NCVA eREPORTER - February 6, 2004

In this NCVA eReporter:

Events

• Securing a Foothold: Citizenship & Alienation Within the Homeland – February 20, 2004
• Nonprofit Leadership and Fundraising Conference – April 14-16, 2004
• Office of Community Services 2004 Funding Opportunities Conference – March 24-25 (Atlanta) & March 30-31 (Los Angeles)

Funding Opportunities

• Support for Community Organizing
• Equipment and Facilities Improvement Support
• Funds for Youth Literacy, Leadership, and Diversity
• Support for Families, Communities and Vulnerable Populations
• Hardware Donation for Education
• Northwest Health Foundation Grants
• Kansas Health Foundation Recognition Grants
• 2004 MADD Media Awards
• Draper Richards Fellowship Program
• 2004 Drug-Free Community Support Grants
• Bremer Community Service Awards

Jobs/Internships

• Boat People SOS Summer Internship
• KAC-DC 2004 Summer College Internship

Legislative

• COMMUNITY GRANT BILL FACES VETO THREAT IF FAITH-BASED PROVISION DELETED

News

• Culture Changes Smoking by Chinese-Americans (Healthy Behavior News)
• Fisherman Hope To Catch a Break (Washington Post)
• Vietnam’s Agent Orange victims file suite against U.S. companies (Associated Press)

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Events

The UCLA Asian Pacific American Law Journal (APALJ) proudly presents:

SECURING A FOOTHOLD: CITIZENSHIP & ALIENATION WITHIN THE HOMELAND

Friday, February 20, 2004

9:30 am - 5:00 pm

UCLA School of Law

Free for students and faculty/$25 general admission

Lunch will be provided.  Evening reception will follow the program.

4.5 hours of general MCLE credit are available.  The UCLA School of Law is a State Bar of California approved MCLE provider.

Register by Tuesday, February 17 at http://www1.law.ucla.edu/~apalj/.

Please see attached flyer for more information.

APIs who are naturalized or native citizens can receive the benefits of citizenship.  Nevertheless, APIs are constantly perceived as foreigners or outsiders.  Furthermore, the rights of API immigrants who are not citizens are restricted and limited.  This symposium will explore how the legal community, grass-roots organizers, and elected officials can advocate on behalf of this diverse group.

Keynote Speaker: Daphne Kwok, Executive Director, APA Institute for Congressional Studies

Featured Speaker: L. Ling-Chi Wang, Professor and Director of the Asian American Studies program at U.C. Berkeley

Panels:

  - Voting Rights

  - Combating Terrorism in the Homeland

  - Alternative Political Strategies

The APALJ Symposium is supported by the generous donations from:

Cummins & White LLP, Japanese American Bar Association, Korean American Bar Association, Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association, Buchalter Nemer Fields & Younger, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, Asian Pacific American Legal Center, Phillipine Asian Bar Association, and Susan Roe.

The APALJ Symposium is additionally funded by Campus Programs Committee of the Campus Activities Board, UCLA Graduate Students Association, UCLA School of Law, and UCLA Student Bar Association.

The APALJ Symposium is co-sponsored by the Asian Pacific Islander Law Students Association, Black Law Students Association, La Raza Law Students Association, Office of Public Interest Programs, and UCLA Asian American Studies Center.

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Nonprofit Leadership and Fundraising Conference
Charity Channel Summit 2004

(http://charitychannel.com/Summit2004/)

Charity Channel's Summit 2004 will focus on higher standards in nonprofit leadership and higher goals in nonprofit fundraising. The conference, scheduled for April 14-16, 2004, in Anaheim, CA, will include plenary sessions, breakout sessions focusing on leadership or fundraising, opportunities to network with peers and to interact with vendors providing technology and services, and more. Breakout sessions will include a combination of classroom style presentations, roundtable discussions, small group workshops, and "ask the expert" small groups. Visit the above website for conference schedule and registration information.

[NOTE: This site has lots of great articles for non-profits and community organizing.]

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"Connecting the Community"

Office of Community Services 2004 Funding Opportunities Conference

Conference Date, Locality, and Location

March 24 - 25, 2004 - Atlanta, GA

Georgia International Convention Center

March 30 - 31, 2004 - Los Angeles, CA

The Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites

The Federal Office of Community Services (OCS) is pleased to sponsor a two-day "Connecting the Community" conference featuring valuable information about OCS Fiscal Year 2004 Funding Opportunities and the overall Federal government grant making process.  The conference will showcase $110 million in Federal funding opportunities that will be made available to communities on a competitive basis.

The briefing will highlight the office's competitive grant programs as a comprehensive tool kit for helping community-based organizations build the capacity of low-income families and strengthen their neighborhoods. The grant programs that will be discussed include:

*         Compassion Capital Fund

*         Community Economic and Development

*         Community Food and Nutrition

*         Job Opportunities for Low-Income Families

*         Family Violence Prevention

*         Individual Development Accounts

*        Administration for Native Americans

*         Office of Refugee Resettlement

*         Office of Financial Assistance

In addition, participants will gain insight into:

*         How ACF programs can help build the capacity of low-income individuals and strengthen communities.

*         21st century solutions for addressing poverty.

*         OCS priorities for 2003.

*         How the Federal grants process works.

*         How to write a winning grant application.

Who Should Attend

Attendance at the conference is appropriate for:

*         Community-and Faith-Based Organizations

*         Community Action Agencies

*         Civic and Services Organizations

*         Chambers of Commerce

*         Financial Institutions

*         Foundations

*         Human Services

*         Professionals

*         Local Governments

For More Information

For more information, go online at www.ocsconference.net, email us at info@ocsconference.net, or call 1-866-472-7848.

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Funding Opportunities

Support for Community Organizing
Funding Exchange

(http://www.fex.org/)

The Funding Exchange is a network of community-based foundations throughout the U.S. committed to social change. The Funding Exchange makes grants through several funds to support community organizing in a number of areas including economic, environmental, and social justice; cultural and media activism; movement building; international solidarity with progressive movements abroad; lesbian and gay liberation; and communities of color. Other funds provide support for media activism and organizing through social issue film, video, and radio projects; mental health and human rights for survivors of state-sponsored violence and oppression; media reform; and international programs in designated countries. Additionally, emergency funds are available in support of specific social change projects, events or initiatives, developed in response to a political crisis or opportunity. Nonprofit organizations throughout the United States, and in specific international countries are eligible to apply. Application deadlines vary by fund. Visit the above website for deadlines and application guidelines and forms.

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Equipment and Facilities Improvement Support
Ludwick Family Foundation

(http://www.ludwick.org/)

The Ludwick Family Foundation is committed to assisting a broad array of groups working to make a positive difference in the world. The Foundation accepts initial requests via their website. Nonprofit organizations throughout the U.S., with an emphasis on California, as well as U.S.-based international organizations can apply. The Foundation provides grants for tangible items such as new vehicles or equipment, equipment replacement and modernization, improvements to facilities, and educational materials. While the Foundation does not specify a particular area of interest, past grants have supported organizations and programs in areas such as children and youth, the disabled, social services, arts and culture, education, health, animal welfare, and the environment. The next application deadline is March 31, 2004. Visit the above website for more information, or to apply online.

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Funds for Youth Literacy, Leadership, and Diversity
Starbucks Foundation

(http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/foundation.asp?cookie%5Ftest=1)

The Starbucks Foundation provides support to local nonprofit organizations that serve low-income, at-risk youth ages 6-18 through the Youth Leadership Grant Program. Nonprofit organizations throughout the U.S. and Canada that partner with a local Starbucks are eligible to apply. Grants are provided for the Power of Literacy focusing on programs that promote youth writing and literacy, and Leaders in Diversity focusing on youth leadership and diversity awareness programs. Priority is given to organizations that reach underserved communities and communities of color, represent models in non-traditional learning environments, are directly engaged in service delivery, and demonstrate program sustainability. The next application deadline is April 1, 2004. Visit the above website for application guidelines, or for more information.

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Support for Families, Communities and Vulnerable Populations
Paul G. Allen Charitable Foundation

(http://www.pgafoundations.com/)

The mission of the Paul G. Allen Charitable Foundation is to promote the healthy development of vulnerable populations and strengthen families and communities in the Pacific Northwest, including the states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. The Foundation supports programs that improve the quality of life for disadvantaged children, youth, families, seniors, and people with special needs. The focus is on capacity building projects that result in improved management practices, organizational effectiveness, and a stronger base of support for nonprofits; capital campaigns benefiting disadvantaged populations and communities that result in permanent community assets; and social change initiatives that address the causes of significant social concerns such as hunger, homelessness, and economic or social inequity. The next deadline for submitting applications is March 31, 2004. Visit the above website for more information or for application forms and guidelines.

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Hardware Donation for Education
Sun Microsystems Academic Excellence Grant Program

(http://www.sun.com/products-n-solutions/edu/promotions/grants/)

The Sun Microsystems Academic Excellence Grant Program donates equipment to eligible organizations that have developed creative projects addressing the company's investment priorities and creating partnerships for success. The company's primary investment priorities are higher and K-12 education. In the area of higher education, the company is interested in supporting teaching of Sun technologies, web-based learning, scientific and engineering computing, and business collaborations. The company also supports K-12 education and university outreach to K-12. The grant program is only for hardware donations. Grants do not include maintenance, service, or technical support. Higher education/research institutions and K-12 education institutions throughout the United States and internationally are eligible to apply. The application deadlines are March 30, 2004. Visit the above website for more information or to apply online.

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Northwest Health Foundation Grants

(http://www.nwhf.org/)

Programs that work to improve the health of residents of Oregon and southwestern Washington may apply for grants from the Northwest Health Foundation.

Community-based projects working on access to health care, preventive care, mental health, basic and applied biomedical and sociobehavioral research, and education for health professionals and consumers can apply.

Application deadline is April 9.

For more information, see the foundation website or contact the Northwest Health Foundation, 1500 S.W. First Ave., Suite 850, Portland, OR 97201; 503-220-1955; e-mail: nwhf@nwhf.org.

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Kansas Health Foundation Recognition Grants

(http://www.kansashealth.org/)

The Kansas Health Foundation Recognition Grants support innovative programs that improve the health of Kansas residents.

Nonprofits may apply for grants of up to $25,000, but grassroots groups are not encouraged to apply. Groups that focus on prevention will receive priority.

Application deadline is March 15.

For more information, contact the Kansas Health Foundation, 309 East Douglas, Wichita, KS 67202; 316-262-7676 or 800-373-7681; e-mail: info@khf.org.

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2004 MADD Media Awards

(http://www.madd.org/news/0,1056,5664,00.html)

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) will award its 2004 MADD Media Awards for outstanding coverage of drunk driving, victims of drunk-driving crashes, and underage drinking.

Awards will be made in the categories of cable and news service, community awareness, local TV broadcast, magazine, national network, newspaper, radio program, Spanish-language media, and general award of excellence. Individuals or media outlets that have published or broadcast stories between April 1, 2003, and March 31, 2004 may apply.

Deadline is March 31.

For more information, contact Amy George, MADD, 511 East John Carpenter Freeway, Suite 700, Irving, TX 75062; 800-438-6233, ext. 4493; e-mail: george@madd.org.

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Draper Richards Fellowship Program

(http://www.draperrichards.org)

Individuals or teams founding new health, community-development, youth, family, education, or other programs may apply for fellowships from the Draper Richards Foundation.

The foundation will award four fellowships of up to $100,000 that are national or global in scope, but based in the U.S. Local, community-based groups may not apply.

Application deadline is open. For more information, contact Jenny Shilling Stein, Draper Richards Foundation, 50 California St., Suite 2925, San Francisco, CA 94111; 415-616-4050; e-mail: proposals@draperrichards.org.

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2004 Drug-Free Community Support Grants

(http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/dfcs/)

About 180 community-based anti-drug coalitions nationally will receive grants this year under the Drug-Free Communities Support Program.

Grants of $100,000 each will be awarded to programs that work to reduce alcohol and other drug abuse among youth. Applicants must be community coalitions that have been working on substance-abuse reduction issues for at least six months, Local, multicounty, and statewide coalitions may apply.

Application deadline is March 26. Applications must be completed online.

For more information, see the full program announcement, call 800-851-3420, or e-mail drugfree@ncjrs.org. The grant program is administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

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Bremer Community Service Awards

(http://fdncenter.org/grantmaker/bremer/index.html)

Programs that advocate for the right to health care may apply for community-service grants from the Otto Bremer Foundation.

Nonprofits located in Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin may apply. In addition to health-advocacy groups, the grants are open to those that promote civil and political rights such as freedom of assembly, speech, and religion; economic and social rights such as the right to education, food, and shelter; and cultural and environmental rights.

Deadline is open. For more information, contact the Otto Bremer Foundation, 445 Minnesota St., Suite 2250, St. Paul, MN 55101; 651-227-8036 or 888-291-1123; e-mail: obf@bremer.com.

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Jobs/Internships

Boat People SOS Summer Internship

INNOVATIVE. INSPIRING. INFLUENTIAL

BPSOS is looking for tech-savvy, enthusiastic undergraduate students to fill our exciting, new summer internship position:

MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS INTERN

Responsibilities: develop promotional spots for TV, Newspaper, Radio, and Web; conduct surveys & market research; and create design templates.

Desired skills: Creative, sophisticated design-style, able to work in a team & individually, willing to take initiative.

Software skills:

Graphics design (Photoshop, Illustrator)

Print publishing (Quark, Pagemaker)

Animation & Video editing a *plus* (Flash, Director, or Premiere).

Benefits: real world experience; hands-on projects; multicultural environment; $2000 stipend

This is an 8-week internship between June and August 2004, depending on the intern's academic calendar. Housing & transportation are the responsibility of the intern. However, BPSOS will assist in coordinating these needs as best as we can.

To Apply:

Please send a cover letter, resume, and design samples to:

Ha-Hoa Dang

6400 Arlington Blvd.

Suite 640

Falls Church, VA  22042

fax: 703-538-2191

email: hahoa.dang@bpsos.org

This internship is generously funded by ExxonMobil Corporation as part of the Community Summer Jobs Program (CSJP)

The ExxonMobil CSJP is a signature community program funded by the ExxonMobil Foundation. This program benefits everyone involved by enabling nonprofit organizations to pay summer interns, and in turn, providing college students with a meaningful and rewarding summer internship.  Through their hands-on work, these students will gain valued experience and a unique insight into the challenges and rewards of a career with a nonprofit organization. In addition to working at the nonprofit agencies, interns attend two summer training sessions together. Topics include: nonprofit careers, diversity, communication skills and team building. Students also participate in a community service project as a group.

Boat People SOS (BPSOS) is a national Vietnamese American community-based organization with 15 branch offices across the US. Our mission is to assist Vietnamese refugees and immigrants in their search for a life in liberty and dignity. BPSOS has been establishing programs and services since 1981 to assist local community members in immigration services, financial management, public health, ESL for naturalization, and other human, social, and educational service programs.

For more information, visit www.bpsos.org.

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KAC-DC 2004 SUMMER COLLEGE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

The Korean American Coalition, Washington, D.C. Area Chapter is pleased to announce the 2004 Summer Internship in Washington, D.C. area for college students. The 9-week internship opportunity will be from June 6th to August 6th. Interns will receive a total stipend of $2,000.

PROGRAM:

One of KAC’s missions is to develop the next generation of Korean American community leaders. The Summer College Internship Program is designed to provide personal and professional development opportunities for Korean American college students and to encourage them to take on future leadership roles in the fast-growing Korean American community. During the early years of the Internship Program, KAC focused on providing students access into the political arena where Korean Americans participation was lacking. Today, the Program includes opportunities for students to intern in corporate, legal, and media positions in addition to the traditional government and political offices.

The interns spend one day a week at the KAC-DC office working on community service projects assigned to them at the beginning of the program and four days at their sponsor office. The internship program also includes one week of the National College Leadership Conference participation in California.

The KAC National College Leadership Conference, organized by the headquarters in L.A., has been an invaluable opportunity for young Korean Americans to meet and learn essential leadership skills to assist them in their future professions. The Leadership Conference strives to build awareness of current and past issues facing the Korean American community, with an emphasis on the importance of participation and the appreciation of cultural identity and roots.

Past KAC-DC Summer Interns have been placed in various congressional offices, State Farm Insurance Companies, Precision Economics, LLC., and the 21st Century Group, a lobbying firm.

WASHINGTON, D.C. INTERNSHIP TYPES:

• Congressional
• Government
• Corporate
• Non-Profit

REQUIREMENTS:

• Undergraduate Students
• U.S. Citizen or Legal Permanent Resident
• Interest in public affairs
• Strong oral & written communication skills
• Commitment to work full-time for 9 weeks

PROCESS:

Submit the following COMPLETE PACKAGE postmarked by March 31, 2004.

• Application Form (visit www.kacdc.org for a copy of the 2004 application form)
• Essay
• Resume
• Two letters of recommendation. (One academic and one extra-curricular)
• Official academic transcript

FINALISTS WILL BE CONTACTED FOR A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW. SELECTED INTERNS WILL BE NOTIFIED IN APRIL 2004.

KAC reserves the right to make all final placement decisions. Interns will make their own travel and housing arrangements.

If you have any questions, please contact Gie Kim at KAC-DC office at (202) 296-6401, email giekim@kacdc.org or visit us at www.kacdc.org. Please send the completed package to: KAC-DC, Attn: 2004 Summer College Internship Program, P.O. Box 7325, Washington, D.C. 20044-7325.

The Korean American Coalition is a non-profit, non-partisan, community advocacy organization. Established in 1983, its mission is to facilitate the Korean American community’s participation in civic, legislative and community affairs, encouraging the community to contribute to and become an integral part of the broader society.

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Legislative

February 5, 2004

COMMUNITY GRANT BILL FACES VETO THREAT IF FAITH-BASED PROVISION DELETED

The House today was locked in debate over legislation that would allow faith-based groups more opportunity to receive federal anti-poverty block grants. Lawmakers were expected to pass the measure (HR 3030), which would reauthorize the Community Services Block Grant program. But Democrats were first attempting to strike a provision in the bill that would allow faith-based and religious groups to maintain their religious identity when receiving grants. Critics of the measure said it would allow grant recipients to discriminate on the basis of religion in hiring. "Why should an adult helping children be denied a job because they are Catholic or they are some other faith?" asked Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Texas. A statement of administration policy released as the debate got under way said if the provision is deleted, "the president's senior advisers would recommend that he veto the bill."

Congressional Quarterly

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News

February 3, 2004

Culture Changes Smoking by Chinese-Americans

As Chinese-Americans integrate into American culture they are less likely to smoke, possibly because of the anti-smoking culture that is increasingly dominant in the U.S., according to a Feb. 2 news release from Health Behavior News.

"In China, where the prevalence of smoking is high, smoking by men is socially acceptable and often a necessary social practice. As Chinese-American men adopt American cultural values of a smoke-free environment, they may choose not to smoke in their efforts for social acceptance," said Steven Fu, M.D., M.S.C.E., of the Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research. Researchers also speculated that improved language skills allowed the men to learn more about the health risks of smoking.

Fu and his colleagues studied Chinese-American men who were born outside the United States. The research found that the men reduced their smoking as they adjusted to American life and improved their English.

Since smoking is unacceptable among Chinese women, the study found no association between English proficiency and reduced smoking among Chinese-American women.

The study is published in the December 2003 issue of the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research).

(http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/503034/)

(http://www.hsrd.minneapolis.med.va.gov/)

(http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/14622203.asp

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February 4, 2004

Fishermen Hope To Catch a Break

Fight to Save Turtles Could Sink Fleet

By Kimberly Edds

Special to The Washington Post

SAN PEDRO, Calif. -- With one hand on his hip, Quang Nguyen frowns as he stands on the dock of the fish-processing plant. Glancing at the oversize scale, he writes down the weight of the swordfish before it is rudely hooked and tossed onto the wooden pallet, spraying the fisherman with bits of flesh.

It wasn't a good trip for the Blue Dragon, the boat Nguyen owns. His crew of five netted only 10,000 pounds of fish -- not nearly enough to pay for the trip, much less make a profit. Bad weather may have been to blame for some of their misfortune, but Nguyen doesn't have time for excuses. He knows he is facing an even bigger problem than rough seas and small fish. A proposed federal ban on all commercial swordfishing on the West Coast could be approved in the coming months -- a move that will cost Nguyen his livelihood and put the 21 other fishing boats that make up the San Pedro swordfishing fleet, the largest on the West Coast, out of business.

The National Marine Fisheries Service says a ban on "long-lining" may be the only thing that can put the brakes on the large number of endangered sea turtles that are being killed in fishermen's lines. Long-lining is the practice of floating lines of baited hooks over distances as great as 50 miles. The regulations would make a 1,600-mile stretch of the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and the West Coast off limits to that type of fishing.

As many as 52 leatherback and 174 loggerhead turtles are caught each year by the San Pedro fleet, according to the fisheries service. Even if they are pulled out of the water alive, the majority of the turtles die, said Tim Price of the service's southwest regional office. Only a few thousand leatherbacks and loggerheads are left in Pacific waters, and biologists predict that the leatherback could become extinct in 10 to 30 years unless fishing regulations are strengthened.

The fisheries service's proposal would ban long-line fishing within the top 100 feet of the water, where most turtle encounters occur. But that is also where the commercial swordfishermen catch their fish -- and make the money to pay their bills.

The last time a federal observer took a trip on the Blue Dragon, five turtles were hauled aboard, entangled in fishing lines and snagged on hooks. But that was an anomaly, Nguyen said. And the five turtles that were hooked were all cut free and released.

"They all lived. They all swam away," Nguyen said, vigorously pumping his fist toward the ocean. He said no turtles were caught on his latest trip.

In an effort to save the turtles from extinction, environmentalists with the San Francisco-based Sea Turtle Restoration Project and other conservation groups have sued to have long-lining banned. Restrictions on long-line fishing in the waters off Hawaii have already chased Nguyen and other vessel owners -- mostly Vietnamese American men -- to the West Coast. With nowhere else to go to fish, the fishermen won't be able to pay the mortgages on their boats, should a ban be approved there.

"The bank isn't going to listen to that," said Lillo Augello, owner of Western Fish Co., which packs and sells the fish caught by the majority of the West Coast fleet.

The Pacific Fishery Management Council, an advisory board that includes fishermen, though not swordfishermen, has proposed a more lenient, partial ban on long-lining. The fisheries service says the leatherback and loggerhead deaths have reached such critical levels that only a complete ban will do, but it is also exploring whether the use of new types of fish hooks and bait would protect the endangered turtles.

The damage to the species may already be done, said Larry Crowder, a biologist with the Duke University Marine Laboratory.

"If it takes 10 years to solve all the problems, there is a 50 percent chance they will be extinct. We don't have that kind of time," Crowder said.

If approved, the new federal restrictions could be in place by March.

"I'm asking my lawyer to help us do anything. Help us get some money for our boats from the government or something because if they ban this we are going to need money to survive," said Nguyen, who has invested thousands of dollars on improvements to the Blue Dragon. "I don't know what I'm going to do if they ban. How is our family going to survive?"

The fishermen say they are doing what they can to cut down on the number of turtle deaths, using blue-dyed bait, which does not attract turtles, and special hooks. Western Fish Co. has adopted a Mexican beach north of Cabo San Lucas to aid the sea turtles' reproduction, helping to protect the eggs from predators in the hope of boosting population numbers.

Augello said the San Pedro-based fishermen are being unfairly targeted by environmentalists who are exaggerating the impact the fleet has on the turtle population. More than 4,000 international boats roam the waters off the West Coast, but only American boats are required to abide by the Endangered Species Act. Dozens of protected sea turtles are being hooked by international boats, but because those vessel owners don't fall under the jurisdiction of U.S. authorities, nothing can be done to punish them.

And even if a total ban on American fishing is approved, turtles will still be killed by international fishing boats, Augello said.

Although the San Pedro fleet is working to bring the number of turtle deaths down, significant progress will not be made without the international fleet getting on board, Crowder said.

"You could close down the entire U.S. fishery and not have a huge impact on the fate of the turtles," Crowder said. "You have to come up with a solution that can also be marketed internationally."

(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10284-2004Feb3.html)

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February 4, 2004

Vietnam's Agent Orange victims file suit against U.S. companies

TINI TRAN, Associated Press Writer

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) -- Three Vietnamese claiming to be victims of Agent Orange have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. companies that produced the defoliant used by American forces during the Vietnam War.

The lawsuit, filed with the help of the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange, was submitted to the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Jan. 30, the group's vice president, Nguyen Trong Nhan, said Wednesday.

He said it was the first lawsuit of its kind filed by Vietnamese against U.S. companies, and that the Brooklyn court was chosen because it had handled similar cases filed by former U.S. soldiers.

Nhan said 10 companies are named in the suit, though he declined to specify them by name. Dow Chemical Co. and Monsanto were two of the primary producers of Agent Orange.

The lawsuit seeks compensation for health problems caused by the defoliant, but it does not specify a dollar figure, Nhan said.

Between 1962 and 1971, U.S. planes sprayed an estimated 21 million gallons of defoliant, mostly Agent Orange, over Vietnamese forests where they believed Communist troops might be hiding.

Many American veterans and Vietnamese have long blamed Agent Orange, which contains the deadly component dioxin, for a variety of illnesses, including cancer, diabetes and spina bifida. The U.S. government claims there is no direct evidence linking dioxin with the illnesses.

However, about 10,000 Vietnam War veterans in the United States receive disability benefits related to Agent Orange exposure.

The three Vietnamese plaintiffs were Nguyen Van Quy and two women, Nguyen Thi Phi Phi and Duong Quynh Hoa. All three had worked in areas sprayed with Agent Orange, Nhan said.

Phi suffered four miscarriages while Hoa has breast cancer and her blood tests show high levels of dioxin, Nhan said. Quy also has cancer, and has two children with birth defects.

Vietnam has said that the United States has a moral and spiritual responsibility to heal the wounds of war. However, Hanoi has never formally asked for compensation for the victims of Agent Orange.

In 2000, the Vietnamese government began paying monthly stipends to government workers, soldiers and civilians who helped fight for the Communist side in sprayed areas during the war.

Vietnam has said an estimated 1 million people were affected by the defoliant during the war.

In 2002, Vietnam and the United States held their first ever joint scientific conference on Agent Orange and its effects since the war ended in 1975.

A new study released last year found that very high levels of dioxin continue to be found in food samples in Vietnam, decades after the defoliant was sprayed over the country.

(http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/02/04/international2231EST0910.DTL)

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About NCVA
Founded in 1986, the National Congress of Vietnamese Americans is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community advocacy organization working to advance the cause of Vietnamese Americans in a plural but united America – e pluribus unum – by participating actively and fully as civic minded citizens engaged in the areas of education, culture and civil liberties.