1. SALDEF Accepting Applications for 2009 Summer Internship Program 2. SALDEF Meets with the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General 3. SALDEF Meets with Congressional Leaders on the Opening of the 111th Congress 4. SALDEF Briefs Senate Democratic Leadership on Sikh American Concerns 5. ON SALE: 2009 Sikh American Pocket Calendars 6. SALDEF Conducts Training for Airport Security Officers in Connecticut 7. SALDEF Participates in Los Angeles Department of Homeland Security Roundtable Meeting 8. College Scholarship opportunity 9. Upcoming Events SALDEF Accepting Applications for 2009 Summer Internship Program The SALDEF Internship Program offers Sikh American youth an opportunity to be uniquely positioned to advocate for national policy issues on behalf of Sikhs. The program educates students on issues including, civil rights, public policy, women’s rights, national security and the legislative process. Interns will gain hands-on experience in community organizing, research, writing, legal issues affecting the community, political action, and educational outreach. Current opportunities available include: Legal, Legislative, Communications and Development internships. Click here for more information. SALDEF Meets with the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General On December 17, 2008 SALDEF Eastern Regional Director Savraj Singh, met with Gurpreet Singh, Chief of Staff of the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General and others, to discuss concerns regarding an increase in hate and bias acts against South Asians. A coalition of organizations spearheaded by Qudsia Raja of SAALT (South Asian Americans Leading Together) pressed the AG’s office to take proactive steps to better report and document incidents of hate crimes, educate law enforcement on South Asian communities, and protect children from bullying and harassment in schools. SALDEF will continue to work diligently on behalf of the Sikh American community in New Jersey. If you believe you have been the victim of a bias attack, please contact SALDEF at legal@saldef.org or 202-393-2700. SALDEF Meets with Congressional Leaders on the Opening of the 111th Congress On January 7, 2009 SALDEF met with Members of Congress and their staff marking the opening on the 111th Congress. The event was a time to meet-and-greet with Members of Congress and their staff to develop and strengthen relationships that will enable SALDEF to further advocate on behalf of the Sikh American community. SALDEF Briefs Senate Democratic Leadership on Sikh American Concerns On January 7, 2009 SALDEF met with the Senate Democratic Leadership and their senior staff to inform them of the national concerns of the Sikh American community. This meeting is part of SALDEF’s ongoing effort to ensure that the Sikh American community has a strong voice in the halls of Congress and is holding our elected officials accountable. Among the issues that SALDEF discussed were, amending of the U.S. Military policy denying Sikh Americans the right to serve in the Armed Services, passing of hate crime and religious freedom legislation, as well as the need for the Senate Leadership to commit to meeting with various members of the religious community in the United States. ON SALE: 2009 Sikh American Pocket Calendars 2009 Pocket Calendars – 2009 In their sixth year of production, the 2009 SALDEF pocket calendars have been fully redesigned to include updated full-color images of Sikh Americans, along with more examples of core Sikh values and facts about Sikhs in the United States. On the back, the calendars have a 2009 calendar in a small, handy, easy-to-use design. The calendars are available in packages of 100 for just $10 plus shipping and handling fees. Order Your 2009 Pocket Calendars Today! SALDEF Conducts Training for Airport Security Officers in Connecticut On January 21, 2009 SALDEF New England Regional Director Navjeet Singh conducted a Sikhism 101 cultural awareness training for Transportation Security Administration officials in Connecticut as part of SALDEF’s Law Enforcement Partnership Program. Over 120 people attended the session including, Transportation Security Officers from Hartford, CT’s Bradley Airport and from Providence, RI’s Green Airport, representatives of the Connecticut State Police, and airport-based ground staff representing United Airlines, Air Canada, and Continental Airlines. Local community leader, and elected school board representative, S. Amarjit Singh Buttar, also attended the training and is working with SALDEF to organize additional presentations in the future. Click here for more information SALDEF Participates in Los Angeles Department Homeland Security Roundtable Meeting On January 27, 2009 SALDEF Volunteer Attorney Anudeep Kaur Singh participated in the quarterly DHS roundtable meeting in Los Angeles. The DHS roundtable was created in 2008 as part of an effort to increase communication between the government and local community organizations. The meeting focused on the progress made as a result of the roundtable meetingin 2008 and goals for the upcoming 2009 year. Some achievements made in 2008 included more religious training for local law enforcement, the Los Angeles youth roundtable, and increased awareness of TSA screening procedures. Goals for 2009 include community outreach at local gurdwaras, a youth national summit, and significantly more training programs for federal officials. Additionally, DHS made several informative presentations at the meeting, including what to expect during the transition period to the Obama administration, as well as information about the new US-VISIT program which requires additional non-US citizens to provide digital fingerprints and a photograph upon entry into the US (more information about US-VISIT can be found at here). College Scholarship Opportunity The National Association for Asian and Pacific American Education (NAAPAE) invites high school seniors, and college juniors and seniors to participate in its scholarship program. In the spring, NAAPAE will award up to two $500 scholarships to high school seniors and up to two $1,000 scholarships to college junior/seniors. The recipients will be students who meet the following qualifications: (A) are of Asian or Pacific Islander (API) descent; (B) are actively involved in extracurricular activities in school; (C) have outstanding academic records; and (D) are young leaders who show concern and commitment to Asian/Pacific Islander communities. Scholarship recipients must be citizens of the United States or Canada or be resident aliens. To apply, click here Upcoming Events * Meeting with Tina Tchen, Director of the White House Office of Public Liaison – Washington, DC March 2, 2008 * Meeting with United States Attorney – District of Columbia – Washington, DC March 5, 2008 * Director of National Intelligence Heritage Community Liaison Meeting – Fairfax, VA March 6, 2009 * Presentation to Columbia Union College – Takoma Park, Maryland March 25, 2009 * National Partner Meeting with the Census Bureau – Washington, DC March 30, 2009 * SALDEF 2009 National Civil Rights Awards Gala – Los Angeles, CA May 2, 2009 * Presentation to Johns Hopkins University – Baltmore, MD May 15, 2009
