September Advocate

SALDEF Participates in Historic March on Washington On August 24, 2013, SALDEF Executive Director, Jasjit Singh, spoke from the very spot of Dr. Martin Luther King’s  “I Have a Dream” speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial during an event leading up to the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington. Jasjit was invited to speak by the King Center and National Area Network. During his remarks, Jasjit recited an opening prayer reaffirming the Sikh spirit of Chardhi Kala and Sarbat Da Bhalla. Click here to view more photos from the event. SALDEF Participates in Training Conference of 200+ Officers from Across Northwest Following the successful collaboration to integrate SALDEF training materials to the roughly 265 law enforcement agencies and 10,000 peace officers in the state of Washington, the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission invited SALDEF Board Member Kavneet Singh to present at their annual inter-regional conference.  Over 200 officers from across the Northwest and neighboring states including Oregon, Idaho and Montana, attended the conference and learned about the Sikh faith and basic theology, as well as the challenges facing Sikh Americans. The interactive session ended with an informative question-answer session dialogue around common misconceptions of Sikh Americans and included the viewing of SALDEF’s training video On Common Ground. United We Stand – SALDEF National Gala, October 12, 2013 Join us for an evening of reflection and empowerment. We will recognize the progress that is made when a community and a nation comes together. We will be joined by renowned entertainers, spirited performers, accomplished honorees and an impressive array of attendees from various backgrounds. Last year’s sold-out event drew more than 500 attendees from around the country. We look forward to seeing you on October 12th! Buy your tickets today! Study Examining Religious Discrimination and Race-Related Stress among North American Sikhs Dr. Kiran S. K. Arora is conducting research to examine how experiences of religious discrimination and race-related stress may impact the relationships, mental health, and overall well-being of Sikhs. To gather this information, she is looking for individuals over the age of 18, who self-identify as Sikh, and are living in North America, to complete a set of anonymous questionnaires online. This study hopes to contribute to a dearth of academic literature on Sikhs and their families. Your contribution is valuable, as it would provide insight for family therapists and other mental health professionals working with Sikh families. Your participation is strictly voluntary. Confidentiality is of utmost importance, and measures will be taken to protect your identity. The purpose of this announcement is to alert you to the research project and invite you to ask any questions you may have about this project. You may contact Dr. Kiran S. K. Arora at Kiran.Arora@umb.edu if you are interested in participating, or learning more about the study. To learn more about the study or participate, you may also go to https://www.psychdata.com/s.asp?SID=153728. Riverside Gurdwara Update and Outreach On Sunday August 18th, members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Riverside County Sheriff’s Department were invited to participate in a meeting with the management committee and sangat members regarding the hate crime vandalism that occurred July 29th. This provided opportunity for further discussion around safety and precautions, as well as communicating any additional needs the local gurdwara has around precautionary measures. Please click here to read more about the hate crime and actions taken. Comcast Leaders and Achievers® Scholarship Program Nominations for the Comcast Leaders and Achievers® Scholarship Program are currently being accepted.  This program is a nomination-based award and only one student per school may be nominated by their principal or guidance counselor. The Comcast Leaders and Achievers® Scholarship Program, funded through the Comcast Foundation, recognizes high school seniors from Comcast communities for their commitment to community service, academics, and demonstrated leadership.  To acknowledge these accomplishments, recipients of the award will receive a one-time grant of $1,000. All scholarship materials must be received from the nominated student by December 5, 2013 in order to be considered.  To determine program eligibility and to request nomination access, please contact International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc. at Comcast@applyists.com or at (855) 670-4787. Requirements for the Scholarship can be found here. The State Farm Youth Advisory Board Seeking New Members (SFYAB) is seeking new board members for 2014-2015.  The board is given responsibility over $5 million dollars to grant service-learning and community impact projects that seek to solve important domestic issues. SFYAB members are trained to work on a team, prioritize, write Requests for Proposals, read grant applications, question a budget, exercise critical thinking, and make grant decisions. Applications are now available and will remain available until October 4 at 5:00pm CST. Anyone between the ages of 17-20 who is passionate about service-learning and positively impacting communities within the United States and Canada is eligible to apply. Upcoming Events:

  • September 19th – Transportation Security Administration Coalition Conference – Washington DC
  • September 21st – New York AAPI Forum with Faith-Based & Community Leaders – New York, NY.
  • September 23rd – Department of Justice Community Townhall —  Central Florida
  • September 29th – Youth Bullying Workshop, Riverside Gurdwara – Riverside, CA
  • October 12th – SALDEF National Gala – Washington DC
  • November 8th — NAPABA National Convention Panel — Kansas City, MO