Calling Sikh American College Students! What we do in the 100 days after the tragedy in Oak Creek can define the future of our community and country for the next 20 years. Together, we can combat hate. Let's Organize. Join the Call on Sept. 6th 6:30pm EST / 3:30pm PST
Starting this fall, Sikh American students have an opportunity to continue that leadership on college campuses. Do you want to bring Sikh films and speakers to your campus? Would you like to help lead interfaith "seva" or service projects? Do you want to become a liaison between you gurdwara and campus? Or do you have a bright bold idea of your own? We want you to take a leadership role in President Obama's Interfaith Campus Challenge and the Interfaith Youth Core's Better Together Campaign. The Interfaith Youth Core, in partnership with Groundswell, will be hosting a special conference call for Sikh American college students on September 6, 2012 at 6:30pm EST / 5:30pm CST / 3:30pm PST. Register for the call. |
The President’s Interfaith and Community Service Advancing Interfaith Cooperation and Community Service in Higher Education Download Video: mp4 (17MB) | mp3 (2MB) |
Since his inauguration, President Obama has emphasized interfaith cooperation and community service – “interfaith service” for short – as an important way to build understanding between different communities and contribute to the common good. Interfaith service involves people from different religious and non-religious backgrounds tackling community challenges together – for example, Protestants and Catholics, Hindus and Jews, and Muslims and non-believers -- building a Habitat for Humanity house together. Interfaith service impacts specific community challenges, from homelessness to mentoring to the environment, while building social capital and civility. American colleges, community colleges, and universities have often been at the forefront of solving our nation’s greatest challenges. In response to the first year of the President’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge, this year over 250 institutions of higher education are making the vision for interfaith cooperation and community service a reality on campuses across the country. The White House invites all institutions of higher education to join this powerful movement for the coming year. For regular updates on this program including program deadlines, information on our Summer Convening July 9th-10th, a list of participating institutions, and documents for participants please visit the Department of Education’s initiative page: www.ed.gov/EdPartners This initiative is led by the White House and is supported by the Department of Education and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). For questions and more information, please contact: [email protected] Read more at our blog. |
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How Your Campus Can Respond to Oak Creek You can combat hate and build community through the power of storytelling and service. Organize a film screening and dialogue on your campus, and follow up with a year-long service project with your local Sikh community. Here's how: 1. Host a Film Screening and Dialogue on Your CampusStorytelling is the most powerful way to generate empathy, dialogue and introspection. Host one of these films on your campus. Organize a panel of Sikh American students on your campus or invite a speaker to lead a Q&A with the audience after the screening. Pass out brochures on the Sikh faith to your audience. (You can request these brochures, in any quantity and free of charge here: [email protected]).
We also encourage you to check out Dastaar: Defending Sikh Identity, a short documentary film available for free on the web. Peruse our archive for more films, reports, dialogue guides and sample programs, and links to organizations with resources designed to combat hate and build community.
2. Start a Seva (Service) Project With Your Sikh CommunityInvite Sikh American students on campus into a leadership role and ask them to steward a relationship between a local Sikh gurdwara (houses of worship) and your campus. Reach out to your local Sikh community and invite them to join you in a year-long seva (service) project. The Sikh community holds seva - or selfless service - as a central practice. For example, every Sikh gurdwara (house of worship) serves langar, or an open and free community meal. Brainstorm your seva project together. Here are some ideas!
You can organize a film screening and dialogue, followed by a year-long service project, as part of President Obama's Interfaith Campus Challenge or Interfaith Youth Core's Better Together Campaign. If you need help connecting with these initiatives, or if you have questions or ideas, please contact us at [email protected]. |
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Inspired Courtesy:
Valerie Kaur