December Advocate: A Year of Progress and Achievement

Year in Review: Read the 2013 Annual Report This past year has been one of continued success and progress as SALDEF has grown. In our annual report, you can learn more about newly launched Media Initiative, our youth development program SikhLEAD, and our effort to register voters through SikhVOTE. To learn more about our work this year please click here to read our Annual Report. VIDEO: You Make Our Progress Possible Our work would not be possible without your support. Your investment in SALDEF is an investment in the Sikh American community.  Join us in ensuring the success of our programs with a tax-deductible donation today. This October, alumni from the SikhLEAD program came together to welcome the third annual class into the Leadership Development Program and celebrate the achievements of the Sikh American community. Throughout the weekend, they heard directly from inspirational role models like Fauja Singh, the 102 year-old marathon runner, and challenged themselves to find out what inspires them to create progress in the Sikh American community. Click here to support SALDEF’s Year End Fundraising Campaign. Application Period Open for SikhLEAD Internship Program SikhLEAD partners with congressional offices, federal agencies and other DC based organizations to provide Sikh Americans with unique and enriching internship experiences–from working on communications, advocating for policies, to helping constituents. This internship program is an avenue to explore a potential career track, create a network of professional and personal contacts, develop real-world skills, and build confidence. As placements are made on a rolling basis, early applicants are given preference in this highly competitive program. Click here to learn more about the program and apply today. SALDEF Receives TSA’s First Ever Community Partnership Award SALDEF received the first ever Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Community Partnership Award presented at TSA’s Annual Coalition Conference held at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. SALDEF received the award due to the strong partnership developed and maintained with TSA over the past decade by conducting trainings for transportation safety officers across the country, developing classroom and online curricula for TSA officers and leadership, creating the On Common Ground training video, working with the agency to help solve problems associated with screening policies, and educating the Sikh American community about such policies. Learn more about the award here. TSA Officers Learn about Sikhs Before Holiday Travel Season In November, SALDEF Northeast Regional Director, Jaswant Chani, conducted a Sikh awareness training for members of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) office in Chelsea, MA.  The training provided information on the Sikh faith and theology, as well as the challenges facing Sikh Americans. The presentation included the viewing of SALDEF’s training video On Common Ground. This is a continuation of the partnership of several years that SALDEF has had with TSA to train their officers across the Northeast under our Law Enforcement Partnership Program. SALDEF Presents at National Lawyers Conference In November, SALDEF was invited to speak to over 100 attorneys on a panel entitled “Hate Crimes and the Asian American Community” at the annual conference of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) in Kansas City, Missouri. The panel focused on the post-9/11 experiences of members of the Asian Pacific American community, how lawyers can use their knowledge to respond to and prevent such incidents, and steps the community can take to improve relations with law enforcement and government. SALDEF was joined on the panel by representatives of the Council on American Islamic Relations, Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles, and the law firm, Bird, Marella, Boxer, Wolpert, Nessim, Drooks & Lincenberg, P.C. Faith-Based Organizing at Advancing Justice Conference SALDEF led the conversation in a 2 hour workshop on Faith, Power and Social Justice at the 5th Annual Advancing Justice Conference, November 14-16, hosted by Asian American Advancing Justice-Los Angeles. They key question we addressed was the role of faith-rooted community organizing in Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities. The workshop drew faith based leaders and organizers from across the country who exchanged ideas and dialogued around faith-rooted community organizing efforts. The workshop allowed the panelists and the attendees to learn from each other’s experiences and build bridges across faiths connecting our struggles. Upcoming Events: