To Outsource or Not to Outsource: Is that really the question?

On Saturday, April 24, 2004 the Indian American Forum for Political Education (IAFPE-New England) in conjunction with the Massachusetts Institute for Technology will host their summer kick-off event -- a political debate on outsourcing (off-shoring). The event is supported by ten prominent Massachusetts-based South Asian business and civic organizations, including TiE Boston. In addition to recognizing the college interns selected for IAFPE's flagship summer political internship program, the event will feature the first dialogue of its kind in the Boston-area where a cross-section of individuals from academia, media, business and government will be assembled to discuss outsourcing/off-shore development and its implications for individuals, as Indians and as Americans.

Rohit ('Ro') Khanna, candidate for US Congress from California's 12th District (San Francisco and San Mateo County), will deliver the keynote address. Ro's recent, historic campaign mobilized thousands of people, raised important issues, and demonstrated that no election should go uncontested. Rohit will discuss his campaign experiences and in particular, the challenges of discussing off-shoring as a candidate for political office. His remarks will lead to an energetic and open debate on the pros and cons of outsourcing.

Dick Gordon, renowned radio talk show and host of National Public Radio's (NPR) The Connection, will moderate Saturday's discussion. The Connection is an energetic, edgy, outside-the-beltway American talk program that covers a vast range of topics from politics to literature. As a foreign correspondent, Mr. Gordon has covered conflicts in Bosnia, Kashmir, the Caucasus, Afghanistan, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka, as well as unrest in South Africa, Mozambique, Pakistan, India, and the Middle East. Mr. Gordon will be joined by the following distinguished panel of expert participants, including:

Paul Almeida, President, Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO. Mr. Almeida is a prominent national and local labor union leader who has represented thousands of workers through his position at the AFL-CIO (America's federation of labor unions).

Dr. Amar Gupta, Professor, MIT Sloan School of Management. Professor Gupta, in collaboration with former Sloan School Dean Lester Thurow, currently teaches a unique outsourcing course at MIT's Sloan School. The course and his views on Outsourcing have received coverage in CNN Money, Business Week, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and over 100 newspapers and magazines over the past 2 month period.

Ian Fletcher, Vice President of Government Relations, American Engineering Association. Mr. Fletcher serves as a federal and state level lobbyist for the American Engineering Association and recently published an issue brief titled: 20 Defenses of Off-shoring and Why They Are Wrong (04.12.2004).

Max Michaels, Managing Director, CRYZTAL Capital. Max Michaels, former management consultant and investment banker, is currently the Managing Partner of CRYZTAL Capital, an investment group focused on outsourced services. He recently presented his views on outsourcing to TiE TriState.

Dr. Lakshmi Srinivas, Professor of Sociology, Wellesley College. Professor Srinivas currently teaches a sociology course at Wellesley College and will speak to the social implications of globalization.

Sona Shah, IT Programmer & NY Supreme Court Petitioner. Sona Shah is a 32-year-old Indian American IT programmer and an outspoken critic of outsourcing. Sona petitioned the New York Supreme Court against a NJ tech company for discriminating against U.S. workers. Ms. Shah has testified in Congress, appeared on CNN, and recently participated in an outsourcing panel in New York organized by the South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA).

U.K. Sinha, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Government of India. In his capacity as Joint Secretary, U.K. Sinha Chairs the Government of India's committee's on External Commercial Borrowings, and Capital Markets (that of the America's and Canada).

The format of the IAFPE event will allow the audience and panelists to hear, first-hand-the opinions of first and second generation Indian Americans. The event is designed to inspire individuals of all generations to begin this important dialogue and carry it forward as the election nears. This event is brought to the community free-of-charge thanks to numerous individual supporters and community sponsors. The event is open to the public and will be held at MIT (Room 10-250) on Saturday, April 24th from 12:30pm to 3:00pm. A reception with light snacks will follow. For directions and additional information, please visit the IAFPE website: http://www.iafpe-ne.org.

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