One Community United: A Campaign on Immigrant and Civil Rights

In June 2008, more than 30 community-based organizations around the country came together to announce the formation of the National Coalition of South Asian Organizations (NCSO). Members of the NCSO came together around shared progressive principles and social justice values. Since our formation a year ago, the Coalition has issued statements in response to current events, published joint opinion editorials about relevant issues and gathered for the 2009 National South Asian Summit that took place in Washington, DC in April 2009.

On the one-year anniversary of the formation of the Coalition, the members of the NCSO are proud to unveil a new campaign -One Community United: A Campaign for Immigrant and Civil Rights.

The One Community United campaign will raise awareness about the immigration challenges and civil rights violations that South Asians encounter; mobilize community members around these issues; and encourage policymakers to strengthen civil rights protections and reform immigration laws in a just and humane manner. Over the next year, broad changes in immigration and civil rights policies are expected. These opportunities highlight the need for South Asians to speak out about our community's experiences and mobilize towards policy change. As part of the campaign, members of the NCSO will be advocating with policymakers, conducting town halls around the country and sharing stories with the media.

One Community United kicked off with an inaugural town hall in Atlanta, GA co-sponsored by Coalition partners including Raksha and South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), on June 16. Town halls in New Jersey, Chicago, the Bay Area, and the Washington, DC area will occur over the next few months.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. Stay updated on the latest news and action alerts on immigrant and civil rights by signing up for the SAALT listserv at SAALT


2. Volunteer with NCSO partners in your city. Learn about the NCSO here.
   Join us for an One Community United town hall in your city. Town halls are planned for the Bay Area, Chicago, New Jersey and Washington DC. Stay tuned for dates. Don't see your city on the list?


3. Contact SAALT to explore bringing the One Community United campaign to your city at SAALT


4. Share your immigration story with SAALT by filling out this form or sending an email to SAALT.

Source: Press Release