Bhutanese refugee leader gunned down in Nepal camp

News post: >>> http://vermont-bhutanese-association.blogspot.com/


Bhutanese refugee leader gunned down in Nepal camp

(click here for the source link) >>> Kathmandu, April 22 (IANS)

A 52-year-old Bhutanese man living in a refugee camp in eastern Nepal was gunned down Tuesday, police said.

Shantiram Nepal, a 52-year-old, was killed by a group of people who attacked him at his hut in eastern Nepal’s Beldangi camp.

Five people have been arrested on the suspicion that they were behind the killing.

Nepal was said to have been a member of the underground Communist Party of Bhutan (Maoist) that says it will start an armed struggle in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan to overthrow its hereditary monarchy.

The 52-year-old is said to have left the party recently.

More than 100,000 Bhutanese have been living in refugee camps in east Nepal since their eviction by the Druk government almost two decades ago.

After hopes of repatriation failed, many of the refugees have opted for settlement in western countries.

Led by the US, other governments like Canada, Norway and Australia have offered to provide a new home to the refugees.

The exodus however created tension between those who want a fresh start and those who want the world community to pressure Bhutan into taking its citizens back.

The Bhutan Maoists are opposing the resettlement in other countries.

Nepal’s ruling Maoist party said it would resume repatriation talks with the Bhutan government but so far, has made no progress.

Many Maoist leaders blame India, Bhutan’s largest donor and trade partner, for the impasse, saying India’s support has emboldened the Druk government into refusing to take the refugees back.

The Syracuse, New York Bhutanese Community Struggles to Find Jobs

New post at: >>>> http://vermont-bhutanese-association.blogspot.com/

Economic recession makes life harder for refugees

Posted by Maureen Sieh /The Post-Standard , Syracuse, New York, April 20, 2009 5:51A

Photo by Mike Greenlar

Bhutanese refugees Chali Wagle 19, her father, Karna Wagle (right) and neighbor Gopi Neopane (left), meet with Jasenko Mondom, a job developer at the Refugee Assistance Program on Park Street. in Syracuse. Everyone laughed when Mondom asked if Karna was strong and healthy enough for a construction job. Karna responded that he had done that kind of work before in Nepal.

Syracuse, NY.-----Read my story in Monday's Post-Standard about how the economic recession is affecting refugees. Many of the nearly 1,000 refugees who settled in the Syracuse area in the last year are having a tough time finding work.

Jasenko Mondom, a job developer at the Syracuse school district's Refugee Family program on Park Street, remembers when employers used to call him every day looking for refugees to fill entry-level positions at local factories. These days those jobs are hard to come by because factories are closing, reducing hours and laying off workers, he said.

Refugee resettlement agencies receive funding from the federal government that requires them to put refugees to work within the first four months of their arrival. But Jasenko and others say they're having a hard time meeting that deadline because of the economy. Refugee resettlement agencies nationwide are experiencing the same problem.

With the loss of manufacturing jobs, refugee agencies are looking at other areas of the economy-seasonal agricultural jobs, retail health care and house-keeping as well as enrolling refugees in job-training programs.

"We're looking at any kind of market outside the factories that we've gone to,'' said Felicia Castricone, executive director of Northside CYO, the Catholic Charities agency that runs the refugee program.

Last year, Catholic Charities of Onondaga County placed more than 50 refugees at Plainville Turkey Farms, now known as Kosher Valley. When the company changed management, 57 refugees were laid off, said Harvey Pinyoun, a caseworker and volunteer coordinator. Nine of those workers were called back, he said. The agency also placed workers at Beak & Skiff, an apple orchard in Lafayette.

Photo by Mike Greenlar /The Post-Standard

Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement Services caseworker Harvey Pinyoun(left)assists Burundi refugee Jean Baptiste in finding employment, at CYO on North Salina St. He was recently laid off from the former Plainville Turkey Farms, now Kosher Valley.

The Refugee Family Program has enrolled Bhutanese refugees in certified nursing assistant programs at James Square Nursing Home and Iroquis Nursing Home, Jasenko said. Some refugees are also enrolled in the Northside Green Train, a new initiative developed by the Northside Collaborative to offer basic construction and weatherization training for neighborhood residents.

Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli secured funding for the 12-week program, which seeks to help residents find jobs, said Dominic Robinson, the collaborative's program director. Thirteen of the 15 participants are refugees, he said.

"We're working with refugees because clearly there's huge population on the North Side,'' he said. "About 300 families a year come to our neighborhood through the refugee resettlement agencies. We wanted to target them initially just because we have good relationship with the agencies, and it's an easy pipeline.''

Refugee resettlement agencies are also working with refugees who have been laid off from jobs they've had for years. Refugees are competing with American workers for the limited number of jobs that anybody will be eager to take in this economy.

Some refugees moved here from other states, hoping to find work, but found the same challenges. The lines are long at all three refugee agencies. Most people come looking for job leads or need help filing for unemployment benefits and other social services.

"People who are used to working, they don't want to be on the dole,'' said Matt Centore, a job developer at the refugee center on Park Street.

Chali Wagle, 19, a refugee from Bhutan, showed up at the center on a recent Monday with her father, Karna, 43 and their neighbor, Gopi Neopane, 40.

Gopi was a seamstress in Nepal. She made clothes and sold them in the market. She's hoping to find work using her sewing skills. Karna has some experience in construction. He went to several construction sites where other Bhutanese refugees worked, but no one was hiring, he said.
Chali said her parents have been looking for work since they settled here in September. She finished 10th grade in Nepal, but Chali said she wants to find a job.

"I'm looking for any sort of job I can do,'' she said. "I feel bad I can't find work.''
After fleeing civil war, economic and social injustices in their homelands, most refugees are eager to find jobs so they can take care of their families and pursue the American dream. While they are safe and free, refugees are concerned about their financial future.Jean Baptiste, 35, a refugee from Congo, lost his job at Marquardt Corporation in Cazenovia in December. He's been looking for a job since then because it's hard to support his wife, Maria and their 6-year-old daughter, Agnes on the $180 he receives every week from unemployment."I can't pay all the bills," he said. "It's too difficult to find any job because too many companies, no work. If you not work, it's not a good feeling. It's too bad."

Jean story was echoed by the dozens of refugees I interviewed for this story. During a recent visit to Catholic Charities' refugee center on North Salina Street, I found six Bhutanese refugees using the computers in the job development office to fill out online applications for housekeeping and food service positions at St. Joseph Hospital Health Center. Five of the six refugees have bachelor's degrees, but they'll take any job.

photo by Mike Greenlar /The Post-Standard

Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement Services caseworker John Miller Jr. lower left, works on his computer at CYO on N. Salina St., with an office full of college educated Bhutanese refugees, looking for local employment. Front L to R Prakash Kharel and Kumari Pokhrel, back standing Megh Powdyal, sitting Bhim Basnet. The three men have college degrees in Nepal, Kumari did not finish her degree. Miller specializes in refugee employment.

Prakash Kharel, 28, was one of them. Prakash settled in Syracuse two months ago with his wife and their two children, ages 4 and 8. "I'm just looking for any kind of entry-level job,'' he said. "I just want to get a job now.''

John Miller, a FrancisCorps volunteer at the refugee program, has been helping refugees find work. He helps them fill out applications, takes them on interviews and talks to employers. Some refugees, he said, have found jobs on their home at local hotels and retail stores. John is leaving in August to start medical school, but he's concerned about the refugees. The job market is challenging, but the refugees need a lot of support because of what they've been through to get to America, he said."We are a nation of immigrants,'' he said.

Reporter's Diary - One Year in the USA

Click Here for new post >>> http://vermont-bhutanese-association.blogspot.com/

This is an excerpt from a news article posted today on 13 April 2009 by the editor of the Association of Press Freedom Activists (APFA) – Bhutan. It is an organization in exile established to work for a freedom of press and freedom of speech and expression in Bhutan.

The article was published on April 13, 2009. Here is the link to the entire article: http://www.apfanews.com/opinion/reporter%e2%80%99s-diary-one-year-in-the-usa/

Reporter's Diary - One Year in the USA

By Kazi Gautam

When I reached office of the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO), a wing of US CCB, one of the receiving agencies in Syracuse, New York (where I now live), I was thrilled to see the hall full of people. I mean the resettled Bhutanese.

There was a meeting to plan for establishing a community center. The Bhutanese community in Syracuse has been planning for a community center to carry out their own activities.

They wish to organize their own ESL classes, have Bhutanese Community meetings bi weekly to welcome the new arrivals, plan for the future programs, explore the ways to preserve cultural identity, and perform and plan for religious, social and cultural activities. These are just some of the things to be carried out in the Bhutanese community center.

It takes me by surprise when I think that I have passed eleven months in Syracuse after getting resettled here. There was the time when one could only see a few resettled Bhutanese in the area. However, the story has a different aspect after 11 months when Syracuse alone has over 300 Bhutanese - about the same number as Vermont. Syracuse is a city of more than 200,000 citizens. It is located about 5 hours from Burlington, Vermont.

When Hari Bangaley, my case manager received my wife and me in the airport, I felt the warmth of the Nepali heart and his smile and greeting erased my tiredness then. However, these days the new comers are greeted by not less that five people. The Syracuse streets are usually covered by the Bhutanese people. Some are found walking to the groceries and some are walking to hospitals. Many of them are encountered on their ways to ESL classes. Some are seen walking to the Madina Halal, one of the three places where a goat meat is sold.

A gathering of Bhutanese. Photo: Kazi Gautam/APFAnews

These days I see many people have been struggling to get employed. The educated people fill application online and visit employers in person while others have to rely on their job developers. Incredibly true, around twenty Bhutanese got employed in March which has eased the pain of both the exiled Bhutanese and the receiving agencies. I still remember those days ........................... Click here to read the remainder of this article >>> http://www.apfanews.com/opinion/reporter%E2%80%99s-diary-one-year-in-the-usa/

Bhutanese Refugee Empowerment Project

New Information, Please Click Here: >> http://vermont-bhutanese-association.blogspot.com/



(The following article has been published by SEWA International)



How are our "resettled" brothers and sisters from Bhutan and the Nepal refugee camps surviving? Please read this story below. There are already two SEWA Bhutanese Empowerment Projects operating in our small neighboring state of New Hampshire - and three next door in Massachusetts!





Bhutanese Refugee Empowerment Project


http://www.sewausa.org/bhutanese-refugee-empowerment-project



Sewa International USA provides a helping hand to Bhutanese refugees


The population in Bhutan mainly consists of two communities: the Drukpas and the Lhotshampas. In 1985, conflict between these two communities resulted in a mass exodus of Lhotshampas to Nepal. Starting from then until 1994, more than 110,000 Lhotshampas took refuge in seven UN-administered camps in Nepal living in very poor conditions.


The United States eventually volunteered to resettle 60,000 of these refugees, with the remainder destined to go to other developed nations. In 2008, they began arriving in the United States in what the UN has described as one of the world's largest resettlement efforts ever.



These refugees are given only a few months of support from the government and the resettlement agencies. After that, they are required to become self-sufficient. The most pressing needs are for financial assistance, employment, and basic material needs. They also require support to help them make the transition to this new land.


These are poor families who cannot afford to buy essentials such as blankets, winter jackets, and toys for their children. Many have no jobs or are students and have no income. Although the VolAgs (Voluntary Agencies), or resettlement agencies, provide some support for the first few months, it is not adequate.


Though many of the refugees are educated and can speak English, many of them have remained unemployed. And because agency support and government aid is not available to them for an extended period of time, the assistance of Sewa International is quickly becoming a lifeline for many of these families.

Sewa International USA is providing:

Sewa International USA has taken up a nationwide project to help these families. Currently, our chapters in various cities, along with various local organizations, are working to fulfill the immediate and longer-term needs of these refugees with several more chapters gearing up to help.



Sewa International USA is providing:

• Financial help


• Essential materials such as blankets, winter jackets, clothes, toys etc.


• Employment assistance


• Job search assistance


• Sponsorship of vocational training
  


• Job fairs
  


• Mobility


• Help in acquiring driver licences
  


• Sponsoring or donating used cars


• Help in transitioning to a new environment while preserving their culture
  


• Help in conducting cultural events


• Mentoring and friendship


• Rides to their preferred places of worship

Each chapter may only provide certain services depending upon availability of resources. We welcome any Bhutanese refugees who need help to contact us at the information provided below.
Locations:
Sewa International USA is currently conducting the BRE project at the following locations.

Contact:
Email: info@sewausa.org

Phone: 510-579-4742

How can you help?

We appeal to our benefactors to donate towards this project. We also appeal to the community and its organizations to provide a helping hand.

Supporting Organizations:
Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh
Hindu Temple of Atlanta
India Association of New Hampshire
Sunnyvale Hindu Temple
Vishwa Hindu Parishad

Please attend the Bhutanese Community meeting (tomorrow) on Saturday, April 11 at the Burlington Library at 1:00 pm

CLICK HERE>>> http://vermont-bhutanese-association.blogspot.com/






Namasté !

Attention! Here is the news and an announcement of the first Bhutanese Community Meeting!


Saturday (tomorrow)
April 11
1 to 3 p.m.
Fletcher Free Library
235 College Street
Burlington

Dear family friends and well wishers,

We are pleased to invite you to the first informal Bhutanese community meeting scheduled to be held on Saturday, the 11th of April, 2009. The meeting commences at 1:00 pm and ends at 3:00 pm at the Fletcher Free Library, 2nd floor. This gathering is initiated by some willing-to-help local friends as we build a strong Bhutanese community here in northern Vermont. Invited are family friends of Bhutanese families (volunteers), representatives from each Bhutanese refugee family, and well wishers to our Bhutanese community. May we have the pleasure of your company at this meeting as we work together to build a vital Bhutanese community? Your presence is highly solicited.

Many Thanks - Madhu and Harka


Dhanyabaad

Need help with your landlord situation, or do you have questions about renting rules and laws?

Another posting at the Vermont Bhutanese Association forum website: CLICK HERE

http://vermont-bhutanese-association.blogspot.com/



“Judge orders state to enforce housing rules,” By Wilson Ring, The Associated Press August 29, 2008,


This posting is from a Burlington Free Press newspaper article by Wilson Ring, of The Associated Press, dated August 29, 2008.

The formatting and link to this article was provided via a link to the: Vermont Tenants, Inc. website.

The Vermont Tenants, Inc. office is located at 294 North Winooski Avenue in Burlington, Vermont, (nearby the Food Shelf office).

Vermont Tenants, Inc. provides free direct services to tenants including advice, advocacy and referrals and they conduct workshops for various groups on residential rental housing laws, codes and more. Most of Vermont Tenants, Inc. services are provided by phone, but walk-in clients can usually be assisted during normal business hours.

They produce and distribute the widely used handbook, "Renting in Vermont, Handbook. " This handbook provides information about Vermont's Landlord-Tenant laws. Please stop by the Vermont Tenants, Inc. office (at 294 North Winooski Avenue in Burlington) and ask for a copy of the "Renting in Vermont, Handbook".

They will be happy to give you fair and friendly advice regarding any question you have about renting an apartment or questions you may have regarding how your landlord treats you or your renting situation.

NEW Federal Funding Will Help Boost Refugees ??

Another new article at>> http://vermont-bhutanese-association.blogspot.com/

In Vermont, we eagerly await these new funding, staffing and rent subsidy funds and initiatives.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_11968051

Federal funding boost will help Utah refugees
Rescue » New money allows for expanding staff and shrinking caseloads.

By Julia Lyon
The Salt Lake Tribune
After 15 years at a refugee camp in Kenya, Ali Amin arrived in 2007 in Utah, where he felt lost and afraid of the snow. His 11-member family -- the grandmother is now 102 -- included a child who was so sick that Amin didn't think he would ever walk.
But his son is exploring the world on his own two feet these days, and his father, emboldened by a driver license, is doing the same thing behind the wheel.
The Somali refugee family credits much of their success to the devotion of its case manager at the International Rescue Committee. "I think if Stacey weren't helping us, we would not survive," Amin said Friday through an interpreter.
The family benefitted from special long-term case management, which, starting this month, all new refugees will receive. Thanks to federal dollars, Utah's resettlement organizations were able to hire a large number of new staff, who will guide and supervise refugees during their first two years in America. The goal is to foster independence and ensure families aren't overlooked.
This is a massive shift in a system that critics say has previously left many refugees feeling abandoned and neglected. Minimal funding meant staffers were overwhelmed and unable to provide more than basic help.
Under the previous system, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Catholic Community Services (CCS) welcomed refugees, found them a place to live and helped connect them to services, such as food stamps and health insurance.
After about 6 months, refugee cases were transferred to the Asian Association, where a staff member was responsible for as many as 130 individuals and families. Critics say some refugees received too little, if any, help.
"We were putting 'band-aids' on problems," said Lina Smith, director at the Utah Refugee Center based at the association. "We absolutely didn't have the staff to do proper case management."
All three groups have expanded staff thanks to about $2 million per year in federal welfare and social service dollars for the two-year experimental program.
Thanks to nine new employees, Smith's staff members each now have between 35 and 40 cases. Families will be matched with case managers who speak the same language. At all the agencies, Iraqi, Burmese and Bhutanese staff have been hired, because those are the largest refugee groups expected this year. Visiting refugees' homes will happen more frequently, something that was often unrealistic for frantic workers before.
"They couldn't even have lunch," Smith said.
Stacey Shaw, who worked with Amin's family as an IRC long-term case manager, helped them with a variety of challenges, from re-enrolling the kids in school to making doctor's appointments. Her goal was to empower the family to be self-sufficient, and that's begun to happen. Now Amin can go to the pharmacy alone. He made a doctor's appointment this week without any help.
"A big part of it is being able to develop a relationship with the family," she said.
Starting March 1, IRC began to keep all its new cases for two years. CCS will continue to transfer its cases to the Asian Association after six months, but the additional staff will allow the association to give the new refugees increased attention during the following year and a half. The goal is for agencies' caseload to drop to about 20 per case manager.
Before the move, stories abounded of refugees who hadn't seen their caseworkers for a long time and didn't know how to get help, explained Gerald Brown, the director of Utah's new refugee services office. With long-term case management, that is expected to stop.
"We've got contracts with all three [agencies], and we're going to monitor them," he said.
Staff morale is high at CCS, said Aden Batar, resettlement director. An additional boon will come when some refugee families begin to receive new housing subsidies this year, decreasing monthly rent pressure.
"With these two things working together, then I think we can work with the families on long-term issues," he said, citing English skills as an example.
His counterpart at IRC, Patrick Poulin, believes this is the direction refugee programs "need to go."
"Hopefully it's something the new administration will look at," he said.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_11968051
jlyon@sltrib.com

"If we live, too much difficult. If we die, too much difficult,"

Forum website address: >>> http://vermont-bhutanese-association.blogspot.com/

Portions of this were excerpted from the: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-recessionrefugees_01met.ART.State.Edition1.4ac0e99.html

"A Bhutanese refugee died recently in his Vickery Meadow apartment in Dallas, within walking distance of Lal Subba's home. The family had no money for a burial, so Subba and the other Bhutanese families in the complex took up a collection to ensure the elderly man received appropriate honor for the life he led.

"If we live, too much difficult. If we die, too much difficult," said the 21-year-old who grew up in a Nepal refugee camp and came to Dallas in October, only to find a flailing national economy instead of the idealized American dream.

That reality is now hitting Texas (and Vermont), where laid-off workers and legal immigrants are vying for a declining number of jobs in blue-collar industries.

Purna Ghaley (left) and Lal Subba, refugees from Bhutan, walk to the Park Lane transit station for their commute to downtown Dallas, where they work for a catering company. They and their families moved to Dallas last fall to start new lives after living in a refugee camp in Nepal. " Photos by SONYA N. HEBERT/DMN"

Texas has suffered less than its Midwestern counterparts and has no plans to slow its refugee influx. It took in a little more than 5,000 refugees last year, an increase of almost 800 from 2007. Texas generally places in the top four states for the number of refugees it accepts annually from the federal government. The state of Vermont accepts the largest number of refugees per capita, of any state. The problems in Vermont are severely compounded by the lack of a large and varied employer base. In Burlington, Vermont where most of the Vermont refugees are based, most USA residents are employed by local colleges, schools, the hospital, IBM and local, state and federal government offices. For the most part, these employers do not have any jobs that Bhutanese refugees qualify for. The problem is simple, Burlington, Vermont is a small town with a mostly "white-collar" oriented employment base, composed of just a few major employers.

"We are at the beginning stages of feeling the impact in Texas," said Caitriona Lyons, the state's refugee program coordinator. She said it's now taking longer to place refugees in jobs, thwarting the adjustment process and lessening their ability to become self-sufficient.

In Vermont, the overwhelming majority of Bhutanese refugees that have lived in Vermont for 5 months or longer, do not have any jobs and certainly not stable or sustainable jobs.

Subba is one of more than 1,000 refugees who arrived in Dallas as the nation began its financial nose dive. A teacher by trade, he found a part-time job as a dishwasher after three months of searching. He makes $64 a day, sometimes working only one day a week. That barely covers the $555 in rent and utilities each month for himself and his mother. Food stamps leave enough for rice and vegetables. They choose sweaters over heat.

The $445 he receives monthly from the International Rescue Committee will trickle to $187 next month and stop in July, along with the Medicaid for his sick mother.

"I see people under the bridge and I think, 'Will that be me?' " he said in the halting English he learned in the camp. His Nepali ancestry put him at risk in Bhutan, and his refugee status left him shunned in Nepal.

"We are in the right place at the wrong time. This is a good country, but when we arrive here, it's too much difficult to get a job for all people, not just us."

About 60,000 refugees arrived in the U.S. last year – 8,000 more than in 2007. The number is expected to grow in 2009.

The Vermont refugees are supported with small monthly stipends for about the first 4 months. No other substantial services are offered by the resettlement agency. Many of them are placed in apartments that they cannot afford, once the first four months of meager stipend checks cease.

The solution is not to decrease the flow of refugees but to overhaul the entire system during the new administration, said one person. She wants more resources channeled toward housing assistance as well as programs that focus on the increasingly diverse pool of refugees entering the United States.

"This is a decision to rescue people in extraordinarily dire circumstances," she said, citing the nation's longstanding history of moral obligation.

The U.S. took in more than 90,000 refugees in the early 1980s when the economy teetered just as precariously as now, she said.

In Vermont and elsewhere, generally, the state the refugee agencies are well-staffed, however the refugees see almost no effect. Phone calls and messages to refugee agency employees are seldom returned. The refugee agency does not even answer their phones most of the time! The refugee agency is not even located in Burlington or Winooski where the majority of refugees are located. This causes major disruptions to refugees to trek via bus and foot to adjoining towns using a disjointed bus service. This is just the beginning of frustration and fear for the Bhutanese refugees. It gets much worse from there.

The stimulus package will affect refugees the same way it does lower-income Americans, but that still won't significantly help them, said Debi Wheeler, the IRC's regional director in Dallas. The search for jobs and housing is compounded by a culture shock that includes anything from buying a DART ticket to learning how to tell the difference between a $1 bill and a $20 bill.
"There is just not enough money for what we are required to do, and the recession is bringing to light the challenges that are faced by these programs," she said.

"Imagine finding an apartment in America for one person, and we are looking for hundreds."
Area caseworkers say it's even more difficult to find employment for refugees. Last May, IRC job developer Jim Stokes placed 11 to 12 people a week in positions. Now, he hopes for two to three a week. Prospects for gainful employment in Vermont are much more bleak.

Dallas hosts three federally funded refugee agencies: IRC, Catholic Charities and Refugee Services of Texas. Vermont hosts just one, even though more refugees were brought to the state than any other state, on a per capita basis. From the $6.2 million allocated through Texas, a little more than $1.6 million will go to Dallas this year. The agencies lobby for funding from the state government.

Portions of this were excerpted from http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-recessionrefugees_01met.ART.State.Edition1.4ac0e99.html

A Bhutanese leader in New York

Please listen to a neighbor of ours that now lives in the city of Syracuse, New York. CLICK >> on the video at : http://vermont-bhutanese-association.blogspot.com/

Festival of Color - Burlington, Vermont - HOLI HAI

Forum website address: >>> http://vermont-bhutanese-association.blogspot.com/

Holi Day - March 11, 2009
(click on the arrow in the lower left corner of the video below)




Click On the YouTube Videos Below >>>>>>>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nHcxnf5QwU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt8DkIiQOu8&playnext_from=PL&feature=PlayList&p=99F9B597A472E112&playnext=1&index=10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYLcZsNn9cE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b22levCGLE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u897I1PWL5w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaFHvWLif_I&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o8Cslm9uNc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbO1lnR733Q&feature=related
http://humanityashore.com/ha/archives/40

Bhutanese people organize inportant event

From the >>> http://www.apfanews.com/stories/a-bhutanese-show-in-minnesota/

"A Bhutanese show in Minnesota

Posted on 03 March 2009 by the editor of AFPA. Minnesota, March 03, 2009:

Bhutanese recently resettled in the state of Minnesota in the USA, celebrated Bhutan Day on February 28 with a number of cultural shows, performances and a first conference in an attempt to visualize the atrocities of the Bhutanese government in early 1990s to evict them.
According to Barun Dhakal, more then 200 people attended the program, which was basically organized to empowered refugee youth and give Bhutanese a chance to learn more about Minnesota’s refugee services as well as get job hunting advice.

The event was planned by a small group of Bhutanese leaders and friends and the Nirvana Center (the first Bhutanese Center in the state) !!!

And the event was sponsored by:

the Asian Indian Family Wellness Center (SEWA),
the Asian Pacific Endowment Center (APEC),
the Center for Victims of Torture (CVT),
the Center for Asian Pacific Islanders (CAPI),
the Council for Asian Pacific Minnesotans,
Lutheran Social Services,
the St. Paul Foundation,
the World Council of Churches
and World Relief.

The event is expected to help teach western people about Bhutanese refugees, where only a few people know that there are currently about 106,000 refugees from Bhutan, primarily from Southern Bhutan, evicted when the government imposed a policy of one nation one people.
The morning started with an informational presentation on resources for refugees by Patricia Fenwick, executive director of World Relief, followed by breakout workshops on a choice of topics, employment, youth, elders and mental health."

From the >>>
http://www.apfanews.com/stories/a-bhutanese-show-in-minnesota/

Apartment Security Deposit Refunds - Legal Requirements

Remember: you have a fair and objective advocate on all matters related to renting rules, responsibilities and disputes!! Your advocate is: Vermont Tenants, Inc. Vermont Tenants Inc. is located at: 294 North Winooski Avenue, Burlington, Vermont; 05401 phone: (802) 864-0099 or 1-800-287-7971

Security Deposit Refunds - Legal Requirements

The landlord must return the security deposit by hand delivering or mailing it to the tenant’s last known address within 14 days from the day the landlord discovers the tenant has moved out or from the date the tenant actually moves out, if the tenant gives the landlord notice that he or she has moved. The security deposit return should include a written statement itemizing any deductions taken out by the landlord. It is to the tenant’s benefit to get notice to the landlord, along with keys to the apartment, on the date they move out. If the landlord fails to return the security deposit and statement within the 14-day period, the landlord must return the entire deposit.

A tenant who does not receive his or her deposit back or who disagrees with some of the deductions the landlord takes may go to Small Claims Court to try to recover the deposit. (See, “Using Small Claims Court”) Tenants of apartments in Burlington and Barre can go to their local Housing Board of Review. It is sometimes possible to avoid this process if the tenant and landlord can work out a compromise. The parties may want to try to negotiate before, or even after, a claim has been filed in Small Claims Court.

If the landlord willfully withholds or fails to return the security deposit and written statement, the landlord may, at a judge’s discretion, be ordered to pay the tenant two times the amount of security, plus reasonable attorney’s fees and costs if the tenant goes to court.

What is “Normal wear and tear”?

Normal wear and tear is the deterioration which occurs normally with occupancy of a rental unit and which is not the result of negligence, carelessness, accident or abuse of the premises by tenants or their guests. [Definition from Vermont state law: “ ‘Normal wear and tear’ means the deterioration which occurs, based upon the reasonable use for which the rental unit is intended, without negligence, carelessness, accident or abuse of the premises or equipment or chattels by the tenant or members of his or her household or their invitees or guests.”]

A landlord cannot deduct from a security deposit the costs of ANY of the following things:

Routine maintenance,
Painting (unless careless, negligent, accidental or destructive tenant activity or actions make repainting necessary when it normally would not be),
Re-advertising the apartment (except in some circumstances when the tenant has broken the lease) (See, “Breaking a Lease”)
Renovation of the unit.

A landlord may NOT deduct from a security deposit any funds unless the damage was caused by the tenant or their guests through negligence, carelessness, accident or abuse.

If the landlord attempts to make a deduction from your security deposit for anything that was NOT damage caused by negligence, carelessness, accident or abuse caused by you or your guests- then you should notify the landlord in writing that you do not intend to pay for these erroneous charges. Tenants of apartments in Burlington can go to the Burlington Housing Board of Review. It is sometimes possible to avoid this process if the tenant and landlord can work out a compromise.

--- For Questions: Contact Vermont Tenants Inc. at 864-0099.

--- Always send a written notice to your landlord and/or property manager informing him or her of the problem and of what actions you intend to take.

NOTE: This document is intended to serve as a general guide to tenants and does not constitute a legal opinion or legal advice regarding any specific situation.

Vermont Tenants, Inc. is located at:294 North Winooski Avenue,Burlington, Vermont; 05401(802) 864-0099 or 1-800-287-7971

Dental and Medical Appointments! --- There is help!

We are blessed to have among us a Bhutanese man that has become a knowledgeable and devoted volunteer at the Community Health Center -- Dilli Ram Dulal. Dilli Ram Dulal has extensive experience in the health care sector in Nepal. Unfortunately, he has had difficulty becoming certified and registered as a health professional here. Instead, Dilli Ram has devoted many, many hours working as a volunteer for the Community Health Center.

He has become a scheduling and appointment specialist for the Community Health Center.

If you or someone in your family needs a medical or dental appointment at the Community Health Center, give Dilli Ram a call at ( 497-4412 or 860-6258 ).

Dilli Ram will gather the required information and history and he will arrange an appointment time for you at the Community Health Center.

Dilli Ram speaks English very well and he can also serve as your translator if needed. Dilli Ram works part-time as a contract Nepali<>English translator for the Association of Africans Living in Vermont at 139 Elmwood Avenue in Burlington.

Dilli Ram has also been volunteering as the informal Bhutanese coordinator for the Burlington and Winooski community garden plot projects.

Dilli Ram is also hoping to coordinate and facilitate the first meetings of the Vermont Bhutanese Association in the near future. He feels there could be many benefits to the Bhutanese community if we are organized and work together to help ourselves and preserve our culture.

Give Dilli Ram a phone call now ( 497-4412 or 860-6258 ), to arrange your next medical or dental appointment!!

House rent too high? Do you need to find a new place to live?

Immigrants helping Immigrants . . .

Do you want to find a new place to rent? Is your landlord planning to increase your monthly rent payments when your current 6-month lease expires? Are you unhappy with your current housing?

Housing and rental costs in the Burlington area are very expensive. Lower-cost subsidized housing is available, however the application process is complicated and time-consuming! There are long waiting lists for all of the low-cost places. You must apply early and you must update your applications regularly.

The two most important places to apply for lower-cost housing are the:

Burlington Housing Authority, 65 Main Street, Burlington, Vermont 05401 at 802-864-0538 during the hours of Monday- Friday 8:30 - 4:00.

and the

Winooski Housing Authority - their office hours are 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday and their office number is (802) 655-2360 . The office is located at 83 Barlow St, Winooski, VT 05404

The Vermont State Housing Authority(VSHA) is located at One Prospect Street • Montpelier, Vermont 05602. Their phone number is: 802-828-3295 (ask to speak with Lluisa). The VSHA is another agency with lower-cost housing located in the Burlington area (Burlington, Colchester, Essex Junction, Milton). They will arrange for a Bhutanese translator to help you with preparing your application, when you visit their office in Montpelier....

There are many forms to fill out if you are interested! Please visit these offices and ask for all necessary forms.

If you need help filling out the applications ask a friend or go to the office of the Association of Africans Living in Vermont, their phone number is: 802 985 3106 and the office is located at 139 Elmwood Avenue, Burlington, VT 05401 (just around the corner from the Community Action Office on North Street). The people working at this office receive funding to help with these types of questions.

To get an idea of market rate rental prices, check the currently advertised places in the Burlington /Winooski /South Burlington area. The best source for available places is on the website CRAIGSLIST.

When the local colleges and universities finish their spring school semesters, the market will be "flooded" for a short while with newly available rentals. This is a good time to look for another apartment. Those places will begin to be advertised in mid-April through mid-June. Don't consider a summer sublet, as they are only available for the 3 summer months!

Other good places to look for apartment rentals are in the Burlington Free Press classified ads and in the Seven Days classified ads.

If you earned a salary in 2008 from a job, it is time to complete your 2008 Income Tax Forms !!

If you earned money from a job anytime last year, you probably need to file 2008 Income Tax forms with the U.S. Government and with the Vermont State Government. The forms are not the same.....

Get some free helpful advice and assistance at the Chittenden Community Action Office, located at 191 North Street in Burlington - phone (802) 863-6248.

The Chittenden Community Action Office is a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site, helping low income households prepare their tax forms from February 1st through April 15th. Returns are electronically filed, resulting in a speedy refund.

Do not delay! If you do not file your tax returns by April 15, 2009, the government may impose a penalty or some other sort of fine upon you!

Stop by the Chittenden Community Action Office at 191 North Street in Burlington and ask if they will schedule an appointment for you, to meet with one of their Income Tax counselors.

Chittenden Community Action Office staff is happy to assist with filling out forms and applications for other programs such as Reach-Up, Food Stamps, Fuel Assistance and the Health Care programs - Medicaid, Vermont Health Access Plan (VHAP), Dr. Dynasaur and Women, Infants and Children (WIC).

2-1-1 They can answer almost any question !!

Do you need help finding help?

Are you facing difficult times and do not know where to turn?

Looking for help with everyday needs?

Dialing 2-1-1 is your first step.

Vermont 2-1-1 is a simple number to dial on your telephone for information about any sort of human service program or office in your community. By dialing 2-1-1, information is much easier to find.

At Vermont 2-1-1, callers will speak with a real person every time. Call Specialists will help solve your problem and refer you to the best and most appropriate office, government programs, community-based organizations, support groups, and other local resources. Vermont 2-1-1 is:

• A local call from anywhere in Vermont.

* Live translation services for 170 languages.

• Confidential telephone assistance.

• Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  

• Access for persons who have special needs.

• Ability to transfer emergency calls to 9-1-1.

• Accurate information about community resources in Vermont.

When to Call an Ambulance

Are you prepared for an emergency? Knowing what constitutes an emergency, where to get help and what to do while you're waiting for help can save a life. Here are some tips from the American College of Emergency Physicians.

First, remember that prevention remains the best cure. Get routine medical and preventive care from a family doctor. Getting necessary immunizations and treating minor illnesses before they get serious can minimize visits to the emergency department.

If the medical problem or illness problem is NOT an "emergency", call your doctor, or for sick ADULTS call the Community Health Center (802) 864-6309 or for sick CHILDREN, call the Vermont Children's Hospital - General Pediatrics office (802) 847-4696.

If you suspect the medical or illness problem is an "emergency", then dial 911 for help.

Learn how to recognize emergency warning signs.

Some warning signs of a medical emergency include difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, chest or upper abdominal pain or pressure, fainting, sudden dizziness, weakness or change in vision, confusion or change in mental status, sudden severe pain, bleeding that won't stop, severe or persistent vomiting, coughing up or vomiting blood, suicidal or homicidal feelings.

Know where to get help.

Our community has the 911 emergency number and dialing it will put you in touch with emergency medical help. Even small children can be taught to dial an emergency number.

Dialing 911 will speed dial your phone call to the emergency dispatcher. When dialing 911 from a mobile or cellular phone please remember that your location and caller identification is not always displayed. Please stay on the line with the dispatcher until you are instructed to hang up. Always be aware of your location and be prepared to tell the dispatcher where you are.

Learn what to do until help arrives.

Knowing CPR and choking rescue procedures is important, especially if you have small children in the house. Your local American Red Cross chapter (802) 660-9130 may offer these courses. It's also important to know the basics of first aid, so you can stop serious bleeding, manage shock or handle fractures until emergency help arrives.

It's also important to know what NOT to do.

• While it's smart to keep Syrup of Ipecac in the house in case your child swallows poison, it should not be used with all poisons. Call the Poison Control Center (800 - 222-1222) or the Fletcher Allen Hospital Emergency Department (FAHC)for advice: (802) 847-2434.
  
• Never move anyone who is unconscious or has struck his head or was injured in a car crash, unless he or she is in danger.
  
• When treating burns, don't use ice or butter or petroleum jelly. If the burn forms a blister that is large or deep, get immediate emergency help.

Normal Free Television May End on Feb. 17th - What Can You Do?

February 17th may be a sad day.... If you receive your television signal from either a "rabbit ears" or another type of indoor or outdoor antenna and you want to continue using your antenna (and get "free" TV), then you will need a digital converter box connected to the older analog television set you use. Click here to learn about the US Government's Converter Box Coupon Program. We suggest you request your coupons now, as supplies are limited. Note: Coupon applications are now wait-listed. Once you purchase your converter box, connect it right away, so you can tell if you are receiving digital channels successfully.

It may take several weeks to get your $40 converter box coupon. Check with your friends, neighbors or volunteers and ask if they have a extra $40 converter box coupon - they probably got 2 coupons if they requested coupons a few weeks ago.

You may also need a new antenna to receive the new digital signals. In Burlington and Winooski the best type of antenna to use may be a "directional" TV antenna such as the Phillips PH-DTV1

All stores in the Burlington area were sold out of directional antennas this week!! You may need to order the antenna online using your bank ATM- debit card. You can check the prices HERE.

Online prices are usually lower than local prices, although you will have to pay for shipping charges.

The cheapest DTV converter boxes sold in the Burlington area were available this week at RITE-AID drug stores and at Best Buy in Williston. These stores were selling some boxes for $49 each. If you have a $40 coupon, then your cost will be about $12.99 if purchased in Burlington ($49.99 x 6% sales tax - $40 coupon = $12.99).

The Food Stamp Program Has Improved - Try Again!!

The Vermont Food Stamp Program has a new "nickname" - 3SquaresVT - and now the program allows you to qualify with higher income levels!

Vermont raised the Food Stamp (3SquaresVT) income limits to give more Vermonters access to food benefits. If you meet those limits (see below), they will review your situation to see if you qualify. They must consider each household’s circumstances when deciding if people are eligible.

The nutrition benefit amount depends on household size, countable income, and expenses. Some households may be eligible for Food Stamps (3SquaresVT), but only for a $0 monthly benefit. It may still be worthwhile for them to enroll in the program as they may qualify for the other benefits.

Also, if you are enrolled in the program and your income goes down, you may qualify for a higher monthly nutrition benefit amount.

If you were denied Food Stamps, please use the Food Stamp Calculator below to estimate if you qualify now!

Click Here to See If You Qualify >> Food Stamp Calculator

Are Your Gas or Heating Bills Too High? There is HELP!

It is not too late to apply. You can still apply for Seasonal Fuel Assistance this season. The final deadline is February 28th. If you apply between February 1st and 28th and you are found eligible your check will be issued to your fuel dealer on March 31st.

WHERE TO APPLY? >>> Apply at the Chittenden Community Action (CCA) office. The CCA office is located at 191 North Street, in Burlington, (802) 863-6248.

Office hours are 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday except holidays. CCA provides a variety of free services to help meet the needs of low income people throughout Chittenden County. Services include; fuel and utility assistance, housing assistance, information and referral, Farm to Family Program and advocacy.

This is very helpful program and it might save hundreds of dollars for you!

What to do If your child has a bad cough?

Click here for detailed information: >> YOUR CHILD'S COUGH

Home Treatment

Home treatments should never take the place of consulting your child's doctor for any of the conditions listed above, but there are several things you can do at home to make your child more comfortable when he or she has an annoying cough.

If your child has asthma, make sure you have received asthma-management instructions from your child's doctor. Monitor your child's progress carefully during a flare-up and give asthma medicines according to the doctor's instructions.

If your child wakes up with a "barking" or "croupy" cough in the middle of the night, take her into the bathroom, close the door, and let the shower run on hot for several minutes. After the room steams up, sit on the bathroom floor with your child for about 20 minutes. The steam should help your child breathe more easily. Try reading a book together to keep your child occupied.

A cool-mist humidifier in your child's room might help her sleep through the night.

Cool beverages like juice can be soothing; avoid carbonated or citrus drinks, however, because carbonation and citric acid can be painful on raw areas.

You should not give your child (especially a baby or toddler) OTC cough medicine without specific instructions to do so from your child's doctor. Many of these medicines suppress coughs, but respiratory illnesses sometimes produce a lot of secretions and coughing helps clear them out of the airway. If the cough were suppressed with medicine, it could actually be harmful to your child. In some instances, these medicines have even caused dangerous side effects when given to infants or very young children. In addition, the guidelines for OTC doses for children are often derived from adult guidelines (not formulated specifically for small children), so the medicine may not work exactly as intended.

Cough drops, which are fine for older children, are a choking hazard for young children. It's best to leave decisions about your child's medicine to your child's doctor.

Safety Page - Prevent Fires !!

Click on this Safety Link >> Burlington Fire Department


Click on this Safety Link >> Sparky's Home Heating Rules


Click on this Safety Link >> Space Heater Rules


Click on this Safety Link >> Fast Facts About Heating



Click on this Safety Link >> Small Space Heaters are Dangerous Killers!!

What does housing discrimination really mean?

If you have been treated unfairly because of your race, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, religious creed, color, national origin or disability including HIV status, because you intend to occupy a dwelling with minor children, or because you are the recipient of public assistance, then you have experienced illegal discrimination.

Discrimination is not always obvious and can take many forms. It may happen when a landlord refuses to rent you an apartment, or tells you it is unavailable when it is really vacant. It may occur when the terms and conditions of your lease are different from those of the landlord's other tenants. Illegal discrimination can also happen in advertisements.

The Fair Housing Project (FHP)

Call: 864-3334 x202

The Fair Housing Project (FHP) is a program of the Statewide Housing Services division of the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO), a non-profit community action agency. The FHP works to eradicate housing discrimination in Vermont through education, outreach, and enforcement of fair housing laws. The FHP assists victims of discrimination, investigates complaints, and works with attorneys to pursue litigation when necessary.

Kevin Stapleton , Director
kstapleton@cvoeo.org
802-864-3334 x 102

Dani Fuoco, Education and Outreach Director
dfuoco@cvoeo.org
802-864-3334 x 109

Do you have critical problems in your apartment? What To Do About Major Code Violations (For Burlington Tenants)

A TENANT Information Sheet PRODUCED BY VERMONT TENANTS, INC./CVOEO

Under both Vermont State law and Burlington law, tenants have the right to safe and decent housing. If you have problems in your rented housing that present real health or safety threats, then those problems violate Vermont's Warranty of Habitability law and Burlington's minimum housing codes. If there are such problems with your rental unit, here are some steps you can take.

First and Always (If at all possible), talk with your landlord about the problem. Explain what needs to be fixed. If he or she does not take action to fix the problem in a reasonably timely manner then:

--- Contact a Burlington Rental Housing Inspector (863-9094).

An inspector can order the landlord to make the needed repairs. Also, if an inspector finds serious code violations in your rental unit then the inspector's order will serve as your proof that real problems exist and it is your insurance against a retaliatory eviction.Retaliation against a tenant for making a legitimate complaint to an inspector is illegal.

--- Contact Vermont Tenants Inc. at 864-0099.

--- Always send a written notice to your landlord and/or property manager informing him or her of the problem and of what actions you intend to take.

You must do this even if the landlord already knows about the problem. VTI has a form letter you could use for this purpose. You should not forget to date the letter. It is preferable to send this letter by certified mail.Remember to make a copy of your letter and file it away where you can easily find it in the future.

If the landlord fails to make the repairs within a reasonable amount of time ("reasonable amount of time" will vary depending on the severity of the problem), you can:

«Begin withholding rent until the problem is fixed.

If you withhold rent it is best to put the rent into a separate account at a bank each time it is due.Wherever you keep the withheld rent money, it is very important not to spend it. You may need to prove to a court that you are withholding rent for a legal reason and not just because you could not or would not pay rent for some other reason.

« Terminate the rental agreement after giving the landlord a reasonable notice period.
« Get an order from a judge forcing the landlord to make the repairs.
« File a suit for damages and attorney's costs.

If you are considering either of the last two options in this list you should contact an attorney.
You can pursue more than one of the options listed above at the same time. Doing one of them does not prevent you from pursuing one or more of the other options.

NOTE: This document is intended to serve as a general guide to tenants and does not constitute a legal opinion or legal advice regarding any specific situation.

Vermont Tenants, Inc. is located at:294 North Winooski Avenue,Burlington, Vermont; 05401(802) 864-0099 or 1-800-287-7971

Mice causes house fire!

BURLINGTON -- Mice chewing through electrical wires inside a wall started a fire over the weekend that caused thousands of dollars of damage to a house on Overlake Park, Burlington Fire Department officials said.Burlington firefighters were called to the scene at 82 Overlake Park at about 2 a.m. Saturday after the homeowners smelled smoke and could feel intense heat coming through the second story floor.

Because the fire was inside the walls of the home, firefighters used thermal imaging cameras to pinpoint the flames that had already spread from the first and second floors into a third, said fire officials. Fire crews extinguished the blaze by breaking through walls on the first and second floors.The fire - caused by mice that had chewed through a 220 volt electric wire - had burned about two hours before residents smelled smoke, said Burlington Fire Department Assistant Fire Marshal Thomas Middleton.Middleton said the $700,000 home sustained about $80,000 in damages.