Ten Year Celebrations

SAALT’s three-year strategic plan provides an overview of our direction in the years ahead.  We cannot move forward without your help. See below for our 10th anniversary initiatives.

• Make a contribution to SAALT         
  
• Join us for our 10th Anniversary events in Chicago, San Francisco, New York, and Washington, DC. See details below.

Upcoming Events

Washington, DC
January 27, 2011; 6:30 - 10 p.m.

An evening of music and inspiration with two internationally acclaimed performers:
  DJ Rekha and Suphala

Venue: Carnegie Institution for Science (Near Dupont Circle Metro)
Get your tickets now! $75 online until January 26; $100 at the door. Appetizers and wine included.

Partner organizations:

Forget the glitz and glamor of Hollywood, replace it with the warmth and comfort of friends, supporters and allies, and you have the perfect 10th anniversary celebration for SAALT! Attended by over 120 well-wishers, partners, friends and allies, SAALT's reception at the Cue Art Foundation in New York was an evening of recollection, hope and expectation for a bright future for the organization.

"Organizations such as yours can help [America] move forward, help us live together, help us understand that fear is not the way to go," said Farooq Kathwari, CEO, Ethan Allen Interiors; and, Commissioner, President Obama's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). "The strength of America is diversity... We should not forget it now," said Kathwari. Today, as an AAPI Commissioner, Kathwari and other members of the Commission have vowed to address some of the most important concerns facing AAPI communities. From civil rights concerns, including racial profiling and bullying, to finding economic opportunities for those in need.

Echoing Kathwari's message, Amardeep Singh, Director of Programs at the Sikh Coalition, and also a Commissioner of President Obama's AAPI Commission, spoke about how SAALT has helped raise the voices and concerns of South Asian communities. Singh pointed to the End Racial Profiling Act (ERPA), which initially did not include any mention of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). He said that SAALT brought organizations to the table and started the dialogue to include TSA into ERPA. Singh said,"It's a very good example of how a local group, with local issues got their voice heard on a national platform, included in national legislation that affects the whole country."

At a local level, SAALT, as the coordinating body for the National Coalition of South Asian Organizations (NCSO) has also taken on the responsibility of leadership, skills development and enhancement for partners, giving them opportunities to become stronger community organizers and advocates for change. Moumita Zaman, co-founder of Khadijah's Caravan, an NCSO partner, addressed the gathering: "We realize how rare an opportunity this is for Khadija's Caravan to have support from the very beginning, and to have such seasoned hands helping us make the move to be more manageable and effective, and willing to invest in our vision and make our work excellent.... That's what our communities deserve. They deserve excellence, and it isn't too much to say that SAALT models this for us."

Visit SAALT's Flickr page for pictures.

Kickoff Celebration in Chicago


On May 25th, SAALT kicked off a series of events to celebrate its 10th anniversary with an awards reception in Chicago. Held at the Mars Gallery in the West Loop, the event brought together community members, advocates, and allies from around Chicagoland to highlight the importance of SAALT's work in their communities.

From 2000 to Today

A decade ago, SAALT was created by volunteers who were focused on building leadership development programs for South Asian youth. September 11, 2001 marked a turning point for the organization; SAALT organized volunteers around the country to conduct outreach and advocacy to address the unprecedented backlash that faced community members.  By 2004, SAALT’s Board of Directors secured a significant grant which led the organization to open up an office in New York City and hire its first two staff members (Deepa Iyer begin_of_the_skype_highlighting     end_of_the_skype_highlighting, Executive Director, and Imrana Khera, Program Manager).

In 2005, SAALT moved its office to the Washington DC area, and has been here since.  Through the involvement of staff, volunteers, advisors and Board members over the years, the organization has evolved into a strong institution.  Today, six full-time staff members and consultants implement SAALT’s programs, while strengthening community-based partnerships with organizations around the country.

With years of experience in organizing and advocating for the community; creating a National Coalition of South Asian Organizations (NCSO); developing a national action agenda that is firmly rooted in the needs of our communities, SAALT has carved a national, responsive, and cohesive presence for the voices and experiences of the South Asian communities in America. (Read more about SAALT’s accomplishments here.)

Make a Contribution to SAALT’s 10 Year Anniversary Appeal Today.

Over the course of the next three years, SAALT will be engaging in three initiatives of significance for our communities. Your support for these initiatives will build leadership skills in community advocates and students, increase civic engagement, and ensure a voice at the table for our communities.

Leaders for Social Change:  SAALT is developing programs that will provide college students and young professionals with leadership skills and connections that they need to transform themselves into social change leaders.  Your contributions towards the Leaders for Social Change program will help us support twelve summer interns between 2010 and 2012; organize workshops and trainings on college campuses; and leadership seminars for young professionals.  Donate Today!

Be the Change: Every October, this national day of service brings thousands of people together for one purpose: to give back. In 2009, over 3,000 volunteers contributed 7,000 hours of service in over 70 cities and campuses around the country. On SAALT’s tenth anniversary, we would like your help to make Be the Change 2010 reach more communities across the country.  Your contribution will be directed towards expanding Be the Change 2010 to 100 cities and campuses.  Donate Today!

Ten Years Later Campaign: 2011 will mark the ten year anniversary of September 11, a watershed moment for America and the world.  South Asians have been deeply affected by the post 9/11 environment.  South Asian communities have borne the brunt of the backlash, and misguided discriminatory policies that fail to provide effective safeguards for national security. In order to document the post 9/11 impact on our community and to advocate with Congress and government agencies for policies that respect civil rights, the Ten Years Later campaign will mobilize communities, develop reports, and organize hearings around the country. Your contribution will be directed towards campaign efforts that reach community members, students, and policymakers.  Donate Today!

We need your help to achieve these goals.

Please make a tax deductible donation to SAALT today.

SAALT thanks Southwest Airlines for their support.