The idea of Jakara was born in the Spring of 1999 at the Sikh Renaissance Conference. A group of friends from Fresno attended the conference and while finding it informative, also found it lacking. The conference concentrated on theological underpinnings, but seemed dominated by adults without a genuine youth voice. At the end of each conference day, the friends got together and lingered over the strengths and weaknesses of the day’s events. We thought we could do a better job.
It was then during a lunch on January 1, 2000 that we resurrected the idea. Ideas for topics were written and venues discussed, however it would take a push from a critical supporter during spring break and her booking of the initial venues that launched the progress towards Jakara 2000. With help, a website was created and on June 22, 2000 we proclaimed our mission as “A call to the next generation of Sikhs from all places, backgrounds, and points of view to reflect on our past and prepare for our future.”
Although we have undergone many changes since Jakara 2000, years later we still hold true to our original declaration. We are no longer merely a conference, we have evolved into a movement. The Jakara Movement, born in 2005, is an institution for the recruitment and training of volunteers and a hub for the Sikh Californian youth. With a focus on the interstices of education, health, gender, and social justice, the Jakara Movement inclusively engages large sections of the Sikh youth in various projects to strengthen their identity and consciousness as Sikhs, foster education through service-learning, and inspire activism and volunteerism within the greater Qaum. Members of the Jakara family have helped organize a community radio station, camps for primary and secondary students, as well as community revival and educational forums.
However, we don't want to use this section to talk about what is our past history; rather we hope you join us and help us make future history for our community, by bringing together Sikhs in the spirit of seva, sangat, simran, shaheedi, and santokh. Together, we can do amazing things; together, we are the movement.
We are a 501(c)(3) Non–Profit Organization | EIN: 26–3225754