25 Seconds Could Raise $25,000 for the Sikh Youth

3 clicks are all it takes.  JPMorgan Chase Bank partnered up with Facebook to have sort of an “American Idol” of charity giving.  The 100 charities with the most votes by December 10th will receive $25,000.

VOTE FOR THE JAKARA MOVEMENT BY CLICKING HERE!

There are a great number of Sikh charities that are participating.  The Jakara Movement has the most votes for the Sikh groups – and needs your support to bring $25,000 to our community to support projects by the Sikh youth.  This weekend alone, the Jakara Movement had 6 events.  There were 5 camps, titled, “A Nation Never Forgets” that were hosted in Los Angeles, Turlock, Stockton, Yuba City, and Orange County.  Here are some pictures from just one.

In the Bay Area, the Jakara Movement helped host the forum “Women and 1984”, bringing scholars and activists such as Cynthia Keppley Mahmood (author of Fighting for Faith and Nation and a champion for human rights), Navkiran Kaur Khalra (daughter of the late Shaheed for human rights, Jaswant Singh Khalra), and Jasmine Kaur (a human rights lawyer and member of ENSAAF).

To keep programs, like this going – WE NEED YOUR HELP.  We are asking for ALL Sikhs – whether in the US, UK, Canada, India, Punjab, Malaysia, Australia, Africa, and beyond to rally around the Sikh organizations and provide your support.  Get your non-Sikh friends to vote too!

Log into Facebook and click HERE to vote for the JAKARA MOVEMENT.  And with your 20 votes, do not forget to vote for other great Sikh organizations (ENSAAF, SALDEF, and many others) too.  Inspire and be inspired; together, we are the movement.

Please forward and circulate this widely.  We Need the Entire Community to Rally Behind the Sikh Youth!

A Promise

The following poem was written by a member of the Jakara Movement and presented at the Remembrance March held by the Jakara Movement in memory of those lives lost in the pogroms of 1984.

Written by Simranjit Singh, “A Promise” provides insight into the thoughts of a developing young Sikh leader.  There is angst; there is passion; there is power; and there is inspiration.  Here are his words and his expression.

“A Promise”

By Simranjit Singh

Today I make a promise.

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The Jakara Movement at Sikhlens’ SAFF

This weekend Sikhlens will be presenting its annual Sikh Art and Film Festival 2009.  The film festival showcases the best in Sikh movie-making talents from around the globe.  It also presents a forum for aspiring Sikh artists to also come and display their burgeoning talents.

he inaugural Sikh Art and Film Festival will be held at the historic Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, CA on November 13-15th.

The weekend features a number of different clusters, highlighting issues on the youth, creative Sikhs, short films, feature films, and even Remembering 1984.  The Remembering 1984 cluster on Sunday afternoon will be co-hosted with the Jakara Movement in conjunction with it’s Visions of Truth film series.

So whether you come for the entire weekend, make it out to just one cluster (at $15 pre-sale, you won’t find a better price), or at least to Sunday’s mela, check the schedule, check out the films, and make sure you come out and support Sikh arts!  Come join us in Southern California this weekend!

Visions of Truth in Sweden – Jakara Musings

Dispatch from Sarina Kaur, a Jakara member, currently studying in Tullinge, Sweden.

My inspiration for implementing Jakara’s Visions of Truth in Sweden was rooted in my desire to be with a sangat for the anniversary of November 1984.  Since there was nothing planned by the local Sikhs, I was forced to consider the thought of letting the anniversary pass without being a part of any effort to remember, reflect, or respond – and that thought began to daunt me.  Its easy enough to feel completely and utterly insignificant in our qaum’s bigger fight for justice but to not even be able to unite with a sangat and have an ardaas dedicated to the 25th anniversary of November 1894 was unacceptable, especially when the Swedish sangat seemed like a progressive one.

The way I see it is that you can only do so much for yourself independently but until you are in the right sangat listening to presentations and personal accounts, engaging in discussions and workshops, your experience and your feelings toward our history have been solely influenced by your own limits and your own understandings.  Activism stems from being in the right sangat; the right sangat demands that you take imitative and look within yourself and ask what you will do for your qaum.  It forces you to confront that darkness that is our reality but in a proactive way.  Jakara, among many other organizations and individuals have moved me to do this.

I feel so fortunate to have the Jakara’s support in making such a special event possible half way across the world.  I only hope that this event pushes the sangat here to ask themselves the same questions Jakara pushed me to ask of myself.  I hope that this event will be a step toward unity because regardless of where you are in the world, you have to acknowledge that unity is the first step to our revolution.

The entire Jakara family extends our Ardas to our sister and daughter of the Guru pushing for change across the globe!

Remembrance Marches in November

Through Sukhmani Sahibs, conferences, film festivals, and even ongoing camps, the Jakara Movement adds the next event to its on-going “Remember 1984″ campaign.  This November we begin our Remembrance Marches.

25 years ago there was a government-sponsored pogrom in Delhi and throughout many parts of India that left tens of thousands dead.  Orchestrated by the Indian Government, the perpetrators of these pogroms roam free today. Join us and connect in solemn remembrance with Sikhs and non-Sikhs alike as we commemorate the events of 1984 and call for justice and bear witness to the genocide.  We will not be silenced.

The Event will consist of a series of silent marches in the various regions, followed by video screenings, speeches, and a candlelight vigil.

Attend one at a city near you:

• BAKERSFIELD – Silver Creek Park – Saturday, November 7th, 2009, 5-7pm
• FREMONT – Albert Augustine Jr. Memorial Park in Milpitas, CA – Saturday, November 14th, 2009, 6-8pm
• FRESNO – Woodward Park – Monday, November 16th, 2009, 6-8pm
• RIVERSIDE – Glen Avon Heritage Park – Wednesday, November 18th, 2009, 6:30-8:30pm

The Jakara Movement at Yuba City Nagar Kirtan

This past weekend was the 30^th Annual Yuba City Nagar Kirtan (sometimes called the Sikh Parade).  Thousands from all over California and beyond gathered for the weekend, doubling the population of sleepy Yuba City.

An estimated 75,000 people filled Tierra Buena and Butte House roads before the beginning of the parade, one of the largest annual gatherings of Sikhs anywhere outside Asia.[link]

We had mentioned before the float built by the Sikh Students Collaborative.  The Appeal Democrat, Yuba City’s own newspaper, made special note of the float that seemed to have attracted plenty of conversation and provided fruits for conversation:

More floats followed, from businesses, school ethnic clubs and charities such as the American Red Cross’ local chapter. Some floats had a political message, such as one from a group of Sikh college students that warned of oppression against Sikhs in their native India.

Two men stood on the float with their heads positioned inside nooses, while words read, “A community will never forget.”[link]

Along with the float, the first annual Yuba City Youth Lecture and Discussion was conducted.  Overall the weekend was a great success and too many of us are still exhausted.  Special thanks to ALL those SSAs that lent their support and especially ALL OF THE VOLUNTEERS that were out until 2am working on the float.  Another thanks has to go out to the Jakara Movement volunteers that came out and worked above and beyond the call of duty.  Truly when we work together, we are the movement.  Below the link, see some pictures from the float.

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