Events

Funding Opportunities

Jobs/Internships

Tips

News

Legislation

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Events

The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation

and

His Excellency Rastislav Kacer, Ambassador of the Slovak Republic, and Mrs. Kacer

Request the pleasure of your company at the

Fifth Annual Truman-Reagan Medal of Freedom Awards

Reception

Thursday, November 20, 2003

7:00 p.m.

Embassy of the Slovak Republic
3523 International Court, NW
Washington, DC 20008

R.S.V.P.
(540) 270-6309 Business Attire

Email: vocmemorial@aol.com

(www.victimsofcommunism.org)

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Conference Addresses Effective Use of Nonprofit Resources
National Center on Nonprofit Enterprise Bi-Annual Conference

The bi-annual conference of the National Center on Nonprofit Enterprise is offering an interactive conversation with leading nonprofit executives, business leaders, consultants and academic researchers on the key resource challenges facing nonprofit organizations. The conference, "Wise Economic Decision Making in Uncertain Times: Using Nonprofit Resources Effectively," includes a keynote speaker, various session tracks, a facilitated roundtable discussion, and networking opportunities. The conference will be held January 16-17, 2004, in Washington DC. Visit the above website for more information.

(http://www.nationalcne.org/prog2.htm)

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Funding Opportunities

Support for Teacher Professional Development
Fund for Teachers

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

The Fund for Teachers provides grants of up to $5,000 to classroom teachers with a minimum of three years experience, so that they may participate in training and enriching activities that will improve and enhance their skills as teachers. Grants will be made solely to fund participation by grant recipients in summer professional and personal development activities. Applicants must be employed as a public or private teacher in K-12th grade at the time grants are approved and made. Teachers in Oakland, CA; Denver, CO; Boston, MA; Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN; New York City, NY; Tulsa, OK; and Houston, TX and are eligible to apply; however, in 2005 the Fund is planning a national expansion of the program. The 2004 application will be available November 17, 2003, on the Fund's website. Deadline for submitting applications is January 12, 2004. Visit the above website for more information.

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Liberty Mutual Provides Community Support
Liberty Mutual Group Corporate Philanthropy Program

(http://www.libertymutual.com/omapps/ContentServer?pagename=CorporateInternet/Page/StandardTeal&cid=1003349317246&dir=/CorporateInternet/CorpHomePage/CorpAboutLibertyMutual/CorpCommunityAction)

The Liberty Mutual Group Corporate Philanthropy Program supports nonprofit organizations that help people live safer, more secure lives in communities throughout the U.S. where the company has employees and customers. The company provides support in the areas of education, with priority on programs for disadvantaged youth, and health and safety. Requests in the areas of arts and culture and community and economic development are also considered. Throughout all program areas, priority is given to mentoring and after-school programs for kids. Applications are accepted year-round. Visit the above website for more information and application guidelines.

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Support for Self-Development of the Poor, Disadvantaged and Oppressed
Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People

(http://www.pcusa.org/pcusa/wmd/sdop/)

The Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People supports grassroots projects that are developed, owned, and controlled by groups of poor, oppressed, and disadvantaged people. Priority is given to local projects rather than regional, statewide, or national projects. Generally, annual grants range from $10,000 to $50,000 for projects in the U.S. In addition to the domestic program, there is an international program that supports projects initiated by grassroots organizations in developing countries. Applications are accepted year-round. For application instructions, or to find more information, visit the above website.

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West Group Provides Community Support
West Group Community Partnership Program

(http://west.thomson.com/aboutus/communityaffairs.asp?cookie%5Ftest=1)

The West Group Community Partnership Program supports nonprofit organizations in the communities where West Group offices are located in the states of Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and Washington, D.C. For a list of office locations go to http://west.thomson.com/contactus/locations.asp. West Group's support focuses on three areas of interest: educating the future workforce, providing arts and cultural experiences to the community, and developing and strengthening youth, family and communities. Deadlines vary according to program area. Visit the website for specific deadlines and application instructions.

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Community Support from Bank of the West
Bank of the West Corporate Contribution Program

(http://www.bankofthewest.com/in_contributions.htm)

The Bank of the West Corporate Contribution Program supports nonprofit organizations in communities the bank serves in the states of California, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, Nevada, and New Mexico. For a list of Bank locations, go to http://locator.coolmaps.com/bow. The Bank's areas of interest include education and job training, community and civic organizations, health and welfare, cultural activities, and community development. Applications are accepted year-round. Visit the above website for more information and application procedures.

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NCAA Supports Drug and Alcohol Education and Prevention for Athletes
National Collegiate Athletic Association Grant Programs

(http://www1.ncaa.org/membership/ed_outreach/health-safety/index.html)

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) offers two programs to provide assistance in educating student-athletes and creating and maintaining an environment that promotes healthy choices about alcohol, tobacco and other drug use. The CHOICES program provides support for the development, implementation and evaluation of effective alcohol-education and prevention programs on college campuses. Funded alcohol-education use athletes or athletic events to deliver the educational program to the entire campus. The Speakers Grant Program provides grants that partially or fully fund speaker fees for departments of athletics drug-education or wellness programs. NCAA member institutions and conferences are eligible to apply. The deadline for submitting applications to the CHOICES program is February 13, 2004, while applications for the Speakers Grant Program are due by January 15, June 1, and September 1, annually. Visit the above website for more information.

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Community Education and Outreach Partnership Program - HIV Vaccine Awareness

WHO: Community-based organizations, faith-based organization, and national non-profit organizations who have 501(c)3 status.

WHAT: Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, with support from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases' (NIAID), is soliciting applications for its Community Education and Outreach Partnership Program (CEOPP).  This effort is part of NIAID's national HIV Vaccine Communications Campaign. Through a competitive review process, partners will be selected to conduct a series of HIV preventive vaccine awareness activities aimed at creating a supportive environment for HIV vaccine research. This one time-funding initiative aims to educate hard-to-reach communities, specifically Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, and Men who have Sex with Men about the misinformation, misperceptions, and misconceptions that exist around HIV vaccine research.  Up to $20,000 (direct and indirect cost) for non-profit community-based and AIDS service organizations and up to $50,000 (direct and indirect) for non-profit national organizations will be made available.

WHEN: Letters of Intent due December 1, 2003
       Applications due December 19, 2003

CONTACT: For an application package, head to:
http://www.extranet.ogilvypr.com/niaid/rfp/. For further information, contact Matthew Murguía, at (301) 435-7164 or email mmurguia@hvrcampaign.niaid.nih.gov.

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Jobs/Internships

ASIAN AMERICAN LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATION FUND

SPRING INTERNSHIPS 2004
Undergraduate, Graduate, and Law School

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), founded in 1974, protects and promotes the civil rights of Asian Americans through litigation, advocacy, and community education.   Spring internships are available for the following:

* Immigrants’ Rights: community outreach, education, and legal services post 9-11, advocacy on immigration reform proposals, special registration, INS/police collaboration, and detention of South Asian, Arab, Muslim, Indonesian, and Filipino men swept up in the government’s investigations.

* South Asian Workers’ Project for Human Rights: community based direct legal services, merging litigation with community organizing/advocacy/education serving-low wage South Asian workers, including construction workers, domestic workers, restaurant workers, and street vendors.

* Voting Rights: research potential litigation and advocacy over election reform, election monitoring of bilingual ballots, and a survey of Asian American voters to document anti-Asian voter discrimination and compliance with the Voting Rights Act.

* Anti-Asian Violence: hate crimes, police misconduct, and racial profiling issues involving South Asians, Arabs, Muslims, and Filipinos after 9-11.

* 9-11 Relief: assist Lower Manhattan residents secure benefits and advocate for the inclusion of Chinatown residents in the World Trade Center rebuilding efforts.

* Participatory Planning and Community Based Research: develop strategic research and data analyses to support organizing and advocacy efforts.

* Youth Rights: casework, community education, and potential litigation on educational equity, post 9/11 hate violence and racial targeting, and juvenile justice.

DESCRIPTION OF SPRING INTERNSHIPS.  Interns are supervised by staff in specific program areas.  Legal interns work primarily on legal research and writing, legal and policy advocacy, community outreach and education, and client intakes.  Undergraduate interns work on policy advocacy, community outreach and organizing, and some client intakes.  Graduate interns work on policy advocacy, research methodology, statistical analysis, and GIS mapping.  Each program area differs in emphasis.

These internships are not paid positions, but academic credit can be arranged.  Interns work anywhere between 8 to 25 hours per week.  The internship usually commences with the start of classes or at the end of January and goes to the last week of April (about ten weeks).

TO APPLY:  Any bilingual ability should be stated in the resume.  Bilingual ability is helpful but not required. Applications should also state the number of hours the intern is able to work per week.  Send a resume and cover letter to:

Spring Intern Search
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF)
99 Hudson Street, 12th floor
New York, New York 10013-2815
Fax: 212-966-4303
Email: info@aaldef.org

For more information, contact Jennifer Weng at 212-966-5932, ext. 212 or jweng@aaldef.org.

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Ford Foundation Seeks Scholars for Fellowship Awards

WHO: Minority students pursuing a research-based doctorate degree in the social or applied sciences.

WHAT: The Ford Foundation Fellowship Awards include 60 predoctoral, 35 dissertation and 20 postdoctoral fellowships, and are slated for candidates planning a career in research or teaching at the college or university level.

WHEN: Predoctoral Fellowship Deadline: November 19, 2003 Dissertation Fellowship Deadline: December 3, 2003 Postdoctoral Fellowship Deadline: December 17, 2003

CONTACT: For further information, or to apply online, head to: http://www7.nationalacademies.org/fellowships/applyonline.html.
Otherwise, contact the PGA Fellowships Office by email: infofell@nas.edu; telephone: (202) 334-2872; fax: (202) 334-3419 or mail: PGA Fellowships Office GR 346A National Research Council of the National Academies 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001

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Tips

NCRP PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:  Sloan C. Wiesen
Wednesday, April 30, 2003
(202) 387-9177
sloan@ncrp.org

JOINT STATEMENT

IRS Halts Targeted Audits of Charities That Lobby

WASHINGTON – The following is the complete text of a joint statement released by the Alliance for Justice, Charity Lobbying in the Public Interest, the Council on Foundations, Independent Sector, the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, the National Council of Nonprofit Associations and OMB Watch, following their April 24, 2003, meeting with IRS officials:

At a meeting on April 24 with representatives of seven organizations from across the nonprofit sector, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) officials stated that they were halting an IRS program in which a sample of charities was audited because they reported lobbying activities. The IRS, however, indicated that it was not examining organizations simply because they had made a 501(h) lobbying election, contrary to concerns raised by some of these organizations as recently reported in the press. We, the nonprofit groups that attended that meeting, applaud the move by the IRS, but we urge the IRS to take strong, affirmative steps to remind the nonprofit sector that lobbying by charities is legitimate.

Representatives of the Alliance for Justice, Charity Lobbying in the Public Interest, the Council on Foundations, Independent Sector, the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, the National Council of Nonprofit Associations, and OMB Watch met with senior staff from the IRS Exempt Organizations division. The groups had requested the meeting after learning several weeks ago that the IRS appeared to be targeting audits on some public charities that reported more than $10,000 in expenditures for lobbying. At that time it appeared that charities that had made the 501(h) election were being targeted for audits.

Steve Miller, the director of exempt organizations for the IRS, confirmed that lobbying by charities had been a factor in selecting a group of organizations for audit, but he said that the project had not specifically targeted charities making the 501(h) election. Miller said that lobbying, combined with other factors, was one of nearly 20 different sets of criteria the IRS had been testing to see if any of these sets of criteria could be used as "non-compliance indicators" - tests to identify organizations violating federal tax law. Forty-six organizations have already been audited under the lobbying set of criteria, said the IRS's Miller, and another 50 to 100 organizations similarly selected were pending some action by IRS field offices. To date, however, targeting groups that lobby has not uncovered any significant violations of the law. The lobbying-related indicator that the IRS used in this program "doesn't seem to work," according to Miller.

Miller stated that the IRS would halt this effort for the time being. No further organizations will be included in this program. Of the 50 to 100 audits still pending in the field under this program, IRS staff will complete any audits already begun and will review a Form 990 for any selected organization for which the audit has not yet begun. Unless this review suggests some problem with the return, IRS field agents will close the case without auditing the organization. The IRS is internally reviewing all of these cases to determine whether some enforcement effort around lobbying might be advisable in the future.

Although Miller emphasized that these audits had not been specifically targeted to charities that had made the 501(h) election, he responded to the concern on the point by agreeing to consider changes to the Internal Revenue Manual (the guide for IRS staff). The Manual previously had suggested that IRS examiners use neither the 501(h) election nor lobbying by electing organizations as grounds, by themselves, for examination because charities making the 501(h) election were more, not less, likely to be complying with the law. Miller said that the IRS would look at whether this assumption was valid and that he would consider adding language to the Manual related to how or when the IRS would audit charities that lobby. In addition to considering changes to the Manual, Miller expressed continued IRS support for the position stated in speeches and letters by IRS officials over the past 25 years that the IRS would not select charities for examination simply because they made an election under 501(h).

The members of Congress who passed the 501(h) law likewise appreciated the important policy role that lobbying by charities can play. As then-Senator Robert Dole put it during the debate: "Charities can be and should be important sources of information on legislative issues."

Although he expressed concerns about competing priorities and the limited resources of the IRS, Miller agreed to consider conducting additional public outreach to spread the word that lobbying within the legal limits is a legitimate activity for charitable organizations and that simply making the 501(h) election will not attract IRS scrutiny.

Miller also agreed to communicate with the nonprofit sector if the IRS decides to implement any future change to the IRS position that charities will not be selected for examination simply for making a 501(h) election.

The organizations represented at this meeting with the IRS are co-signing this statement to reiterate our belief that the nonprofit sector has a unique and vital role to play in the public policy process. We will continue to encourage nonprofits to promote good public policy, and we will oppose any threats to the rights of nonprofits to engage in policy matters. More specifically, we urge the IRS not only to act swiftly to restore the protection for electing charities once stated in the Internal Revenue Manual but also to help us promote lobbying and other advocacy as a legitimate and essential aspect of the larger work of the nonprofit sector. Finally, we respectfully suggest to the IRS that charities that recognize their right to lobby and that are sufficiently aware of the law to comply with their reporting obligations on the Form 990 are likely to be poor targets for the limited enforcement resources available to the IRS at this time.

Whatever action the IRS, Congress, or others may take, our organizations will work to keep the sector informed about future developments in this area.

Alliance for Justice
Charity Lobbying in the Public Interest
Council on Foundations
Independent Sector
National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy
National Council of Nonprofit Associations
OMB Watch

Founded in 1976, the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy is dedicated to helping the philanthropic community advance the traditional values of social and economic justice for all Americans.  Committed to helping funders more effectively serve the most disadvantaged Americans, NCRP is a national watchdog, research and advocacy organization that promotes public accountability and accessibility among foundations, corporate grant makers, individual donors and workplace giving programs.  For more information on NCRP or to join, please visit www.ncrp.org or call (202) 387-9177.

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NEW ONLINE RESOURCE TO LOCATE FEDERAL NOTICES OF FUNDING AVAILABILITY

Visit: http://ocd1.usda.gov/nofa.htm

ONE STOP FEDERAL GRANT RESOURCE

For all federal funding opportunities under Federal financial assistance programs that award discretionary grants and cooperative agreements.  Visit: http://www.Grants.gov

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News

November 12, 2003

Economic Impact of Immigrants Studied

A General Assembly study shows that Asian and Hispanic immigrants pump more than $12 billion annually into the Virginia economy but demand few state services, except for health care. The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, the assembly's watchdog panel, said yesterday that the state should do more for foreign-born residents, including helping them become citizens.

The study said foreign-born residents make up 8 percent of Virginia's population. Sixty-eight percent of the state's immigrants live in Northern Virginia. The commission said immigrants' primary needs are access to services and information in native languages, opportunities to improve English proficiency, and affordable health care.

Source: Washington Post Metro in Brief

Draft Version of Study

(http://jlarc.state.va.us/Meetings/November03/Acclimation.pdf)

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November 13, 2003

Norman Lear: Empowering the Youth Vote
Producer Launches Campaign to Encourage Young Voters

Nov. 13, 2003 -- Norman Lear, one of Hollywood's leading television and film producers, is launching a drive to encourage young people to vote in next year's election. The All in the Family creator -- who bought an original copy of the Declaration of Independence and sent it on a multi-year nationwide tour -- discusses the new voter initiative with NPR's Renee Montagne.

Voter turnout among 18- to 24-year-olds is generally far lower than the overall voting population. In 2000, about 36 percent of the young group reported that it voted, compared to nearly 60 percent for all voters, according to the Census Bureau.

Lear cites studies that show the importance of getting young adults to vote as soon as they turn 18. "If you get that person to vote, inspire that person to vote the first time, the chances are much greater that they will vote for the rest of their lives," he says.

One of the reasons young people cite for not voting is that they "don't feel sufficiently informed," Lear says. "One of the things we want to do is encourage young people to know that they are far more informed than they think they are. And, more important than that, once they declare themselves a voter automatically they will see more, they will hear more because they will be sensitized to it."

(http://independenceroadtrip.org/)

(http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1503606)

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November 14, 2003

GI helps Iraqi girl who lost eye

By Jason Chudy, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Thursday, November 13, 2003

CAMP WARHORSE, Iraq:  Staff Sgt. Thanh Phan has put the sparkle back in the eyes of a 7-year-old Iraqi girl named H'Tora.

Until last week, H'Tora's one good eye stood out from the dark, sunken socket where her right one used to be.

She now has matching brown eyes after Phan spent $125 for a new glass eye and the surgery to put it in.

"She's a beautiful, beautiful child," said Phan, an air ambulance team sergeant for the 57th Medical Company's detachment.

The 19-year Army veteran said that he'd first seen H'Tora a month ago when he went to buy a case of soda from the Iraqi vendors outside the camp's main gate.

She was selling small, inexpensive trinkets to the soldiers.

"It was very unusual to see a little girl actually trying to sell stuff like that," he said. Women or girls usually don't work the markets outside the gate.

Phan first noticed H'Tora had a skin problem.

"Being a medic, it's a natural thing to want to take a closer look," he said. "I called her over and then noticed she had one eye closed. I took a look at it and saw that the whole eye was missing."

Three days later, Phan returned to the gate with a treatment for the skin problem and questions about how the girl lost her eye.

A vendor, speaking in broken English, told Phan that she lost it as the result of a gunshot.

H'Tora's father, he added, was killed by the Saddam Hussein government and her mother is raising their three children alone.

When the Americans arrived at Warhorse, about 60 miles north of Baghdad, members of the family turned to selling whatever they could get their hands on to the soldiers outside the gate.

The family still sometimes has a hard time raising $25 for the monthly rent and moves frequently as a result.

H'Tora's story touched Phan deeply, as it has similarities to his own life.

In 1975, when he was 10, his mother fled Vietnam by boat with her three children. His father, a South Vietnamese soldier, had been killed in battle three years earlier.

They ended up settling on the American territory of Guam. Phan graduated high school there and joined the U.S. Army.

Now, nearing the end of his career, Phan is assigned as the senior enlisted member of a three-helicopter, 16-soldier forward medical evacuation team.

They are, he says, the best soldiers he's ever worked with. In six months, the unit has flown more than 150 wounded soldiers from the battlefield to hospitals.

Phan had originally been concerned that H'Tora's eye had been lost to disease. Once he knew it was from a trauma injury, he could more easily pursue getting her the glass eye.

Phan asked an Iraqi doctor who works nights at the camp hospital to find out how to purchase a glass eye for the girl.

Two weeks ago, the doctor got him the information, and last week H'Tora's mother took her to Baghdad for surgery.

They returned to Warhorse last Friday to show Phan the results.

"It looks pretty good, pretty natural," he said. "You know, it was like seeing some of our patients after we drop them off at the hospital and a couple of days later they're doing a lot better."

H'Tora not only has a new eye, she's got a new sense of self-confidence.

"The girl's mother said she's very happy," he said. "More happy and outgoing. They thanked me and were telling me "thanks to the American forces."

The mother told Phan that she would pray for the American forces' safe return to their families back in the United States.

"She commented on the generosity of our people and the soldiers in general," he said.

Phan said he felt it was the least he could do.

"I spend more money buying stupid stuff," he said. "It doesn't make a big impact on me, but it makes a huge difference to her."

Phan, who doesn't have children of his own, said he wants to continue to help H'Tora. He's working with the camp forward support battalion's adopted school in nearby Baqubah to get her enrolled in classes for the first time.

"The biggest thing is to try and set something up to help her long term," he said. "Right now, they're not doing too bad. In a few weeks or a few months, I'll be gone. The only way she can break out of this is to get an education and try to get a good job later."

Other members of his unit aren't surprised that Phan has been looking after H'Tora.

"He's got a soft spot for kids," said 1st Lt. Angela Wagner, Alpha Team leader, about Phan. "I know he's done a lot for this little girl."

Other soldiers' children in the unit call him "Uncle Tony," his Anglicized name, and ask about him when they speak with their parents.

The unit is expected to rotate to Tikrit, where its parent 56th Medical Battalion is based, so Phan is working hard to get everything in place now.

Until then, Phan will continue to help the family.

"I've been having them come back every week and will buy her stuff," he said. "I've given her money to get clothes and food. She's always hungry.

"Over here in this country, life can be pretty hard on them."

(http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=18669)

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November 14, 2003

Guidestar: Charitable Contributions on Upswing

A survey of individuals associated with charitable organizations shows that contributions are beginning to increase this year, compared with the first half of 2002, according to the nonprofit resource firm GuideStar.

The survey was conducted in July and reflects the first six months of 2003. Thirty-nine percent of the 795 individuals who responded to the poll said contributions had increased, compared with 28 percent for the same time period in 2002.

In addition, 35 percent of participants said contributions decreased during the first half of 2003, compared to 48 percent who reported decreased contributions in 2002.

"This is good news for nonprofits," said GuideStar's president and CEO, Robert G. Ottenhoff. "In contrast to last fall's results, participants who said contributions had increased outnumbered those who reported decreases. Because most charities receive the bulk of donations in November and December, this is a particularly encouraging trend."

The survey also found that 63 percent of respondents said they remain financially challenged because demand for their services has increased.

GuideStar plans to conduct a follow-up survey in October to determine whether the positive trend continued during the third quarter of 2003.

(www.guidestar.org)

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 18, 2003
Contact:  Paul Cardus (202) 224-6361

SENATORS URGE PRESIDENT TO RENEW ADVISORY COMMISSION ON ASIAN AMERICANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS
 
  Washington, D.C. - A bipartisan group of United States Senators are urging President George W. Bush to renew his executive order (Executive Order 13126) continuing the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (the Commission).  U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) initiated the Senate letter which was signed by Senators Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Richard  Durbin (D-IL), Jon Corzine (D-NJ), George Allen (R-VA), and Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA).
 
  The Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders was established by President Bill Clinton in 1999 and renewed by President Bush with the purpose of improving the quality of life of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who are often underserved by Federal programs and services. The executive order outlines steps to be taken to ensure that Federal programs are responsive to the distinct needs of diverse Asian and Pacific Islander communities, including the collection and dissemination of data on public health and other social services.  The Commission advises the President on Federal efforts to improve the quality of life for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and studies ways to increase public and private involvement in improving the health and well-being of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and increase their participation in Federal programs.  President Bush's executive order expired on June 7, 2003.
 
  The advisory commission, as part of the overall White House AAPI initiative, has enabled the collection and analysis of data and the formulation of Federal policies with an understanding and precision that had been lacking before 1999," Akaka noted.  This information ensures that the Federal government is fully responsive to the health and well-being of all Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and underscores the need for the immediate renewal of the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders."
 
The text of the Senate letter is attached:
Honorable George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, DC  20500

Dear Mr. President:
 
  We are writing to you regarding a matter of great importance. As you are aware, on June 7, 2003, your Executive Order 13126 (amending Executive Order 13125) expired.  E.O. 13126 renewed the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (the Commission). We are very concerned that you have not renewed this Executive Order and urge you to ensure that the needs of Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are recognized at all levels of our federal government.
 
  The Commission was originally established by President Bill Clinton in 1999 in order to advise the President, through the Secretary of Health and Human Services, on the three mandates of the Executive Order:  to develop, monitor, and coordinate federal efforts to improve AAPI participation in government programs; to foster research and data collection for AAPI populations and sub-populations; and to increase public and private sector and community involvement in improving the health and well-being of AAPIs.
 
  By allowing the Executive Order to lapse, the Administration has left the impression that these matters are not among your priorities. We understand that the Secretary of Health and Human Services is in the process of appointing a new Executive Director for the Commission. While the critical position of Executive Director must be filled, the lack of an Executive Director for the Commission cannot be an impediment to the Commission's existence and its substantive work, and should not be used as reason for delaying the renewal of the Executive Order.

  On September 24, 2003, the Chair and Vice Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus wrote to Secretary Tommy Thompson seeking a response to several matters including:  progress in hiring a new Executive Director for the Commission, the status (such as any plans for publication) of the substantive work conducted by the recently expired (immediate past) Commission, and funding plans for the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
 
  Additionally, we have received information that there is a proposal to house the Commission at the Department of Commerce (Commerce), rather than at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  While we have not been included in any such discussions, we believe placing the Commission with Commerce would not be appropriate. The Commission was specifically placed within HHS to track AAPIs and their participation in government-wide programs in areas such as health, human services, education, housing, labor, transportation, and economic and community development.  Commerce's jurisdictional focus on the business needs of the community, although important, would fall short of meeting the other fundamental needs of the AAPI community.
 
  Issues affecting AAPI communities must be made a priority in your Administration.  We are concerned that the lack of clear and adequate information from HHS on this matter may stem from the fact that Executive Order 13126 has lapsed.  We urge you to renew the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders immediately, hire an Executive Director for the Commission, and ensure that the substantive work of the Commission is carried out.
 
  We thank you for your serious consideration and look forward to your prompt action and response in this matter.
###

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November 19, 2003

Find Brings Closure for Dean

Remains found in Laos are thought to be those of the presidential candidate's brother, missing since 1974.

By Matea Gold, Times Staff Writer

HOUSTON — Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean confirmed Tuesday that a joint U.S.-Laotian task force has likely discovered the remains of his younger brother Charles, who was kidnapped and slain while traveling through Laos 29 years ago.

Dean, who journeyed to Southeast Asia last year to visit the site where it was believed his brother was killed, received the news several days ago. He and his two other brothers told their mother Monday night.

The discovery resurrects a painful chapter in the life of the former Vermont governor, who was 25 when his brother and an Australian friend, Neil Sharman, were captured during a trip through Laos in September 1974. After months of uncertainty, the Dean family learned from Asian contacts in mid-1975 that Charles Dean was probably dead, but they knew little about the circumstances until recently.

On Tuesday, Dean was uncharacteristically introspective about how the loss of his brother affected him.

"I never really had time to grieve; it's very hard to grieve when you don't have a body," a somber Dean told reporters traveling with him on a plane from Bedford, N.H., to Houston.

But the loss of a brother made him "much more careful to tell people that I loved them when I did," he said. "It made me more demonstrative about my emotions."

Dean also said that his brother's death was so traumatic that he had anxiety attacks in the early 1980s, which motivated him to seek therapy for about a year.

"When you go through something like this, you have a tremendous sense of survivor's guilt and anger — anger at the person who disappeared and then guilt over the anger," he said.

Dean still wears a belt that belonged to Charles, and said his brother's disappearance still haunted him.

"You always think about it," he said. "That never goes away."

Dean said that the items found at the site in Laos, a rice paddy a few miles from Vietnam, gave him confidence that his brother's grave had been located.

"This experience is very hard for us, but it's a good experience in the end … because it does bring closure," he said.

Pentagon officials said that they could not confirm that the remains were those of Dean's brother until they could complete a forensic analysis of the bones and other items found at the site in Bolikhamxai Province in central Laos. The identification process could take months or years, depending on the condition of the remains, said Pentagon spokesman Larry Greer.

Along with substantial skeletal remains, investigators with the Pentagon's Joint Task Force-Full Accounting — which seeks to recover the bodies of Americans taken as prisoners of war and missing in action in Vietnam and other wars — found a pair of shoes that resembled those worn by Charles Dean and a POW/MIA bracelet he wore to commemorate a soldier lost in Vietnam, Dean said.

"I believe it's 99.9% [certain], given the effects they found at the site," Dean said.

Just 16 months apart, Dean and his brother shared a bunk bed growing up in New York and then attended boarding school together in Rhode Island. They went to different colleges — Howard to Yale, Charles to the University of North Carolina. During those years, they both moved to the political left, much to the disapproval of their staunchly Republican family.

Idealistic and gregarious, Charles Dean served as president of the student body at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and then went on to work as the county chair for Democrat George S. McGovern's 1972 presidential bid.

McGovern's sound defeat by President Nixon disillusioned and angered Charles Dean, who decided to head off on a backpacking trip to Asia.

His disappearance profoundly affected his older brother and reshaped his outlook on life, according to Irene Wielawski, one of nine journalists who contributed to a recently published book about Dean.

Howard Dean became more serious and pragmatic, according to Wielawski, who spoke with many of his friends who knew him at the time.

"It really halted his Yale-influenced liberal drift," she said. "He snapped back to a much more of a centrist political view."

At the time he was seized by Communist Laotian forces, Charles Dean was 24 years old and had been backpacking through Australia and Asia for about a year. During a trip down the Mekong River, he and Sharman were taken off a ferry and held by Communist forces in a dispute over a camera he was carrying, according to Howard Dean.

He was held in a local police camp for at least three months, and managed to have a photo of himself smuggled out. The photo eventually reached the U.S. Embassy in the Laotian capitol.

Howard Dean, who was living at home at the time, working as a stockbroker and taking night classes to prepare for medical school, got the phone call that his brother was captured. At the time, the family had not heard from Charles Dean in months and had been frantically trying to track him down.

"It was very worrisome, but at least we knew he was alive," Dean said.

Through his father's contacts with a group called the Asia Foundation, Dean said, the family received a letter in May 1975 that indicated Charles Dean was likely dead. The family held a private memorial service for him in Sag Harbor, N.Y., at a family cemetery.

They eventually learned that on Dec. 14, 1974, Dean and Sharman were handcuffed and transported from the camp in a truck. That was the last time they were reportedly seen alive.

Although he was a civilian, Charles Dean was classified as a POW/MIA. Howard Dean said that led to speculation that Charles was working for the CIA as a spy — a report he said he discounted because of his brother's strong antiwar views.

Howard Dean said he never asked the U.S. government why they classified his brother in a category typically reserved for missing soldiers.

Because of his status, the family received numerous intelligence briefings over the years as witnesses came forward. Reports indicated that when the two men were taken from the prison camp, they were driven north toward the Communist headquarters, a journey along a treacherous mountain path that goes through North Vietnam.

A few years ago, a witness told investigators that he saw the bodies of two young men tossed inside a bomb crater along that road near a bullet-riddled shack used by a North Vietnamese construction battalion.

During a trip to Laos in 2002, Dean visited the site, which had been graded over and turned into a rice paddy. He spoke to the witness, who said the North Vietnamese killed the two young men. Dean said he believed that report, but added, "we will never know that."

The former governor said he and his family would travel to Hawaii on Nov. 26 for a repatriation ceremony.

*

Times staff writer Esther Schrader contributed to this report.

(http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-bones19nov19,1,5020125.story

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Legislation

H.CON.RES.83
Title: Honoring the victims of the Cambodian genocide that took place from April 1975 to January 1979.

11/19/03 - Passed

SUMMARY AS OF:
3/6/2003--Introduced.

Declares that Congress: (1) honors the victims of the genocide in Cambodia that took place beginning in April 1975 and ending in January 1979; and (2) is committed to pursuing justice for the victims of the Cambodian genocide.

11/19/03 Update: Passed House of Representative 410-1 (Roll Call 640)

(http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=640)

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H.RES.427
Title: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the courageous leadership of the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam and the urgent need for religious freedom and related human rights in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

11/19/03 Update: Passed House of Representatives 409-13 (Roll Call 639).

(http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=639)

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