USAID and MTV Fight Human Trafficking August 24, 2009 Indian pop star Sunidhi Chauhan and Nepalese headliners Nima Rumba, Kranti Ale, and Nalina Chitrakar will take a stand against human trafficking at a September 5th concert in Kathmandu, the first in a series of free “MTV EXIT Live in Nepal” concerts in Pokhara, Dharan, and Hetauda this September. <Read More>
Remarks of President Barack Obama Ramadan Message Washington, DC August 21, 2009 On behalf of the American people – including Muslim communities in all fifty states – I want to extend best wishes to Muslims in America and around the world. Ramadan Kareem. Ramadan is the month in which Muslims believe the Koran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, beginning with a simple word – iqra. It is therefore a time when Muslims reflect upon the wisdom and guidance that comes with faith, and the responsibility that human beings have to one another, and to God. <Read more>
Visiting U.S. speaker explains new U.S. administration to Nepali public
August 4, 2009
| Prof. Loomis gives a presentation to more than 100 students at Gandaki Boarding School in Pokhara. | Visiting U.S. speaker Burdett Anderson Loomis 'Bird', a professor of political science at the University of Kansas, USA is in Pokhara (approx 200 km west of the capital Kathmandu) speaking on different aspects of the 'New U.S. Administration and the New Congress'. Loomis will also be speaking in Kathmandu. He is meeting with students, civil society & regional leaders, Constitution Assembly Members, professors, journalists, media, authors, and researchers. He is visiting schools, colleges, universities and institutions to discuss with Nepali audiences the results of the U.S. elections and the implications for U.S. foreign policy. He is also explaining U.S. state-level elections and how these may impact federal-state interaction and policy formulation.
Communicating the U.S. way: Visiting U.S. speaker in town
July 30, 2009 | Students of journalism and mass communication enthusiastically capturing Ms. Sullivan’s presentation. |
Visiting U.S. speaker Marguerite H. Sullivan, a communications expert and Senior Director at the Center for International Media Assistance, is in town speaking on different aspects of the jobs of spokespersons and journalists. She is meeting with journalists, spokespersons from government agencies and the army, government communication authorities, media instructors, students and researchers. She has been visiting media houses, government offices, media organizations and training institutions and sharing with Nepali audiences her lifelong experiences as a journalist, a spokesperson, and a communication expert.
Students Visit the Embassy to Celebrate Anniversary of Moon Landing July 24, 2009
| Information Officer Nicole Chulick welcomes students to screening of the film Apollo 11: the Eagle Has Landed |
To celebrate both the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11, the first manned mission to land on the moon, and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration), Public Affairs Kathmandu’s American Library screened Apollo 11: the Eagle Has Landed to 57 students of Lincoln College, Kathmandu. Information Officer (IO) Nicole Chulick welcomed the audience and took them back 40 years to July 20, 1969, the day Neil Armstrong of the Apollo 11 mission stepped onto the lunar surface and said, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”
Webchats with Democracy Video Challenge Winners
July 23, 2009
Over the next few weeks, America.gov will host live webchats with winners of the Democracy Video Challenge. The first webchat will be held with Aissa Penafiel of the Philippines at 5:45 p.m. on July 24, Kathmandu time. The webchat with the winner from Nepal, Tsering Choden, will begin at 5:45 p.m. on August 7, Kathmandu time.
The other winners, and their webchats, are as follows:
• Anna Israel of Brazil will chat July 31 at 5:45 p.m. (KTM). • Lukasz Szozda of Poland will chat August 14 at 5:45 p.m. (KTM). • Chansa Tembo of Zambia will chat August 21 at 5:45 p.m. (KTM). • Rodin Hamidi of the United Arab Emirates will chat August 28 at 5:45 p.m. (KTM). To find out more, visit webchats on America.gov. To participate in each webchat at its scheduled time or to post questions for the featured winner in advance of it, go straight to the America.gov webchat site.
Great Visit by US Speaker July 23, 2009 | Dr. Root gives a presentation to an audience of more than 200 students at Tribhuvan University on July 14. |
Last week U.S. Speaker Dr. Hilton Root, Professor of the School of Public Policy at George Mason University, visited Nepal and spoke with almost 400 people. Dr. Root gave lectures on “Integrating Developed and Developing Economies” at three separate colleges in Kathmandu, and he also met with NGO leaders and renowned Nepali economists. Dr. Root drew on his expertise to describe the history of the development of the US economy, and to explain the interaction between private businesses and the government in the US.
U.S. Embassy Provides $86,700 to Restore 17th Century Water Architecture
July 1, 2009
| Mr. Rohit Ranjitkar Director KVPT Nepal office discusses the project with Ambassador Powell. | | View of Bhandarkhal tank, to be restored as part of the project. | Ambassador Nancy J. Powell visited the rehabilitation project site of a 17th century water architecture project in Lalitpur (one of the historical cities within Kathmandu valley) to initiate the restoration program. This project was recently awarded a grant of $86,700 through the U.S. Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation program. The project will be managed by the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust.
The restoration of the intricately carved stone sculpture of the Tusha Hiti and Bhandarkhal Tank at the Patan Royal Palace in Kathmandu, Nepal, is one of eight projects at World Heritage Sites to receive financial support from the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation in 2009. This project is an exquisite example of 17th century water architecture. The Tusha Hiti and Bhandarkhal Tank are among the crowning artistic achievements of the Malla kings, whose patronage of the arts marked the height of Nepalese culture. The project to restore the stone sculpture is part of a larger effort of the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust to preserve the palace complex and reopen its courtyards, gardens, and other spaces to the public. The Patan Royal Palace is part of the Kathmandu Valley World Heritage Site.
Projects supported by the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation in the last eight years in Nepal include: the restoration of Kal Bhairav (completed in 2005) and Kageshwor Temple (completed in 2006) in Kathmandu Durbar Square; rebuilding the Lakshmi Narayan and Mahadev Temples, both in Kathmandu Durbar Square (completed in 2007), Machali Pati in Teku (completed in 2007), Nag Bahal Hiti in Lalitpur (completed in 2008), Ancient Buddhist Chhortens in upper Mustang (under construction); and now, 17th Century Water Architecture in the Patan Durbar in Lalitpur. Over the past eight years, the U.S. Government has committed approximately $355,500 dollars to restore and preserve cultural sites in Nepal. This Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation grant underscores U.S. friendship for the Nepali people and its commitment to preserving Nepal’s unique cultural heritage.
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