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Hurry! There are ONLY 10 days left to apply to the SikhLEAD #internship program.
The SikhLEAD internship program provides students with skills that are essential for becoming community leaders that can foster social change.
From Senators to Representatives, to Assemblymen—the offices that the SikhLEAD interns will be working in will give Sikh American youth the opportunity to learn and gain hands-on experience, while the offices themselves get to engage, interact, and learn about the Sikh religion and culture.
Interested? Apply now to be placed in competitive internships.
https://saldef.org/initiatives/sikhlead/sikhlead/
Thank you to everyone who joined our New Jersey #AAPI mapping forums last week!
If there is a significant community center that is important to you - a house of worship, a school where your community tends to send its kids, a block of small businesses owned and patronized by your community, etc., let us know so we can let the commission know!
You can use this spreadsheet, or forward it on to anyone else with important knowledge:
https://bit.ly/3FcsZbk
#tuesdaythoughts
During her 2020 SikhLEAD internship, Kismat interned with the Cornerstone Government Affairs, a consulting firm specializing in federal and state government relations, public affairs and strategic communications.
Despite the pandemic, Kismat was still able to gain valuable experience and exposure to the people and processes of the United States Congress and Washington, D.C.
To hear about Kismat’s program experiences, please join us on IG live tomorrow (1/19) at 4 PM PST // 7 PM EST.
Be a part of this year’s SikhLEAD class. Please visit the link in our bio to learn more and apply to the SikhLEAD program.
A huge congratulations to Sukhvir Grewal, the first turbaned Deputy Sheriff in Ohio!
Sukhvir will serve in the Summit County Sheriffs Office as well as the Ohio National Guard.
#representationmatters
Lohri is a festival of cheer and celebration. Traditionally, farmers gather around a bonfire in thanks for the blessing of heat and warmth that enabled the wonderful harvest - reward for their long months of hard work.
We are all indebted to the farmers for their painstaking efforts all year round without which we would not be able to eat or live. It is as much a mark of respect and recognition to the farmers as a celebration of a bountiful and prosperous year of harvest, that the festival of Lohri is celebrated.
Sending warm wishes your way on this beautiful festival of Lohri from all of us here at SALDEF!
Tag your friend to wish them a happy lohri.
The New Jersey Senate has passed a resolution condemning the 1984 anti-Sikh violence in India and termed it genocide.
Dr. Pritpal Singh of the American Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee said: “The resolution recognizes and condemns the state-sponsored violence that targeted Sikhs across India in 1984. It is an important and historic step towards justice, accountability, and reconciliation.”
The resolution was sent to the US President and Vice-President and all elected officials of the US Senate of the US Congress.
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/new-jersey-senate-condemns-1984-riots-360467
#Tuesdaythoughts
2020 SikhLEAD intern, Rimpal Kaur witnessed the countless injustices that plague society, kindling her passion in advocacy and activism. Currently, she is a senior at Georgetown University and, in the future, she hopes to become a civil rights lawyer to fight for the rights of not only her own community but all marginalized communities.
During her time in the SikhLEAD program, Rimpal Bajwa interned with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She especially enjoyed the opportunity to hear from different Sikh American leaders who have been doing civil rights work and who have been fighting and organizing, as “they are fighting for the same values that our Gurus fought for in the past.”
To hear more about Rimpal’s experience in the SikhLEAD internship program, please join us on IG live tomorrow, Jan 12 at 7 PM EST and 4 PM PST.
Interested in applying to the SikhLEAD internship program? The application deadline has been extended to Jan 31, 2022, link in bio.
We want to know where your communities live, work, and gather - houses of worship, school districts, ethnic shopping areas, etc.
Join your community members tonight at 7:30pm for a virtual mapping session of the AAPI community in Central Jersey!
All the data you provide will help us push for new state districts that keep intact our communities of interest and help elect representatives that share our communities' values and priorities.
Register now:
https://bit.ly/3eZcbdt
Lovely tribute to Harpreet Chandi, British-born Indian Sikh Army officer, the first woman of color to ski solo and unsupported to the South Pole.
Say Chandi "You are capable of anything you want. No matter where you are from or where your start line is, everyone starts somewhere. I don't want to just break the glass ceiling, I want to smash it into a million pieces"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWj09LuwA0g
#motivationmonday
The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) congratulates the 23 leaders the White House announced as President Joe Biden’s intended nominees to the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI). We are particularly delighted with the inclusion of a Sikh American leader from New Jersey, Dr. Kamal Singh Kalsi.
“Kamal is a trailblazer for our community and immensely deserving of this honor,” said Kiran Kaur Gill, Executive Director of SALDEF. “In addition to saving lives on the front lines in Afghanistan, he was the first Sikh in decades to be granted religious accommodation by the Department of Defense to wear the articles of his faith. His commitment to service is so strong that he founded the Sikh American Veterans Alliance (SAVA) to advocate for the rights of his fellow Sikhs in the military. SALDEF supports and has partnered with SAVA in the past and we look forward to continuing to work with Kamal to address the needs of the Sikh American and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. As a Sikh who also grew up in New Jersey, I am very proud to be able to call Kamal a friend. He is the embodiment of the Sikh principles of service, optimism, and hard work."
Read the full statement:
https://saldef.org/saldef-congratulates-dr-kamal-singh-kalsi-and-nominees-to-the-presidents-advisory-commission/
Happy Gurpurab from all of us at SALDEF!
The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) congratulates Ms. Neena Singh, the first Sikh woman elected to town Council in the state of New Jersey. On Thursday January 6, Ms. Singh took her oath of office remotely on the Gutka sahib to serve as Montgomery Township Councilwoman.
Shares Ms. Singh “As an immigrant woman from a small town in India this ceremony was the embodiment of the quote “America was and is the immigrant’s dream” I hope to give my best to Montgomery and fulfill the oath I have taken."
