proclivity to engage in trouble- making outside Afghan territory.
A non-negotiated withdrawal of U.S. forces would be the worst-case scenario for India even though that is unlikely to happen. This will mean little check on the Taliban’s behavior at home and in the neighborhood. It will also enhance Pakistan’s ability to control elements of the Taliban for tactical or strategic anti-Indian uses.
Once the Taliban returns to power in Afghanistan, on its own or as part of a power-sharing arrangement, Indian civilian assets and interests in Afghanistan could come under increased pressure. Today, with the Pakistani side up in arms against India, thanks to New Delhi’s Kashmir decision, the possibility of the Taliban going against Indian interests is much higher, if we were to assume Pakistan to be a major influence on the Taliban’s actions.
The Kashmir question
Kashmir in many ways will continue to be at the center of how the emerging geopolitical situation in Afghanistan will impact India. While it is true that a repeat of the late 1980s, when scores of unemployed Afghan fighters turned up in Kashmir at the behest of the Pakistani agencies, is unlikely to happen today for a number of reasons, including due to physical barriers and the amassing of Indian troops on the border, some presence of the Taliban fighters cannot be ruled out. More significantly, however, if a non-negotiated withdrawal of the U.S. forces takes place, it could lead to an open season for Taliban’s regional engagement which could potentially be influenced by Pakistan’s strategic calculations. Even if there is a deal between the U.S. and the Taliban, the fact that the Taliban will have “forced” the Americans out of Afghanistan would provide a shot in the arm to Pakistan, and young Kashmiris who are willing to take up arms against the Indian state. “If a superpower like the U.S. can be pushed out of Afghanistan by the Taliban with help from Pakistan, would it be too difficult to beat India?” is the argument doing the rounds among sections of aggrieved Kashmiri youth.
The manner in which talks between the Taliban and the U.S., were being conducted would have led to negative consequences for New Delhi. To that extent, the breakdown of the Trump-Taliban talks is advantage India. The U.S. and the international community, while picking up the threads of negotiations in the days ahead, will need to ensure that there are enough guarantees built into a deal to disincentivize undesirable external behavior by the Taliban.
India, on its part, needs to reach out to the Taliban, not to recognize it but to engage with it, in its own national interest. In fact, we are already pretty late in this game, and with the Chinese, Pakistanis and even the Russians converging on the importance of the return of the Taliban to the Afghan scheme of things, one wonders whether India will ever be able to make inroads into the higher echelons of the Taliban. In any case, any outreach from the Indian side would make the government in Kabul led by Mr. Ghani, unhappy. This leaves India in a difficult situation. Hence, such an outreach will also need to be carefully calibrated and discreetly executed.
(Happymon Jacob teaches at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, and is the author of ‘Line on Fire: Ceasefire Violations and India-Pakistan Escalation Dynamics’)
NEW YORK CITY(TIP): When I met Madhvi Parekh at the Delhi Art Gallery in Midtown Manhattan I saw a simple lady loaded with varied experiences of life. Born in a small village in Gujarat Madhvi had a lot to share from five decades of her life. She sat in a couch, looked at her paintings, more than 65 of them, hanging on the walls of the gallery, aptly titled, ‘The Curious Seeker’.
The Curious Seeker offers an unparalleled opportunity to explore Madhvi’s evolution as an artist, from her roots in folk tradition, to the myriad ways that she diverged from conventions to create her own distinctive style. Madhvi’s paintings displays simple stories about children playing under the shadows of trees, dogs and animals roaming around, birds flying in the sky and girls happily decorating houses. These images remind us of simple rural color work done mostly by girls and women for the purpose of decorating houses, courtyards and entrances, called Rangoli. Madhvi captured such images on canvas relating directly to the visuals so common in Indian villages.
Madhvi was deeply influenced by the Amul Dairy network and its relationship with milk producers of Gujarat. “The never-ending network of milk production amazed me, said Madhvi, “It left a deep mark in my imagination that I carried all my life.”
She featured varieties of images in her art. These images change forms and shapes. They come together to represent joyous universes of living beings. ‘Playing with Animals’ explores her happy childhood spent in the fields of her village as part of the rhythm of life, encompassing nature and seasons, birds and beasts, and her friends. Apart from folk motifs, legends, and figures, Madhvi also uses imaginary characters in figurative and abstracted orientations in her compositions, demonstrating her use of rhythm and repetition. She utilizes the familiar settings and motifs of Kalamkari, a traditional hand-painted or block-printed cotton textile, and Pichwai, devotional pictures on cloth or paper, in which she enshrines the main character of the composition in the center and fills the minor or secondary ones in the borders.
The simplicity of her art, deeply rooted in rural India, has an international persona. She recreated Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Last Supper’, a masterpiece that touched the Christian genres of art with visual strategies from a range of different eras and religious cultures.
Her work has been featured in exhibitions around the world; San Jose, Tokyo, Seoul,Hambur, Kolkata and New Delhi. She is engaged in promoting art and young artists along with her husband, the renowned artist Manu Parekh. Thought she had had no formal education in art, her work evolved from folk stories and childhood memories.
“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
– Nelson Mandela
2019 Theme: “Climate Action for Peace”
The International Day of Peace (“Peace Day”) is observed around the world each year on 21 September. Established in 1981 by unanimous United Nations resolution, Peace Day provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to Peace above all differences and to contribute to building a Culture of Peace.
On June 13, 2019, UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, delivered his 100-day countdown to the International Day of Peace message. “Today, as we mark the 100-day countdown to the next International Day of Peace, I invite global reflection on this year’s timely theme: “’Climate Action for Peace’”
Message on 13 June 2019 for the 100-day countdown to the International Day of Peace
Every year on 21 September, the United Nations calls on all nations and people to put down their weapons and reaffirm their commitment to living in harmony with one another.
In his speech on June 13, 2019, António Guterres reiterated, “Today, as we mark the 100-day countdown to the next International Day of Peace, I invite global reflection on this year’s timely theme.
“Climate Action for Peace”brings a clear message: the global climate emergency is a threat to security and stability. Urgent climate action is a global imperative.”
“To mobilize the ambition we need, I am convening a Climate Action Summit on 23 September, at UN Headquarters in New York. I have asked world leaders to come with concrete and realistic plans to rapidly accelerate action to implement the Paris Agreement, and to make a pivotal shift toward a cleaner, safer and greener future. In this endeavor, they will be backed by the passionate voices of young women and men around the world, who understand their future is at stake.”
“This is the battle of our lives, and a race against time. We can win — and we must. Solutions are in our hands: tax pollution, not people; stop subsidizing fossil fuels; stop building new coal plants by 2020; focus on a green economy, not a grey economy. I count on your continued support as we strive to build a world where we can live every day in harmony with the environment and with each other.”
Imagine with Flowers. Photos / Courtesy un.org.
What can youth do to get involved?
Young people are stepping up to the challenge – close to half a million youth around the world have taken action on climate change in their homes, schools and communities. According to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC), they are key actors in raising awareness, running educational programmes, promoting sustainable lifestyles, conserving nature, supporting renewable energy, adopting environmentally-friendly practices and implementing adaptation and mitigation projects.
“Our common humanity demands that we make the impossible possible.
– World Leaders at Nelson Mandela Peace Summit, September 2018
Events
On 20 September 2019, from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., the Secretary-General will celebrate the Day in the Peace Garden at United Nations Headquarters by ringing the Peace Bell and observing a minute of silence. United Nations Messengers of Peace will participate in the ceremony.
The ceremony will be followed by a Student Observance at 9:30 a.m. organized by the Education Outreach Section of the Department of Global Communications. Approximately 700 high school and college students will have an opportunity to interact with UN Messengers of Peace, along with youth participating via videoconference from the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). Selected students will be able to share the peace projects they have been involved in over the last year. The events will be live streamed at webtv.un.org.
Individuals, organizations, communities and nations are invited to participate in this shared and practical act of peacebuilding on September 21.
“Today peace faces a new danger: the climate emergency, which threatens our security, our livelihoods and our lives. That is why it is the focus of this year’s International Day of Peace. And it’s why I am convening a Climate Action Summit.”
—António Guterres
Let us all create Peace Day everyday!
Get Involved
Join with people around the world by observingthe International Day of Peace! Here are some ways:
People in cities, communities and villages worldwide have engaged in the International Day of Peace in diverse and meaningful ways.
Look for Peace Day activities in your own community and around the world:
*Minute of silence at 12 noon (all timezones)
*Peace education events
*Intercultural and interfaith dialogues
*Workshops on the UN Peace Day theme *Meditation and prayer*Planting peace poles
*Community gatherings
*Vigils
*Concerts and festivals
*Soccer/football matches in the spirit of peace
*Service to others
*Feasts for Peace
*Writing peace poetry
*Yoga
*Marches, parades and flag ceremonies
*Public programs with government officials
*Engaging youth in peace-building activities.
Engaging in Peace Day can take place privately, as part of a group and/or as a participant in an event or program. The pages in this section – Children & Youth, the Arts, Nonviolence, Environment, Health, Social Justice, etc. offer diverse ideas for observing this global day shared with all humanity.
– Global Feast For Peace -Gather people together with food in the spirit of peace – include interfaith or intercultural dialogue if you wish.
–Roots and Shoots– Each September, “Roots & Shoots” groups from around the world celebrate “Roots & Shoots” and honor the International Day of Peace. Dr. Jane has been a UN Messenger of Peace since 2002 and she inspires us all to live in harmony with nature and each other.
– II Days of Global Unity– The 11 Days of Global Unity aims at strengthening the ideals of unity and equality, diversity and oneness, harmony and compassion and, above all, at advancing the culture of peace.
– Compassion Games International– offers fun and creative ways to ignite and catalyze compassionate action in communities around the world.
– Global Mala (Yoga) Project – Unites yoga, service and collective action, forming a “mala around the earth” based upon the sacred cycle of 108 (108 Surya Namaskar, Mantra, Kriya, Meditation).
– Be the Peace – From Sept. 19 – 21, join the synchronized meditation on-line.
– Peace Crane Project – Create and share peace cranes with people in different parts of the world.
– One Day One Goal – Peace One Day’s campaign using the power of sport to bring people together.
Whatever you choose to do, please pause at 12 Noon local time and join people all across the globe in a Minute of Silence/Moment of Peace.
Nelson Mandela Decade of Peace (2019-2028)
On 24 September 2018, nearly 100 world leaders gathered at United Nations Headquarters in New York for the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit. Recognizing the period from 2019 to 2028 as the Nelson Mandela Decade of Peace, the Declarationsaluted Mr. Mandela for his humility, forgiveness and compassion, acknowledging as well his contribution to the struggle for democracy and the promotion of a culture of peace throughout the world.
Recognizing that peace and security, development and human rights are the pillars of the United Nations system and the foundations for collective security and well‑being, the Declaration reaffirmed the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
“We resolve to move beyond words in the promotion of peaceful, just, inclusive and non‑discriminatory societies,” leaders pledged, as they stressed the importance of the equal participation and full involvement of women and youth.
They also declared that racism, xenophobia and related intolerance represent the very opposite of the purposes of the United Nations and emphasized their resolve to protect the rights of children, especially in armed conflict. “Protecting children contributes to breaking the cycle of violence and sows the seeds for future peace,” the Declaration said.
They also welcomed the example set by South Africa in unilaterally dismantling its nuclear‑weapon programme and recalled the firm plea made by Mr. Mandela in favour of the total elimination of nuclear weapons. They further recommended “in the spirit of Nelson Mandela’s legacy” that the United Nations explore means to consider the needs of present and future generations in its decision‑making processes.
(Excerpted from un.org)
(Mabel Paiswrites on Social Issues, Spirituality, the Arts and Entertainment, and Health & Wellness. She can be reached at mabelep1406@gmail.com)
“….(Arlo’s) concerts are “a magical cornucopia of well-crafted songs, homespun humor, and stories of the past,”
– Modern Guitars Magazine
The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) presents “ArloGuthrie– Alice’s Restaurant”Back By Popular Demand Tour on Sunday September 29th at 3:00 p.m.
ALICE’S RESTAURANT
Folk music icon ArloGuthriebrings his new tour, an unforgettable concert that celebrates the 50th anniversary of the big-screen “Alice’s Restaurant”LP.
Back in 1967, a 19-year-old ArloGuthriereleased “Alice’s Restaurant,which included “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree,”an 18-minute folk song that helped foster an entire generation’s commitment to social consciousness and activism. In 1969, esteemed director Arthur Penn turned “Alice’s Restaurant”into a now classic movie in which Guthrieplayed himself. That same year, Guthrieperformed at Woodstock, where he showcased “Coming into Los Angeles,”another of his timeless hits, featured on the multi-platinum soundtrack to the “Woodstock” concert film.
THE CHURCH – THE GUTHRIE CENTER
In 1991 Arlo purchased the old Trinity Church. It was Thanksgiving 1965 that events took place at the church which inspired Arlo to write the song “Alice’s Restaurant”. Named for his parents, The Guthrie Center is a not-for-profit interfaith church foundation dedicated to providing a wide range of local and international services. Its outreach programs include everything from providing HIV/AIDS services to baking cookies with a local service organization; an HD walk-a-thon to raise awareness and money for a cure for Huntington’s Disease, and offering a place simply to meditate.
The Guthrie Foundation is a separate not-for-profit educational organization that addresses issues such as the environment, health care, cultural preservation and educational exchange. The center hosts a wide variety of activities including The Troubadour Series which brings entertainers from all over the world to perform during the summer. August 2018 – Arlo & Family began to live stream his “Talkin’ Series” so that people everywhere could enjoy the shows wherever they were. Guest artists, friends and family joined Arlo onstage for these special performances, with music, discussion and some archival material displayed on the “Far Back Machine.” The shows are available through FaceBook.
Sarah Lee Guthrie Photos / Courtesy, NJPAC.
In the decades since, Guthriehas remained an undisputed hero of American folk music. “An hour and a half in the presence of ArloGuthrieis like receiving the most enjoyable and authoritative master class on 20th-century American folk music one could possibly have,” says ‘The Independent.’ His concerts are “a magical cornucopia of well-crafted songs, homespun humor, and stories of the past,” says ‘Modern Guitars Magazine.’
For this “Alice’s Restaurant” tour, Guthriewill be joined by longtime collaborators Terry “A La Berry” Hall (drums), Steve Ide (guitar, vocals) and Carol Ide (vocals, percussion). The evening will open with a performance by Arlo’s daughter, singer-songwriter Sarah Lee Guthrie.
For more on Arlo Guthrie, “Rising Son Records” (RSR) and The Guthrie Center & Foundation, visit arloguthrie.com
For Tickets to see ArloGuthrievisit the NJPACBox Office or NJPAC.org or call 888.GO.NJPAC(888.466.5722).
ABOUT NJPAC
For more information on NJPAC, visit www.njpac.orgor call 888.GO.NJPAC(888.466.5722).
“NJPAC is pushing its way into a new future, and being very imaginative and very intentional about the breadth of its vision and connectivity”
– Marcia Wilson Brown, Board President of Women’s Association of NJPAC (NJPAC-WA)
Extreme left: Ray Charles. Top Row: (left) Diana Reeves, Jarrod Spector Bottom Row: left to right: Yolanda Adams, Davell Crawford, Ray Chew. Photo / Courtesy, NJPAC.
Performances by Yolanda Adams | Davell Crawford | Dianne Reeves | Jarrod Spector l Music Director Ray Chew (from Bergen County)
The New Jersey Performing Arts Center Women’s Association (NJPAC-WA) celebrates The Music of Ray Charlesat its Annual Spotlight Gala on Saturday September 28, 2019at 8:30 p.m. This star-studded performance will pay tribute to the music of Ray Charles, who performed at the very first Women’s Association Spotlight Gala.
The most memorable songs made famous by the legendary Ray Charles– numbers like “Georgia On My Mind,” “Hit the Road Jack” and “I Can’t Stop Loving You” – are performed by acclaimed artists from the worlds of jazz, gospel, Broadway and R&B: Yolanda Adams, Davell Crawford, Dianne Reeves and Jarrod Spector.
Music Director Ray Chew(“Dancing with the Stars” and“American Idol”) hosts “Celebrating the Music ofRay Charles,” a concert tribute to the great pianist and vocalist Ray Charles. An all-star cast offers thrilling interpretations of Charles’ most beloved recordings through the decades – from “America the Beautiful” to “Zig Zag.”
After 12 albums, five GRAMMY Awards and performances for several U.S. Presidents, Yolanda Adams is renowned for pioneering the blend of modern gospel music with soul and jazz. She was inducted into the Gospel Music Association’s Hall of Fame in 2017 for her outstanding achievements in the Christian music industry, and has reigned on the radio airwaves as the host of “The Yolanda Adams Morning Show.”
Known as “The Prince of New Orleans,” pianist and singer Davell Crawford has become one of the true wonders of the Crescent City music scene. He tours the world, performing sold-out concerts, as a leading representative of American roots music, specifically New Orleans piano tradition. He has worked with Dr. John, Aaron Neville, Nona Hendrix, Roberta Flack and many other artists.
Dianne Reeves is the pre-eminent jazz vocalist, whose talents are on display in every song of her limitless repertoire. Her virtuosity, improvisational prowess and unique jazz and R&B stylings have earned her five GRAMMY Awards, an honorary doctorate from Juilliard, and a 2018 NEA Jazz Master honor. “She has one of the most powerful, purposeful, and accurate voices of this or any time,” says Wynton Marsalis.
Jarrod Spectorwas nominated for both a Tony Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for his performance as Barry Mann in “Beautiful – The Carole King Musical.” He made his Broadway debut as Gavroche in the original production of “Les Miserables,” and went on to play a record-breaking 1,500 performances as Frankie Valli in “Jersey Boys” on Broadway. He just finished his Broadway run as Sonny Bono in “The Cher Show.”
Ray Chew,currently in his 10th season as music director of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” has been at the helm of award-winning musical events with Rihanna, Pitbull, Queen Latifah, James Taylor and many others. The former music director for Fox’s “American Idol,” he has music-directed “The 65thPrimetime Emmy Awards,” the “2008 Democratic National Convention,” “The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” and more.
This performance includes a brief awards ceremony.
Presented as part of the Women’s Associationof NJPACSpotlight Gala 2019benefiting NJPAC’s general operating fund and its arts education programs.
Tickets
Performance-only tickets are available.
Performance and After-Party Benefit Tickets include the performance, and after-party with NJPAC’s Dessert Extravaganza, open bar, and dancing with celebrity guest DJ KISS, spinning the classics and today’s hits. These tickets are also available.
For Ticketsto see the Music of Ray Charles, visitNJPAC.org or the NJPACBox Office or call 888.GO.NJPAC(888.466.5722).
Full Gala tickets include a cocktail reception, dinner, the performance in Prudential Hall, and after-party with dancing and the Dessert Extravaganza.
For full Gala tickets and sponsorship information, email Sarah Rosen atsrosen@njpac.org,call (973) 297-5806 or visit njpac.org/gala
(Mabel Paiswrites on the Arts and Entertainment, Social Issues, Spirituality, and Health & Wellness. She can be reached at mabelep1406@gmail.com)
WASHINGTON(TIP): US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, Sept 18, named his chief hostage negotiator Robert O’Brien as the new National Security Adviser to replace John Bolton, who was fired last week.
O’Brien, who has been serving as the special envoy for hostage affairs at the Department of State, has been chosen for the role, Trump tweeted.
“I am pleased to announce that I will name Robert C O’Brien, currently serving as the very successful Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs at the State Department, as our new National Security Adviser. I have worked long and hard with Robert. He will do a great job!” he said.
In his role as special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, O’Brien works with families of American hostages and advises on related issues, including recovery policies. O’Brien would be Trump’s fourth national security adviser of his presidency.
NEW YORKCITY (TIP): The third edition of JLF New York – Jaipur Literature Festival — described as “the greatest literary show on Earth” — came to New York, presenting a series of conversations and performances examining the human experience through the imaginations of some of the world’s leading authors, thinkers, and performers.
Teamwork Arts, producer of the Jaipur Literature Festival, in partnership with Asia Society and Museum, brought to New York the iconic eventon September 17 and 18, featuring internationally acclaimed authors and thinkers.
This was be the second year that Asia Society hosted the festival in New York City. The festival opened with a reception on the evening of the 17th, held in partnership with DAG a leading gallery dedicated to Modern Indian Art in NYC.
At the releasee of Manisha Koirala’s memoirs “Healing”. L to R: Sanjoy K Roy, Manisha Koirala, Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty, Namita Gokhale Photo / courtesy Tirlok Malik
The program and panels took place at Asia Society on September 18th, whichbegan with a musical ‘Jugalbandi’ by Utsav Lal (Piano) and Alec Goldfarb (Guitar).
The inaugural address session was grace by India’s Consul General in New York Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty, Tom Nagorski, Executive VicePresident of Asia Society, Sanjoy K. Roy,Managing Director of Teamwork Arts, writer, publisher Namita Gokhale, and William Dalrymple, one of the founders and a co-director of the ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival.
Tom Nagorski said that the Asia Society is proud and thrilled to host the event again.
Highlighting the aim, Sanjoy K. Roy said, “Our target is to bring multiple voices together and to bring diversity and to get different point of views across the world leaders who gather at the UN every year.”
For Namita Gokhale, JLF is a platform that ‘builds up an environment which brings book and ideas beyond the usual tracks and gatekeepers.’
According toWilliam Dalrymple, the ‘hunger’ of readers’ to interact live with the authors is the driving force.
Ambassador Sandeep Chakravorty, who was the last speaker, emphasized on focusing on regional literatures at the festival across US, citing the example of growing Telugu speaking population in New Jersey. “Our population is growing here. Young educated people are coming and they speak their language. It’s not the second generation Indians who do not speak their mother tongue and they demand for language literature. I think we may consider this in our future editions”, he suggested.
The programincluded the launch of William Dalrymple’s latest book, The Anarchy (Bloomsbury Publishing),on the rise and significance of the East India Company; actress and film star Manisha Koirala whose latest memoir recounts her battle with cancer; Margo Jefferson speaking on Caste, Color and Gender; Priyamvada Natarajan talking about her book Mapping the Heavens, with insights into the nature of our universe; Food, Memory and Culture featuring Adam Platt, contributing editor and restaurant critic for New York magazine and Columbia University’s session These Lands We Call Home, where a panel of writers and thinkers examined the current age of immigrants and global movement, as more and more people claim a multiplicity of coexisting identities. An array of provocative panels and debates discussed the issues that shape our thoughts and perspectives.
NEW YORK CITY(TIP): India’s engagement and outreach at the 74th session of the UN General Assembly, set to begin here next week, is unprecedented and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the world organization will result in concrete, tangible, action-oriented outcomes, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin said.
Akbaruddin, briefing reporters at the Permanent Mission of India to the UN Thursday on India’s priorities and engagements at the United Nations during the high-level session said the extent of India’s outreach at the General Assembly this year is unprecedented. He said a total of over 75 Heads of State and Foreign Ministers will be meeting with Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan during the week across various platforms.
“We have, as of today, more than 75 Heads of State or Foreign Ministers going to be engaged intensively,” he said adding that these will not be pull-asides or brush-asides but would be events where either the Prime Minister and his counterparts or the External Affairs Minister and his counterparts will engage in the same room, discussing substantive issues for at least 30 minutes. “And that’s what I call when I say that the breadth is unprecedented. We have never, ever had this sort of an engagement of this intensity during the General Assembly session with such a broad number of countries,” Akbaruddin said.
He underscored that there is willingness of a large group of countries to engage with India together.
“In past engagements at the UN, we’ve had plurilateral meetings like the G4 or BRICS at the Ministerial level, but never have we had this engagement of India and a group of countries together, wanting to work collectively with India,” he said adding that all the engagements are very action-oriented. “It’s very different from normative talking. The UN is known to be sometimes derisively referred to as a talk shop. Talking is important. I don’t think that we should deride talk shops because jaw-jaw is better than waw-waw. So talking is important. But more important is that we need to walk the talk and …What you will see distinctively coming out of the visit this time is concrete, tangible, action-oriented outcomes that we are working on with our partners globally.”
Modi, who will be addressing the General Debate for the first time in five years, has a packed bilateral and multilateral agenda beginning September 23 till September 27, when he will address world leaders from the iconic podium in the General Assembly hall. In all, he will be delivering nine key speeches at high-level summits and plurilateral engagements. With Modi making his first visit to the UN after his resounding election victory in May, Akbaruddin said the Indian leader will “articulate his vision of how he sees India’s place in the multilateral arena, based on his past experience, but a forward looking vision.”
Modi arrives in New York on the evening of September 22 from Houston, where he will address a massive community event along with President Donald Trump. On the morning of September 23, he will be among the first set of speakers at UN Secretary General’s high-level Climate Action Summit in the UN General Assembly chamber along with Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern, President of Marshall Islands Hilda Heine and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Over 63 countries have been invited to speak at the Summit, which will demonstrate solutions by governments, the private sector and civil society to reduce emissions and build climate resilience and adaptation. Immediately after this session, Modi will address the first-ever High-level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage, which will launch new efforts to provide access for all to affordable, inclusive and resilient health systems.
Later in the day, Modi will address the ‘Leaders’ Dialogue on Strategic Responses to Terrorist and Violent Extremist Narratives’, organized by a group of countries, along with the UN Secretariat, which deals with the Office of Counterterrorism. The meeting is led by King of Jordan Abdullah II, President of France Emmanuel Macron and Ardern. Akbaruddin said Modi has made a call for international conference to counter terrorism and he will make that pitch in his meeting. Addressing the challenges of terrorism will always be a theme in India’s external orientation, because “our people have suffered enough. And we would like the international community to act in unison to address these issues.”
He further said that “climate change, health, terrorism and violent, extremist narrative are all areas that India is interested in on a global platform.”
On September 24, India will be highlighting a new feature of its approach at the UN through the plurilateral ‘India-Pacific Islands Leaders’ Meeting. India and the Pacific nations have met under the Forum for India-Pacific Islands cooperation (FIPIC), first in Fiji in 2014 and then in Jaipur in 2015. Leaders of Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu will attend this high-level meet.
“The Indo-Pacific is a major area in which we are focused and these specific small-island countries are a very close partner that we are working on a whole host of issues,” Akbaruddin said.
Modi has been invited by Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies Founder Michael Bloomberg to deliver the keynote address at the Bloomberg Global Business Forum in the morning of September 25. Following this, there will be a large number of interactions with CEOs. Later in the afternoon, India will engage with the CARICOM group of countries at the first leaders’ level summit expected to last about two hours. Leaders from Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago will attend this summit. Modi will have several bilateral meetings during his visit and will address the General Debate on September 27. He could have a bilateral meeting with Trump between September 23 and 25th.
Jaishankar too has a packed schedule of meetings and engagements and he will participate in the BRICS, G4 and SAARC Foreign Ministers meet on the sidelines of the General Assembly session. Muraleedharan will engage with the countries of the NAM, the Group of 77, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures (CICA), Commonwealth and SAMOA Pathway. (Source: PTI)
WASHINGTON(TIP): Gunfire erupted on the streets of Washington, D.C., on Thursday, September 19 night, not far from the White House.
One person was killed, and five others wounded, police said.
It was not immediately clear if a suspect had been taken into custody in the incident, but a law enforcement source told Reuters it was not considered an “active shooter” situation.
The source said the five wounded victims of the shooting were expected to survive their injuries.
The gunfire erupted in the Columbia Heights neighborhood, about two miles from the White House.
ABC affiliate WJLA-TV posted images on Twitter of ambulances carrying victims from the scene and said there had been a “massive” police response at the intersection of 14th Street and Columbia Road.
Local TV station FOX-5 reported, citing police, that six people were shot in the incident, shortly after 10 pm eastern time.
JERUSALEM (TIP): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to win a ruling majority in an election that produced a virtual tie between his right-wing bloc and a center-left grouping that would be led by former military chief Benny Gantz.
Netanyahu’s Likud party trailed its main rival Blue and White by 31 to 32 seats on Wednesday, September 18, putting the country’s longest serving premier on a shaky ground and raising the possibility of a unity government.
Israelis voted on Tuesday, September 17, in their country’s second general election in five months after 69-year-old Netanyahu failed to form a governing coalition with a viable majority following April’s vote.
The Central Election Committee (CEC) said Blue and White party seemed to be taking a lead over Likud after 91 per cent votes were counted.
As per figures shared by the CEC, the center-left bloc now has 56 seats compared to Netanyahu-led bloc, comprised of right-wing and ultra-Orthodox parties, which is at 55 seats in the 120-member Parliament. The Joint List, an alliance of mostly Arab Israeli parties, also has gained a seat standing at 13. These numbers may change slightly when the votes of soldiers are counted later on Thursday.
The secular Yisrael Beitenu party won nine seats, making its leader and former defense minister Avigdor Lieberman the kingmaker in the elections.
Meanwhile, the Netanyahu’s office said the prime minister will not travel to New York next week for the UN General Assembly in the wake of the election results.
Lieberman, an ally-turned-rival of Netanyahu, said, “The picture is clear…There is only one option and it’s a broad liberal unity government, comprising of Likud, Blue and White and his own Yisrael Beitenu.”
WASHINGTON (TIP): “Howdy Modi” is bringing together Indian Americans and Hindu Americans from across the U.S., Democratic presidential aspirant and the first Hindu woman in the U.S. Congress Tulsi Gabbard said.
Ms. Gabbard, 38, on September 19 extended a warm welcome to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his upcoming U.S. visit beginning on Saturday, September 21.
“I’m very happy to see that Howdy Modi is bringing together Indian-Americans and Hindu Americans from across our country, including many of my colleagues in the U.S. Congress,” Ms. Gabbard said.
Prime Minister Modi will attend a large gathering with an audience of over 50,000 at the NRG Stadium in Houston on Sunday, September 22.
U.S. President Donald Trump along with a number of high-ranking US government officials, including Governors, Members of Congress and Mayors will attend the “Howdy Modi!” event.
“India is the world’s oldest and largest democracy, and one of the United States most important allies,” Ms. Gabbard said.
“The Unites States and India must work closely together if we are to address the pressing issues that impact our nations, our countries, and the entire world such as combating climate change, preventing nuclear war and nuclear proliferation, and improving the economic well-being of our people,” she said.
Ms. Gabbard described the wonderful opportunity the U.S. and India has for “…a strong and lasting partnership between our two great nations, a partnership based on shared values and objectives“.
“Let us work together to usher in a 21st century of aloha — respect and love for others, no matter our race, religion, ethnicity, caste, economic status or political affiliations,” Ms. Gabbard said.
The fourth-term lawmaker is a former Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans.
She was part of a select group of Members of Congress to greet and escort Mr. Modi to the podium when he addressed a Joint Session of Congress in June 2016 and has welcomed him to events promoting greater U.S.-India relations.
A long-time advocate for greater ties between the U.S. and India, she also congratulated Mr. Modi when he was first elected as Prime Minister following the 2014 elections.
Ms. Gabbard, highly popular among Indian American, converted to Hinduism early in her life and has become the first-ever Hindu to be running for the presidency in the U.S.
She supported Senator Bernie Sanders against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primary.
NEW YORK(TIP): On his first visit to the US after returning as PM for the second term in May this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will come to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly or UNGA session after “Howdy Modi!” event in Houston on Sunday, Sept 22. He will conclude his US visit with a special address at the UNGA on September 27.
Here is a look at Modi’s Engagements during the UNGA Sept 23-27.
Sept 23
Climate Action Summit 2019
Time: 1045 – 1100 Hrs
Venue: UN General Assembly
PM in first cohort of Speakers
At Number Three among National
Statements
UN High-Level Meeting on universal health coverage
Time: 1130 – 1200 Hrs
Venue: Trusteeship Council Chamber
Leaders’ Dialogue on strategic responses to terrorist and violent extremist narratives
Time: 1630 – 1800 Hrs
Venue: Conference Room 1, UNHQ
Sept 24
INDIA – PACIFIC ISLANDS LEADERS’ MEETING
Time: 1530 – 1700 Hrs
Venue: Lotte New York Palace
Leaders of Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu to attend
LEADERSHIP MATTERS: “Relevance of Mahatma Gandhi in the Contemporary World”
Time: 1830 – 1930 hrs
Venue: ECOSOC Chamber, UNHQ
LEADERSHIP MATTERS:
“Relevance of Mahatma Gandhi in the Contemporary World”
Release of Special UN Postage Stamp Commemorating
150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi
Remote Inauguration of “Gandhi Solar Park” at UN
Headquarters and “Gandhi Peace Garden”
Global goalkeeper Awards 2019
PM Narendra Modi to receive Global Goalkeeper Award and speak at the Third Annual Goalkeepers event
Time: 2010 – 2100 hrs
Sept 25
Bloomberg Global Business Forum
PM Narendra Modi to give the Keynote address
Time: 0845 – 0905 hrs
India-CARICOM Leaders’ Meeting
Time: 1500 – 1700 Hrs
Venue: Lotte New York Palace
First Summit between India and CARICOM Member States
Leaders from Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada,
Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago to attend
Sept 26
Several bilateral Meetings
Sept 27
74th UNGA GENERAL DEBATE
Prime Minister will address the UN General Assembly between 1000 Hrs – 1100 Hrs
WASHINGTON(TIP): India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed delight at the news of US President Donald. J. Trump joining the special community program, ‘Howdy Modi’, in Houston, Texas on September 22. Prime Minister said that U.S President’s participation signifies the special friendship between India and USA.
Terming President Trump’s participation in the event as a special gesture, Prime Minister said that it highlights the strength of the India-US bilateral relationship and recognition of the contribution of the Indian community to American society and economy.
Prime Minister Modi tweeted, “A special gesture by @POTUS, signifying the special friendship between India and USA! Delighted that President @realDonaldTrump will join the community programme in Houston on the 22nd. Looking forward to joining the Indian origin community in welcoming him at the programme.”
“The special gesture of President @realDonaldTrump to join us in Houston highlights the strength of the relationship and recognition of the contribution of the Indian community to American society and economy.”
On Sept 16, White House had issued a press statement confirming Donald Trump’s participation in the event. Highlighting the importance of the event, the press statement noted, “It will be a great opportunity to emphasize the strong ties between the people of the United States and India, to reaffirm the strategic partnership between the world’s oldest and largest democracies, and to discuss ways to deepen their energy and trade relationship.”
‘Howdy Modi – Shared Dreams, Bright Futures’ is a community summit hosted by Texas India Forum, for Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, September 22 at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. Over fifty thousand people are expected to attend the event who will get to experience “Woven: The Indian-American Story,” a 90-minute cultural program that is a celebration of Indian-Americans and their contributions to the cultural, intellectual, and social landscape of the United States.
Presented by the Texas India Forum, Woven is a 90-minute music, dance, and multimedia show featuring close to 400 artists and community members from Texas and across the nation. There are 27 groups performing in a seamless live and multimedia experience that will showcase the diversity in the Indian-American community. Two original songs have been written for the program, which will trace the journey of Indian-American youth learning their roots to understanding how to put that together with the contemporary world.
“A challenge that many second and third generation Indian-Americans go through is navigating the complexity of having a hyphenated identity as an Indian and an American. Woven showcases the multiplicity of Indian-American experience. Our hope is that each person sees themselves in at least one form of expression and recognizes that whatever mix of Indian and American they are, it is just right,” said Heena Patel, CEO of MELA Arts Connect and co-producer of the program.
The show will also shine a light on unsung heroes in the Indian-American community who have undertaken selfless acts benefiting the broader American community without any need of recognition. From the classical and folk traditions passed on in basements across America to the creative exchange between Eastern and Western arts and ideas, Woven illuminates the stories of generations of Indian Americans and snapshots of home, and builds on the theme of “Shared Dreams, Bright Futures” that is the foundation of the event.
“We really look forward to presenting this unique and interesting cultural show at the event, which will tell the story of our community in a way that’s never really been done before. We want all the attendees and those watching from home to connect with a program that shows the Indian-American community and understand what drives our community to be part of the larger American experience,” said Gitesh Desai, spokesperson for the event.
The live audience will be the largest gathering for an invited foreign leader visiting the United States other than the Pope. The “Howdy Modi” summit has been organized with the support of more than 1,000 volunteers and 650 Texas-based Welcome Partner organizations.
This unique event brings together the President of the world’s most influential democracy, the Prime Minister of the world’s largest democracy, and a bipartisan delegation of Governors, Members of Congress, Mayors, and other public officials.
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