Valarie Kaur - a public speaker, celebrated film maker, an author and civil rights activist kept her audience of over 200 students, educators, and friends of Butler University spell-bound for about 90 minutes with her disarming style, concept of "Revolutionary Love," carefully weaving and anchoring with her Sikh upbringing, and brilliant and enchanting story-telling.
Valarie led our thoughts and spirit much like a seasoned ancient sage in a meditative walk-through to our deeper and sacred self. We saw a brilliant conductor with a refreshing voice calling us to a prayerful reflection, connecting and advancing our energies toward peacefully changing the cultural landscape, engaging, "forgiving to unburden but not forgetting" and being robust, responsible, and trusted partners in advancing the solemn commitments and promise of our democracy that must deliver justice and equality, and fairly benefit all Americans without divisions and distinction.
Throughout the presentation and the next morning's breakfast, Valarie exuded incredible warmth, compassion, understanding, and respect for all. Valarie sees "Revolutionary Love as a call of our time... Love is cultural consciousness ... Love is more than a thought and prayer. Love is sweet labor ... Love is the power to disrupt ... and suffer to serve," and to make things right. "Love is a way of being."
Valarie's visit and lecture at Butler University was made possible by the Butler Center for Faith & Vocation, Sikh Satsang of Indianapolis, Center for Interfaith Cooperation, and GRACE unlimited. Valarie Kaur, a practicing Sikh American with an enlightened vision and respect for all faiths, cultures, communities, and cherished values, is a rising star and a daring change-maker. Valarie was invited to give the Hoosier Heartland an overview and discuss her work, advocacy and success in her mission to enlarge national dialogue and to create an environment of inclusion and respect for all Americans.
Valarie's thoughts, vision, and experiences are beautifully expressed and illuminated in her book: "See No Stranger" which takes its title from a line in the Sikh Hymn: "Na Ko Barry, Nahian Bigaana, Suggul Sung Hum Ko Bun-Aaee: No one is my enemy and no one is a stranger to me. I get along with everyone and all."
A WORD ABOUT SIKH FAITH, TRADITION, AND COMMUNITY:
- The Sikh faith is the fifth largest and among the youngest (founded in 1469) major religions with an estimated 35 million followers worldwide; an estimated one million in the USA, around 12,000-15,000 in Indiana and 10,000 in Indianapolis. Sikh Americans serve in a diverse spectrum of professions and every walk of life.
- The Sikh religion was, and remains, an illumined and farsighted revolutionary movement from its birth and inception and rejected divisions of caste, creed, ethnicity, gender, origin, and advocated and embraced the equality, justice, and inalienable dignity and sacred rights for all fellow citizens and all people.
- Throughout history, the visionary and daring Sikhs made incredible sacrifices to uphold and in defense of those basic solemn and Divinely-mandated promise of humanity's oneness and respect for all faiths, cultures, traditions, and all people and Creation.
We are proud of Valarie Kaur as a respected voice among the new generation of Sikh American leaders and for sharing insights into her vision, advocacy, and initiatives in advancing those fundamentals at this time and place. It was a personal honor to be invited to introduce Valarie at her Butler University appearance.
~ Respectfully, Kanwal Prakash KP Singh (KP Singh Designs) - Indianapolis, Indiana USA - March (20-21) 2023
