Recently, SALDEF participated at the Applied Research Center’s (ARC) Race and Public Policy Conference entitled: A Proactive Agenda for 2005 and Beyond. SALDEF’s Western Regional Director Kavneet Singh addressed conference attendees at the University of California, Berkeley about the effects that Hate Crimes and racial profiling have had on the Sikh community as well as the struggle within the Sikh community in ensuring one’s right to practice their faith in a post 9/11 world. Joining Mr. Singh on the panel were Camilo Perez-Bustillo, American Friends Service Committee/Project Voice; Ban Al-Wardi, Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee, Los Angeles/Orange County Chapter; Esmeralda Simmons, Applied Research Center Board member and Director of the Medgar Evers Center for Law & Social Justice.
SALDEF Presents at National Race Conference at University of California
Event Marking Shift from SMART includes National Civil Rights Leaders, Awards Presentation Washington, DC— The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) officially launched in Washington, DC today, changing from the previous name of the Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART). SALDEF, the new name of the oldest national Sikh American civil rights organization, completed the transition at an event in Washington, DC with a panel of national civil rights leaders and the inaugural presentation of two awards. “We are proud to take on the SALDEF name at such a well-attended event because it more accurately reflects our programs over the last several years,” said SALDEF Board Chair Gagandeep Kaur. “We are committed to growing and strengthening the organization to better serve the Sikh American community through all our program areas, including media relations and legislative advocacy. We will continue our efforts of coalition-building and work to ensure equality for all Americans.” The launch event in Washington included a discussion entitled “Assessing the American Promise: A Discussion with National Civil Rights Leaders.” The panel featured the director of the domestic human rights program at Amnesty International USA; the director of the civil rights policy planning center at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL); and the president of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC). The panelists discussed their work with SALDEF over the years, along with the necessity to build coalitions and legislative priorities for the next congressional session. Two awards were also inaugurated at the event, including the Bhagat Singh Thind Community Empowerment Award presented to Dr. Narinder Singh Arora. Dr. Arora is a physician from Charlottesville, VA and was recognized for his volunteer efforts with a Native American tribe in Virginia. The Dorothy Height Coalition-Building Award was presented to the Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, author of 20 books and the Executive Director of The Interfaith Alliance. Rev. Gaddy was recognized for his leadership to promote healthy interaction between religion and government and campaign against religious litmus tests on public policy.
In order to introduce non-Sikhs to Sikh Americans, SMART has begun distribution of its pocket-sized 2004 calendars. On one side, these full-color calendars include images of Sikhs, along with core Sikh values and facts about Sikhs in the United States; the other side has the 2004 calendar and includes SMART’s phone number and web site for reference. These calendars are ideal for distribution by community members at their workplace, community meetings, senior citizen centers, convenience stores, gas stations, and through cab drivers. SMART is currently distributing the cards in quantities of 100 for $10 plus shipping. To order the 2004 Calendar and other SMART publications, please complete and mail the order form along with a check made out to “SMART”.
SMART President Manjit Singh recently addressed the annual Leadership Conference jointly organized by the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) and the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) in Washington, D.C. Mr. Singh addressed the issue of racial profiling and its impact on the Asian Pacific American community. He cited several incidents that occurred in the aftermath of 9/11 and talked about steps that community members can undertake to stem the practice of racial profiling by law enforcement. Every year OCA and JACL jointly host leaders from across the country for a four-day training conference. The conference is structured to introduce OCA and JACL members to the political system and provide a broad understanding of the decision-making process at the congressional, local and federal level. The participants also meet with Asian Pacific Americans in Congress, the Administration, and federal government agencies.
The National Council of Jewish Women recently invited SMART to speak at its annual Washington Institute. SMART’s National Director, Preetmohan Singh, addressed conference attendees about effectively lobbying members of Congress to pass pending federal legislation designed to combat hate crimes. Mr. Singh was joined by Michael Lieberman, Washington Counsel for the Anti-Defamation League and Julie Fernandes, Senior Policy Analyst for the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. Mr. Singh also represented SMART at the Mid-Atlantic Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA) conference at the University of Pennsylvania. He addressed the audience about pre- and post-9/11 racial profiling and SMART’s efforts within a broad civil rights coalition to pass the End Racial Profiling Act of 2004. Other presenters included Thomas Joo, a law professor at the University of California, Davis; Alberta Lee, a law student and daughter of Wen Ho Lee; and Jan Ting, a law professor at Temple University.
SMART is encouraging Sikh students across the United States to participate in the 5th Annual Series of Leadership Trainings Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA) college students. The mission of these leadership trainings is to provide APIA students an environment to develop leadership and organizing skills that are relevant to them, their campuses and their communities. The 1-1/2 day training will bring together students throughout the region to share experiences and develop tools to effectively serve as a catalyst for change and activism. These free trainings are being underwritten organized by the Organization of Chinese Americans, with whom SMART has a strong working relationship.
The Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) is currently accepting applications from college students for its summer internship program. The APAICS internship program encourages the political and civic involvement of young Asian Pacific Islander American, fosters their interest in careers in politics and public policy, and develops their leadership skills. SMART has worked with APAICS in the past and encourages Sikh American students to apply for this program, which includes a $2,500 stipend. Every year, APAICS selects ten to twelve students for a first-hand learning experience in American politics. Interns work in congressional offices, federal agencies, and non-profit organizations in Washington DC. Placements last summer included three offices in the House of Representatives, the Congressional Research Service, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Labor, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and the National League of Cities. Through a series of seminars, they learn about national Asian Pacific Islander American advocacy organizations and network with peers from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. The application deadline is January 30. Applications can be downloaded from the APAICS website at www.apaics.org. Please call 202/296-9200 or e-mail apaics@apaics.org for more information.
The U.S. State Department recently invited SMART President Manjit Singh to address participants of their International Visitor Program. The program entitled, “Managing Diversity in a Multi-Ethnic Society,” was designed to expose participants to the contributions and challenges of immigrants in the U.S. by examining policies on immigration, refugees and citizenship, and America’s cultural diversity. This year, several government officials, academics, and journalists from Europe were invited to tour the United States. Mr. Singh spoke about SMART’s efforts in the areas of protecting civil rights, encouraging political involvement, and participating in legislative efforts affecting the Sikh American Community. He was joined by panelists from the Arab American Institute (AAI) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), who also discussed political empowerment of minorities. The International Visitor Program is administered by the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The emphasis of the program is to increase mutual understanding through communication at the personal and professional levels. Participants are established or potential foreign leaders in government, politics, media, education, science, labor relations, and other key fields. Over the years, hundreds of former participants under the International Visitor Program have risen to important positions in their countries. Among the alumni are over 160 current and former chiefs of state or heads of government and more than 600 are cabinet-level ministers.
On June 6th, SMART’s Western Regional Director delivered its Sikhism 101: An Introduction to Sikh Beliefs and Culture presentation to members of the Our Brother Congregational Church in Fremont, CA. Members of the congregation attended the presentation which was followed by over one hour of questions and discussion. Tentative plans were also made to take the congregants to a local Gurdwara to show a standard Sikh divaan (congregation). If you, or someone you now would like to conduct a similar presentation in your neighborhood, please contact SMART.
Before the end of the school year, SMART’s National Director Preetmohan Singh addressed the Sikh Studies class at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA. Organizers of the class, which consists of Sikh and non-Sikh students and as well as community members, invited Mr. Singh to provide an overview of the Sikh faith and discuss current issues within the Sikh Diaspora. SMART also held workshops with college students at the East Coast Asian American Students Union (ECAASU) annual conference at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA. The workshops included information on critical issues facing the Asian American community, including hate crimes legislation, racial profiling, and immigration. If you would like to host a similar event on your college campus, please email SMART at info@sikhmediwatch.org.