(The event is FREE but seating is limited, please register to ensure attendance.
The recent spate of hate crimes and the political rhetoric targeting immigrants has given much cause for concern and fear in the South Asian community. A group of concerned citizens gathered under the leadership of the Indian American Forum for Political Education to address these concerns.
The event titled Colors of the Commonwealth will present a panel discussion featuring leaders from the political establishment and leaders from groups that have battled hate crimes in their own communities. The event is hosted in partnership with the MIT India program and is supported by several organizations including India Association of Greater Boston, India Society of Worcester, IIT Association of Greater New England, Saheli and others. The event will be held on May 6 at the Wong Auditorium, MIT at 1:30 pm.
The event features a panel discussion moderated by Dr. V. Kasturi Rangan, Professor of Marketing and co-chair of the Social Enterprise Initiative at Harvard Business School. Panelists have been drawn from the government and from groups that have had experience dealing with hate crimes. The stellar panel includes
* Commissioner William Evans - Boston Police Department
* Genevieve Nadeau - Chief, Civil Rights Division, Office of Attorney General of Massachusetts
* Kashif Syed - Community Outreach, Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center (ISBCC)
* Robert Trestan – Executive Director, New England Region Anti Defamation League(ADL)
Commissioner Evans and Ms Nadeau will address the issue of hate crimes from a law enforcement perspective and will share the actions that they take to prevent and persecute crimes. They can also answer questions on citizen rights. Kashif Syed and Robert Trestan from the ISBCC and ADL will share their experience on how they have been battling hate crimes. They will also provide tools and tips for communities from their own experiences on creating awareness about building bridges with other communities. Hate crime is an unfortunate reality in many communities and by uniting we believe we can present a unified approach to prevent hate crimes.
This is an opportunity for concerned citizens, including all segments of the South Asian community, to come together to share your experiences, learn from the panel and develop your community's coordinated response plan.
The event is FREE but seating is limited, please register to ensure attendance.
If you are part of an organization that would like to support this effort, please send an email to rhadvani@gmail.com.
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