Community Conversation
with Farooq Mitha
NEHA DEWAN
Neha has long been active in both local and national politics. Most recently, she founded and served as the National Director for South Asians for Biden, an organization dedicated to engaging, educating, and mobilizing the South Asian community to elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. In 2016, Neha served as the National Co-Chair for South Asians for Hillary and was appointed by Hillary Clinton to the National AAPI Leadership Council.
Previously, in 2015, Neha was appointed as a guest of honor by the Consulate General of India in New York City where she was selected to speak about gender equality for International Women's Day. During the 2012 presidential campaign, Neha chaired the New York Chapter of South Asians for Obama and also served on the steering committee for Lawyers for Obama in New York. For several years, Neha served as an Officer of the New York Democratic Lawyers Council, an organization affiliated with the National Lawyers Council of the Democratic National Committee and comprised of Democratic lawyers and voting rights activists. Similarly, for many years, Neha served as an advisory board member of New Leaders Council, a national organization focused on training and supporting progressive political entrepreneurs. She has also been active in her local community board and political clubs. Neha served as the President of the South Asian Bar Association of New York in 2012, and now sits on the organization’s Board of Directors.
WELCOME
OUR MISSION
South Asians for America (SAFA) is a national, grassroots organization dedicated to the education, advocacy, engagement, and mobilization of the South Asian community in the United States at the local, state, and federal levels, by increasing the civic engagement, political participation, and network of South Asians.
OUR WORK
South Asians for America (SAFA) was launched in May 2021 to build South Asian political power and engagement in a strategic manner. Through a variety of committees and initiatives, SAFA aims to increase South Asian political engagement nationwide, to ensure that South Asian voices and issues are represented at all levels of government. These include:
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Providing community organizing tools & trainings, and voter education & mobilization resources to engage the South Asian community.
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Establishing partnerships with key national organizing groups, South Asian, API, and Communities of Color advocacy organizations to build political networks.
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Providing support and training to South Asian candidates running for office.
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Connecting with South Asian youth organizations to increase youth political engagement; and
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Providing political advocacy resources and tools to promote greater participation of South Asian community in political party structures and organizations at the state level.
SAFA TURNS ONE
South Asians for America (SAFA) is an idea that originated with the merger of two organizations, an original SAFA which was primarily an advocacy organization and South Asians for Biden (SAB), a grassroots organization which helped educate, engage and mobilize the South Asian Community to help elect President Biden in the 2020 General Election.
The new SAFA was launched in early 2021 to build on the momentum and energy of South Asian Community engagement nationwide during the General Election in 2020 and Georgia Senate Special Election in 2021 in a strategic manner, to increase the political power, networks and capital of South Asians in the United States.
COMMITTEES
POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT
& ADVOCACY
Provide guidance on navigating local, state and national Democratic Party structures, and facilitate networking with party leadership for grassroots engagement, job opportunities and advocacy
COMMUNITY ORGANIZING
TRAINING & CAMPAIGNS
Provide training in community organizing skills (phonebanking, textbanking, canvassing, postcard writing) & mobilize South Asian Democratic Community to engage in national, state, local & issue based campaigns
CANDIDATE RECRUITMENT
& TRAINING
Recruit South Asian Democrats interested in running for office at the local, state, and federal levels, and provide training and resources necessary to run a successful campaign
STRATEGIC
PARTNERSHIPS
Build strategic partnerships with organizations representing South Asian, AAPI & other communities of color nationwide to promote greater civic engagement & political power
YOUTH EDUCATION
& ENGAGEMENT
Build the next generation of leaders from within the South Asian community through mentorship and training, to encourage public service and promote diversity in government
OUR JOURNEY FROM SAB TO SAFA
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