World Newar Organization - Towards a World Class Organization
- By Suwarn Vajracharya
October 20, 2011 - With the dawn of the auspicious 1132nd New year of Nepal calendar, the first World Newar convention is being organized in London, UK from 29th – 31st October 2011 with renowned leaders, activists and businessmen and women of the Newar origin living across the world attending the convention. The three day convention is to be inaugurated by Nepal Bhasa Academy Chancellor Dr. Satya Mohan Joshi and Professor Manik Lall Shrestha is scheduled to make the keynote address. Professor Prem Shanti Tuladhar, Professor David Gellner are among those addressing the convention. While Newar delegates will be arriving from the US, Germany, Belgium, Japan, Australia and many other regions, a delegation of Newar activists including Nepal Bhasa Manka Khala President Dr. Padma Ratna Tuladhar, businessmen and women, artists, and students from Nepal will be attending the first ever world convention to be held at the University of London.
The convention is being jointly organized by the World Newah Organization (WNO) and the Pasapucha Guthi, UK (PPGUK). It is my earnest wish that the first world Newar convention be a grand success laying a stronger foundation for building understanding and unity among the Newars at home and across the world. Newar community is a part and partial of the Nepali society, where ever they live. Their ancestors are the founding fathers of Nepal Mandala, the former Newar collective kingdom and principal part of today’s Nepal. The first world Newar convention is being organized this time along with Nepal’s important celebration of the 1132nd New Year, including the mass observation of the Mhapuja in London. What led both WNO and PPGUK to organize the first ever Newar convention in London? It was a decade long desire for Newars living outside of their nativeland Nepal to meet their fellow countrymen, and recent developments and events in their native land. An attempt is made here to understand these interest and initiatives of people involved in organizing this historical meet in London.
Why London?
Before understanding the interest and initiatives of the people involved in organizing the 1st world Newar convention, the first question one may ask would by why this is being held in London? Is it because such a convention is not possible in Kathmandu of Nepal? Or the Newars living abroad wouldn’t want to hold this meeting in Nepal? The answers for questions will be “No.” What has been the simple reason was the respecting of the process of democratic decision making. While there was one group proposing the first world Newar convention’s venue to be in Nepal and other proposing for London. It was a decision of both respecting democratic norms and extending cooperation among the two said parties after numerous consultations and negotiations. Despite there were differences, the final decision was unanimous to hold the first Newar convention in London.
Desire to meet fellow Newars and events in Nepal
It was initially a simple desire - to meet a fellow Newar like meeting any fellow Nepali - developed thanks to the internet and its email services provided by Hotmail, Ymail, Gmail and many other email services. The exchanges of email, and occasional opportunities of meeting in Nepal on their return on vacations or in some foreign cities with name and fame, helped develop to get to know better with fellow Newar, fellow Nepali, and events such as political change from absolute Hindu monarchy to secular federal democracy at the call of the people and drafting of a new constitution guaranteeing the safeguarding of the identity of each community, language and culture unlike in the past where Khasa people had dominated other communities in their own nativeland. I recall a decade long chat, discussion and
official proposal helped elect an ad hoc committee to form a world Newar organization for the purpose in August 2010. The ad hoc committee was elected for two purposes – to hold a world Newar convention, and through which we form a world organization for Newar. The organization was named the World Newah Organization (WNO) in English leaving many important decisions including its aims and objectives, where to have its registered office, and even deciding the Nepal Bhasa name for the organization at the proposed convention in London. With much persuasion by several members “Halin Newah Daboo” was added in Nepal Bhasa to the name of the world organization of Newar community at the last moment.
Initiatives to hold the World Newar Convention
Unlike the controversy of naming the organization of world Newar people in Nepal Bhasa, it was not without other difficulties in taking important decisions such as term of office and the structure of the organization. Some considered WNO as an organization formed by Newars living outside Nepal. The said group intends to support and help Newar people living in Nepal, but asserts to leave the organization at the hands of Newars abroad. Others consider WNO should be a world organization of Newar people. Hence they believe that there should not be any differentiation from which group to which but to work together for the benefit of all Newar people wherever they reside.
Towards a world class organization of Newar people
Many of us believe that the so named World Newah Organization should be befitted its name and must work to build a world class organization for Newar people living both at home and across the world. Unless it is some organizations like Non-resident Nepali Association, the WNO should be an umbrella organization for all organizations of Newar people across the world. There are several organizations such as Newah Organization of America, Pasapucha Amerikay in the US; Pasapuchaguthi in the UK; Pasapucha Beligium in Belgium; Newa International Forum Japan, Newa Jagaran Manch Japan; Newa Puchah in Korea, Newar Guthi in Sikkim, India and Australia. The WNO must be able to work with these organizations not as an individual organization but as an organization accommodating all Newar individuals and organizations alike or one may call it a kind of world federation of Newar organizations. The WNO must be able to be proud of their being Newar, giving priority to their mother tongue - Nepal bhasa - and attach its identity to the country their ancestors have built. Otherwise WNO may end up as a club of some Newars. May the 1132nd New Year of Nepal usher us into a new era of Newar understanding and cooperation leading to unity we have long sought for, and to contribute to the development of Nepal into a new country of peace and prosperity!
(NSCJ Chair Vajracharya is also Vice President of World Newah Organization (WNO), and former General Secretary of Newa International Forum Japan (NIFJ).
The convention is being jointly organized by the World Newah Organization (WNO) and the Pasapucha Guthi, UK (PPGUK). It is my earnest wish that the first world Newar convention be a grand success laying a stronger foundation for building understanding and unity among the Newars at home and across the world. Newar community is a part and partial of the Nepali society, where ever they live. Their ancestors are the founding fathers of Nepal Mandala, the former Newar collective kingdom and principal part of today’s Nepal. The first world Newar convention is being organized this time along with Nepal’s important celebration of the 1132nd New Year, including the mass observation of the Mhapuja in London. What led both WNO and PPGUK to organize the first ever Newar convention in London? It was a decade long desire for Newars living outside of their nativeland Nepal to meet their fellow countrymen, and recent developments and events in their native land. An attempt is made here to understand these interest and initiatives of people involved in organizing this historical meet in London.
Why London?
Before understanding the interest and initiatives of the people involved in organizing the 1st world Newar convention, the first question one may ask would by why this is being held in London? Is it because such a convention is not possible in Kathmandu of Nepal? Or the Newars living abroad wouldn’t want to hold this meeting in Nepal? The answers for questions will be “No.” What has been the simple reason was the respecting of the process of democratic decision making. While there was one group proposing the first world Newar convention’s venue to be in Nepal and other proposing for London. It was a decision of both respecting democratic norms and extending cooperation among the two said parties after numerous consultations and negotiations. Despite there were differences, the final decision was unanimous to hold the first Newar convention in London.
Desire to meet fellow Newars and events in Nepal
It was initially a simple desire - to meet a fellow Newar like meeting any fellow Nepali - developed thanks to the internet and its email services provided by Hotmail, Ymail, Gmail and many other email services. The exchanges of email, and occasional opportunities of meeting in Nepal on their return on vacations or in some foreign cities with name and fame, helped develop to get to know better with fellow Newar, fellow Nepali, and events such as political change from absolute Hindu monarchy to secular federal democracy at the call of the people and drafting of a new constitution guaranteeing the safeguarding of the identity of each community, language and culture unlike in the past where Khasa people had dominated other communities in their own nativeland. I recall a decade long chat, discussion and
official proposal helped elect an ad hoc committee to form a world Newar organization for the purpose in August 2010. The ad hoc committee was elected for two purposes – to hold a world Newar convention, and through which we form a world organization for Newar. The organization was named the World Newah Organization (WNO) in English leaving many important decisions including its aims and objectives, where to have its registered office, and even deciding the Nepal Bhasa name for the organization at the proposed convention in London. With much persuasion by several members “Halin Newah Daboo” was added in Nepal Bhasa to the name of the world organization of Newar community at the last moment.
Initiatives to hold the World Newar Convention
Unlike the controversy of naming the organization of world Newar people in Nepal Bhasa, it was not without other difficulties in taking important decisions such as term of office and the structure of the organization. Some considered WNO as an organization formed by Newars living outside Nepal. The said group intends to support and help Newar people living in Nepal, but asserts to leave the organization at the hands of Newars abroad. Others consider WNO should be a world organization of Newar people. Hence they believe that there should not be any differentiation from which group to which but to work together for the benefit of all Newar people wherever they reside.
Towards a world class organization of Newar people
Many of us believe that the so named World Newah Organization should be befitted its name and must work to build a world class organization for Newar people living both at home and across the world. Unless it is some organizations like Non-resident Nepali Association, the WNO should be an umbrella organization for all organizations of Newar people across the world. There are several organizations such as Newah Organization of America, Pasapucha Amerikay in the US; Pasapuchaguthi in the UK; Pasapucha Beligium in Belgium; Newa International Forum Japan, Newa Jagaran Manch Japan; Newa Puchah in Korea, Newar Guthi in Sikkim, India and Australia. The WNO must be able to work with these organizations not as an individual organization but as an organization accommodating all Newar individuals and organizations alike or one may call it a kind of world federation of Newar organizations. The WNO must be able to be proud of their being Newar, giving priority to their mother tongue - Nepal bhasa - and attach its identity to the country their ancestors have built. Otherwise WNO may end up as a club of some Newars. May the 1132nd New Year of Nepal usher us into a new era of Newar understanding and cooperation leading to unity we have long sought for, and to contribute to the development of Nepal into a new country of peace and prosperity!
(NSCJ Chair Vajracharya is also Vice President of World Newah Organization (WNO), and former General Secretary of Newa International Forum Japan (NIFJ).