AAP Ke Mitra NJ meet : minutes of meeting, Feb-10-2013

AAP Ke Mitra, New Jersey : Minutes of meeting held at Edison. Feb-10-2013

Attendees: (as in attached photo) Deepak Gupta, Ajit Singh, Jayesh Shrivastava, Ganapathy Gangadharan, Himanshu Sharma, Harish Gupta

This was a session to exchange ideas about how we can work better in New Jersey.
Main points:

1. Ganapathy Gangadharan:

• considering what we can do best from here, we should focus on funding to AAP-India (or AAP local chapters in India) 
• creating awareness.

2. Deepak Gupta:

• We need to connect more people and bring educated people out of their comfort zone.
• change should also reflect in all of us AAP members and we should lead by example.
• We need to keep working and not be moved by ups and downs on the path.

3. Jayesh Shrivastava:

• connect more people via student associations in Universities here, regional/religious communities, presence in local media in US (print, radio, tv, etc.). 
• Great if we can start using a dress code (white topi, khadi kurta, jeans) through which we can show a united image.

4. Harish Gupta:

• Funding can be a great help we can do from far away places (being outside India).
• We need to put in our best efforts in Delhi election and the better outcome we get, the better we can communicate in other Indian states. 
• We should periodically call to our friends, relatives (in US or India) and listen their questions/queries and make them think about bringing change in society, "the AAP way" ( "आप" के तरीके से ).
• Harish believes that people in general want to live in a clean system if given a chance. 
• He suggested that NJ AAP meetings should be held at our homes and our friends and neighbors can be invited to spread awareness.

5. Himanshu Sharma

• Since NRIs are far away from India, we can't go at ground level to attend AAP meeting/rallies in India. The next best thing we can do is to fund AAP (Delhi or local AAP chapters in India). A good start is collecting $1 a day for every member of your family and donating it to APP (Delhi or local AAP chapters in India). To encourage others and give a good head-start, each NRI member should start by donating $1000. Our scriptures also suggest 40th part of our resources for social cause. So if we work 2000 hours a year, 50 hours (i.e. 1 hour every week) should be devoted for any social cause. Similarly, if we earn $40000 a year, $1000 should go to a social cause.
• Based on our experiences of living in democracies around the world, we can write small articles and send it to media (print, TV, radio) (in US or national/regional media in India). For example http://aapkemitranj.blogspot.com/2012/11/why-we-need-laws.html . If we persistently try, we can gradually make a presence and be heard.
• Based on my experience of wearing Gandhi topi on weekends (sometimes also to work), it creates great awareness. People in my office and in stores recognize it and come forward and show their support for the cause. My experience http://kyari.blogspot.com/2011/08/wear-anna-topi-to-work.html .
• We should connect to local AAP chapters in our hometown in India, exchange ideas, learn from them and tell what we learn from outside India.

6. Ajit Singh

• Funding can be a great help NRIs can do to AAP. Since we can afford funding, it can have bigger impact than having a meeting 200 people in US.
• We need to create awareness that Indian Governance needs to be changed within. As  AAP succeeds in improving governance and public services in Delhi, it will send a positive message all over India.
• Need to make periodic calls to friends, relatives and know more about what people think about Indian politics and how AAP can change it for better.

Few takeaways: (thanks Jayesh bhai) ------------------------

1. Meeting regularly in person.
2. Increasing the group size (That includes awareness in NJ so that we can have more people in our group).
3. Make sure that we are providing funding.
4. Creating awareness in India or in your friend circle (Calling to all family/friends and discuss AAM Admi party agenda).

We need to do more research on awareness side (US or in India).  Since we are in US we have more control here but India calling should not depend on US initiatives.

• NJ Awareness:
• Using a dress code (white topi, khadi kurta, jeans etc).
• Writing a article in local desi newspaper.
• I like the idea of doing community service in NJ to show our presence.
• I also like the idea of NJ AAP meetings should be held at our homes and our friends and neighbors can be invited to spread awareness.
• I was wondering if we can help ISA (Indian Student Association) in airport pick up for new students or help them in settling in US.  Not sure how much fruitful is this.
• Finally : Presence in NJ => Credibility => More Volunteers => More Funding to AAP => More Local Awareness in India.

          ----------------------------

We all think that AAP is doing a great work and leading Indian governance to a better place by bringing transparency and bringing power into common citizen's hands.

It was great experience for all of us to know each other and feel happy that we are supporting a great team of AAP India.

Namaste,

Himanshu
volunteer, Aap Ke Mitra, NJ.
http://www.facebook.com/Aapkemitranj
http://aapkemitranj.blogspot.com
AapKeMitraNJ [at] gmail [dot] com