NetIP NA Blog

Chicago South Asian Film Festival Oct 1-3

pooja — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:49:08 +0000

Presented by NetIP Chicago and Vachikam Inc., hosted by Columbia College Chicago and supported by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, the festival was developed to promote South Asian culture throughout the greater Chicago metro area and Midwest, by showcasing filmmakers of South Asian descent as well as films that represent the perspective of the Diaspora. The event will establish a groundbreaking cinematic and cultural experience. This year’s festival will attract close to 2,000 people consisting of various professionals, students, faculty, filmmakers and members of the Chicago South Asian community.

The three-day experience kicks off with a red carpet event at the Chicago Cultural Center, followed by the opening night film, a question and answer session with the director and actors, and a gala reception. Screenings on Saturday and Sunday will take place at Film Row Cinema at Columbia College Chicago. This year’s festival will screen 16 films including features, shorts, and documentaries in a variety of genres. All film sessions at Columbia College Chicago include Q&A with the director and/or actors.

As an added bonus, selected films will be shown at Claudia Theater at the Chicago Cultural Center on Saturday and admission to the public will be absolutely FREE – so don’t miss out on this opportunity to catch these outstanding independent films.

Additional offerings over the weekend include a special workshop “Hollywood Production with the Canon DSLR camera system” for those interested in learning how to use a Canon 5D/7D for film, television, and web production.

About the Films and Attendees

We’ve selected sixteen fascinating films that showcase the world through the eyes of South Asians. The line up includes the opening night film 2 Paise For Sunshine 4 Annas for Rain starring Manisha Koirala; 2009 National Award winning film, Antaheen; Ajay Naidu’s directorial debut movie, Ashes; and a series of outstanding features, short films and documentaries. More information on the films can be found at http://www.csaff.org/film_selections.html.

Artists expected to attend include award winning directors and actors – Deepti Naval, Manisha Koirala, Rajit Kapoor, Aparna Sen, Ajay Naidu, Ravi Kapoor, Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, Meera Simhan, Umakanth Thumrugoti and Rajeshwari Sachdev.

Tickets

Tickets are on sale!! Individual movie screenings are only $11 and each screening includes a short film, the feature film and a Q&A session with the director and/or actor. It’s a perfect opportunity to meet the filmmakers and learn about their craft and their films.

Opening night is $100 and includes a red carpet arrival, screening of our opening night film, Q&A with the director/principal actors, and the exclusive opening night gala. Enjoy tantalizing hors d-oeuvres along with alcoholic beverages and other refreshments as you network in style with a crowd of prominent guests and artists. Opening night tickets are limited, so be sure to purchase your ticket soon!

Special festival passes are also available at a discounted rate. Please visit http://csaff.org/ticket_passes.html for tickets and prices.

For more information, contact Amit Rana, Cultural Chair NetIP Chicago at amit.rana@netipchicago.org

NetIP and T-Mobile announce a special member savings program

pooja — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:32:21 +0000

The following is a sponsored message. T-Mobile is a NetIP member benefit provider.

Mobile phones are no longer a nice-to-have in today’s on-the-go lifestyle; in fact the majority of people consider wireless service a basic necessity. But did you know that 8 out of 10 people unknowingly overpay for their wireless service? T-Mobile is dedicated to making sure customers have the coverage they need at the price they want, and, thanks to special new savings, NetIP members now get an even better value when they sign up for new service.

T-Mobile USA, Inc. continues to earn accolades for its dedication to providing customers with superior service. J.D. Power and Associates today announced just recently that T-Mobile was the sole wireless carrier to earn the highest ranking in their 2010 Wireless Customer Care Performance StudySM — Volume 2. More information about J.D. Power and Associates studies can be found at http://www.jdpower.com.

NetIP Members are eligible for the following special discounts from T-Mobile:

No activation fee ($35 value)
Free Bluetooth headset or car charger with most devices
Savings on the latest devices for new customers
30-day return policy (extended from14-days)
Access to a trade-in program to convert your old handset (in working condition with no liquid damage or cracked screens) into cash.

To sign up for new T-Mobile service simply call 1-866-464-8662 and enter Option 3 for new customer sign up. You can also click here to be directed to the NetIP/T-Mobile website to browse our devices and rate plan selections.

Before you purchase from T-Mobile you can also access their Personal Coverage Check at www.t-mobile.com/coverage to ensure you have coverage where you need it. This is a street level coverage check that will give you a great idea as to what type of coverage you can expect where you live, work or play.

Device offer: Supplies may be limited and offer may not be available in all locations. Activation of qualifying rate plan(s) and 2‐year agreement required. General terms: Credit approval may be required; up to $200/line early cancellation fee applies to 2‐year agreements. Proof of eligibility may be required. See brochures and T‐Mobile’s Terms & Conditions (including arbitration provision) at T‐Mobile.com for rate plan information, charges for features and services, and restrictions and details. T‐Mobile and the magenta color are registered trademarks of Deutsche Telekom AG. ©2009 T‐Mobile USA, Inc.

The Man Who Put Indian Comedy on the Map

pooja — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:00:11 +0000

Written by Raj Bhandari for Tribe Desi Blog, republished with permission.

So why are so many desi comedians from Canada? Great article, drawing attention to the original, the $10M man – who Chris Rock calls the “most famous person no one has ever heard of…”

Image courtesy Russellpeters.com

If you are like me, and watched his clips on YouTube, you know the guy can be extremely funny, without offending any one race…”Peters’ specialty is the time-honored technique of affectionately observing culturaldifferences. What is unique is that his targeted cultures are rarely white or black. Though his most frequent targets are his fellow Indians, he aims at such overlooked nationalities and ethnicities as Guyanese, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans,South Africans, Vietnamese, Filipinos, Nigerians, Trinidadians, Jamaicans,Arabs, Mayans, Chinese and Persians. There are millions of people who hail from these countries and regions but live in the West and do not see themselves represented on stage or in the media. It is Peters’ genius to realize this vast untapped market exists. It helps that he is a master of accents: Indians imitating Jamaicans, Pakistanis vs. Indians, comparing Cantonese to Mandarin–watching him can feel like observing a UN session…”

NBC hopes outsourcing is “in” with TV audiences (reuters.com)
The new rules of standup comedy (reuters.com)

What Does Freedom Mean to You?

pooja — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 12:00:13 +0000

By Farida Hasanali

In light of our Independence Day and some of the atrocious recent events over the past couple of weeks I thought it might be apt to reconsider what so many of us take for granted on a daily basis and what is non existent for so many of our fellow humans in the world; our freedom.

Image courtesy cimaartindia.com

The August 9, 2010 issue of Time magazine featured an 18 year old whose nose and ears were cut off by her husband because she had run away from her husband’s house. She begged the judge, a local Taliban to listen to her story. She pleaded that she ran away because she was beaten everyday but her cries fell on deaf ears. Her brother-in-law held her down, while her husband cut of her ears and her nose and they left her bleeding on a remote mountain side. Fortunately she was rescued by U.S. Troops and is currently living in Kabul. But Aisha is not really living; she is likely dead on the inside. Her eyes are glazed over in a blank stare and she listens to the radio incessantly to get the latest news on whether the Taliban will come back into power. I don’t know how you feel about this, but I know when I read this story every bit of me wanted to find Aisha some justice. But I realized that more than justice what Aisha lacked is a moment of freedom. She has no freedom to chose anything in her life, where she wants to live, whom she wants to marry, whom she wants to run away from…that realization is what gave me goose bumps all over and when I said a prayer in thanks for the freedoms that I am blessed with.

On August 9, 2010 the Taliban executed a 47 year old pregnant woman. She was a widow and accused of adultery. Her husband is dead, how can she be unfaithful to him? Here is the clincher, she was whipped before she was shot in the head and this woman was pregnant. I am not placing any value judgments on whether she was guilty or not according to the laws set by the country, I am angered by the total lack of freedom these women have and the atrocious behaviors that men commit in the name of religion/law. Women aren’t the only victims of bondage, in war torn nations all over the world, children grow up not knowing what freedom means. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine not even knowing what it means to be able to roam the streets freely, to go to school, to eat until you are full, and/or to grow up with you parents? In Uganda the raging civil war between the militants and the rebels led to the children of Uganda being captured by rebels to be soldiers. The little girls were either required to fight or given as sex slaves to the soldiers. These children hid themselves at night because that’s when the rebels would raid their homes. Take a minute out of your day! Contemplate the idea that you NEVER feel safe. Harrowing isn’t it?

Our Independence, India’s independence from British colonialism was the result of the blood, tears and hard work of our freedom fighters. Our freedom fighters were not just the names we hear, Nehru, Bhagat Singh, and Gandhi to name a few, but also the thousands of people who stood strong in the face of beatings, who bore bullets at political rallies and who were martyred during the Hindu Muslim riots incited by the British. For 200 years the English had ruled us, stripping us of our culture, or beliefs, our values and our wealth. The British trained Indians as soldiers and used us against ourselves to fight stronger kingdoms and expand their rule. Our artisans were allowed to sell only to British traders at a price they had decided, the British sent our cotton to England to be spun into cloth that was sold back to us. Indian soldiers were traded as slaves to other British colonies, the education system of India eroded because the British did not care if Indians were educated, they needed them only for labor and fighting.

There are people who believe that the British did more good for India than harm for our infrastructure and education. In my opinion all the developments the British made, they made for their ultimate good. They introduced modern technology so they could manufacture cheap goods like textiles for greater profit. They built railways throughout India in order to make everything readily accessible. They established factories, schools and universities to introduce western ideas and to incorporate the idea of democracy. Although advancements were self-serving, in fairness we can agree that some of these gave India the basic infrastructure for the country it is today. The way I like to think about it, is it’s not what the British gave us, but what we took from them that is most precious to us today. Our freedom!

(The opinions expressed in this article are solely that of the author and not of NetIP National or NetIP Houston. Farida Hasanali is the President of NetIP Houston and can be reached at Farida@netiphouston.org. For upcoming NetIP Houston events please visit us at http://www.netiphouston.org and click of Calendar of Events. Past NetIP Talks articles can be found under the Media Articles tab.)

Thank you for coming to Seattle! Click to stay connected

pooja — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:02:20 +0000

We spent three days:

Exploring and learning at Keynotes, Panel Sessions, and Skill Workshops
Mingling with successful leaders, CEOs, and celebrities
Creating a community with our peers: the future leaders of North America
Dancing the night away at evening mixers

NetIP thanks all the attendees of the 19th Annual Conference in Seattle. We encourage you to stay connected with all the friends you made and networks you built. Here are some ways NetIP can help:

Join the facebook network of the chapter you belong to. For a listing of chapters: http://na.netip.org/chapters

Be sure to keep connected to the networks you made at the conference, use the NetIP LinkedIn http://linkd.in/acWyGW

Listen to NetIP’s Radio Show, Prime Time with NetIP with special guests. Podcasts: http://na.netip.org/primetime

And, coming soon, the conference will be Virtual! Stay Tuned for exciting news.

LAST CHANCE – Few Hours Left to Help Grameen Foundation Fight Poverty

latha — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 01:48:05 +0000

Vote Now – www.takepart.com/membersproject/vote

http://www.grameenfoundation.org/vote

Grameen Foundation is in the final countdown. It’s still in a tight race with a very strong competitor where EVERY vote counts. After battling for the last 12 weeks for a $200,000 grant from American Express, the Foundation is hoping to put this money to good use helping the world’s poorest.

NetIP, our support is crucial. With an outreach to over 40,000 South Asian Americans and the drive to succeed, we have the voters Grameen Foundation needs to get this grant and help empower the poor in South Asia – and throughout the world – by providing access to microfinance and technology.

Let’s create a world without poverty!

If you’ve already voted, thank you. If not, please take the time now – it will only take a couple of clicks and minutes of your time. You can vote once from each e-mail address you have.

And no matter what, please encourage everyone you know to vote for Grameen Foundation before 11:59 p.m. PDT on Sunday, August 22nd. This is the last weekend!

A vote for Grameen Foundation is a vote to make poverty history!

Thanks,
All of us at Grameen Foundation

P.S. After you vote, please spread the word to your friends!

Tweet this:

Join me and #netipna in fighting global #poverty w/ #microfinance & VOTE 4 @GrameenFdn to win $200K! http://bit.ly/Vote4GF #Vote4GF

Tell your friends on Facebook. Copy and paste this text as your status:

LAST CHANCE! Vote before 11:59 p.m. PDT to help Grameen Foundation create a world without poverty by providing microfinance and technology products and services to the world’s poorest, especially women. Make a difference! http://bit.ly/Vote4GF plz RT

City of Seattle Proclamation

pooja — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 00:45:20 +0000

NetIP North America was honored today by the Seattle City Council and the Seattle Mayor by their proclamation that Friday August 20th, is SOUTH ASIAN PROFESSIONALS DAY.

“We welcome conference attendees to explore all the city has to offer and encourage Seattle citizens to take note of the contributions the South Asian Community has made to Seattle.”

Signed:

Council President Richard Conlin
Council member Jean Godden (sponsor)
Council member Sally Bagshaw
Council member Tim Burgess
Council member Sally J. Clark
Council member Bruce A. Harrell
Council member Nick Licata
Council member Mike O’Brien
Council member Tom Rasmussen
Mayor Michael McGinn

Support Flood Relief efforts in Pakistan, 1 day auction conference tickets on now!

pooja — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 02:24:41 +0000

A very limited amount of conference tickets are now on sale for a 1 day auction to support Flood Relief Efforts in Pakistan. NetIP supports the Red Cross in their work at this time of need.

Image Courtesy Gulf News

The government now estimates that more than 12 million people have been affected by the flooding that stretches for more than 600 miles along the Indus River.

The challenges for the Red Crescent are immense and they haven’t escaped the disaster unscathed. Most of the relief items stored in their main provincial warehouse in Nowshera have suffered flood damage. Thousands of sodden tents, blankets, kitchen sets and other materials now sit marooned in four feet of water.

Access NetIP annual conference tickets 1 day auction here: http://myworld.ebay.com/netipnorthamerica

Click here to read more about relief efforts by Red Cross: http://bit.ly/a8akt9

URGENT ACTION REQUEST – Your Vote Could Help Grameen Foundation Win $200,000 to Fight Poverty!

latha — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 22:25:21 +0000

Vote Now – www.takepart.com/membersproject/vote

http://www.grameenfoundation.org/vote

As you may know, NetIP has chosen to raise funds and awareness for Grameen Foundation’s work in South Asia. NetIP believes in Grameen Foundation’s mission to enable the poor – especially the poorest – to create a world without poverty. We do this by providing cutting-edge products and services in microfinance and technology, enabling those in need to change their lives forever.

With a small action – just a couple of clicks – you can help make that world without poverty a reality.

Grameen Foundation is battling for first place – and $200,000 in funding – with just one other organization in the Community Development category in American Express’s Take Part Challenge.

We need every NetIP member to vote TODAY (before Sunday at 11:59 p.m. PDT) – and next week too! Voting ends next Sunday, August 22^nd. You can vote once per week from each e-mail address you have.

Please help – it’s an easy and effective way to make a difference in our fight against global poverty.

Thanks,

All of us at Grameen Foundation

P.S. After you vote, please spread the word to your friends!

Tweet this:

Join me and #netipna in fighting global #poverty w/ #microfinance & VOTE 4 @GrameenFdn to win $200K! http://bit.ly/Vote4GF #Vote4GF

Tell your friends on Facebook. Please copy and paste this text as your status:

Vote before 11:59 p.m. PDT to help Grameen Foundation create a world without poverty by providing microfinance and technology products and services to the world’s poorest, especially women. Vote now and again on Monday! http://bit.ly/Vote4GF

NetIP Charity Auction, get your conference tickets for $299!

pooja — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 09:34:32 +0000

The conference is almost here and we are very excited to host you in the beautiful city of Seattle. We are pleased to announce a charity auction of tickets to the conference starting at the unbelievably low price of $299! This is your chance to encourage your friends and members to attend the conference by winning tickets to the conference. All proceeds are earmarked for charity, so this is your chance to attend the conference and do some good all at the same time.

Tickets are already on sale for a very short duration. Share this link with close friends, take advantage now!

Click here to access the ticket auction: http://myworld.ebay.com/netipnorthamerica

NetIP thanks you for your support and looks forward to seeing you in the Emerald City.