The Great Nepali Diaspora Newsletter

Edition VI - November, 2025

November 26, 2025

Vayu - Connecting Nepalis Across the Globe

Dear Members of TGND,

November arrived with a sense of movement, and you can feel it in every corner of this edition. The diaspora voting effort is gaining traction, our expert webinar series is drawing sharper conversations, a new AI podcast has entered the mix, and community events in Dallas and beyond showed how hungry Nepalis are to learn, build, and support one another. Whether it’s students looking for guidance, professionals stepping into leadership, or volunteers pushing policy conversations forward, the thread running through everything is simple: our community shows up. As the year winds down, this momentum feels less like a closing chapter and more like the start of a stronger, louder TGND.

Founder’s Note 🖋️

Hi everyone,

Yes, yes. We hear you!

You have missed TGND and our networking events a lot. I sure have!

  • I have missed seeing strangers turn into acquaintances and then into friends, collaborators, and more. 

  • I have missed seeing awkward silences at the beginning of events turn into happy smiles as they find their tribe.

  • I have missed seeing volunteers shape into incredible leaders who bring the community together. 

  • I have missed seeing Nepali professionals networking while having fun.

  • I have missed seeing our community thrive through mentorship, guidance, and learning. 

But we’re BACK - and you’ll see bigger & better things coming up!

If you want to contribute to our organization as a Chapter Leader (volunteer), do sign up here. 

Best regards,

Preeti

Diaspora Voting Initiative 🗳️

WHAT: Over the last couple of months, TGND has been collaborating with Nepal-based civil tech organization called SpeakUp Nepal, policy think tanks like Nepal Policy Institute, and many other committed individuals and organizations to push for inclusive voting rights, especially for the diaspora. We have researched best practices around the world (including possible tech solutions) and presented to various stakeholders like the Election Commission, the Prime Minister’s advisors, the Education Minister, and the IT & Communications Minister. The objective has been to inform as well as nudge the government officials to update the legal framework and enable Nepali citizens around the world to vote. i-Voting or electronic voting through smartphone or web browser was the most effective (in terms of cost and logistics), as per research by NPI and TGND has been supporting the initiative. 

WHY: By design, the diaspora is not present in Nepal, which means fundamentally it is excluded from any discussion on policy and laws that impact it. While people have been vocal and supportive on behalf of the diaspora, a diaspora entity wasn’t involved before to speak for ourselves. We needed the representation!

Beyond the professional network and demographic of TGND, diaspora voting has a massive impact on the migrant population. Nepal depends heavily on remittances, and yet, migrant workers are treated like third-class citizens. They fall victim to scams and misinformation from employment agencies and have no say in their destiny. The youth of the country are leaving in massive numbers due to a lack of opportunities and, more importantly, a lack of voice. 

The diaspora is integral for Nepal in terms of remittances, investment, knowledge transfer, and much more. We hope that by including this invisible segment, progress can be expedited, and we can build stronger bridges between Nepal and the world. 

Watch this video to get updated on this initiative!

Diaspora Expert Webinar Series 👩🏻‍💻

The second session of TGND Expert Dialogue Series on Nepal’s current crisis, titled “ Understanding Inclusive Voting Rights in Nepal’s Evolving Political Landscape for Citizens in Nepal and the Diaspora“, was hosted on November 9. 

This webinar series was hosted by Mira Khadka and Aditi Upadhyaya and moderated by Pratisha Thapa. 

Speakers:

Takeaways:

  • Diverse perspectives and strengths from civic tech organizations, diaspora and policy think tanks have helped create momentum. 

  • Evidence-based recommendations can play an instrumental role in facilitating dialogue and alignment between various stakeholders. 

  • There seems to be imposter syndrome among the youth and women, which has prevented them from being involved in political and policy-related conversations.

  • Inclusive voter rights are important to have a true democracy in Nepal. 

  • Patience and resilience are necessary to push through generational change, like voting rights. It doesn’t happen overnight. 

The next session is scheduled for December 16, and the topic will be Accountability and Leadership Gap. Over the last few months, we have seen the public call for greater accountability, governance and transparency. A tragic gap in leadership has also been highlighted due to a lack of public trust and political volatility. Stay tuned for details on speakers and registration!

Podcast🎙️

Apart from TGND’s flagship podcast [TGND Beats, Diaspora ka Kurakani], we recently powered a podcast titled “Humanizing AI”. 

In the first episode, guest Eric Siegel and host Cesar Koirala explored Generative AI.
They did a deep dive on:
-Why the AI hype cycle is actually damaging progress in the field
-How ML has been quietly delivering value for decades (long before ChatGPT)
-Whether current AI architectures are even on the right path to understand human cognition
-The difference between predictive vs. generative ML (and when each actually matters)

Spoiler: The answer is probably "C" - but the nuance is what makes it interesting.

Events 🗓️

Past Event:
Entrepreneurship Workshop in Dallas, Texas - Nov 8, 2025
On Nov 8, 2025, TGND supported an event hosted by Nepali Young Professionals (NYP) Network in Dallas, Texas. Details are as follows:

👉 Workshop conductor: Satish Gaire
👉 Moderator: Abhilash Bajracharya
👉 Guest speaker: Dr Vishnu Maya
👉 Guest speaker: Sajan Gautam (Momo VC)

Upcoming Events:

Webinar on Immigration Issues for International Students - Dec 15, 2025
TGND is hosting a webinar on immigration issues faced by international students in collaboration with Imera (a startup that is helping immigrants navigate life in the U.S). We encourage individual students and Nepali Student Associations (NSAs) to join. Stay tuned for details!

Webinar introducing Second Chance - Jan 14/15, 2025 (tentative)
Second Chance is an incredible non-profit that helps deserving low-income students get financial support (full scholarships) at leading universities. Hear from the core team and Nepali alumni on how you can benefit. Details coming soon!

Join our LinkedIn group! 👩🏻‍🏫🧑🏻‍🏫

We finally have a private group on LinkedIn to connect with students and professionals with roots in Nepal (who are studying/working outside Nepal). If this is you, do join our group and engage with diaspora members from all over the globe. 

Thank you for being a part of The Great Nepali Diaspora community. Stay connected, stay engaged, and let's continue to celebrate our connections together.

Warm Regards,
The Great Nepali Diaspora