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An OPEN Letter from Hollywood Actor Faran Tahir PDF Print E-mail
Written by Administrator   
Wednesday, 01 September 2010 19:55

Star of Iron Man, Star Trek, Charlie Wilson’s War

Faran Tahir"The eyes see. The ears hear. Yet somehow, the mind struggles to grasp the full dimension of this catastrophe. Almost 20 million people need shelter, food & emergency care.  At least 160,000 square kilometers of land is under water - an area larger than more than half the countries of the world.”

 

As the Pakistan Floods, the world's worst natural disaster, unfolds and horrific images emerge, we cannot help feeling overwhelmed and also feeling a great sense of responsibility. 1,639 people are confirmed dead, 20 million people are displaced and at risk for disease and even death. Out of which 4 million children are at high-risk for water borne diseases. These staggering numbers just keep growing as this catastrophe keeps unraveling. To put this in context, Greater Los Angeles has 14 million people alone. If we knew of an impending disaster heading to our cities, wouldn't we help? I am collaborating with OPEN Chicago, a network of socially conscious executives in the Chicagoland area who are just as committed to this cause as I am. Together we are hoping to make a difference in the lives of these people. We will be reaching out to you in the next few weeks not just for your generosity in donations but your kindness and efforts in creating awareness about disaster relief. As responsible global citizens, as Americans, as human beings we request you to open your hearts and purses. We see this as an opportunity to change the direction of a suffering nation, to show that we care and we stand with them in their desperate hour of need. So when they look back and this is a distant memory, they remember the helping hands. They will forget the politics of the times, but they will not forget their friends who showed them kindness, compassion and generosity.

I am working with Mercy Corps and Relief4Pakistan. These agencies get supplies, medicine, food and water to the local NGOs that are intimately familiar with the lay of the land. The need for immediate response and grass root efforts is tremendous. We appeal to you to donate any amount, to any organization of your choice and it will make a difference. We also encourage you to join and replicate local efforts to pack emergency relief and medical kits. This is only immediate term, Pakistanis will need our help medium-term and long-term.

I opened with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s address and in closing I leave you with his words:
           "...we hear talk of so-called “fatigue”.  There are suggestions that governments hesitate to contribute more to this part of the world. But let us remember: if anyone should be fatigued, it is the ordinary people I met in Pakistan — women, children and small farmers, tired of troubles, conflict and hardship. Instead of fatigue, I saw determination, resilience, the hope and expectation that they will not be alone under the darkest of skies.

 

This is the time for US to act NOW!

 Text "Floods" to donate to UNICEF (864233)           Text "SWAT" to 50555 to donate $10 to UN
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 01 September 2010 21:30 )
 
2010 Annual Event Writeup PDF Print E-mail

OPEN Chicago takes a leap towards realizing the vision of entrepreneurship at its Annual Event

 

OPEN held its second annual event on Saturday, July 17th 2010 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont, Illinois. Over 110 members and guests attended this event which focused on the theme The Entrepreneur Within – From Vision to Reality.

 

The event kicked off with informal networking and opening remarks by Zia Bhatti, OPEN Chicago President and Rafiq Mohammadi, OPEN Chicago Charter Member.

 

The keynote speaker, Jim Moody, former U.S. Congressman and Director of Peace Corps (Pakistan) was the highlight of the event.  His analysis on the current state of Pakistan, his own experience in establishing the Peace Corps, and the challenges Pakistan currently faces kept the audience captivated. Mr. Moody has extensive experience in policy and human development of socially conscious organizations. His thoughts on the possible course of action to remedy the economic, political and foreign policy of Pakistan made for an interactive and engaged Q/A session.

 

Following a coffee break and opportunity to network with fellow attendees, the first social entrepreneurship panel discussion with focus on "The Power of Unreasonable People: Change makers Create Social Capital" commenced with Ruma Samdani as the moderator. The panel ranged from social venture fund manager to founders of nonprofit social enterprises. Panel answered questions about their own experiences in starting an entrepreneurship, identifying a social need and the defining path to put a vision in to an action plan. The panel session wrapped up with an open floor for questions.

 

The attendees got more networking opportunity with speakers during a long lunch break. Each table was assigned with a speaker and guests were given the opportunity to sign up to sit with a speaker of their choice. Following lunch, Nabeela Rasheed, OPEN Chicago charter member reconvened the event by introducing Henna Inam, Global Head of e-Innovations at Novartis to the podium.

 

Ms. Inam is involved in various non-profit organizations as a board member. She encouraged the audience to draft a clear vision statement for their lives and shared her personal moment of social awakening. Ms. Inam talked about the quality of authentic leadership and how choosing the right path matters much more than taking the path of least resistance. Following her interactive speech, Ms. Inam took questions from members and guests.

 

The second panel discussion focused on panelists who had success in start-ups and buyouts. The topic of discussion "From Vision to Reality: Paths to Entrepreneurship" was moderated by Asim Khan.  The panelists included entrepreneur in manufacturing, partner in a law firm and owners of successful IT start ups.  Each panelist described in detail what it takes to start a business, make it successful and sustain its growth over time. At the end of the panel discussion, audience was given a chance to ask questions from panel.

 

The final keynote address, "Carrying the Torch," by Mahmood Panjwani was not only entertaining but provided specific detail of what it takes to start a business. Mr. Panjwani, a successful business with over 25 years of experience as an entrepreneur and investor in Silicon Valley shared his own experience of starting companies and knowing the right time to move to the next opportunity. He emphasized the importance of having a Unique Value Proposition (UVP) for every start up to differentiate it from its competitors. Mr. Panjwani took questions from the audience at the end of his address.

 

The closing remarks for the event were delivered by Zia Bhatt, OPEN Chicago President and Javaid Iqbal, OPEN Chicago Vice President.  They thanked the audience and volunteers for attending this annual event and making it successful. As a newest chapter of OPEN brand, the Chicago chapter has seen an increase in member support and volunteer participation. Mr. Iqbal also offered OPEN Chicago membership at a discounted rate to all the guests attending the event.

 

Guests had more opportunity to network with speakers and OPEN executive committee at the wrap up networking session.  The speaker diversity represented the wide reach and respect of OPEN Chicago as an emerging professional organization and a means of providing access to successful entrepreneurs to its members.

 

"I certainly did enjoy the entire [OPEN-Chicago] experience and was very impressed with the quality of all the speakers and the very valuable and practical information they shared with us" - Event Guest

 

By Rushna Jafarraza
Rushna is a Manager at Accenture in Revenue Transformation with focus on health care industry.

 
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OPEN Chicago is proud to present its 2010 Annual Event:

The Entrepreneur Within - From Vision to Reality

Date: Saturday, July 17th, 2010
Time
: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Location: Hyatt Regency O'Hare
Address: 9300 Bryn Mawr Ave, Rosemont, IL 60018

 

The event theme is on navigating entrepreneurship; the path from vision to reality. Keynote speeches and panel discussions will focus on social entrepreneurship, start-ups, business acquisitions and financings.

Our speaker line-up includes:

Event Patrons - Amana Trust Mutual Funds, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP
Event partners - MIT Enterprise Forum of Chicago, Crescent Foods

Free Parking: Park in general parking at back of the hotel. Take a parking ticket which will be validated at the registration table.

Please purchase your tickets by proceeding to Google Checkout below. We look forward to your attendance. If you have any questions about your membership status, please email us.

 

 
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