NCVA eREPORTER
- June 27, 2005
In this NCVA eReporter:
EVENTS
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
JOBS/INTERNSHIPS
TIPS/RESOURCES
NEWS
******************
EVENTS
SOUTHEAST ASIAN CHILDREN’S HEALTH RESEARCH PROJECT FORUM
Come learn about the needs of Laotian & Cambodian children ages
0-5 in Long Beach!
Southeast Asian Children's Health Research Project Forum
Thursday,
June 23, 2005
10AM-12PM
St. Mary Medical Center
Health Enhancement Center
Conference Room A, First Floor
1055 Linden Ave.
Long Beach, CA 90801
TO RSVP please contact:
Cevadne Lee
clee@ocapica.org
(714)636-9095 Tel.
(714)636-8828 FAX
Southeast Asian Children's Health Research Project's purpose was
to utilize community based participatory action research to
determine the health, social, education, and economic issues
faced by Cambodian and Laotian families living in Long Beach
with children 0-5 years old.
The Southeast Asian Children's Health Research Project (SEACHRP)
was funded by First 5 LA's Neighborhood Data Use Collaborative
Initiative to Special Service for Groups. The SEACHRP
partnership is made up of Special Service for Groups (SSG),
Cambodian Association of America (CAA), Families in Good Health
(FIGH)/St. Mary Medical Center, Educated Men with Meaningful
Messages (EM3)/St. Mary Medical Center, and Khmer Girls in
Action (KGA).
******************
Health Promotion Council of Southeastern Pennsylvania
Health Access for Asian Elderly Project
Asian American Women’s Breast Cancer Project
Supported by the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and The
Pew Charitable Trusts
ASIAN HEALTH FAIR
On
June 25, 2005
9am-3pm
At St. Thomas Aquinas Church
1719 Morris St.
Philadelphia,
PA 19145
Everyone is Welcome!
(Interpreters and Food are provided)
* Breast Health Mammogram Screening Day
* Health Screenings: Cholesterol, Blood Sugar, Blood pressure
* Free Medical Clinic, Chiropractor and Massage
* Community Behavioral Health and Alzheimer’s Info
* Immigration, Social Security and Elderly Legal Issues
* Other Social Services Materials and Information
Participating Providers:
The Fox Chase Cancer Center Mobile Mammography Screenings, Asian
American Health Care Network, Nguyen T. Giang, MD, Chinatown
Medical Services, Philadelphia Health Management Corp.,
Community Behavioral Health, Social Security Administrations,
Catholic Social Services, Morley Surin & Griffin, P.C.,
Nationality Service Center, Philadelphia Corporation for Aging,
The Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians, Alzheimer’s
Association, Senior Law Center, Planned Parenthood of
Southeastern PA, Korean American Senior Services of
Pennsylvania, HIAS and Council Migration Service and AIDS
Services in Asian Communities
This event is organized by the Health Promotion Council, please
call
215-731-6194,
r email
chin@phmc.org for more information.
******************
PROJECT C.A.L 24
Project
C.ultural
A.rtistic
L.eadership
24 Chosen Minds, Leaders, and Visionaries of Youth Subculture.
The Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community (OCAPICA)
proudly presents Project C.A.L. 24 is an innovative,
cutting-edge, and creative leadership program that supports the
individuality and energy of today's youth subculture. If
chosen, you will be part of a diverse group of individuals who
have specifically selected for their talents, skills, and
untapped potentials and participate interactive workshops on
culture, arts and leadership development. At the completion of
this seven-week program, participants will have developed skills
that will enable them to make positive change in their
communities while preparing themselves for successful futures.
So, if you believe yourself to be a unique visionary, a rebel,
an organizer, an activist, and/or a passionate dreamer...this
program is for you!
This is a
FREE
program, however there are only 24 spots available, so
applicants must turn in their applications before June 30, 2005.
Applications are available at the OCAPICA office or online
http://www.ocapica.org/documents/ProjectCAL24Application.pdf
High school applicants only, please.
When: July 11th through August 26th
Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays 2PM-5PM
Where: OCAPICA
12900 Garden Grove Blvd., Suite 214A
Garden Grove, CA 92843
For more information please contact:
Jason Lacsamana
jjlacs@ocapica.org
(714) 636-9095 x203
Vicky Ojerio
vojerio@ocapica.org
(714) 636-9095 x207
Funding generously provided by Orange County's United Way, the
Helping Kids Achieve Program from The Orange County Community
Foundation and The Draper Family Foundation, and The Weingart
Foundation.
(www.ocapica.org)
******************
CNHA’s
4th ANNUAL NATIVE HAWAIIAN CONFERENCE
Don't Miss the Biggest Week in Native Hawaiian Community
Development!
Featuring:
* Native Economies Roundtable led by U.S. Senator Daniel K.
Inouye
* Hawaiian Way Fund Luncheon celebrating nonprofit
organizations
* Hawaiian Grammy Nominee Banquet with U.S. Senator Daniel K.
Akaka
* Hawaiian Housing Luncheon with Hawaiian Homes Commission
Chairman Micah Kane
* Bishop Museum Banquet honoring King William Charles Lunalilo
* Native Veterans luncheon with U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka
* Plenary sessions featuring leaders from Hawaiian and other
Native communities
* Community development and capacity building workshops
* Exhibitor Marketplace featuring Native Hawaiian Artisans &
Producers
Register now and be eligible to win a FREE 7-day cruise for two
compliments of Norwegian Cruise Line! Click here <http://www.hawaiiancouncil.org/4ANHCRegFormFilFin.pdf>
for the conference registration form.
Take advantage of the "Fund a Friend" two-for-one conference
registration special - if you attended the Conference last year
and pay for one full Conference Package registration to this
year's Conference, you can bring along a friend for
FREE!
Special scholarships and room rates are also available.
For registration, scholarships or more information visit
www.hawaiiancouncil.org or call 521.5011 on Oahu or toll
free at
800.709.2642.
Mahalo to the 2005 Annual Native Hawaiian Conference Sponsors!
(http://www.hawaiiancouncil.org/4ANHCRegFormFilFin.pdf)
(www.hawaiicouncil.org)
******************
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
DOL's EMPLOYMENT
AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES GRANT FUNDS TO TEST
INNOVATIVE TRAINING STRATEGIES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH LIMITED
ENGLISH PROFICIENCY
AND HISPANIC AMERICANS
The Employment and Training Administration (ETA)
has announced the availability of approximately $5 million in
demonstration grant funds to test unique and innovative training
strategies for services to individuals with Limited English
Proficiency (LEP) (those who do not speak English as their
primary language and who have a limited ability to read, speak,
write, or understand English and Hispanic Americans,
specifically, those who lack basic and occupational skills
needed by high-growth occupations. This demonstration program is
targeted to incumbent workers, new job entrants or youth who
lack the language, basic skills, and occupational skills
necessary to succeed in the 21st century workplace. This
demonstration program emphasizes the use of innovative
contextualized learning strategies which simultaneously provide
language and occupational skills training that open career
opportunities and pathways for LEP and Hispanic Americans.
The Limited English Proficiency (LEP) and Hispanic Worker
Initiative is a strategic effort to improve access to employment
and training services for LEP persons and to better serve
Hispanic Americans through workforce investment programs that
address the specific workforce challenges facing these
individuals. Grant funds awarded should be used to develop
unique and innovative strategies that specifically address the
workforce challenges of LEP individuals and Hispanic Americans.
Applications must reflect a strategic partnership between the
public workforce investment system, the employer community, the
education and training community, and, if applicable,
community-based or faith-based organizations.
It is anticipated that individual awards will fall within the
range of $500,000 to $1 million. The Department reserves the
right to award grants at either lower or higher amounts.
*Application deadline:* The closing date for receipt of
applications is *August 15, 2005*.
*Eligible Applicants: *Eligible applicants include any
organization meeting the requirements of this Part and capable
of fulfilling the terms and conditions of this solicitation such
as public, private for-profit, and private non-profit
organizations including community and faith-based organizations.
Any applicant that is not a Workforce Investment Board or
One-Stop Career Center will be required to demonstrate evidence
of an active partnership or coordination with the public
workforce investment system in the proposed service area for the
delivery of services to participants of that area. Such evidence
may include a memorandum of agreement, a memorandum of
understanding, or letters of commitment from partners.
Applicants are also encouraged to work with other local
partners. The application must clearly identify the applicant
and describe its capacity to administer this project. The
applicant must also identify whether the fiscal agent is an
organization other than the applicant.
Read the full grant solicitation
(http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-11881.htm)
PDF version (http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-11881.pdf).
More information is also available at
www.doleta.gov/sga/sga.cfm.
The solicitation is divided into eight major parts:
* Part I provides background information on the LEP and
Hispanic Worker Initiative; an overview of the current status of
the growing Hispanic American population; and describes the
critical elements of the LEP and Hispanic Worker Initiative
grants.
* Part II describes the size and nature of the award.
* Part III describes who qualifies as eligible applicants.
* Part IV provides information on the application and
submission process.
* Part V explains the review process and rating criteria that
will be used to evaluate applications for funding.
* Part VI provides award administration information.
* Part VII contains DOL agency contact information.
* Part VIII lists additional resources of interest to
applicants.
Also see: Frequently Asked Questions on www.lep.gov [
http://www.lep.gov ].
(http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-11881.htm)
******************
NIMH SEEKS
PARTNERS FOR OUTREACH PROGRAM
Nonprofit organizations in 24 states and the District of
Columbia are invited to submit proposals for the
National Institute of Mental Health's (NIMH) Outreach
Partnership Program.
Partners in the program are expected to help deliver
science-based information about mental health to a wide audience
in the state in which they reside, heightening efficacy and
awareness through outreach work. The partner is also expected to
provide feedback to the NIMH on individual communities, and to
network to help build a national coalition to address
mental-health and substance-abuse problems.
Outreach partners will receive $7,500 per year, dispensed in
$3,750 increments every six months. Applicant organizations must
be 501(c)3 nonprofits with the capacity for statewide work, and
have full internet access and representation.
The optional letter of intent is due July 5. The full
application deadline is Aug. 1. For more information on the
partnership program, application, and eligibility, visit the
program
website.
(http://www.nimh.nih.gov/outreach/partners/solicitation.cfm)
******************
VISITING SENIOR
FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
The Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, a part of the
National Gallery of Art, announces its program for Paul Mellon
and Ailsa Mellon Bruce Visiting Senior Fellowships. Up to twelve
short-term Fellowships (up to 60 days) are for fulltime
research, and scholars are expected to reside in Washington
throughout their fellowship period and participate in the
activities of the Center. The application deadline for
fellowship period: March 1 - August 31, 2006 is September 21,
2005.
(http://www.nga.gov/resources/casvavissen.htm)
******************
THE CHARLES FRUEAUFF FOUNDATION FOCUSES ON AT-RISK YOUTH
The Charles Frueauff Foundation focuses on at-risk youth in all
its funding categories: education, health, and social services.
The Foundation primarily funds the South, Midwest and Northeast
regions. The next application deadline is September 15, 2005.
(http://www.omhrc.gov/omh/whatsnew/2pgwhatsnew/Funding925.htm)
******************
EDUCATION,
COMMUNITY,
AND
SAFETY ISSUES
Ford Motor Company Fund
The Ford Motor Company Fund supports a variety of nonprofit
organizations that strive to make the world a better place
through many programs and projects. The Fund focuses on the
following areas: education, including K-12 and higher education;
community development, including diversity, youth, and cultural
exhibitions; and auto-related environment and safety. Support is
provided to organizations with national scope, and local
organizations in the communities where Ford employees live and
work. Applications are accepted throughout the year.
(http://www.ford.com/en/goodWorks/fundingAndGrants/fordMotorCompanyFund/default.htm)
******************
UNION PACIFIC FOUNDATION FUNDS FOR COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
The Union Pacific Foundation's mission is to improve the quality
of life in the communities served by Union Pacific, primarily in
the midwestern and western United States. (For a map of company
communities go to
http://www.uprr.com/aboutup/maps/sysmap/.) The Foundation's
areas of interest include: health and human services, community
and civic programs, and the fine arts. Preliminary applications
must be submitted through the online application process by noon
on August 14, 2005.
(http://www.up.com/found/index.shtml)
******************
EMERGENCY
SUPPORT FOR MEDIA ADVOCACY
Funding Exchange: Media Justice Immediate Response Fund
The Media Justice Fund, administered by Funding Exchange,
supports local and national efforts to organize around media
reform policies, open access to technology, and accountability
by media corporations. The Media Justice Immediate Response Fund
makes grants in response to quickly developing political
situations in the media advocacy field. Grants may be used to
support travel, rallies, mailings, and other costs associated
with political organizing activities. Grants are intended for
use in mobilizing communities in situations where a small grant
of up to $3,000 can have a significant impact. Requests may be
submitted at any time.
(http://www.fex.org/mjf.shtml)
******************
TOYOTA FAMILY LITERACY PROGRAM TO EXPAND NATIONALLY
Deadline: July 15, 2005 (Capability Survey)
The National Center for Family Literacy (
http://www.famlit.org/ ) has announced the planned expansion
of its Toyota Family Literacy Program into five new communities
across the United States that have experienced substantial
growth in their Hispanic and other immigrant populations. The
expansion is made possible through a $2.97 million grant from
Toyota Motor North America (
http://www.toyota.com/ ).
The Toyota Family Literacy Program provides Hispanic and other
immigrant families with quality family literacy programming
designed to increase basic language and literacy skills, as well
as provide parents with the specific skills they need to help
their children succeed. The program specifically serves
children in kindergarten through third grade and their parents.
Communities across the nation are eligible to apply for the
opportunity to develop the program in three elementary school
sites (per community). Through a competitive application
process, five cities will be selected to receive grant funding,
training and technical assistance, materials, and other forms of
support.
NCFL is seeking to identify school systems that provide evidence
of need for family literacy services and that can demonstrate
the capabilities to deliver these services beginning in the fall
of 2005.
To be considered, applicants should complete and submit the
Capability Survey by July 15, 2005.
(http://www.famlit.org/ProgramsandInitiatives/tflp.cfm#CP_JUMP_16658)
******************
JOURNALISTS INVITED TO APPLY FOR RACIAL JUSTICE
AND JOURNALISM FELLOWSHIPS
Deadline:
August 8, 2005
The Institute for Justice and Journalism (
http://www.justicejournalism.org/ ) was established at the
University of Southern California's Annenberg School for
Communication (
http://ascweb.usc.edu/ ) to strengthen journalism about
justice and injustice. Through Justice and Journalism
Fellowships, the institute supports journalists committed to
covering complex, often polarizing issues with context and
depth.
Ten Justice and Journalism Fellowships will be awarded to
journalists committed to reporting and writing in-depth stories
about justice issues related to race and ethnicity. Fellowship
activities will include a three-day symposium at Harvard
University sponsored by
USC
Annenberg's Institute for Justice and Journalism and Harvard's
Nieman Foundation for Journalism (http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/
).
Fellows will be expected to complete in-depth, exemplary stories
that can be turned into learning tools for journalists,
journalism educators, and students. In addition, they will meet
with Harvard professors and other experts in Boston and
Cambridge during the week of September 19-24, then meet again
for four days in March 2006 to review fellowship projects with
editors, news directors, and fellowship colleagues.
In addition to covering expenses for the fellows and their
editors or news directors to participate in fellowship
activities, each fellow will receive a stipend of $2,500 upon
completion of his/her project.
U.S. journalists (print, television, radio, and online) with at
least ten years' experience are eligible to apply. Freelance
journalists are also invited to apply but must submit written
confirmation of a news organization's interest in publishing or
airing the work resulting from the fellowship. Applicants must
be U.S. citizens or work as journalists in the U.S. as full-time
employees of U.S.-based news organizations.
(http://www.justicejournalism.org/Fellowships/racialjustice2005.htm)
******************
ANDREW FAMILY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES GRANT INITIATIVE TO BENEFIT
DISADVANTAGED YOUTH
Deadline: Contact Funder
The Chicago-based Andrew Family Foundation (https://online.foundationsource.com/public/home/andrewfamily
) has announced its latest philanthropic initiative, Opportunity
Knocks.
The mission of Opportunity Knocks is to partner and collaborate
with other organizations and individuals, enabling the
foundation to leverage its financial, intellectual, social, and
human capital to create, foster, and support self-sustaining
programs that positively affect and enhance the lives of
disadvantaged youth and their families. The program's geographic
focus includes Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, or Texas.
The foundation seeks to provide expansion capital to established
organizations to build a new program or to enhance an existing
program focused on providing educational, mentoring, and
enrichment opportunities that will build character in those
individuals, assist them in reaching their full potential, and
enable them to become productive citizens who in turn will give
back to society.
The foundation will award grant(s) of up to $450,000 over a
three-year period through the program. The financial support
will be restricted to a specific purpose or project and can
include operational support. In addition to financial support,
the foundation desires to play a critical role by providing
expertise and resources necessary to ensure the success of the
program. Preference will be given to organizations that focus on
collaborating with other organizations to replicate proven
solutions and utilize mentoring to assist disadvantaged youth
and families.
Applicant organizations must be a U.S. nonprofit (federally
tax-exempt) organization as defined under Section 501(c)(3) of
the Internal Revenue Code. Preference will be given to those
organizations and/or programs with budgets of less than $2
million, and government funding must not exceed 50 percent of
the organization's total budget. In addition, the organization's
geographic focus must be Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, or
Texas; the organization must have two or more years of operating
experience; and the organization must be able to provide
opportunity for significant involvement for Andrew Family
Foundation board members.
Visit the Andrew Family Foundation Web site to download the
Request for Proposals. Potential applicants will be asked to
complete an online eligibility quiz. If they qualify, they will
then be asked to complete an online Letter of Inquiry.
(https://online.foundationsource.com/public/home/andrewfamily)
******************
JOBS/INTERNSHIPS
NAPAWF LAW FELLOWSHIP
NAPAWF invites third-year law students, judicial clerks, and
other recent law school graduates interested in applying for
Skadden, Equal Justice Works, or other law fellowships to
discuss their interest in basing a fellowship project related to
domestic violence at NAPAWF. The deadline for applications is
August 15, 2005.
Founded in 1996, the National Asian Pacific American Women’s
Forum (NAPAWF) is a national grassroots advocacy organization
committed to a progressive movement for social and economic
justice and the political empowerment of Asian and Pacific
American (APA) women and girls. Our vision is to strengthen
communities to reflect the social, political, and economic
concerns and perspectives of APA women and girls; inspire
leadership and promote the visibility and participation of APA
women and girls in the political process and within national and
international women’s movements; and create a vehicle for local
activists to connect with others across the country to share
strategies and form lasting coalitions around policy initiatives
and grassroots organizing campaigns. Issues related to domestic
violence, reproductive justice, economic empowerment, immigrant
and refugee rights, civil rights, and education form the basis
of our work. In these areas, NAPAWF seeks to bring the unique
concerns and issues of
APA women to policymakers, advocates, the APA community, and the
general public through education, advocacy, and organizing. For
more information about NAPAWF and our projects, please visit our
website at
www.napawf.org.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE:
Interested individuals should send: (1) a current resume; (2)
cover letter; (3) transcript or list of law school grades; (4)
recent writing sample; (5) a list of three references with
current addresses and telephone numbers; and (6) suggested
topics for domestic violence fellowship projects by mail, email,
or fax to:
Courtney Chappell
Legislative Staff Attorney
NAPAWF
1050 17th St., NW Suite 250
Washington, DC 20036
cchappell@napawf.org
(f) 202/293-4507
(www.napawf.org)
******************
BEYOND REFUGEES: FROM FLIGHT TO SETTING ROOTS
SOUTHEAST ASIAN AMERICAN ESSAY CONTEST
LINK:
http://www.searac.org/2005essaycontest.html
The Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC) seeks entries
for an essay contest on the theme "Beyond Refugees: From Flight
to Setting Roots." These essays are sought in preparation for
SEARAC's gala celebration on
September 17, 2005, to mark two important events:
1. The 30th Anniversary of the beginning of Southeast Asian
refugee resettlement to the United States
2. The 25th Anniversary of the Refugee Act of 1980, which set
the stage for continuing U.S. leadership in refugee protection
and assistance.
ELIGIBILITY:
Entries will be considered from people who are age 25 and
younger, have heritage in Cambodia, Laos, and/or Vietnam, and
now consider the United States their home.
RECOGNITION:
Successful authors will receive the following recognition:
1. Essays will be printed and distributed at SEARAC's gala
celebration in Washington, DC, on
September 17, 2005.
2. Essays will be posted on SEARAC's website: www.searac.org.
3. Authors will be provided with support for travel and lodging
expenses to participate in the gala in Washington, DC.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
* Essays should be from 500 to 2,000 words in length (roughly
2-8 pages long).
* Please provide entries in 12-point font, and double-space all
text.
* The deadline for submission is July 23, 2005.
* All entries should be sent in electronic format to
essay@searac.org.
QUESTIONS:
Please contact Phitsamay Sychitkokhong Uy at
sychitph@gse.harvard.edu if you have questions.
(www.searac.org)
******************
TIPS/RESOURCES
MANAGEMENT – KNOWING YOUR STRENGTHS
AND
WEAKNESSES
Many nonprofit managers find themselves caught up in challenges
that must be handled each day. In his book Marketing Management
for Nonprofit Organizations, Adrian Sargeant offers a look at
the strengths and weaknesses of nonprofits, as suggested by the
World Bank.
This outline may seem very simple, but the author thinks it can
be helpful in forming an idea of just what nonprofits are all
about.
The strengths:
* Strong grassroots links. Voluntary organizations comprise
groups of individuals directly involved with social issues.
* Field-based development expertise. Many organizations are
better placed than government to use their experience.
* The ability to innovate and adapt. Many are small and thus can
adapt more quickly than large for-profit companies.
* Participatory methodologies and tools. Many organizations are
democratic and inclusive.
* Long-term commitment and emphasis on sustainability. They are
formed to deal with issues and stay around until they are
solved.
* Cost effectiveness. They have learned to do a lot with a
little.
The weaknesses:
* Limited financial and management expertise. Their very nature
means they may draw people with vast "subject" knowledge but
little financial or managerial expertise.
* Limited institutional capacity. Their small size may limit
their ability to deal with problems.
* Low levels of self-sustainability. Resources, such as funding,
may not match enthusiasm.
* Small-scale interventions. Their effect on a particular cause
may be minimal.
* Lack of understanding of the broader social or economic
context. A narrow focus can limit perception of the bigger
picture.
(http://www.nptimes.com/enews/tips/management.html)
******************
FINANCE – EDUCATING DONORS ABOUT ENDOWMENTS
Many organizations are aware of the benefits of endowments, but
they may not be aware of the fundraising tool they have by
informing potential donors of their benefits from endowments. In
her book, Endowment Building, Diana S. Newman offers several
suggestions on how endowment contributions provide numerous
benefits to donors.
From the donor's perspective, an endowment contribution:
* Perpetuates the donor's values and priorities. By creating or
adding to a permanent endowment for a designated purpose, the
donor seeks to enable and obligate the organization to implement
his expressed wishes.
* Creates a sense of immortality. It will be invested
permanently and can serve as a permanent tribute to the donor.
* Makes significant investment in the future. Many donors make
larger endowment gifts, often through planned giving vehicles,
than they dreamed were possible. Endowment gifts are sometimes
the donor's last and largest gift to the organization.
* Endows annual gifts. An endowment gives donors the option to
perpetuate their annual gifts.
* Allows incremental funding. Some donors do not want to give
away their assets during their lifetimes, yet they want to see
the benefits of the gift immediately.
* Provides lifetime income. Some kinds of endowment gifts -- C
split interest gifts, for example -- pay income to the donor for
life, with the remainder going to the charity's endowment after
the donor's death.
* Alleviates management burden. Some donors, particularly as
they become older, are uneasy with managing their assets and
making investment decisions.
* Permits additions at later times. An endowment fund can be
added to later.
(http://www.nptimes.com/enews/tips/finance.html)
******************
BENCHMARKING – TRACKING YOUR ORGANIZATION’S SUCCESS
Solicitation is an integral pat of any nonprofit operation,
regardless of how time-consuming or painful it might be.
Although most organizations recognize the need for solicitation
and have been open to sophisticated and proven methods of
prospecting, not all of them are attuned to ways of measuring
success in terms other than dollars raised.
A huge return is of course welcome and a cause for cheer, but
there may be others measure of success that are not so easy to
quantify.
At the Association of Fundraising Professionals annual
conference in Baltimore earlier this year, convention attendees
learned about benchmarks of success for a solicitation, some of
which may not be among the most prominent considerations when a
campaign's results are being evaluated.
Some benchmarks are:
* Frequency of giving increases. This will not be apparent in
the immediate aftermath of a campaign and will take time to be
noticed.
* The donor and volunteer base expand. This may happen right
away or over time.
* Volunteers become more active. They may find more ways and
more creative ways to help.
* The institution gains community respect.
* In-kind support increases. This is another area that may not
show up on the bottom line right away.
* The staff functions as a team. This will happen if the staff
was treated as a team during the solicitation.
* Planned gifts occur more frequently. Another aspect that
occurs over time.
* Annual per capita giving increases. Also extends over time.
* Attendance at functions increases. Thanks to increased
visibility.
(http://www.nptimes.com/enews/tips/benchmark.html)
******************
MULTIMEDIA – THERE
ARE
MANY PIECES TO MARKETING
Launching a multimedia campaign, one that integrates traditional
and online media, requires creativity, according to Marcelo
Inarra Iraegui in his chapter on multi-channel marketing in the
book Nonprofit Internet Strategies. He offered five rules that
are necessary for the development of a multimedia campaign.
* Be coherent in your online and offline communications. The
communication design should be coherent in its design of the
distinctive online and offline parts such as the Web site or
email.
* The URL is a fundamental part of the publicity piece, not just
a dressing. Response rates are directly proportional to the
amount of time that the URL stays on screen or how much the
offer to visit the Web site is emphasized.
* A URL should be easy to remember. It is advisable to ask this
question: Can I use my organization's main URL for the campaign?
* Long live the simple, creative and direct site. Creative
briefs must follow a clear line, relevant to objectives. The
creativity of the site must be aimed toward the closing of the
organization's appeal, using all interactive sources to make the
site solid, honest and the simplest possible. If high-tech
designs are too flashy or do not appeal to the target audience,
visitors will go elsewhere.
* Use digital bridges. This is basic advice, but remember that
the heartbeat of an organization still depends on the generosity
of its donors, despite being connected by a digital bridge.
(http://www.nptimes.com/enews/tips/media.html)
******************
GRANTS – EVALUATING
AND
DOCUMENTING A REWARDING EXPERIENCE
The relationship between foundations and grantees can be a
rewarding one for both parties, but it is one that is often
taken for granted. In their book Foundations and Evaluation,
Marc T. Braverman, Norman A. Constantine and Jana Kay Slater
stressed the necessity of evaluations. Such evaluations can
actually help to advance a foundation's mission, they maintain,
by helping it keep sight of what it is trying to achieve.
Further, they can be of help to those who benefit from
foundation help.
First, there are ways in which an evaluation may be used inside
the foundation:
* Exercising due diligence by foundation staff to gain
information in advance about the potential effectiveness or
worthiness of a proposal.
* Reducing the uncertainty about the investment in a program or
strategy.
* Correcting founders' assumptions about a societal need, a
program strategy or the political climate for social change.
* Keeping the foundation staff accountable to the board for
their choices of grantmaking strategies or program funding.
* Providing a rationale for a renewal of funding to the
foundation's senior leadership and board.
Outside the foundation, evaluations may be useful:
* Keeping grantees accountable for performance.
* Portraying the rationale for foundation choices to the rest of
the world.
* Building a field of work.
* Affirming or disproving the value of a program intervention to
encourage outsiders' attention and support.
* "Fixing" the wayward investment.
* Providing the rationale for renewal of funding to the
foundation's staff.
(http://www.nptimes.com/enews/tips/grants.html)
******************
FUNDRAISING – CREATING YOUR DEVELOPMENT
PLAN
Development is important for any nonprofit, but those who
attended a recent conference on fundraising learned that there
are seven basic steps to creating a development plan, in the
form of questions.
* What do you want to accomplish? What are the goals for this
year and the tentative goals for next year? These goals come
from the organizational plan, strategic plan, long-range plan
and board and executive director's shared vision. Be concrete
and specific.
* Who are you going to ask? Start with individuals. Exhaust all
the possibilities there. Then go to foundations or for-profits.
* What are you going to ask for? This can take a variety of
forms, such as cash, pledges and bequests. Be creative.
* What form will the ask take? Foundations and corporate sources
are specific about what form the ask will take. Follow
directions. Individuals are not so easy. Use the most intimate
form of asking with the most important donors and prospects. Use
the broadest forms for the largest group of prospects if you
cannot see everyone personally.
* When are you asking for it? For formal applications, respect
deadlines. If you have events, get those on the calendar. If you
have months or dates that you have to black out, do that next.
* Who is going to do the asking? The board and key volunteers
are going to be trained by someone who is knowledgeable and
enthusiastic about soliciting. A knowledgeable staff person is
going to be on every face-to-face ask.
* What communications are needed?
(http://www.nptimes.com/enews/tips/fundraise.html)
******************
NEWS
THE LEGG MASON $75,000 WOMEN’S CHALLENGER PRESENTED BY THE
SINGHA BEER
AND THE ASIAN FESTIVAL
Thai Tennis Organization in America, 13015 Dunhill Dr.,
Fairfax, VA 22030
Tel 703-855-9499, Fax
202-862-9193
Email
info@thaitennis.org
PRESS RELEASE
Fairfax, VA – The Thai Tennis Organization in America
(TTOA) and Singha Beer are proud to announce The
Legg Mason $75,000 Women’s Challenger Presented by Singha Beer
and the Asian Festival. The women tennis qualify
tournament and the Asian Festival will be held together on July
30-31, 2005 at the Lake Newport Tennis Facility in Reston, VA.
The women’s challenger (Main Draw) will be held at the
William H.G. Fitzgerald Tennis Center in Washington, D.C.,
along with the Legg Mason ATP Tournament, on August
1st-8th, 2005.
Last year, TTOA successfully combined two large events in the
Mid-Atlantic section: a Thai Festival, and the Singha Beer USTA
$50,000 Tennis Tournament, which was the largest women’s
professional tennis tournament in Northern Virginia in over 20
years.
This year, our goal is to offer the ultimate experience to the
community when combine the largest Asian Festival in Northern VA
together with the one of the five largest women’s challenger in
the U.S. and the 2nd oldest Men Tennis tournament in
the U.S.: the Legg Mason Tennis Classic. The ultimate experience
will start on July 30 with the Asian Festival on an expectation
of 10,000 attendees. Admission to the festival is free.
The festival will be the largest Asian Festival in our area, and
will promote Asian cultures from Japan, China, Vietnam, India,
Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand.
The TTOA works with many local Asian Associations to introduce
Asian cultures and tennis to the local community. TTOA’s mission
is to promote tennis growth and encourage young people to
broaden their horizons through education initiatives via
scholarships. TTOA is a proud member of the USTA family, and was
the recipient of the 2004 Organization of the Year Award by USTA
Mid-Atlantic section and the USTA Virginia District.
For more information, to register for a booth, or to reserve a
performance at the Asian Festival, contact Thanakorn Duangmanee
at
703-855-9499,
info@asianfestivaldc.com or visit the website at
www.asianfestivaldc.com. Media-related questions may be
forwarded to
media@thaitennis.org.
The Legg Mason USTA $75,000 Women’s Challenger and Asian
Festival
Location: Lake Newport Tennis Facility, Reston, VA
Date/Time: Asian Festival: July 30th, 2005, 10 a.m.-9
p.m. One day only!
Women’s Challenger: July 30th-31st, 2005 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
The Legg Mason USTA $75,000 Women’s Challenger (Main
Draw)/Legg Mason ATP Classic.
Location: William H.G. Fitzgerald Tennis Center,
Washington, D.C.
Date: August 1st-8th, 2005
###
(www.asianfestivaldc.com)
******************
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 13, 2005
CONTACT:
Eddy Badrina
or Erik Wang
202-482-3949
WHITE HOUSE INITIATIVE ON ASIAN AMERICANS
AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS JOINS THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION’S
COMMISSION TO END HEALTH
CARE DISPARITIES
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The White House Initiative on Asian Americans
and Pacific Islanders (Initiative) has been incorporated as a
member of the American Medical Association’s Commission to End
Health Care Disparities (Commission). Dr. Akshay Desai of St.
Petersburg, Florida, will be the Initiative’s representative to
the AMA Commission. The AMA’s Commission to End Health Care
Disparities was established in response to the Institute of
Medicine’s report, “Unequal Treatment,” which acknowledged
health disparities as resulting from multiple factors, including
race and ethnicity.
Dr. Desai, a member of the President’s Advisory Commission on
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), and Chairman of
its Subcommittee on Health, commended the AMA “for recognizing
that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders suffer from high
incidence of health disparities and adding the Initiative to its
membership so that the concerns of the AAPI community can be
discussed and addressed in the solutions being developed.”
The President’s Advisory Commission on AAPI began addressing the
issue of eliminating health disparities within the AAPI
community as part of the recommendations made by its report,
“Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Addressing Health
Disparities – Opportunities for Building a Healthier America,”
presented to President George W. Bush in 2003. The report
found, among other things, that some subpopulations of Asian and
Pacific Islanders are disproportionately at risk from cancer and
cardiovascular disease; that AAPI women in the United States,
who have the lowest rates of cancer, are however diagnosed at a
later stage of cancer; that AAPIs account for over half of the
1.3 million hepatitis B cases and half of the deaths resulting
from the infection; that AAPIs have a higher percentage of
tuberculosis than all other racial and ethnic groups; and that
Asian American seniors are less likely to receive social
services and medical care because of language and cultural
barriers.
The Commission will collaborate proactively to increase
awareness among physicians and health professionals; use
evidence-based and other strategies to boost understanding of
AAPI health disparities; and devise measures to eliminate
disparities and strengthen the health care system. The White
House Initiative’s participation in the AMA Commission is
envisaged to accelerate the process.
As the Initiative’s representative, Dr. Desai brings to the
Commission’s table his experience as a leading geriatrician in
Florida and his professional abilities as a founder of the
American Family and Geriatric Care in St. Petersburg, as well as
CEO and President of Universal Health Care, a managed care
organization.
-- ### --
(www.aapi.gov)
******************
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 14, 2005
CONTACT:
Eddy Badrina or Erik Wang
202-482-3949
PRESIDENT’S ADVISORY COMMISSION ON ASIAN AMERICANS
AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS CONDUCT LATEST TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FORUM
AND
SITE VISIT IN NORTH CAROLINA
Raleigh, NC - The President's Advisory Commission on Asian
Americans and Pacific Islanders, aware that Asian American and
Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities are emerging in areas
throughout the United States that have not previously seen
significant AAPI populations, soaked up the southern hospitality
of the AAPI communities of North Carolina. The commission came
to Raleigh with two primary goals - first, to listen and learn
from the AAPIs that are becoming a growing community and
economic force in North Carolina. The second goal was to hold a
technical assistance conference to bring directly to the AAPI
community information and access to the services and benefits of
federal government programs.
"There is often a disconnect between the federal government and
AAPI communities," explained Eddy Badrina, Executive Director to
the President's Advisory Commission. "By bringing these
services directly to the communities we hope to increase access
and information and better service to this community."
In addition to the federal technical assistance conference, the
commission participated in seven site visits that included
visits with North Carolina state government, community service
organizations, and corporations. The site visits and community
reception provided commissioners unique perspective of the
challenges and issues that face emerging AAPI communities for
the report the commission will put together for the President.
"A key lesson from North Carolina is that the new AAPI community
in the Raleigh area has tremendous resources that give it many
advantages. But there is also a portion of the community that
is very disadvantaged -- lacking in education, financial
resources, and services. The need for the community and
government to not be blinded by the success of one segment of
the AAPI population to the real needs of the other segments of
the AAPI community is especially clear in an emerging
community," stated Ken Wong, commission member from
Philadelphia.
"What was exciting about visiting North Carolina is that the
AAPI community in North Carolina this is a dynamic population
that is just now creating the foundation for leadership and they
are eager for opportunities to work with the State of North
Carolina, the federal government and their community to help
develop successful and beneficial partnerships to encourage
economic development and services to AAPIs. The commission is
excited to help facilitate and support these partnerships and
connect with this community," stated Betty Wu, chairwoman of the
commission.
Later this week the commission will be visiting Chicago. It has
visits to New York and San Jose and San Francisco scheduled for
later this year.
(www.aapi.gov)
******************
June 15, 2005
VIETNAM
WAR REFUGEE’S MEMOIR SHEDS LIGHT
David Hammer
Associated Press
LITTLE
ROCK, Ark. - A new memoir seeks to dispel lingering
and painful misperceptions about the Vietnam War by relating the
journey of a South Vietnamese refugee-turned-U.S. Marine - a
journey that began 30 years ago in Arkansas.
Quang X. Pham, who came to the United States with his mother and
sister 30 years ago, recently launched a book tour in Little
Rock for his autobiography, "A Sense of Duty: My Father, My
American Journey."
By the time the last Americans were airlifted out of Saigon on
April 30, 1975,
Pham and his family were in Guam, on their way to a refugee camp
at Fort Chaffee near Fort Smith, 120 miles west of Little Rock.
But his father, Pham Van Hoa, made a choice to stay with the
South Vietnamese air force rather than join his family before
the fall of Saigon. He was taken prisoner by the North
Vietnamese for 12 years, as a part of Ho Chi Minh's re-education
of those who fought alongside U.S. forces.
"He could have gotten out with us that night, but I don't think
I would have had the sense of duty that I did, and when we were
reunited, he saw that, too," the 40-year-old author said.
Pham became a U.S. citizen in 1984, while a college student at
UCLA. He joined the Marines and served in the Gulf War.
He recalled seeing what he felt were mocking depictions of
America's Vietnamese allies in "Platoon" and "Full Metal Jacket"
while his father was still in prison. His father was released in
1987, and the U.S. Marine and the retired Republic of Vietnam
fighter pilot were finally reunited in Pham's home of Orange
County, Calif., the largest settlement of Vietnamese outside
Vietnam.
The father and son shared a sense of duty to country, but the
younger Pham was inspired to write his story out of anger that
his new country had abandoned his father's.
"He was in prison for more than 5,000 days of hard labor," Pham
said. "There were 30,000 of them sent to prison for more than 10
years. The longest American prisoner of war was there for 9 1/2
years, but I've had top military officials tell me they never
realized the Communists kept holding South Vietnamese all those
years afterwards."
Pham said he was angry that former U.S. Secretary of State Henry
Kissinger won the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating what
President Nixon called "peace with honor" at Paris, because
"there was no peace and no honor" for the South Vietnamese left
behind.
His passions were stirred again last year during the
presidential race when the Vietnam-era military service of
President Bush and Sen. John Kerry came under scrutiny.
Political commentators recycled old myths, Pham said, by
downplaying American military missteps and claiming the South
Vietnamese abstained from their own fight.
"History is written by the victors, and that's why the South
Vietnamese voice has never really been heard," he said. "I'm not
trying to rewrite history. I'm just trying to fill a void."
Even while pouring his soul into countering American stereotypes
about his people, Pham took time to combat what he saw as
misperceptions of his first American hosts. During his
seven-week stay in Arkansas and a later three-year training
stint in Texas, Pham said the idea of Southerners as
closed-minded xenophobes didn't bear out.
"I'm sure there are isolated incidents, but I wanted to come
here to thank the people of Arkansas," he said. "They came into
the camps and helped us. It may not be a diverse urban center,
but when we showed up in California - which people assume will
be understanding because it's a melting pot - they weren't sure
if we were friend or foe."
Pham and his family's first stop in the U.S. mainland was San
Francisco in April 1975. However, then-California Gov. Jerry
Brown refused to take in the refugees and the plane headed on to
Little Rock after refueling, Pham said.
By contrast, retired Army Lt. Col. Dick Clohecy, a Vietnam
veteran, and his wife, Gloria, who lived near Fort Chaffee,
befriended the Phams and brought them clothes for the relatively
cool weather. Pham said the Clohecys moved to Texas and the two
families lost touch in 1995.
"Arkansas and Fort Chaffee are like my Ellis Island, and it's
always good to go back where you came from," Pham said.
(http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/entertainment/11900844.htm)
******************
June 16, 2005
CITY
WEB
SITE ON MENTAL HEALTH, ADDICTION ISSUES TO LAUNCH TODAY
The site, started through a $60,000 city-funded initiative,
offers services for patients and providers.
By Shirley Wang
Inquirer Staff Writer
Philadelphia mental health officials plan to launch an ambitious
new Web site today that will allow patients and their relatives
to search for treatment options, learn about legislation that
could affect them and create their own private medical Web page.
The $60,000 city-funded initiative -
www.philly.networkofcare.org - attempts to centralize the
overwhelming amount of information available on the Internet
about mental health, addiction and mental retardation, said Dr.
Arthur Evans, director of the city's Office of Behavioral Health
and Mental Retardation Services.
Evans said the free site, covering services from in-patient
hospital care to self-help support groups, is intended for both
patients and providers of mental-health services.
"We want people to regain their lives and be integrated within
the community," Evans said, adding that the site is part of a
larger effort to eliminate racial health disparities and give
consumers more control over their treatment.
Starting today, users can read about disorders and what
providers offer, including links to state-licensed or
city-funded programs and practitioners with city contracts.
Individuals will also be able to enter and track their own
medical information confidentially, Evans said. Their file can
include data such as their doctors' phone numbers, drug dosages,
and even the location of their will.
The ability to enter such personal information in one place
enables Web surfers to track their treatment, Evans said. And
while treatment is often divided among a team of professionals,
such as psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers, Evans
said the new site allows people to give their providers
permission to look at all their records.
Evans said efforts have been made to ensure that the Web site
engages underserved populations, including African Americans.
The site is translated from English into six languages:
Cambodian, Cantonese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese.
The information provided on the site, in any language, will be
useful and improvable in the future, according to Joseph Rogers,
President of the Mental Health Association of Southeastern
Pennsylvania.
"Consumers have trouble accessing good information for the
services they need and understanding the intricacies of
diagnosis," Rogers said.
He said the site could improve by listing how the city awards
mental-health contracts, adding "the more information, the
better."
Contact staff writer Shirley Wang at 215 854-5568 or
swang@phillynews.com.
(http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/11904664.htm)
******************
June 17, 2005
BIG REWARD IN
UNPAID INTERNSHIP
By Abdon M. Pallasch, Legal Affairs Reporter
Chicago Sun-Times
Summer is the time of year when law students generally try to
land a coveted high-paying internship at a prestigious law firm.
But Joseph Lin, a student at the John Marshall Law School, took
an unpaid internship in Cambodia, where he helped liberate
underage girls from the sex slave trade and prosecute the owners
of the brothels.
The Illinois State Bar Association will present the Law Student
Public Service Award to him today.
Lin, 26, found some of the girls initially resentful when he and
the nonprofit agency he interned with closed down a brothel,
"liberated" them and ended what they had come to know as their
way of life.
But after a few weeks in an after-care facility -- where
counselors opened the girls' eyes to other ways of life and
careers they could have -- they were grateful. That's the point
at which Lin would interview the girls to start building a case
for prosecutors to use against the brothel owners.
Many girls are sold into slavery as early as age 12 or 13 by
their impoverished parents in the countryside or in neighboring
Vietnam.
Lin, a Wilmette native with Taiwanese roots, had gone to
Cambodia to teach English while he was an undergraduate at
Boston College. He found himself solicited on the street. He and
some friends recognized two young Vietnamese girls from their
class one night.
"They were walking around with two big European guys, holding
hands, kissing them," Lin said. He realized what was going on,
ran over and tried to tell them they did not have to do that.
But the girls just told him everything was OK, they would be all
right.
Finds purpose for himself
"I realized there was something very evil going on," he said.
"When a 15-year-old girl is sold into a brothel, forced to have
sex with a 60-year-old man from Germany. That's why I went
back."
Lin found a purpose for himself. Earlier in life, as a student
at New Trier High School, he was unsure of his identity and what
he wanted to do in life. One of the few Asian Americans in his
class and small for his age, he was picked on and beaten up. He
rebelled. His parents sent him out East to a boarding school to
finish high school.
In college, he discovered Christianity and realized, "I had a
passion for justice since I had been picked on. It's something
that comes from deep within me. I believe we all have a purpose.
It doesn't mean we all have to run to Cambodia to save girls
from brothels."
Lin found his internship so worthwhile last summer that he
stayed on until December, helping see through some prosecutions
he had started. It means he'll graduate a semester later than
his classmates. This summer, he is working with attorney Sidney
Berger defending whistleblowers and talking to teens at summer
camps about his experiences in Cambodia.
After law school, he hopes to go back and continue the work.
(http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-lin17.html)
******************
June 17, 2005
ADOPTIONS WILL RESUME FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2002
By Ben Stocking
Knight Ridder Newspapers
HANOI, Vietnam - The United States and Vietnam initialed an
agreement Wednesday that will allow U.S. citizens to adopt
Vietnamese children for the first time since 2002, when concerns
about baby trafficking prompted Vietnam to halt all adoptions.
Since then, Vietnam has tried to construct an adoption system
that will be less prone to abuse, and it has begun reaching
bilateral adoption agreements one nation at a time, starting
with France.
The two sides are expected to officially sign the U.S. agreement
in Washington next week, when Prime Minister Phan Van Khai will
become the highest-ranking Vietnamese official to visit the
United States since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975.
"This is a very propitious time to do something that is good for
both countries," said Maura Harty, assistant U.S. secretary of
state for consular affairs.
The agreement was initialed in Hanoi at the Ministry of Justice
by Harty and Vu Duc Long, head of the ministry's international
child adoption department. The ministry will begin licensing
U.S. adoption agencies two months after the agreement is signed.
Adoptions might resume as soon as a month after that, Long said.
The United States is the seventh country to resume adoptions
with Vietnam, which has also reached agreements with France,
Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Sweden and Ireland.
In 2002, U.S. citizens adopted nearly 700 Vietnamese children.
Last year, Americans adopted 23,000 children worldwide.
Harty said the new agreement would protect the interests of
children, their birth parents and their adoptive parents.
"The government of Vietnam was very interested in making sure
that there was a transparent process through which children who
were in fact eligible to be adopted were the only children being
adopted," Harty said.
(http://www.sunherald.com/mld/thesunherald/news/world/11915333.htm)
******************
June 17, 2005
VIETNAM PM HEADS FOR WASHINGTON ON HISTORIC TRIP
HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai leaves
this weekend on the first trip to the United States by the
communist nation's top leader since the Vietnam War ended, and
will be looking to increase trade between the former enemies.
Khai's trip coincides with the 10th anniversary of the
normalization of diplomatic ties between the two countries
frozen after the end 30 years ago of "The American War," as it
is known to Vietnamese.
The conflict, in which more than 58,000 Americans and three
million Vietnamese died, ended when Northern communists
overthrew the U.S.-backed South Vietnam government.
Khai, who leaves on Saturday, will hold talks with President
Bush in Washington on June 21 aimed at building long-term,
stable and constructive relations, Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy
Nien said.
Khai will also ring the opening bell at the New York Stock
Exchange, an ironic gesture for the leader of an officially
communist nation.
"The visit by the prime minister will create a breakthrough in
the relationship of the two countries, especially in the
economic and trade areas," Nien told the Saigon Giai Phong
(Liberation Saigon) daily.
Since restoring diplomatic links, two-way trade has rocketed
from just $451 million in 1995 to $6.4 billion in 2004.
Following a bilateral trade pact in 2001, the United States has
emerged as Vietnam's most important commercial partner.
Hanoi's Trade Ministry says it expects $6.2 billion in exports
to the United States in 2005, most of it clothing, fish,
shrimps, furniture and coffee.
Vietnam is also expected to sign a contract to buy four Boeing
787 "Dreamliner" planes, worth around $500 million, during
Khai's June 19-25 visit, officials said.
MOVING ON
Communist Vietnam's leaders appear keen to close the door on the
past and move on.
In April, celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of the end
of the war were muted because of concern that a very visible
show of "triumphalism" could harm crucial economic ties with the
United States.
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton visited Vietnam in 2000, and
two years later, the U.S.S. Vandegrift, the first U.S. warship
in Vietnamese waters since 1975, steamed up the Saigon River to
Ho Chi Minh City -- formerly Saigon and the capital of South
Vietnam.
The United States is also seeking close military ties with
Vietnam, but will let them evolve in the long term, instead of
pushing hard, U.S. officials said earlier this month.
"The most difficult, challenging issue has been to get both
sides to forget the past and move on to the future," Pete
Peterson, who served as the first U.S. ambassador to Vietnam
after ties were normalized, told the official Vietnam News
Agency.
With 82 million people and one of the fastest growing economies
in southeast Asia, Vietnam is also becoming an attractive
emerging market for U.S. companies.
Vietnam is also hoping to enter the World Trade Organization by
the end of this year.
Next year it hosts the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
meeting which will be attended by Bush.
But for all the commercial bonhomie, differences remain, in
particular over U.S. criticism of Vietnam's record on human
rights and religious freedom, and Washington's refusal to
compensate thousands of Vietnamese victims of wartime chemical
weapons such as Agent Orange.
Between 1962 and 1971, an estimated 20 million gallons of
herbicides including Agent Orange, were used in Vietnam. Agent
Orange is blamed for nightmarish birth defects such as babies
born with two heads or without eyes or arms.
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
(http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=8818662&pageNumber=0)
******************
Press Statement
June 20, 2005
Office of the Spokesman
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE INVITES APPLICATIONS FOR FULBRIGHT
TEACHER EXCHANGE PROGRAM
The U.S. Department of State's Fulbright Teacher Exchange
Program invites applications from U.S. citizen teachers and
administrators at K-12 schools and two-year colleges who wish to
participate in the Fulbright teacher exchange outside the U.S.
during the 2006-2007 academic year.
The Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
administers these exchanges under the Fulbright Program, the
flagship exchange program of the U.S. Government that promotes
mutual understanding between citizens of the United States and
other countries. Approximately 267,500 Americans and citizens of
other countries have participated as students, scholars, and
teachers since the inception of the Fulbright Program in 1946.
The Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program features direct
one-to-one exchanges.
Schools and communities gain the expertise and perspective of
the visiting exchange teacher and, subsequently, share the
experiences of their returning U.S. citizen faculty members.
Approximately 400 educators take part in the program each year.
U.S. and international teachers continue to be paid by their
home institutions while exchanging classrooms.
Administrator exchanges consist of reciprocal three- to six-week
visits to each administrator's institution. The U.S.
administrator works with his or her foreign counterpart as a
team in shadowing and sharing information on administrative
duties. The program also offers two summer seminars for teachers
of Latin, Greek, or the Classics.
Participating countries for the academic year 2006-2007 include
Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Czech
Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece,
Hungary, India, Italy, Jordan, Latvia, Mexico, Morocco, Oman,
Peru, Poland, Romania, Senegal, Slovak Republic, South Africa,
Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and Uruguay.
U.S. educators interested in participating must be U.S.
citizens, have a full-time teaching or administrative position,
be in at least the third year of full-time employment (for
teaching and administrative exchanges) or in the second year of
full-time teaching (for summer seminar participation), and be
fluent in English. In some countries, demonstrated fluency in
the appropriate language is required. The Presidentially-appointed
J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board will select
participants.
Applications must be postmarked no later than
October 15, 2005. Requests for applications, publicity material,
and general information should be directed to Ms. Roberta Croll,
Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program, 600 Maryland Avenue, SW,
Suite 320, Washington, DC, 20024; phone
800-726-0479; e-mail:
fulbright@grad.usda.gov; Website:
www.fulbrightexchanges.org.
2005/637
Released on June 20, 2005
(www.fulbrightexchanges.org)
******************
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 21, 2005
PRESIDENT WELCOMES VIETNAMESE PRIME MINISTER TO THE WHITE HOUSE
The Oval Office
10:01 A.M.
EDT
PRESIDENT BUSH: There will be two opening statements this
morning. Mr. Prime Minister, welcome. I want to thank you for
the constructive visit we just had. We discussed a wide range of
subjects. We discussed our economic relations. And I noted that
the Vietnamese economy is growing quite substantially. We talked
about our desire for Vietnam to join the WTO. We talked about
security issues and a mutual desire to coordinate in the war on
terror.
We talked about humanitarian issues. As the Prime Minister
noted, the United States is supporting the fight against
HIV/AIDS in Vietnam, and he gave me a report on the progress
about our mutual desire to help those who suffer with HIV/AIDS.
We signed a landmark agreement that will make it easier for
people to worship freely in Vietnam.
And finally, I want to thank the Prime Minister for his
government's willingness to continue to work on the -- on
finding the remains of those who lost their lives in Vietnam.
It's very comforting to many families here in America to
understand that the government is providing information to help
close a sad chapter in their lives.
And finally, the Prime Minister graciously invited me to
Vietnam. I will be going in 2006. I'm looking forward to my
trip. I'm also looking forward to the APEC Summit that Vietnam
will be hosting.
Mr. Prime Minister, welcome.
PRIME MINISTER KHAI: (As translated.) Thank you very much Mr.
President, ladies and gentlemen.
At the invitation of President George W. Bush, it gives me the
great pleasure and honor as the first Vietnamese Prime Minister
to pay an official visit to the United States. And this event,
in itself, shows that Vietnam-U.S. relations have in fact
entered a new stage of development. My visit to America this
time coincides with the 10th anniversary of the establishment of
our diplomatic relations.
During the talks that I had with Mr. President, Mr. President
and I were pleased to note the significant developments in the
two countries' relations, including the good progress made in
addressing the various issues left over by the past, as well as
the various steps to be taken to expand our relations in the
future.
Mr. President and I also shared the view that proceeding from
the interest of the two countries, and given the new
developments in the region and the world, the two countries'
relationship should be enhanced, and we should aim to build a
friendly relationship, constructive partnership, a comprehensive
cooperation on a long-term and stable basis, as well as on the
basis of equality, mutual respect and benefits.
We believe that America can find in Vietnam a potential
cooperation partner. We have a population of 80 million people,
which means a huge market for American businesses. And these
people are also very hard working, creative, and dynamic. And
they are now working very hard to achieve the goal of building
Vietnam into a strong country with wealthy people and a
democratic and advanced society.
Vietnam is also actively integrating itself into the world
economy, and wishes to be a friend and reliable partner of all
countries in the international community. I also highly
appreciate Mr. President's strong support for Vietnam's early
WTO accession, and we agreed that Vietnam's accession will be in
the benefits of both countries and we agree to continue with our
bilateral negotiations with the aim of concluding those very
soon.
Mr. President and I also agreed that there remain differences
between our two countries due to the different conditions that
we have, the different histories and cultures. But we also
agreed that we should work together through constructive
dialogue based upon mutual respect to reduce those differences
in order to improve our bilateral relations.
On international issues, Mr. President and I exchanged views on
the recent developments in Asia and the Pacific, which we are
both concerned about. And we also agreed on the needs to improve
the effectiveness of APEC for which the 2006 APEC summit in
Vietnam will be an important milestone.
I am also delighted that President Bush has accepted my
invitation to visit Vietnam and to attend the 2006 APEC summit,
and we also welcome your support for the organization of this
summit.
I am fully confident that my visit to America this time will
help uplift the relationship between our two countries to a new
height. And may I finally wish America prosperity and happiness
to her people.
I thank you, very much, for your time.
PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you very much.
END 10:11 A.M.
EDT
(http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/06/20050621.html)
******************
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 21, 2005
JOINT STATEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
AND THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM
President George W. Bush welcomed Prime Minister Phan Van Khai
to the White House today to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral
ties on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the
establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States
and Vietnam. The President and Prime Minister expressed
satisfaction with progress to date and affirmed that
U.S.-Vietnam relations are characterized by mutual respect,
growing economic and commercial ties, shared interests in
regional peace, prosperity, and security in Southeast Asia and
the Asia Pacific region, and increasing cooperation on a range
of common concerns. Both leaders reaffirmed their intention to
continue dialogue on issues on which differences remain.
The President and Prime Minister underscored the two countries'
common interest in further strengthening bilateral cooperation
in the context of a stable and durable partnership. To this end,
the President and Prime Minister stated their intention to bring
bilateral relations to a higher plane by developing a friendly,
constructive, and multi-faceted cooperative partnership on the
basis of equality, mutual respect, and mutual benefit. In that
spirit, the two leaders agreed to encourage greater contact
between their countries' respective executive and legislative
branches, commercial and scientific communities, militaries, and
citizens and to encourage more cultural and educational
exchanges, in particular through the Vietnam Education
Foundation. They further agreed to strengthen bilateral and
multilateral cooperation on transnational issues, including the
global fight against terrorism, transnational crime, narcotics,
and trafficking in persons and to deepen cooperation on health
and humanitarian issues
The President and Prime Minister applauded the success of our
2001 Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) in accelerating two-way
trade, and they reaffirmed their governments' determination to
implement fully the commitments made under that agreement.
President Bush expressed strong support for Vietnam's accession
to the World Trade Organization. The two leaders welcomed the
substantial progress achieved on the complete range of issues in
the recent bilateral negotiations regarding the obligations of
membership and agreed to intensify efforts to resolve remaining
issues. They also agreed to work together to promote favorable
conditions for increased U.S. investment in Vietnam.
President Bush expressed appreciation for Vietnam's ongoing
cooperation in our joint humanitarian effort to achieve the
fullest possible accounting for Americans who remain missing in
action from the war, especially through Joint Field Activities
that have identified and repatriated the remains of more than
520 U.S. soldiers. The Prime Minister reaffirmed Vietnam's
willingness to continue its close cooperation on this matter by
carrying out newly agreed measures. The two leaders agreed to
continue cooperation to address a range of issues that remain
from the war.
The Prime Minister briefed the President on Vietnam's
determination to further economic, social, and legal reforms.
The two leaders agreed on the importance of continuing an open
and candid dialogue on issues of common concern, including
human-rights practices and conditions for religious believers
and ethnic minorities. The President welcomed Vietnam's efforts
to date and encouraged further progress.
The President and the Prime Minister attached great importance
to the efforts of Vietnamese-Americans and Vietnamese residing
in the United States in promoting friendly and cooperative
relations between the two countries. The Prime Minister welcomed
their contributions in strengthening Vietnam's economic and
social development, and he discussed his government's efforts to
encourage and facilitate visits and investment. The President
welcomed these efforts and reiterated the U.S. government's
support for Vietnam's security and territorial integrity.
The President and Prime Minister shared a vision of peace,
prosperity, and security in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific
region, and they agreed to cooperate bilaterally and
multilaterally to promote these goals. The President underscored
the United States Government's support for peace, stability, and
cooperation in Southeast Asia and for the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Vietnam is an active
member. The two leaders noted the central role of the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in supporting
trade and investment liberalization and in promoting cooperative
efforts to strengthen regional security. The President
congratulated Vietnam on its decision to host the APEC Summit in
Hanoi in 2006 and pledged to work closely with Vietnam and other
member economies to make the Summit a great success. Prime
Minister Phan Van Khai welcomed President Bush's expression of
support and invited the President to pay an official visit to
Vietnam in conjunction with his attendance at the 2006 APEC
Summit.
# # #
(http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/06/20050621-2.html)
******************
June 21, 2005
VIETNAM
AND
HUMAN RIGHTS
Washington Post Editorial; Page A20
PRESIDENT BUSH meets Vietnam's prime minister, Phan Van Khai,
today at the White House, a mark of the transformation in
U.S.-Vietnamese relations since the war that ended 30 years ago.
Mr. Khai is visiting the United States with a large entourage of
officials and business executives; he has toured a Boeing plant
and dropped in on Bill Gates of Microsoft; he is due to ring the
bell at the New York Stock Exchange and visit Harvard University
and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. These symbols of
warming relations are mostly welcome. But they should not
obscure the fact that Vietnam remains a place where a citizen
can be sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment for the crime of
denigrating Communist Party officials in e-mails.
Mr. Khai hopes that his visit will build U.S. support for
Vietnam's entry into the World Trade Organization, and there is
no reason to deny him that. The Vietnamese economy has grown at
an average of 7 percent per year over the past decade, thanks
largely to a boom in the southern half of the country, which has
responded vigorously to steady economic liberalization. As a
result, Vietnam's poverty rate has fallen from about 60 percent
to less than 30 percent, an achievement that ranks along with
China's as one of the greatest development success stories ever.
Vietnam, like China before it, wants to lock in its economic
progress by joining the WTO, membership in which would require
further pro-market reforms. The United States has an interest in
encouraging emerging economies to become part of a rules-based
international system, so it should welcome Vietnam's overtures.
The Bush administration is also interested in developing a
defense relationship with Vietnam. U.S. naval vessels have made
calls at Vietnamese ports, and the administration wants to
include Vietnamese officers in its military training programs in
the United States. Again, some measure of military cooperation
is reasonable. The East Asian security balance could be upset in
the future by a rising and assertive China or by North Korea's
willingness to provoke the nuclearization of its neighbors. The
United States must play its part in keeping a lid on these
tensions; it has a large stake in the stability of a region that
has become a leading destination for U.S. direct investment.
Cultivating security relationships with Vietnam and other
countries in the region is a prudent investment.
But these agendas -- economic and military -- must be balanced
against the equally important agenda of democracy and human
rights. Precisely because the United States has an interest in
stable development in East Asia, it should be skeptical of a
development model that's based on government control of the
media and the imprisonment of dissidents; if a government fears
its own people, how stable can it be? Equally, the United States
is most likely to be influential in the region if it is seen to
stand by its appealing values rather than making opportunistic
alliances with dictators, as it has to its own detriment in the
Middle East. For these reasons, Mr. Bush must use today's
meeting to push a two-sided agenda: more economic and military
cooperation on the one hand, more democracy and freedom on the
other.
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/20/AR2005062001201.html)
******************
About NCVA
Founded in 1986, the National Congress of Vietnamese
Americans is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community advocacy
organization working to advance the cause of Vietnamese
Americans in a plural but united America – e pluribus unum –
by participating actively and fully as civic minded citizens
engaged in the areas of education, culture and civil
liberties.
Copyright material is distributed without profit or payment for
research and educational purposes only, in accordance with Title
17 U.S.C. section 107
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