ACHA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CONTACT US

By Mail: 4410 Verda Lane, NE, Keizer, OR, 97303, USA

A DIRECTOR serves as long as (s)he is willing and able to effectively perform functions of his/her position and enjoys the confidence of other Directors.

Qualifications for New Directors

The Director is committed to the objectives of ACHA, and subscribes to its Mission Statement and its Declaration of Commitment.
The Director has time and willingness to participate in discussions of ACHA matters, promote ACHA, and discharge whatever responsibilities are assigned to him/her by the Board.

CURRENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS (2010)

DIRECTOR: Omar Ali, MD, Wisconsin, USA

Dr. Ali is a Pakistani-American physician, currently Assistant professor of Pediatric Endocrinology at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

He hails from a village near Gujarat city in Pakistani Punjab and graduated from King Edward Medical College in Lahore. He moved to the US in 1986 and later spent 6 years in Saudi Arabia working as a pediatrician.

In addition to his professional interests, he is an avid reader and used to write book reviews for the Pakistani magazine "Herald". He has written 28 reviews, almost all of them about history or science.

He is very interested in peace between the sub continental neighbors and is eager to do what he can in this cause.

Currently, he serves as the Moderator of Asiapeace, one of ACHA’s three Electronic Discussion Forums.

DIRECTOR: Arshed Bhatti , Pakistan (SECRETARY)

Born in a Pakistani Punjab village to a peasant family who had migrated in 1947, from Faridkot in district Ferozpur in Indian Punjab, Arshed Bhatti received his Masters in International Relation at Quaid-i-Azam University and worked for M.Phil in political economy.

After employment as a journalist and in the civil service for some time, he got an opportunity, in 1997, to study for a post graduate diploma from Tokyo (IDEAS), in development studies. In 1998, he joined London School of Economic (M.Sc. Development Management). Starting in 2000, he worked with Action Aid Pakistan, British Council Pakistan, and pursued studies for his PhD (civil society in Pakistan); but he gave it up after clearing his comprehensive.

In 2002, he set up his Civil Junction - a cafe with food for thought. The café advocates Pak-Bharat dosti.

During the lawyers' movement in 2007, while actively participating and developing slogans for protests, he started writing songs. His first album (In the lane of Fire) comprising Urdu and Punjabi numbers is under production. From July 09, he has started releasing a song every month. His first song (Gul Karo) is dedicated to the Indo-Pak friendship agenda.

He periodically writes articles for The News, Dawn, the Friday Times and Tehelka India. Also he is a published poet; established public policy consultant; and lives in Islamabad with his wife, a son, two daughters and mother.

Civil Junction and Arshed Bhatti stand resolved for a peaceful, harmonious and progressive South Asia. .

DIRECTOR: Dr. Lenin Raghuvansi,Varanasi, U.P., India (PRESIDENT)

Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi, an Ayurvedic physician by training, for several years has been working for the rights of bonded and child labourers and other marginalized people in Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, India. In 1996, he and his wife, Shruti, founded People's Vigilance Committee on Human Right (PVCHR), a community-based organization, to address the injustice of the Indian caste system. He has become the symbol of nonviolent resistance among millions of Dalits fighting for their dignity in India. Already an Ashoka Fellow, his work has been recognized with Gwangju Human Rights Award for 2007 by the May 18 Foundation of South Korea and ACHA Peace Star Award by the U.S.-based Association for Communal Harmony in Asia.

DIRECTOR: Haroon Habib, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Haroon Habib is a Bangladesh Liberation War veteran and a senior journalist, writer and human rights activist. He was the Chief Editor of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha(BSS), the national news agency, and working as the Bangladesh Correspondent of the prestigious Indian daily The Hindu and Frontline magazine for well over two decades. Haroon Habib also runs a voluntary media --South Asian News-Feature Service (SAN-Feature Service)--, which exclusively deals with the issues of peace, human rights, democracy and development in South Asia .

DIRECTOR: Dr. Tigiripalli Krishna Kanth, Andhra Pradesh, India

Krishna Kanth Based on hs work on US-Soviet Relations during the Cold War, Prof. Tigiripalli Krishna Kanth received his Ph.D. from the Kakatiya University. He has taught International Relations for the last 20 years, and has authored several books and articles on topics relating to political science and international relations. In 1987-89, he visited Mexico and USA under Indo-Mexican cultural exchange program. Recently he attended the World Congress of the International Political Science Association (IPSA) at Santiago, Chile and the Global Seminar on “Asia’s Emerging Powers: Rivalry and Global Responsibility” at Salzburg, Austria.”
Since 1995 he has been running Dalit and Rural Poor Development Organization, an NGO working for uplifting the poor and promoting communal harmony in Andhra Pradesh, India.
Dr. Krishna Kanth’s wife Lalitha is a Lecturer, who is working on ‘Feminist Politics in India.’ They have 2 daughters, Bhargavi and Ragamaye.

DIRECTOR: Ingrid Shafer , Ph.D. , Oklahoma , USA

A native of Austria, Dr. Ingrid Shafer is Emerita Professor of Philosophy, Religion, and Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, where she taught from 1968 to 2009. She still teaches an online graduate course in Global Ethics and World Rel;igions for the University of Oklahoma and is the recipient of Oklahoma 's 2002 Medal of Excellence for College/University Teaching. Shafer has published five books, and more than 50 articles, book chapters, and poems. In addition to the United States , she has lectured in Europe , Africa , and Asia . She is a member of the Jewish-Christian-Muslim International Scholars Annual Trialogue. She designs, maintains, and publishes websites for several non-profit organizations dedicated to global peace, justice, human rights, science and religion, and interreligious dialogue. She was recognized for her work with an ACHA Star Award in 2001.
For all of her adult life, professionally as well as personally, Dr. Shafer has committed herself to helping build bridges to link diverse groups -- cultures, religions, ideologies, academic disciplines. and so forth. As she wrote to introduce her Ecumene domain where Asiaa Peace is hosted: "

The Internet is giving us the opportunity both to focus on what human beings have in common and to discover, come to respect, and celebrate our many faces and varied ways. . . .From the perspective of cyberspace the world of communication and human relationships is as much one as the physical earth is when viewed from outer space. But unity does not mean uniformity and genuine globalization does not mean loss of what is best in a culture's tradition; it means enrichment, healing, cross-fertilization, and growth. It means that all human beings can finally begin to see themselves as members of one big, sprawling, diverse, noisy, argumentative, but ultimatly caring and mutually supportive family.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Pritam K. Rohila, Ph.D, Oregon , USA .

Dr. Rohila, grew up in Haryana and Punjab in India , and has lived in the United States , since 1967. He is a founding member of ACHA, and was ACHA President from 1993 until 2002. Also, he served as the President of India Cultural Association in 1995. A retired psychologist, he lives in Keizer , OR .

ACHA PEACE FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES

TRUSTEE: Michael Swaim, JD, Oregon, USA

Michael Swaim is known for his years of work in the community and his three terms as Mayor of Salem. An attorney in private practice, he has a Master’s degree in International Relations and Public Administration and a Juris Doctor degree in Law, both from the University of California, Los Angeles.

TRUSTEE: Norman D. Sundberg, Ph.D., Oregon, USA

Before he retired, Dr. Sundberg had taught Psychology for many years at the University of Oregon. He and his wife are avid travelers and have visited many countries of the world, including India and Pakistan. They live at Eugene, OR.

TRUSTEE: Shamsher Beri, MBA, Washington, USA

Shamsher (Sham) Beri, an electrical engineer with an MBA, has served at Portland General Electric’s Trojan Nuclear Plant. Currently, he is a consultant in Quality Management Systems (QMS), and assists companies around the globe in establishment of QMS based on international standards and practices.

He moved to Portland/Vancouver area in 1992 from Iowa. With his wife, Meena Beri, M.D. (Ophthalmology), and three children, Nirali (8th grade) and Nitin (eight years old), he lives at Camas, WA. Nitasha, their oldest child, is a senior at U. of Washington, Seattle, WA.

EXECUTIVE TRUSTEE: Dr. Pritam K. Rohila, Oregon, USA

Dr. Rohila, grew up in Haryana and Punjab in India, and has lived in the United States, since 1967. He is a founding member of ACHA, and was ACHA President from 1993 until 2002. Also, he served as the President of India Cultural Association in 1995. A retired psychologist, he lives in Keizer, OR.

PAST DIRECTORS

Dr. Herbert Hoefer (1993-2010
Syed Akif (2007-2009)
Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy (2008)
Afifa Ahmed-Shafi (2005-2006)
Dr. Geeta Pandey (2004-2006)
Dr. David A Campion (2004-2005)
Amin Godil (2003-2004)
Gulzar Ahmed (1999-2002)
Roveeda Ahmed (2002-2003)
Farhat Azhar (1993-1997)
Nergis Behbahany (1993-1995)
Jagdish Grewal (1993-2000)
Susheela Hoefer (1998-1999)
Ishvar Patel   (1998-2000)
Shirish Patel (2002-2003)
Suresh Patel   (1995-1997)
Dr. Abdul Qaum (1993-2002)
Dr. Kanak Raval (1997-2001)
Nirupamma Reddy (1994)
Shantu Shah   (1993-1994)
Heminder Singh (2002)
Dr. Jahanara Tahir (1993-1995)

Last updated May 4, 2010