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SOUTH
ASIAN COMMUNITY-BASED GROUPS ANNOUNCE BROAD POLICY AND ACTION AGENDA
Diverse
Groups Articulate Shared Principles, Form National Coalition
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South Asian community organizations from 12 regions throughout the
United States announced the formation of a National Coalition of
South Asian Organizations (NCSO) in June 2008. The newly formed
coalition also released a detailed action and policy
agenda focused on nine key issue areas affecting local South
Asian American communities, including immigration, gender equity,
and access to services. Coalition partners provide services to,
advocate on behalf of, or organize individuals from Bangladesh,
India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the diaspora. The Coalition
also serves and represents individuals of diverse faiths including
Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs.
Coalition
partners range from member-led organizations, social service providers,
and volunteer collectives that focus on a wide variety of issues
such as mental health, domestic violence, racial and religious profiling,
and housing and economic development. Their constituents and members
include low-wage workers, youth, and LGBTIQ individuals. Some of
the groups were established decades ago, while others were formed
in the past 5 years.
This
diverse group of partners has come together with a clear purpose:
to ensure that the experiences of South Asian communities and the
issues that they face are addressed in local, state, and national
arenas. Coalition partners have identified nine key issue areas
in A National Action Agenda, a collaborative policy
platform that sets forth recommendations for decision-makers and
community members. The National Action Agenda sets forth the need
for linguistically and culturally appropriate services for South
Asians, the importance of detailed and disaggregated data about
South Asian communities, and a call for comprehensive immigration
reform, among other recommendations.
The
Coalition partners also intend to enhance their own work through
skills-building trainings and information sharing about effective
practices and models being used around the country. Next steps for
the Coalition will include community and policymaker briefings,
as well as capacity-building trainings and resource sharing among
partner groups. The Coalition is currently being coordinated by
South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), a national non-profit
organization in the DC Metro Area.
The
Coalition's launch is the result of a multi-year process that has
included regional dialogues and partnerships, a national convening
in 2007, organizational needs assessments, and the articulation
of shared social justice principles. The Coalition builds upon the
vibrant tradition of collaborative initiatives, partnerships, and
networks that have long empowered South Asian communities in the
United States, and plans to expand its membership over the next
six months.
WHAT
ARE THE OBJECTIVES OF THE NATIONAL COALITION?
The National Coalition is a vehicle and forum through which community-based
organizations can enhance their individual work and develop collective
partnerships in order to bring about social change. The National
Coalition will develop the strength of the community's voice in
social change movements at the local and national levels.
The objectives of the National Coalition include:
-
To support the growth, visibility, and strength of community-based
South Asian organizations;
- To
exchange information, resources and expertise that can deepen
and expand the impact of our work by identifying intersections
and points of commonality;
- To
raise awareness among community members, the general public, policymakers,
media, grant makers, and other stakeholders about the needs and
issues facing South Asians in the United States;
- To
deepen and broaden our work by learning about various strategies
such as community organizing, advocacy, social service provision,
and coalition-building;
- To
identify and implement strategies that will advance progressive
policy change at the local, state, and national levels; and
- To
strengthen the civic and political voices of the South Asian community
nationwide.
A
NATIONAL ACTION AGENDA
A National Action Agenda: Policy Recommendations to Empower South
Asian Communities in the United States sets forth issues affecting
the South Asian community and provides recommendations for policymakers,
community-based organizations, stakeholders, allies, media, and
the general public. A National Action Agenda is a product of the
National Coalition of South Asian Organizations, a network of organizations
across the country that are rooted in social justice values and
that empower South Asian communities through social service provision,
organizing, advocacy and community education.
Read
A National Action Agenda [PDF]
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