Images: details from drawing by Pen-Tacular.
People
Let's Turn 'The Other' Into Our Brother
GIOVANNI RODRIGUEZ
A couple of years ago, I had the privilege of advising the Sikh American Legal Defense Fund (SALDEF) on a strategy for countering hate crime.
Sikhs, as many people now know, have been targeted for such crimes. What many people still do not know is that Sikhs have been targeted by some Americans who mistakenly believe that they are Muslim.
There are, therefore, at least two problems that need to be addressed: the hatred and violence itself -- inexcusable if committed against any group -- and ignorance about Sikhs in general.
Fact is, many communities in the US do not know each other, and could benefit by mixing -- meeting, talking, sharing a meal -- better and more often.
I was reminded of the Sikhs this Thanksgiving break when catching up with my friend and colleague Chris Heuer. A pioneer in social tech, and long-time advocate in cross-cultural meet-ups -- Chris spent the holiday launching an Indiegogo campaign to fund a new non-profit called Rysing Tyde. Among the organization’s objectives: to stage “Our Global Day of Giving Thanks,” a multi-location, citizen-organized event to be held next Thanksgiving.
As I told Chris, I think it’s about time for an experiment like this. And I mean that literally. With movements -- like comedy -- timing is everything.
First, the movement Chris is attempting to spark comes after at least ten years of experience helping to organize online/offline communities. Chris is the founder of Social Media Club, an educational community that at one point had more than 350 city chapters. But at the time, Chris says, the technology for helping to scale civic action “really wasn’t there.”
Chris recently developed a platform -- WillSomeone.com -- that’s “designed for communities working to get more things done.”
Emphasis on done.
The zeitgeist today is less talk and more action, and Chris is well attuned to that.
Second, the movement comes at a time when cross-cultural dialog is badly needed. In the year of Trump -- we are well past the summer -- the dangers of xenophobia are becoming ever more apparent, and it’s relieving to see someone designing a counter-narrative.
Over the next twelve months, Chris hopes to inspire leaders from different communities to open their churches, mosques, and synagogues for open, constructive dialog.
I noted that the Sikhs have a practice of opening their gurdwaras for meals to the public. There’s a precedent for this kind of cultural connecting, and Chris -- with tech -- hopes to scale it.
Third, by timing the actions to occur next Thanksgiving, Chris is not only giving his new organization the runway to get things going, but weaving in the counter-narrative into a larger American narrative.
Despite its disputed origins, Thanksgiving has evolved into perhaps our greatest secular holiday by bringing family together. It’s time perhaps to expand on our notion of family, and recognize that ‘the other’ is our brother.
The future of our nation might depend on it.
[Courtesy: Forbes. Edited for sikhchic.com]
December 1, 2015