|
Thomas Abraham
|
|
The Pioneer
|
|
|
FACTFILE
Chairman, GOPIO
Contact Tel: Tel: 203-329-8010
email: GOPIO@optonline.net
|
|
|
Dr Thomas Abraham takes a lot of the credit for the NRI/PIO movement in the last three decades. He coined the word PIO (people of Indian origin) in 1989, when he organised the First Convention of People of Indian Origin in New York
Abraham is the chairman of the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), a worldwide outfit founded in 1989 looking after the interests of non-resident Indians and People of Indian Origin living outside India. His public and Indian community involvement started in 1974 at Columbia University where he was a graduate student. Since then he has been actively involved in community affairs.
Dr Abraham has served as the National Coordinator for the American Committee for the Rehabilitation of Cyclone Victims in India in 1978, Chairman of the Committee to Honour the Prime Minister of India in 1978 and 1983, Vice-President of the Indo-American Council which was responsible for promoting the Festival of India in 1985-’87, and National Coordinator, Asian Indians for Liberty which collected substantial funds for the renovation of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
In early 1980, Dr Abraham was invited by the Select Commission on Immigration to testify on behalf of the Indian community on the various rules governing the new immigration law. This and later efforts with other organisations helped to preserve the family reunification clause of the new immigration laws.
In 1980 Dr Abraham took the initiative to organise the First Convention of Asian Indians in North America in New York City and subsequently formed the National Federation of Indian-American Associations (NFIA). The NFIA is the largest Indian organisation in America, with over 200 Indian organisations as its members.
In recognition of his leadership and service to the Indian American community, Dr Abraham was received several community service awards, including the Asian American Lion Club Award, the Federation of Indian Associations Award, the India Tribune’s Gandhi Community Service Award and the Second International Malayalam Conference Award.
In 1989, Dr Abraham initiated and served as the convener for the First Global Convention of People of Indian Origin.
The convention resulted in the formation of Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO). He was its founder president and served the organisation as it chief executive from 1989 to 2004. Some of the achievements of GOPIO include campaigning on PIO Card, dual nationality and GOPIO being admitted as an NGO at the UN Conference Against Racism and Racial Discrimination. In January 2004, Dr Abraham was elected chairman at the GOPIO Convention in New Delhi.
Born in Pathanamthitta, Kerala, Dr Abraham studied at the Mar Thoma High School and the Malaviya Regional Engineering College in Jaipur. He is married to Susy, a specialist in geriatrics. The Abrahams have two children, Nitya, a medical student at New York University and Jay, an engineering student at Connecticut University.
|
|
|
|
more...
|
|
|
|
January 2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
