Manisha Aryal has done a great public service by exposing the dangerous scam of the pyramid scheme in "Scheme/scam" (#54). As someone who was once convinced that this was a great way to get rich quick, I now realise that it is only a way to ultimately take from the poor and give to the rich. The Nepali promoters seem to have convinced themselves that this is OK because they are funding a social service organisation with the proceeds. It is not OK because it is fraudulent and illegal. Unfortunately, not enough is coming out in the Nepali language media about the dangers of the pyramid scheme. If educated and intelligent people fall for this sort of thing, can you imagine what will happen if it spreads in the general population?

Jaya Rana
Kathmandu

Congratulations to Manisha Aryal for her cogent article on "scheme/scam" presenting the dangers and ethical and legal questions involved in pyramid schemes. ICIMOD has for some time shared these concerns and been active in informing our colleagues on their potential for harm to society, notwithstanding any good motives that may underlie some of them.
Additional websites that may be of interest to your readers that we have circulated include the following:
http://www.crimes-of-persuasion.com/Crimes/Delivered/pyramids.htm
http://www.pyramidschemealert.org/schemes/schemeindex.htm
One small correction to the article: Archana Karki resigned from her staff position as Communications Officer with ICIMOD in May, 2001 and left in June after completing many years of outstanding service to this institution.

J. Gabriel Campbell
Director General
ICIMOD

Manisha Aryal's "Scheme/scam" should be eye opener for many people. It is not a scheme, it is a scam. In first place why should some people make money at others' cost. My mother has become a victim of such scheme in India. The man who started it is still absconding and his assets are not enough to pay the claimants.

M Tamang
by email