Mobilizing the Sikh Community
Something remarkable has been happening over the past week. When an earthquake hit Haiti last week, individuals rallied together to raise awareness via facebook updates and email messages to raise funds and send aid to the devastated area.
In a similar way, the entire Sikh community came together this week to support two Sikh organizations who were competing in the $1 Million Chase Community Giving Campaign. Emails were sent out in support, facebook and twitter updates were constantly being posted, Sikhs were reaching out to each other and also to non-Sikhs to involve them in the process. The potential of building the first Sikh Museum in North America got the global Sikh community excited about the impact a group of committed people can have. Imagine a building dedicated to Sikh history, a place for future generations to pay homage to the deep and meaningful history of the Sikh Qaum. The point is, we no longer have to imagine these dreams. The possibility is real and if we, as a community, can mobilize – there isn’t anything we can’t do.
There is still time to VOTE. All it takes is one click on Facebook to support these initiatives and participate in one of the most notable mobilizations we’ve seen in our community. Voting ends in 24 hours – don’t delay, vote now!
VOTE for Jakara Movement: http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/674186
VOTE for Sikhcess: http://www.sikhcess.org/
I just voted! Such an easy way to help out.
http://www.gurunanakgurdwara.ca/2010/press-releas...
real mobilizing.. beyond just a few clicks and some PR for a big bank..
Agreed! This is great mobilization for such a good cause.
Mobilization comes in many forms – and i think it's all significant.
agree on the problematic nature of this being HUGE publicity for chase, hardly a company we should support: http://showdowninamerica.org/images/reports/JPMor...
it's complicated and i understand why the community and our organizations are getting behind this, but let's be conscious of who we're doing PR for and think critically about the bigger picture.
I think the Sikh community's participation in this event is a little problematic. I understand that it's sometimes difficult to fundraise when there is no perceived emergency, but being at the mercy of a bank is not really the way of the Khalsa. Furthermore, we don't know the source of the money. A fundraiser from the Sikh community, keeping in mind most (not all but most) Sikhs do earn an honest living, would bring in money from a more honourable source. The other problematic thing here is that none of the promotional website or literature by Jakara shows anybody having any experience in potentially running a museum or a shelter. Where is the plan or the platform? There is no advertised panel of experts or students of Sikh history or museum management. In the example of the womens shelter – nobody is profiled, interviewed or shown as having any educational, volunteer, or professional experience in victim support, counselling, psychiatry, etc. So doing a more credible campaign and fundraising within the community itself or from more honourable sources would be a better approach, in my humble opinion.
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa
Waheguru Ji Ke Fateh
Sonny – understood about the need to be critical in terms of funding opportunities, but the same exists for "corporate matching" programs and the like as well. Fortunately or unfortunately, many Sikh organizations, especially those in the United States, are seeking grants as avenues for funding.
A Singh – Also in agreement with many of your points. However, Chase Bank attached no strings to the funding; for them as Sonny stated, it was merely a PR initiative. Thus there was no question of being at 'mercy.'
With regards to expertise in running these events, the Jakara Movement was not trying to run these institutions, but to get them off the ground, to be used as a conduit for the community for this particular opportunity. From the website http://www.votesikh.com:
However, in the second round, the Jakara Movement is committed to go beyond itself as an organization and pledge the winnings to projects for the community. In this round, it is not about the Jakara Movement, but about creating important institutions for the Sikh community and its future!
The money was never to go to the organization, but to create 2 new nonprofits to use the money.
Only a month ago Singh, this opportunity became available. Although the community did not win this money, much more important has been the mobilization of thousands from all over the world around these projects and to begin discussion about them. This was the success of the campaign. I do hope that now the "real" work fo community fundraising and generating grassroots support in local communities will begin. In solidarity, best wishes, and Gur Fateh!