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Dear Members,

You'll all be pleased to know that every one of our member have been accounted for to the best of our knowledge. Message from Royal Nepalese Embassy in Washington DC also confirmed that no Nepalese lives have been lost. However, thousands of innocent lives were lost in the terrorist attacks and the World continues to mourn everyday. Many of our neighboring countries in Asia were not so lucky and lost their citizens. Within hours of incident SEBS-North America promptly reacted to the attacks by setting up a toll free 800-hotline number where members could pick up any public phone and call SEBS. SEBS was faster than Red Cross and other relief organizations in looking for it's survivors and continuously contacted it 's members in NY and DC area to confirm that they were all right. This was one single incident I will remember that has shown our unity, strength, courage and closeness we shared. Many decided to call, few decided to e-mail still others decided to pass on the message through someone else but finally we were all there, safe and still trying to make sense out of what had happened on that horrific morning September 11. Our founding President, Mr. Bimal Nepal e-mailed us and wrote "PEACE in the WORLD has once again faced serious challenges and SEBS members must stay united and pass a resolution to wipe out all types of Terrorism from the World in order to have PEACE every where including our country NEPAL." SEBS formally plans to adopt this resolution in it's Excomm meeting and support the cause of peace.

Recent tragedies of the Royal Massacre and this horrific incidents have caused many of us to re-think and reconsider our priorities in life. Life has always been a delicate balance of Ying and Yang, but on Sept 11th, for a brief moment evilness was in-charge. Family bonds and friendships immediately took charge after the event and ever since then nothing but goodness has been winning war. Many of our members donated money to the Red Cross and other charity organizations, others have donated foods to the rescue workers still others are trying to get back with their lives and are talking to their friends for counseling.

Personally I think there is no bigger asset than your family and friends. If you haven’t called or contacted your family or friends in a while, I urge you to spend few dimes and say hello to them. I promise you, that you won’t lose but gain more love and respect. It's time to look into your old e-mails and drop a line or two and let them know that you are doing fine and have been wondering about them. Learn to love life and cherish every moment of it.

Like Gorakh dai rightfully said in his interview, America is a great country which taught him potential of human individualism that gives us "I too can do" confidence. Many of our SEBS members still hide behind the veil of shyness and coziness of "non of my business". I remember a line from Nepal Digest, "Democracy perishes amongst silent crowd". I urge all of you silent mass to rise and be active and take a greater role in the community. Learn to look beyond your books and boxes. I urge you to participate in your local voluntary organizations, take a leadership role in your college clubs, visit the local museums and understand the history. If nothing else it will a time well spent. After 25 years of work-in-process time has come for us to participate in Civil Service and serve the nations. Amidst the global crisis, let us not forget our own country NEPAL needs our help. If Maoists come to power our friends and family will share the fate of Stalin's or Mao's victims. If you let Congress, Communists reign then we will share the fate of Somalian with few rich War Lords and mass destitution. We reap what we sow. I appeal to you to be vigilant as SEBS members. I appeal to you to question our leaders. I know if you have time to visit this site 10 times a day, you will have time to discuss important matters in SEBS as well. Let's go out as group, let's help ANA (Association of Nepalese in America) members to formulate plans, let's volunteer in www.nyo.org or participate in various SEBS research activities. Let's go out do something. I know of zillion ways to utilize you, just drop in a line to sebs25@hotmail.com if you are ready.

As always let us start by making our own foundation stronger, such that, even the worst calamities will only shake it but not break it. SEBS ExComms have unanimously decided to go ahead with its mission to complete the SEBS Complex by our Jubilee Year. Let that building be the symbol of hope for our beleaguered nation and a strong icon of Unity for SEBS members.

We'll I'll stop my chit-chat for this month here. But on a passing note, Damber Gurung dai (a member of DC community) and myself are trying to persuade World Bank to display his World Touring Bicycle in the Main Atrium and that he be honored by World Community for his courage and dedication to spreading PEACE on his mission. No Nepali figure of this significance has landed on this part of the globe. Let us all welcome him whole heartedly wherever he may be and thank him for sharing a piece of Nepal with the World Community.

Kiran Sitoula
October 1, 2001