Volunteers and Friends of Indians for Collective Action (ICA) are pleased to invite you to the Tenth Annual ICA Recognition Dinner Honoring Dr. Sandeep Pandey

Date: Sunday, October 2, 2005
Time: 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Location: Westin Hotel in Santa Clara, 5101 Great America Parkway, Santa Clara, California (see directions below)
Admittance: $50 per person (partially tax-deductible, pay at the door or send check payable to ICA to: ICA, 801 West El Camino Real Box # 355, Mountain View, CA 94040-2511)

Please RSVP by September 22, 2005 to any of the following:

Judith and Abhay Bhushan, akbhushan@aol.com, 650-424-8110
Raj Mashruwala, mashru@iitbombay.org 650-325-0691
Geetha and Raju Rajagopal, rajagop@pacbell.net, 510-559-1049
Suresh Gadad, sureshgadad@yahoo.com, 925--736-3459
Bhupen Mehta, bhupenmehta@yahoo.com, 408-446-3982
Nishita Bakshi, nishbakshi@gmail.com, 650-766-6743

About our Honoree, Dr. Sandeep Pandey:

A decade ago Sandeep Pandey quit his job at the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur, and plunged into working for Asha -- an education program for underprivileged children. His years of dedication brought him the Ramon Magsaysay Award-- the Asian equivalent of the Nobel Prize. At 37, he was the youngest Indian to have been conferred with the award. The award committee's citation, drawing parallels between Pandey and Gandhi himself, ends with these words - "the board of trustees recognizes the empowering example of his commitment to the transformation of India's marginalized poor." It was in the summer of 1991 that Pandey, along with two other friends, founded Asha for Education during his student days at the University of California, Berkeley. Today, the organization has 35 chapters in India, USA and several other countries. Sandeep Pandey devotes his energies entirely to his activist causes, including communal harmony. At the Asha ashram near Lucknow, he has created a learning environment where students live and study among working communities of artisans and learn trades in addition to their R's. The ashram works to overcome caste barriers that dalits face, publicizes official corruption in the local areas, and develops appropriate technologies for the rural region. ICA helped Sandeep start Asha, and has helped sup! port many of his numerous endeavors in India, including his recent India Pakistan Peace March. ICA will be honoring Sandeep at our Annual Recognition Dinner, on 2nd October 2005, Gandhi's Birthday.

Directions to Westin Santa Clara

From 101, take Exit on Great America Parkway going East, Westin is the first right after crossing Tasman (next to the Santa Clara Convention Center).

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Past Honorees Recognized by ICA:

Dr. Mallika Sarabhai, 2004,
Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan, 2002
Dr. S. N. Subba Rao and Mrs Sushma Iyengar, 2001
Dr. Sudarshan & Maitri - 2000
Dr. Parmeshwara Rao and Ms. Manuela Albuquerque-1999
Mrs. Shyamala Hiremath & Dr. P.Kumar Mehta -1998
Mr. Chandi Prasad Bhatt, Dr. Ravi Chopra & Dr. Jyoti Lulla - 1997
Ms. Poonam Goel & Mr. Prabhu Goel-1996
Ms. Jayashree Patil & Mr. Suhas Patil -1995

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About ICA

For over 40 years/4 decades Indians for Collective Action (ICA) has been a catalyst for social change in India. Working largely through people of Indian origin who now reside in the US, ICA has addressed social, educational environmental issues and has supported innovative community development projects in over 16 states of India. ICA has mentored and spawned such organizations as Asha for Education, and Foundation for Excellence (FFE).

ica@icaonline.org, www.icaonline.org

ICA is a federally tax-exempt organization described in IRS Code Section 501(c). All contributions to ICA are tax-deductible to the full extent permitted by law. The ICA Federal Tax Identification number is 23-7027461.