July Advocate

  • SikhLEAD Leadership Development Program Applications Due August 4th – APPLY Today!
  • TSA Officers and Screeners Successfully Trained in Chelsea, MA
  • SALDEF Participates in Hate Crimes Prevention Forum in Daytona Beach, FL
  • SALDEF Advocates for Safer Schools
  • Orange County,CA High School Youth Learn About Sikhs
  • SALDEF Participates in Diversity Event in Los Angeles, CA
  • SALDEF Educates Students on Sikhism via Interfaith Summer Program
  • SALDEF Presents to Visiting Summer Interns in Washington D.C.
  • 5Rivers Foundation Scholarship Opportunity for High School Students
  • Upcoming Events

. SikhLEAD Leadership Development Program Applications Due August 4th – APPLY Today! SikhLEAD LogoSALDEF is pleased to announce the opening of applications for the next class of the SikhLEAD Leadership Development Program (LDP)! LDP is a two-part program designed to inspire, train, and support a diverse, motivated, and entrepreneurial group of young Sikh leaders as they prepare for a lifetime of community engagement and leadership. The program brings together approximately 16 young Sikh American leaders from across the country to participate in six days of training spread over two holiday weekends (Columbus Day and Memorial Day). Participation in both weekends is mandatory and as well as the reading assigned prior to the weekend sessions. A series of challenging workshops, group activities and thought provoking discussions promote personal growth, develop leadership and build community empowerment skills. For more information, click here! To apply now, click here! 0 TSA Officers and Screeners Successfully Trained in Chelsea, MA On June 25th SALDEF Northeast Regional Director, Jaswant Chani conducted a Sikh awareness training for over two-dozen 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 (LEPP). . SALDEF Participates in Hate Crimes Prevention Forum in Daytona Beach, FL Members of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, as well as civil rights and other community organizations gathered  at the Daytona State College to discuss hate crime prevention. SALDEF Southeast Regional Director, Navtej Singh, participated in this forum and specifically spoke to the challenges and disproportionate number of Sikhs that face issues around discrimination and escalated violence.  The catalyst to this event was the recent suspected hate crime on a Port Orange, FL., Sikh man who was shot in February while driving with his teenage son. Mr. Singh stressed the importance of introducing hate crime prevention education in schools. “Hate is learned, be it from the home, school or peer groups. Hate is taught by others. We are not born with hate. We can reach and teach understanding and tolerance in our schools. That seems the logical starting point in addressing and eradicating potential hate in its infancy,” he said. The over 100 attendees and panelists included representatives from the U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI, the Florida Attorney General’s Office of Civil Rights, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, local law-enforcement agencies, educational institutions, civil-rights, other community organizations and many concerned citizens. To donate to the Singh Family Fund, visit: http://www.dvnetwork.org/projects/kanwaljit-singh-family-fund . SALDEF Advocates for Safe Schools SALDEF Legal and Legislative Affairs Associate, Amrita Singh, joined with our coalition partners from the National Safe School Partnership on visits to Capitol Hill to advocate for the Safe Schools Improvement Act (SSIA). The SSIA will require schools to implement comprehensive anti-bullying policies that address bullying and harassment and ensure the safety and well-being of all students. No such federal law or policy exists that requires schools to adopt policies to address bullying and harassment. TAKE ACTION and tell your congressman to support the Act! SALDEF also attended the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights launch of their new bullying prevention initiative, RFK Project SEATBELT.  Visit their website to learn how to create the conditions at home, at school, and in the community so that treating everyone with respect becomes the norm. . Orange County,CA High School Youth Learn About Sikhs On June 5th, SALDEF participated in an Interfaith religious panel at Laguna Hills High School, along with panelists from the Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Mormon, and Muslim communities. The panelists provided insightful perspectives on various spiritual and religious paths. Community Relations Associate, Birpal Kaur, presented on the Sikh faith to over 100 high school seniors, who had prepared questions on theology, religious practices, and interfaith efforts, and educated the students about misconceptions and the core beliefs within Sikhism. Members of the faculty and school board representatives were also in attendance in support of this annual panel to bring different perspectives of faith to the graduating students, all of whom received SALDEF resources. SALDEF is appreciative of Laguna Hills High School for inviting our representatives to speak for the last three years. If you would like to coordinate a presentation at your high school, or in your local community, please contact us. . SALDEF Participates in Diversity Event in Los Angeles, CA. On June 11th, SALDEF was invited to participate in a diversity event hosted by the law firm Latham & Watkins, LLP. The event was aimed at providing a space for advocacy organizations that represent issues of civil rights and liberties for various minority communities to share their work and connect with staff and attorneys working for Latham.  This event provided a unique opportunity for SALDEF to share details on experiences of discrimination with Sikh Americans, the response, and where assistance from an attorney is needed. Participating organizations included the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) and Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA). Special thank you to Leadership Development Program Alumni, Gurlene Kocher with Latham & Watkins for coordinating and facilitating the event. . SALDEF Educates Students on Sikhism via Interfaith Summer Program On June 17th, SALDEF Western Regional Director, Bhupinder Kaur, participated in the Interfaith Youth Leadership Initiative, a three day summer program geared towards high school students to learn about various religions.  As a continued partner of the program, this is the third year that SALDEF has participated. The student participants experienced a tour of a gurdwara and a full presentation on Sikhs.  Students learned about the origins of the faith, issues that are currently faced by Sikhs, and Sikhs as part of the American fabric which also lead to a very interactive question and answer session. Students were also educated about the Guru Granth Sahib, and were given the opportunity to participate in langar. A special thank you to New Visions Partnership for their continued partnership and investment of education for the youth. If you would like to coordinate a presentation at your high school, or in your local community, please contact us. . SALDEF Presents to Visiting Summer Interns in Washington D.C. On June 26th, SALDEF Executive Director Jasjit Singh was invited to address 150 summer interns from around the country on the topic of hate violence.  The event was held at the US Capitol building and organized by the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL).  Interns learned about the unique challenges of the Sikh American community and the progress that has been made in by the community over the past decade.  A lively question and answer session concluded the presentation which included additional topics of activism and trends in violence towards minority groups.  The event was also attended by SikhLEAD interns.  Click here to meet this summer’s class. . 5Rivers Foundation Scholarship Opportunity for High School Students The 5Rivers Scholarship Program provides financial support to Sikh students who are motivated to pursue higher education opportunities but lack the financial resources to get there. The 5Rivers Scholarship Program works with a network of Sikh community organizations to identify candidates and provide additional support and resources to ensure the award recipients have ongoing academic, spiritual and personal support, as well as opportunities to deepen their connections within and beyond their community.  A second program, the SAT Grant Program, helps Sikh students strengthen their college application by covering SAT preparation course fees for eligible students who cannot afford the test on their own. SALDEF encourages all eligible Sikh youth to apply. For more information, please click here. .

Upcoming Events:
  • July 25th – LEAP Leadership Awards Gala – Los Angeles, CA
  • July 31st –  MBTA Police Academy Training – Braintree, MA
  • August 5th – TSA Training – Chelsea, MA
  • October 12th – 2013 SALDEF National Gala – Washington D.C.