For the past twelve years, Jakara Movement has hosted annual conferences to educate, enlighten and inspire youth from all over the world to become activists and revolutionaries with the aim of making a positive change in the Sikh community. Lalkaar 2011 was no different. The theme was Kaur Voices: Exalt, Express, Empower. This title itself could have been daunting, intimidating; but 150 young men and women ventured out to Sacramento, CA this past weekend to learn and to discuss Kaur issues, Kaur struggles, Kaur victories, and Kaur strength.
Photo Courtesy of: Jakara Movement
The conference began with discussing case studies in groups of about ten people. Topics of the studies ranged from the caste system to rape to domestic violence – issues that are often overlooked and ignored, but whose awareness and eventual elimination are critical to the well being of our Sikh community. Some were shocked by the scenarios presented – all real situations that have happened to men and women in the Sikh community. Others were used to hearing about these issues and were seeking avenues for change and for justice. This want for change and for progress led to the second workshop – brainstorming concrete ideas to combat issues that Sikh women face in our community. Each group came up with strong, doable ideas – creating a Sikh Women’s Day, strengthening Khalsa School education with Sikh women history, establishing hotlines for Sikh women in need – and the list goes on. It is with the inspiration from this conference and the willpower of individual activists to turn these ideas into realities.
After a day of intense discussion, everyone headed over to Howe Park to relax, get some BBQ and play a little football. But the activities didn’t even end there. Bowling and laser tag were next. And let me tell you, 150 Sikhs at a bowling alley, fueled with the ice cream bar Jakara sevadars had put together, got crazy — the fun, exciting, bonding with each other kind of crazy.
The second and last day of the conference was about introspection – individuals evaluating themselves to assess where they stand as a Sikh woman or as a Sikh man. The day began with Gurbani translation. Here is a line from the vaar by Bhai Gurdas that each group translated:
San Van Vaarhee Khaytu Iku Paraoupakaaru Vikaaru Janaavai.
Hemp and cotton grow in the same field but the use of one is benevolent while the other one is put to evil use.
Photo Courtesy of: Jakara Movement
This obviously a rough translation, but essentially Waheguru equips us with gifts, with materials, with minds, with hearts – these all come from the same “field,” so to say. However, it is up to us to use those for good or for bad, for positive change or for maintaining status quo. Lalkaar means a calling. We use what Waheguru has blessed us with to answer that calling.
The last workshop was about the Kaur and Singh Code. We split up into groups by gender. Our goal was to come up with codes of conduct that would uphold our self-respect, self-esteem, and our love for Sikhi itself. This was all about empowering ourselves and encouraging ourselves to actually be the people we aspire to be.
The conference concluded with a banquet. The entertainment was a milieu of the raw talent that conference participants had kept hidden all weekend. Some sang, some danced, some did spoken word. It was a blatant display of the diversity that our Sikh youth has to offer.
If we could put our talents together, toward a cause greater than ourselves, the things we could achieve are indescribable. We could answer our Lalkaar. So to my fellow Lalkaar 2011 participants and those who attended in spirit, I say this – do not forget the sense of inspiration and motivation that this conference found within you; take that and do something, make your ideas a reality, and never stop thinking bigger and bolder. After all, we are the movement.
To see more photos from the conference, please click here.
xoxoLongHairedBeauty
5 Comments »