To be held from May 27th-29th.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO International) will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a gala event at the Port of Spain in Trinidad & Tobago from May 27th to 29th of this year.
The organization’s Trinidad & Tobago chapter will host the event, which will also be a convention featuring GOPIO members from all over the world as well as GOPIO executives, councils and life members, and other businesses, government, organizations and academic supporters.
“We feel privileged and are fully prepared to host GOPIO 25th (Jubilee) Anniversary in 2014 in Port of Spain in grand style that is fitting and well deserved”, said Ena Maraj, president of GOPIO International Trinidad & Tobago Chapter, in a press statement. “It is important to highlight this region of the Indian Diaspora, along with the many benefits and unique advantages of holding GOPIO’s 25th (Jubilee) Anniversary in Port of Spain.”
Maraj was instrumental in bringing the GOPIO convention to Trinidad & Tobago, where the organization will celebrate a milestone in its history. The organization was founded in New York in 1989, at the suggestion of a Michigan-based Indian business leader who wanted to form an advocacy group that would fight against human rights violations committed against people of Indian-origin.
The organization’s current president is Ashook Ramsaran of New York, who has been at the position since 2009. Before him, Inder Singh was at the head of GOPIO from 2004-2009. GOPIO’s first, and thus far longest-serving, president was Dr. Thomas Abraham, who led the organization from its inception in 1989 for 15 years until 2004.
GOPIO regularly hosts large-scale conventions and events such as the upcoming celebration in March, as well as various smaller projects in individual communities. For more information on GOPIO, you can visit their website here.
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com