Together, we did it! Sikh Community Gains $25K

Together, we can do great things.  Together, we just did.

Chase Bank offered $25,000 in their Community Giving competition on Facebook.  During the month of November and December, when many of us were suppose to be busy at work or studying for finals, the community rallied together to find time to vote for the Jakara Movement.

With over 500,000 amazing nonprofits competing, it was with Guru’s Nadir (Grace) shining through the udham (efforts) of the community that we achieved Fateh (victory).  The Jakara Movement is well aware that this is not an organizational victory; it is the community’s victory and all earning will be in the benefit of the Qaum.

A special thanks to everyone that voted, to the entire Sikh Slate, to the entire community for supporting, to all the radio stations that made announcements, to all the FB groups that sent messages to their people, to Humble and Icky for the videos, and finally to all the unsung and nameless sevadaars that pushed their friends/family/(and even some randoms) to get out the vote.

Together, we really are the movement.

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa
Waheguru Ji Ke FATEH (victory)

Jakara Movement to host All-SSA Leadership Retreat

For 3 days and 2 nights, we will have the first ever All Sikh Students Association retreat with the Sikh Students Collaborative.  From December 28th-30th, 2009 all current or interested Sikh sevadars from EVERY Sikh collegiate group are invited to attend.

If your school currently does not have an SSA, please come and gain the resources, skills, and techniques to create one.

Workshops to include: Creating a Student Sangat, The Mission, Recruitment, Retention, Event Planning, Fundraising, Intra-SSA Collaborations, Going Beyond the “Same People”, Gurbani on Campus, Beyond Sikhs, and much more….

Be part of the inaugural Class of ‘09 with Certification.

We are also actively seeking the input from collegiate SSA alumni.  Your input is critical to make this a success.

Registration is up and available.  Reserve your spot today!

Global Truth: Jakara Events Around the World

Blogged by Sarina Kaur, Sweden.

Visions of Truth was held on November 14^th 2009 in Sweden and was a huge success.  Feedback from the sangat showed that the films, musical shorts, discussions, the 84 seconds of silence between each piece, the opening and closing ardaas, the candlelit vigil, and divaan impacted each person who had attended.

While everyone has a general understanding of what happened during 1984, the majority of people don’t have a grasp on how the issue is still impacting Punjab – with all the economic social and political violations of rights and lack of justice – today.  Many think that because these are events from 25 years ago, other issues are more important today.

Each one of us can make a difference in remembering the events and ensuring they are not repeated anywhere in the world.  Many of the movies we watched at this event shed light on this call to action and sense of urgency.  The revolution starts with me, and as Rubin Paul Singh said, “the eyes of 25,000 are looking down on me” and Jaswant Singh Khalra’s ‘”thats all you got?” or “don’t just learn how to take from the Guru but also learn how to fulfill the instructions given to you by your guru or if you cannot protect your own human rights, you will not be able to give the definition of the Khalsa to anyone in the world.”  These are the words that stuck in our mind.  During the discussion, it was asked – what will you contribute? What will you do? What are you good at and how can you use this to help the panth?  It was a start.  I hope that the Visions of Truth event left a footprint in each of the attending people’s hearts.

Thank you to the sangat in Sweden for your support!

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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Just Another Jakara Story – Kerman

I was first introduced to Jakara three years ago by Naindeep Singh and Simran Kaur. I live in the small town of Kerman and living in a small town has many disadvantages and you aren’t exposed to much of the events going on in other communities. I’d never even heard of Jakara until these two came to visit us. We recently had a Punjabi school open up in Kerman and these two had come to talk to us about Jakara and Jakara Kids’ Camps.

I was immediately interested in the movement and excited to become a part of it. I helped out at the Fresno Kid’s Camp a few times and recently we started our own regional camps in Kerman and I help coordinate those. We just had our third camp last week and it was a success. The kids love the camps and they learn a lot from them. It gets them interested in Sikhi and it motivates them to go out and learn more on their own.

The Jakara Movement has also helped me grow as a person. When I first became involved with the movement I was very shy but as I became more involved I learned to open up and in the process I also met many wonderful people. I’ve learned a lot in these past few years and I’ve really gotten in touch with my roots. I’m thankful for being introduced to Jakara and I’m even more thankful that a small town like Kerman has their own camps now because I feel that along with the big towns, we need to spread the camps to little towns as well. I’ve enjoyed being a part of Jakara for the past two years and I look forward to being a part of it in the future.

-Ramnit Kaur, Age 19, Kerman