Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS)
(501 C 3 Tax Exempt)
2017 Report and Donation Appeal

Donations to FIIDS are Tax Exempt

Happy Holidays,

We would like to report a summary of the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) activities in 2017 and seek your financial support for similar activities in 2018. In this impactful year, FIIDS focused on international issues and relations, representing India’s, Indians’ interest, human rights and connecting with Indian diaspora.

The year started with discussions and meetings on expectations from Indo-US as US presidency changed from Democratic Party to Republican Party. FIIDS had participated in a meeting of leading international think tanks in Washington DC and hosted a public talk of BJP General Secretary Shri Ram Madhav on “Expectation of Indo-US Relations on the Arrival of the New President”.

Subsequently, on occasion of Hon. Prime Minister’s visit to the US in the month of June, FIIDS hosted a mini-conference on “Indo-US Relations and Issues of Professional Indian Groups” on June 25th at Tyson’s corner with many speakers such as Dr. Vijay Chauthaiwale, BJP’s In-charge of Foreign Relations, Mr. Sadanand Dhume, Mr Amit Shah, Mr Prakash Bhalerao, and Dr. Shashi Shah (AAPIO).

Similarly, on occasion of the Prime Minister’s visit to Israel, FIIDS hosted a mini-conference on Indo-Israel Relations in the Silicon Valley in which deputy consul generals of both countries, American Jewish Committee(AJC) and many Indo american and Jew American leaders participated.

This year being the 100th birth anniversary of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, a political leader and ideologue who propounded “Integral Humanism”, FIIDS hosted a dialogue on “Integral Humanism” in the prestigious senate building in Capitol Hill, Washington DC.
Video of CM Speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAYoAfQc2MQ&feature=youtu.be

The Hon. CM. Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Shree Ram Madhav, Congressmen Raja Krishnamoorthi and Pete Olson presented on Socio-Political Relevance of the Integral Humanism.

Prof. Walter Andersen moderated a discussion on Integral Humanism for the world economy in which eminent scholars such as Prof. Arvind Pangaria (Deputy Chairman of NITI Ayog, India), Dr. Richard Rossow, Dr. Pravin Krishna (John Hopkins University) spoke.

On October 25th in the Silicon Valley, on the occasion of the India-China standoff at Doklam, FIIDS hosted Ambassador Virendra Gupta, ex-Director General of Institute of Defense and Security Analysis, India’s largest think tank on security studies, who presented on India’s neighbourhood security challenges.

On occasion of the 100th year of abolition of indentureship in Caribbean, Fijian, Mauritius islands and other countries, FIIDS held two conferences. In the conference on Indo Fijian diaspora on 4rth November in the Silicon Valley, India Consul General Amb. Ashok Venkatesan, Fiji’s Honorary Consul General Dr. Narayan Raju, and General Secretary of Antar Rashtriya Sahayog Parishad Shree Shyam Parande spoke about resiliency as well as the achievements and issues of the Fijian Indian Diaspora.

In another conference on reflections of the state of Indian Caribbean Diaspora 100 years after the abolishment, held at the prestigious Columbia University on Dec 2nd , FIIDS hosted international scholars on Caribbean diaspora including ex-MP from Gayana Mr. Ravi Dev, Prof. Lomarsh Roopnarine, Dr. Tara Singh, Dr. Santnarine Balkaransingh, Karen Dipnarine, Dr. Somdat Mahabir, and Dr. Vishnu Bisram. India’s Consul General Hon. Consul General of India (NY), Sandeep Chakravoorty concluded the conference.

On Sept 2nd, FIIDS published a report on “The Plight of Yezidis” in Phoenix, Arizona , where hundreds of Yezidis reside. FIIDS issued statements on misrepresentation of India and Indic religions in US, incidents of discrimination against people of Indian origin living in the United States, United States’ high tech immigration policies and policy matters. (News Report : http://www.newsbharati.com/Encyc/2017/9/12/FIIDS-event-on-Yezidis-.html)

FIIDS is planning many conferences and a report in 2018 focussing on terrorism, India’s neighbourhood security, US-India relations, Indo-Israel relations, and diaspora community building.

FIIDS can only achieve this with financial and other support from you. FIIDS would like to appeal you to give a tax deductible donation to the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies either online or by mailing a check to 5836 McKellar Drive, San Jose CA 95129.

Donations to FIIDS are Tax Exempt

Regards,

Dr. Jasubhai Patel, Prof. Radhyeshyam Dwivedi and Khanderao Kand

Directors of the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) http://fiids-usa.org