By Neelam Pradhananga (Guthi Australia President, 2010-2011)

I had just moved to Sydney from Newcastle and had been invited to a BBQ at Ashfield Park. This was the start of my Guthi Australia journey. Being involved in Nepalese community organisations was one that I had never really given much thought to and certainly not one that I had specific knowledge on. My experience in volunteering had been with organisations such as Service Civil International and International Volunteers for Peace. I was drawn by the discussions at the BBQ on the need for an organisation that could bring Newars living in Sydney and Australia together to promote and preserve Newar culture and to develop a sense of belonging. Past experiences with Guthi Australia and Jhee Pucha, two organisations set up in line with these objectives were considered and it was decided that Guthi Australia would be revived. Guthi Australia had initially been set up in 1999 by a group of Newars in the Western suburbs of Sydney. As the Newar community was quite small, an informal structure served the purpose quite well. Over time, however, pressing commitments saw the hibernation of this organisation.

After the revival of Guthi Australia in late 2009, everyone wanted to do an event that would consolidate the energy and feelings at that point in time. Mahendra Shrestha was appointed the co-ordinator and a Mha Puja celebration event was planned. It went well. Without an organisational structure and with pressing commitments, the initial enthusiasm and motivation felt at Ashfield Park was starting to recede. I thought it would be rather unfortunate if our third attempt in setting up an organisation didn’t take off and so, I began to push for small scale programs that would bring people together and get them interested in Guthi Australia. In late 2009, we undertook small-scale events such as a blood donation program, tree planting, an art completion, a migration seminar and participated in the Manly Walk for Human Rights. All of these events were cost-neutral to us. This was important as we had no money and no clear organisational links yet with businesses and/or sponsors.

These events certainly got Guthi Australia noticed and towards the end of 2009, I became aware of the need to have an organisational structure and the need to have some kind of accountability in place. And so, I pushed for a structure even though the general consensus was that we stay for another 6 months as an informal group. Eventually, we all came to a shared understanding that the best thing for Guthi Australia would be to set it up, get it up and running and to learn along the way. So, this is what we did. My involvement as the President of the organisation was just a matter of me being there when there was no one else to do it! Those around me seemed to like my idea of youth engagement. And so, began the journey of Guthi Australia growing up and little did I know at the time, the process of me growing up too! Guthi Australia was registered with the NSW Office of Fair Trading and an executive committee was set up in 2010. 

It has been two years and certainly an uphill and at times a downhill journey for me.  I have experienced the very real challenges faced during the set up of volunteer-driven, community organisations. I am of the belief that the set up of such organizations is even more so difficult for us Nepalese because we are still quite young as a community in Australia. We are still growing, looking for stable jobs, looking at developing our careers and quite frankly struggling to meet our basic needs. This makes it very hard for us to engage with individuals and obtain their commitment. 

The first executive team for Guthi Australia was a matter of requesting people to come on board. And it was wonderful to see the first team step up. I believe that a leader is someone who begs the question ‘What is needed here?’ and is able to adjust oneself according to this. Leadership is about the idea of transformation, the ability to act as a catalyst to create positive change. This is what I saw in the individuals who stood up and committed to being part of the first executive team. Working with all of them has been a blessing and has taught me so much. We have been through a lot together and over time have bonded as a family. There have been tears of joy and tears of sadness as we grappled with expectations and our vision of what Guthi Australia should be. Over the last two years though, we have reached a period of stillness, a deep awareness of what is best for Guthi Australia and I look forward to this being translated into action in 2012-2014. 

Now, to quickly review the two wonderful years at Guthi Australia:

1. What has Guthi Australia achieved in the last two years?
   • Organisational structure – Executive committee, volunteers 
   • Relationship building – Nepalese community, media, businesses/sponsors
   • Formal registration with the NSW Office of Fair Trading
   • Establishment of an identity
   • Organisation of programs – small-scale to large-scale/mix of local and artists from Nepal/cost-neutral to large budgets
   • Assisted in the set up of Sabdamala – Nepalese Language School
   • Youth engagement
2. What programs has Guthi Australia undertaken?
   • Mha Puja (2009)
   • Blood donation (2009)
   • Tree planting program (2009)
   • Art Competition (2009)
   • PR Seminar (2009)
   • Thank you Party (2009)
   • Manly Walk for Human Rights (2009)
   • Campsie Food Festival (2010)
   • Guthi Australia Art Competition (2010)
   • Guthi Australia Fundraising Dinner (2010)
   • Let’s Dance (2010)
   • Mha Puja (2010)
   • Food Stall at the Nepal Festival (2010)
   • Inla Ganesh Temple Restoration Project (2010)
   • Campsie Food Festival (2011)
   • Maya Charity Show (2011) 
   • Uglyz and the Shadows Tour (2011)
   • Mha Puja and Nepal Sambat (2011)
3. Are the programs connected to Guthi Australia’s vision?
   • Undertake primary and secondary research on Newari cultural heritage;
   • (ii) and promote Newar culture and traditions, language, rites and rituals, music, art and dance;
   • (iii)Generate interest of Newar cultural heritage in Australia to promote cultural diversity;
   • (iv) Provide a platform for individuals to express their ideas and to provide them with opportunities for growth and development through information dissemination, skills development and capacity building;
   • (v)Mobilize youth as active agents in cultural heritage conservation;
   • (vi) Ensure better integration of the Newar community into mainstream Australian culture; and
   • (vii)Foster ties with compatriots and collaborate with organizations in various countries to undertake various activities
4. What are some of the key challenges for Guthi Australia in 2012?
   • Leadership (What is needed here?)
   • Having a specific vision for a term
   • A management system that works – Action plan + Implementation + Evaluation
   • Financial sustainability
   • Keeping volunteers engaged
   • Matching needs of the positions on the executive committee to skills set of each individual
   • Membership expansion 

Leadership in any organisation should keep on evolving and if there is someone who can do your job better, we should forget about our attachment and step aside to make space for them. Over the last four months, we have been actively engaging with many of the new members who have shown great interest and commitment to Guthi Australia. It was wonderful seeing the entire team step up while I was on study leave in the month leading up to the Nepal Sambat and Mha Puja 2011 program. And what a wonderful job they did! The youth of today are passionate, able, skilled and versatile. They are vibrant and bring a breath of positivity into the organisation. Many of them have already shown us their commitment over the last few months and it is great to see them now become part of the Guthi Australia family.  I suspect that they will gain adequate experience over the next two years and will be in a position to take on leadership roles in 2014-2016. The newly formed 25 member executive committee consists of experienced members of the 2010-2011 team as well as new members. This balance will ensure that Guthi Australia can continue to grow in the days to come. In the new team, we have members who have skills that match their roles and I am confident that this will ensure their drive and motivation continues throughout their term. I congratulate the new executive team for stepping up. Our new President, Mahendra Shrestha, has a vast amount of experience in the Nepalese community and this will definitely be of benefit for Guthi Australia. 

Guthi Australia is still young and requires our support to mature and grow into a robust organisation. A foundation has been set but it requires the commitment of many individuals over the next few years. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have embraced me with open arms, guided me and supported me in our efforts to set up Guthi Australia. I have become close friends with many of you and have had the opportunity to get to know many of you. Thank you for all the love and support. 

Guthi Australia is very close to my heart and it would please me immensely to see it grow and stabilise in the years to come. I look forward to seeing the new committee take it to new heights. 

And it is that time of the year – a time to take a break, catch up with family and friends and to be merry. Hope you all have a wonderful break and a fabulous New Year!

Warm Wishes

Neelam Pradhananga

P.S: All emails for Guthi Australia should be sent to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and emails to the President should now be sent to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . 

Guthi plans to have DVDs from the event on sale. They will be priced at $10 each. If you are interested in purchasing one, please email Sijan Tamrakar at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . We will make the required number of prints accordingly.