Odisha Society of the Americas (OSA) 2011 annual convention in Dallas

ORTEL Chief Jaggi Mangat Panda delivers youth keynote address at Odisha Society of the Americas (OSA) 2011 annual convention in Dallas.

The OSA 2011 annual convention in Dallas, Texas just was held from 1st to 3rd July 2011. It was a gala gathering of about a thousand Odias, both diasporic as well as from Odisha.

The theme of the convention was Our Heritage, Our Pride. Mr. Satyananda Mishra, the Chief Information Commissioner of the Government of India was the chief speaker at the convention. Ms Jagi Mangat Panda, the entrepreneur and the Co-Founder and Director of OrissaTV, regional language television channel, Orissa, was the youth keynote speaker at the inauguration.

The Distinguished Odia award was presented to Sri Saradindu Mishra for his lifetime commitment to the causes of Odia Diaspora in the USA. The Lifetime Achievement award was presented to two legendary cultural personalities from Odisha. They were Shri Shantanu Mahapatra, the distinguished music director and singer, and Shri Chitta Jena, the famous singer from Odisha, who regaled the audience with their mesmerizing music and songs.

The highlight of the convention was a series of seminars devoted to issues such as Women�s empowerment in Odisha and Odiya Diaspora, Education in Odisha and its economic and social development, health and literature among other subjects.

(Report – Orissa Sathi)