NCVA REPORTER - June 1, 2004

In this NCVA Reporter:

Funding Opportunities

• Proposals Invited for Efforts to Integrate Communities of Color in Mainstream Philanthropy
• Blank Foundation Changes Strategic Direction
• Support for Youth Development and Public Education
• July 1st Deadline for Support from the Mazda Foundation

Jobs/Internships

• NAVASA – Project Associate/Director

Tips/Resources

• Federal Election Commission Delays Nonprofit Advocacy Regulations

News

• New Rules a Barrier to Marrying Vietnamese (China Post)
• President Bush Names Fourteen Members to Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (Press Release)
• Report Claims Vietnam Ethnic Group Forced into Mountains (Taiwan News)
• Dating, Cultures Collide (San José Mercury News)
• It’s Now, It’s Zen and It’s Life-Changing (Los Angeles Times)

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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

PROPOSALS INVITED FOR EFFORTS TO INTEGRATE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN MAINSTREAM PHILANTHROPY

(http://www.wkkf.org/Programming/NewsItem.aspx?CID=2&ID=425)

Deadline: June 1, August 30, November 30, 2004

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation ( http://www.wkkf.org/ ) has  announced the launch of a new project to strengthen  philanthropy.

The initiative, "Expanding the Boundaries: Leadership in Philanthropy Project," is designed to stimulate nonprofit work that broadly integrates communities of color into the world of philanthropy at large. Organizations seeking to receive a grant through the program must propose projects meeting two objectives: 1) they enhance the work of emerging leaders and donors of color; and 2) they promote the creation and sharing of knowledge that supports these leaders and donors. Critical to the success of both of these objectives is the building and dissemination of tools for nonprofit sustainability and innovative methods of giving related to communities of color.

Grant applicants are encouraged to submit a pre-proposal letter describing the proposed project/program, measurable outcomes, and a timeline for accomplishing key tasks (projects may span one to three years).

The pre-proposal letter must also identify organizations in one of the following categories:

Category A: Organizations interested in exploring an innovative idea that cuts across the three dimensions of engaging new leaders and donors, generating new knowledge, and creating new tools related to integration of communities of color in mainstream philanthropy. The project/ program may be local or national in scope. Grants in this category range from $50,000 to $200,000.

Category B: Organizations interested in enhancing and  expanding an existing innovative project/program. The project/program must be collaborative and may be local or national in scope. Grants in this category range from $200,000 to $500,000.

Category C: Organizations interested in collaborating with other organizations to explore and promote innovative ideas on a national level. The project/program must be  national in scope. Grants in this category range from $500,000 to $1,000,000.

Proposals will be accepted in three rounds: the first-round due date is June 1, 2004; the second is August 30, 2004; and the third is November 30, 2004.

See the Kellogg Foundation Web site to download the proposal submission guidelines and/or for further information on the foundation's Philanthropy and Volunteerism program.

(http://www.wkkf.org/Programming/NewsItem.aspx?CID=2&ID=425)

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BLANK FOUNDATION CHANGES STRATEGIC DIRECTION

(http://blankfoundation.org/)

The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has embarked on a new strategic direction, with more focus on programs that provide opportunities to children and youth.

The foundation, which was established in 1995 by Arthur Blank, co-founder of Home Depot, reached its $100-million milestone in giving in early 2003. The Atlanta, Ga.-based foundation plans to commit $100 million over the next five years to the new initiative.

Grants over the next five years will be awarded in two primary areas: Fostering Opportunity, aimed at helping low-income youth and their families overcome barriers imposed by poverty and origin; and Enhancing Quality of Life, designed to ensure that growing communities remain desirable places to live by protecting the environment, increasing recreational opportunities, and fostering diverse arts and cultural activities.

"Our family is committed to being a partner in promoting positive change - in individual lives and in entire communities," said founder Arthur Blank.

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SUPPORT FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC EDUCATION
Edward W. Hazen Foundation

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

The Edward W. Hazen Foundation focuses on assisting children and youth, particularly minorities and those disadvantaged by poverty, to achieve their full potential as individuals and as active participants in a democratic society. The Foundation’s two major programs address public education and youth development. The public education program, focused on fostering effective schools for all children and full partnership for parents and communities in school reform efforts, primarily supports community-based and grassroots organizations in Baltimore, District of Columbia, Philadelphia, New York City, Miami, the Mississippi Delta, Chicago, Los Angeles and El Paso. The youth development program, focused on youth organizing and leadership development around concrete social issues, provides support for nonprofit organizations throughout the country. Letters of inquiry are accepted year-round. Visit the above website for more information.

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JULY 1^ST DEADLINE FOR SUPPORT FROM THE MAZDA FOUNDATION
Mazda

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

The Mazda Foundation supports nonprofit organizations throughout the country, with an emphasis on Southern California. The Foundation's grantmaking is directed towards the areas of education and literacy, environmental conservation, cross-cultural understanding, social welfare, and scientific research. Emphasis is placed on youth and educational opportunities for minorities. Nonprofit organizations may submit applications from May 1 through July 1, annually. Visit the above website for more information.

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Office Depot Provides Support for Children
Office Depot Community Relations Program

(http://www.community.officedepot.com/local.asp)

The Office Depot Community Relations Program supports local nonprofit organizations that directly impact the health, education and welfare of children. Nonprofit organizations throughout the United States are eligible to apply for cash grants or one-time product donations. Applications are accepted year-round. Visit the above website for more information.

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JOBS/INTERNSHIPS

Job Vacancy at NAVASA

Job title: Project Associate/Director

Organization:
The National Alliance of Vietnamese American Service Agencies (NAVASA) is a national membership agency, currently comprised of 37 community-based (CBOs) and faith-based (FBOs) organizations. Since its incorporation in 1995 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) agency, NAVASA has served its affiliated members through organizational capacity building, technical assistances, funding opportunities, networking, and advocacy. NAVASA Annual Conference has been the focal point to providing the essential and fundamental tools in strengthening the works and services of the ethnic CBOs and FBOs.

The mission of NAVASA is to empower the Vietnamese American and refugee community across the United States and to facilitate the transition of refugees and immigrants from dependency to self-sufficiency. NAVASA works with national and local affiliates to support its member agencies to strengthen national advocacy capability and to promote the integration of the Vietnamese American and refugee communities into American society. The member agencies work with refugees and immigrants at the local and regional level while NAVASA coordinates and develops the national programs, initiatives, and resources.

Job summary:
The Project Associate/Director will work closely with the Executive Director and staff in promoting the organization’s mission and goals and bringing forth innovating initiatives that will move NAVASA to the next level of growth of serving the community.

Focusing on areas of technical assistance, guidance, support, monitoring, in-depth analysis, and evaluation to ethnic CBOs and FBOs.

Responsibilities:
* Provides ongoing TA with regards to the implementation of the programs, checking on timelines, activities, and budget allocation and fiscal management,
* Consults on training and skills development goals and outcomes with participating entities,
* Coordinates the web-based program and its contents,
* Liaises between funders, NAVASA, and participating entities to effect full and complete realization of planned activities. Facilitates the resolution of any barriers or problems that may develop while implementing,
* Affects understanding of issues pertaining to the development of ethnic organizations among the participating entities,
* Monitors programs via monthly teleconference, written correspondence, email, and onsite reviews,
* Oversees affiliates’ program coordinators including fiscal management and programmatic progress,
* Conducts site monitoring to assess progress, identify weaknesses, propose remedies by making recommendations, prepare report, and share findings with ORR and participating entities,
* Works with the National Advisory Council with the input of affiliates to measure project’s outcomes and work-plan,
* Evaluates the overall project regarding major goals and objectives,
* Participates in forums, conferences, meetings, and workshops concerned with issues of ethnic community self-help, community development, and coalition building,
* Compiles, synthesizes, and submits financial and programmatic reports to ORR.
* Researches and gathers data in the field and shares applicable information with ORR and NAVASA’s member organizations,
* Promotes networking among participating entities, FBOs, NAVASA’s affiliated members, and non-affiliated members,
* Works with other staff members in discharging responsibilities,
* Researches on program development and funding resources to secure project matching fund and to strengthen project value,
* Assumes entire project responsibilities before Executive Director and NAVASA’s Board of Directors, and
* Assumes necessary tasks required by Executive Director.

Requirements:
* Committed in working to improve and better the Vietnamese American and refugee community across the country. This requires prior experience in working with ethnic CBOs, FBOs and fellow community agencies that promote similar programs, policies and direction that NAVASA underlines;
* Detailed oriented
* Able to write, analyze and communicate effectively
* Able to work independently and dedicate hours of work and service to programs and projects;
* Have the aspiration and flexibility to learn and acquire new skills and experience; and
* Able to research and network, present and interconnect with the public.

We offer a competitive salary and excellent benefits.
Please send your cover letter and resume to:

Huy V. Bui
Executive Director
NAVASA
1010 Wayne Avenue, Suite 310
Silver Spring, MD 20910

Fax: 301.587.2783
Email: huy.bui@navasa.org

Additional Information may be requested.

For any questions or inquiries, please visit our website at www.navasa.org or contact us in the office at 301.587.2781.

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TIPS/RESOURCES

FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION DELAYS NONPROFIT ADVOCACY REGULATIONS

The Federal Election Commission ( http://www.fec.gov/ ) has unanimously voted to delay for ninety days new regulations that would limit spending by so-called 527 committees, paving the way for the organizations to exert considerable influence over this year’s presidential race, the New York Times reports.

The six-member commission, which is split evenly between Republicans and Democrats, rejected three attempts to impose the new rules, then voted unanimously to delay new regulations on the groups for ninety days, which makes it extremely unlikely that any restrictions on the committees will be applied before the upcoming elections. The decision was hailed as a victory for Democratic groups such as ACT and the Media Fund that have attacked President Bush with millions of dollars in television advertisements.

The ruling was criticized by Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Russell Feingold (D-WI), who co-sponsored sweeping campaign finance reforms enacted by Congress in 2002, as well as watchdog groups that monitor the influence of money in politics. "This was a moment of opportunity for the commission, and they flinched," said Don Simon, a lawyer for one such group, Democracy 21. "This is the creation of the next big soft-money loophole in progress."

The decision was cheered, however, by various nonprofit advocacy groups, which feared that new regulations on 527 committees would be extended to all 501(c) nonprofits.  "This is a great victory for nonprofits' ability to speak out during an election year," said Nan Aron, co-chairwoman of the Coalition to Protect Nonprofit Advocacy (http://www.nonprofitadvocacy.org/ ).

In response to the decision, Republicans are expected to begin fundraising for their own 527 groups.  "The 2004 elections will now be a free-for-all," said Ed Gillespie, chairman of the Republican National Committee, in a  statement.  "Thanks to the deliberate inaction by the Federal Election Commission, the battle of the 527's is likely to escalate to a full scale, two-sided war."

Justice, Glen. "F.E.C. Declines to Curb Independent FundRaisers." New York Times 05/14/04.  http://nytimes.com/2004/05/14/politics/campaign/14fec.html

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NEWS

 May 23, 2004

NEW RULES A BARRIER TO MARRYING VIETNAMESE

China Post

Altogether 4,094 Southeast Asian brides came to Taiwan in the first quarter of this year. Nine out of every ten of them arrived from Vietnam.

On the other hand, however, many brides from abroad, particularly those from China, have turned street walkers, with or without the consent of their husbands.

That worries the Vietnamese authorities.

"How, some provincial authorities in Vietnam have made it a rule that any would-be groom in Taiwan cannot be more than 20 years older than his Vietnamese bride," a marriage broker in Tainan says.

Vietnamese girls get married at the age of 20 or 21.

"Another words, their Taiwanese husbands should not be older than 40 or 41," says the broker, who has helped make thousands of international marriages.

What has prompted the Vietnamese authorities to impose the age-limit is an alarmingly high number of old Taiwanese men proposing to marry young girls in Vietnam.

"Where a chance that all other provincial authorities will follow suit," the marriage broker adds.

Another restriction is making it costlier to marry Vietnamese girls.

In the past, would-be grooms just let brokers make marriages without even meeting their future spouses.

"The grooms are now required to have a tete-a-tete in Vietnam, the marriage broker says. "They've got to go there, and that means visits at their own expense. At present, a bachelor or widower or divorce waits for five to seven days to get a marriage made. "It's going to take 12 days to two weeks now," the broker warns.

He complains that his commission may shrink.

"Our clients, who have to pay for a visit to Vietnam, certainly don't want to pay any extra in commission," says the broker.

The going price for a marriage between a Taiwanese groom and his Vietnamese bride is NT$ 200,000.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 27, 2004

Contact: Eddy Badrina or Erik Wang
202-482-3949

PRESIDENT BUSH NAMES FOURTEEN MEMBERS TO ADVISORY COMMISSION ON ASIAN AMERICANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS

President George W. Bush announced today his intent to appoint fourteen individuals to serve on the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.  The Commission was established by Executive Order 13339 to advise the President, through the Secretary of Commerce (DOC), on ways to provide equal economic opportunities for full participation of Asian American and Pacific Islander businesses in our free market economy where they may be underserved, and thus improving the quality of life for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs).

Eddy Badrina, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on AAPIs said that he is proud of the President’s continued commitment to addressing the needs of the Asian American and Pacific Islanders.  “The President has selected a diverse and talented group of individuals to provide him with recommendations,” said Badrina.  “I look forward to working with this group of business leaders, entrepreneurs, and community advocates to understand issues facing AAPI businesses and to develop creative solutions leading to growth.”

The Commission will be chaired by Betty B. Wu (NY) and composed of the following members: William Afeaki (UT), Nina Nguyen Collier (WA), Akshay Desai (FL), Vellie Dietrich-Hall (VA), William Kil (CA), John Kim (CA), Jimmy D. Lee (IL), Joseph Melookaran (KS), Derrick Nguyen (CA), Rudy Pamintuan (IL), Martha Cruz Ruth (Guam), Jeffrey B. Sakaguchi (CA), and Kenneth Wong (PA).

The President’s Advisory Commission is housed under the Department of Commerce and supported by the Office of the White House Initiative on AAPIs.

www.aapi.gov

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May 29, 2004

REPORT CLAIMS VIETNAM ETHNIC GROUP FORCED INTO MOUNTAINS

Taiwan News

HANOI Hundreds of Vietnamese security forces have driven ethnic minority villagers into hiding in the Central Highlands in a government crackdown following mass protests over land rights and religious freedom, a leading human rights group said yesterday.

New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a statement that desperate ethnic minority villagers, known as Montagnards, have resorted to hiding in village graves or pits in the forest to escape arrest by Vietnamese troops.

Montagnards in the area are unable to freely leave their homes and authorities have threatened violent reprisals if residents try to relay news to the outside, Sam Zarifi, deputy director for the group's Asia division, said in the statement.

An estimated 10,000 Montagnards, who are mainly Protestant, participated in the April 10-11 rallies to demand religious freedoms and the return of ancestral lands. The demonstrations in the provinces of Daklak, Gia Lai, and Daknong ended in violent clashes with Vietnamese troops and police.

Human Rights Watch said hundreds of villagers were wounded and many killed, according to multiple eyewitness accounts. Earlier reports said at least 10 were killed during the protests, while the government has said only two people died.

Hanoi has repeatedly blamed a U.S.-based group, the Montagnard Foundation, for organizing the unrest. The group, whose founding member was part of a guerrilla force allied with America during the Vietnam War against Communist North Vietnam, has said it simply advocates on behalf of repressed ethnic minorities.

Following an international outcry over the protests, Vietnam has permitted small groups of diplomats, journalists and aid workers to tour the area on very tightly monitored trips. No independent access has been allowed.

The seven-page report notes that truckloads of soldiers have been sent to Gia Lai and Daklak to search rural villages, farms and jungles for Montagnards involved in the protests.

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May 29, 2004

DATING, CULTUREs COLLIDE
SOME ASIAN-AMERICAN YOUTHS AT ODDS WITH IMMIGRANT PARENTS' VALUES

By Nerissa Pacio

Mercury News

Wendy Gwo's parents grounded her the summer before she left for college. They caught her sneaking back into their Sunnyvale home after a forbidden date with the boyfriend she'd kept secret from them.

Katherine Chen said even broaching the subject of dating is taboo with her parents.

``We don't talk about relationship stuff,'' said Katherine, 15, a sophomore at Gunn High School in Palo Alto. ``It was very different when they were growing up. I don't think they understand what high school life is supposed to be like here.''

While worries about young love -- along with grades, popularity, and clothes -- are common for many young people, some Asian-American teenagers often are faced with an additional pressure: immigrant parents who insist that their second-generation children adhere to the more restrictive moral values of the home country.

``Dating brings cultural conflict into sharp relief,'' said Judy Tso, founder of Aha Solutions Unlimited, a non-profit group that provides life coaching and consulting for Asian-Americans. ``Values of immigrant parents clash with those of Americanized young people. Children are forced to live a double life. Some are better at balancing their own needs with parents' wishes, but others choose rebellion.''

Many families affected

The potential for such clashes of culture exists in thousands of households. In the Bay Area, 13 percent of all people under 21 -- about 241,000 youths -- are second-generation Asian-Americans.

The conflict takes on many forms. Some Asian-American youths deal with the expectation that they'll date only within their culture. Others aren't permitted to date at all. Young men are not kept under as close scrutiny as young women, but neither are they immune to the pressures. And sometimes communication between parents and children breaks down completely.

Although old-world traditions have always been challenged by more permissive American culture -- earlier immigrant teens were tempted by “bad” influences such as big-band jazz or, later, rock 'n' roll -- today's ubiquitous pop culture makes it even more difficult to hang on to the old ways.

Still, Asian culture has extraordinarily strong roots, said Derald Wing Sue, founder of the Asian American Psychological Association.

“In terms of social dating patterns, a lot of the conflict is due to the traditional Asian cultural values and the appropriate behavior with individuals in the United States,” Sue said. “American culture is much more individualistic, whereas among traditional Asians, the decisions you make reflect upon your family. As a result, family has great influence on behavior that brings honor or shame and disgrace to the family. There's a strong concern about types of relationships and behavior in relationships that's important.”

Asians cannot be regarded as a monolith, since there are many countries of origin, languages and traditions. But the dating conundrum resonates with many. It's a story that's been reflected on the big screen as recently as “Bend It Like Beckham” and on small screens in the hit series “Gilmore Girls” and a recent MTV documentary with veejay Suchin Pak revealing her own struggles as a Korean-American dealing with the expectations of her immigrant mother.

Traditional values

It's more of an issue among young women, because of traditional values that call for women to be chaste and protected. But young men deal with the issue indirectly through experiences with their friends, sisters and significant others.

Jason Panchal, an Indo-American student at De Anza College, keeps his relationship a secret from the parents of his Indo-American girlfriend, who is forbidden to date. Panchal's parents, who moved to the United States 30 years ago, have assimilated into mainstream culture and permit dating, but many of his friends who are girls cannot. Some also have arranged marriages.

``The problem is, it's two totally different cultures, so our parents are really strict,'' said Panchal, 20. ``Back in the day, in India, there was no such thing as dating. It was all about arranged marriages.''

Experiences, of course, vary depending on how long immigrants have been in the United States, to what degree they have assimilated, and how conservative and religious they are, Sue said. But for a number of Asian-Americans in their teens and 20s, he said, having parents who grew up in a different culture creates a predicament.

``I felt like I always had to keep things that I felt from my parents,'' said Gwo, 20, now a junior at the University of California-Los Angeles. ``If I felt something about a guy, I couldn't even talk about it. I would go to my girlfriends, but luckily, some of their parents were the same way.''

Laura Doan, a Vietnamese-American student at Mission San Jose High School in Fremont, said her parents have slowly become more open to the idea of her Chinese-American boyfriend, Jeff Tan. However, Tan's parents are more traditional and don't completely accept her because she is not Chinese, she said.

``Many non-Asians think of us as all being part of one race,'' said Laura, 17. ``But it's so complicated. Asians think of it a different way. Chinese and Vietnamese are actually two very distinct cultures, with different languages and customs.''

`A cultural ritual'

Dating dilemmas have become a common cultural phenomenon among young Asian-Americans, said Sunaina Maira, associate professor of Asian-American Studies at UC-Davis, especially children of first-generation parents.

``It's like a cultural ritual that second-generation youth share,'' Maira says. ``It's sad that that's a basis of identity rather than something more positive, but it does show how savvy they are about how they incorporate negotiation techniques in their lives.''

Some parents, like Laura's, have adapted to mainstream culture.

``We had to adjust to American culture,'' said Nga Doan, Laura's mother, ``At first my husband and I weren't happy with her dating, but I realized kids will do what they want even if you tell them not to. It was better for me to at least know where she is and talk to her openly about everything.''

Some young people come to embrace their parents' culture. Ferah Munshi, a freshman at UC-Berkeley, has accepted the rules set up by her first-generation Indian Muslim parents.

In high school, she couldn't be in social settings where boys were present, even if they were only friends. She is not permitted to date, and after she graduates, her parents plan to present men to her as options for an arranged marriage.

``For a long time I was so angry at them about not being able to date or even go out with friends when guys were there, and I'd fight with them,'' says Ferah, 17. ``But I realize my parents grew up that way in India and they are trying to bring me up that way. I can't imagine rebelling against them at all because I've been brought up with the cultural and religious belief that respecting your parents should be the most important thing to you.''

Contact Nerissa Pacio at npacio@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5827.

(http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/8791844.htm)

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June 1, 2004

IT’S NOW, IT’S ZEN AND IT’S LIFE-CHANGING
Buddhists who turned a gun training site into a monastery tackle even harder transformations.

By Teresa Watanabe, Times Staff Writer

ESCONDIDO, Calif. — In a sun-splashed sanctuary of chaparral, lilac and oak groves, brown-robed Buddhists have gently transformed a land once used for weapons training by San Diego-area law enforcement.

Followers of Vietnamese Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh have replaced the rattle of machine guns with the ringing of sacred bells. They have repainted and repaired bullet-scarred buildings. Their 400-acre Deer Park Monastery now features a light-filled meditation hall, a waterfall, a fish pond and Zen sayings posted throughout the grounds: Breathe, you are alive.

In the four years since they purchased the land, however, the Buddhists have been tackling even more challenging transformations: helping Hollywood entertainers, teenage runaways, inner-city youth, gang members and others tame their personal demons and find peace with themselves.

At a recent retreat for the film and television industry, for instance, Nhat Hanh preached the importance of self-love to an assembly of artists including comedian Garry Shandling and producer Larry Kasanoff, who spearheaded the gathering.

"You don't need to pretend to be someone else. You don't need plastic surgery," the soft-spoken Nhat Hanh said, setting off a ripple of laughter from the crowd.

With such teachings, the monastics of Nhat Hanh's Unified Buddhist Church aim to equip people across different faiths and cultures to practice "mindfulness" — the cultivation of inner calm in daily life through breathing deeply, slowing down and living fully in the present.

Many of the retreats took place earlier this year, when Nhat Hanh spent three months at Deer Park during a winter retreat from his normal residence in France.

The teacher, 67, has established 800 meditation groups in two dozen countries and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King Jr. for his peacemaking efforts during the Vietnam War.

But a sangha, or community, of four dozen monastics from several countries live and work in Escondido year-round.

The monastics include both women and men who sport identically shaved heads and long brown robes. They include people like Abbott Phap Dung, a Vietnamese refugee who came of age as a San Fernando "Valley Boy" break dancing and skateboarding. He says he struggled in school, fending off racial taunts, before eventually graduating from USC and working as an architect in Santa Monica.

But after a few years, he says, he began to feel that his profession was "all about money and ego," with scarce opportunities to design socially meaningful projects. He visited Deer Park several times for retreats, was captivated by the gentleness he found there and decided to become a monk.

"I'd found a way of living that was much more meaningful," said the abbot, who frequently works with troubled youth. "The way it helps people is much more direct."

Except for some complaints from neighbors about the increased traffic — more than 800 people often trek to Deer Park on weekends — San Diego County officials say the monastery has drawn no major opposition.

The land's colorful history includes use as a nudist camp more than three decades ago. After San Diego County bought the property in the mid-1970s, it was used by such groups as the California Conservation Corps and the Sheriff's Department, which trained SWAT teams and Marines from nearby Camp Pendleton, according to former county surveyor Bill Ring.

The Buddhists purchased the land for $4 million in 2000 from the winning bidder in a public auction.

Phap Dung says the monastics labored several months to transform both the physical structures, which were riddled with bullets, and what they say was a lingering energy of violence. They held ceremonies to ask the spirits of the indigenous Indians for permission to use the land and took children on walks to collect bullet shells and construct a peace sign with the shells on the ground.

Today, visitors come from radically different stations in life. There is the well-heeled Kasanoff, whose films include "Terminator 2" and "Mortal Kombat." He parties in Cannes on luxury yachts and owns three Santa Monica firms specializing in film, animation and martial arts cable TV.

There is also Estrellita Rojas, 18, a Boston high school student who struggles to survive in a crime-ridden neighborhood, living without parents and working for minimum wage as a salesclerk.

In a recent interview, Kasanoff repeatedly took pains to mention that he was Jewish, with no desire to become a Buddhist, a monk or an ascetic who swore off booze or "hot babes." He also made clear that he wasn't trying to push anything on anyone.

But he spearheaded the recent Hollywood retreat for hundreds of entertainers, invited Nhat Hahn to speak at a more intimate gathering of friends, and figures that he's given out more than 100 of the monk's books to acquaintances.

He said he was also including some of Nhat Hanh's messages in two of his current film projects, the next "Mortal Kombat" movie and a remake of the Japanese anime blockbuster "Ninja Scroll."

Kasanoff said he began soul-searching about five years ago, when he realized that many of his famous and wealthy Hollywood friends were miserable and driven by fear. Along the way, he stumbled onto Nhat Hanh's books and was intrigued by the messages of mindfulness.

Since then, he says, he has begun practicing meditation, mindful walking and chi gong.

"The whole miracle of this stuff is that you can be more relaxed, calmer and yet get more done and have more energy," Kasanoff said. "I'm less frantic. I don't scream as much as I used to. It's not how you take this stuff and retreat from the world; it's how you incorporate it into your daily life."

In a different corner of life, Rojas tells a similar story of awakening. The 18-year-old Latina of Nicaraguan descent visited Deer Park in March with other Boston youth involved in an HIV and substance abuse prevention program. It was her first plane ride, first encounter with monks and vegetarian food, first respite from an environment of gang warfare and random violence.

"It was totally different," Rojas said. "It was out in the middle of nowhere, a beautiful place where there was no violence, no discrimination, no name-calling, no nothing. Everyone was so respectful and happy."

The skills of compassionate listening that she learned have quelled the screaming matches she used to have with her sister. The acceptance she felt at Deer Park, she says, has reduced her materialistic tendencies to link her self-worth to brand-name jeans or shoes. She is less rowdy and more calm as she meditates weekly, and aims to start a Boston sangha for teenagers.

Such stories are common here. "People ask us to fix them or their children, but we don't do that here," says Phap Dung. "We just become friends. We climb the mountains. We count the falling stars. We enjoy being alive."

(http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-monastery1jun01,1,2507786.story)

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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.