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.
Mobilizing the South Asian Community & Building Political Power
PARTNERS
SAFA is proud to partner with the following National Civic Engagement organizations on strategic community organizing initiatives.
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC TRAINING COMMITTEE (NDTC)
SAFA is proud to partner with National Democratic Training Committee (NDTC), the largest Democratic campaign training program in the country, which provides Democratic candidates, campaign staffers, and local leaders the tools, expert training, and resources needed to win.
Learn more about NDTC Here
Sign up for the upcoming free AAPI-specific trainings and events offered by NDTC in May:
Virtual Live Training: So You Want to Run for Office: Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month Edition
-
May 2nd, 1:00-2:00pm ET
-
Register HERE
-
Only 0.9% of elected leaders in the United States identify as Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI). Yet, the total number of AAPI folks in the U.S. is over six times this percentage and accounts for the country's fastest-growing demographic.
-
That's why this May, during AAPI Heritage Month, NDTC is hosting this special edition of our So You Want to Run for Office training geared towards prospective and early-stage AAPI candidates. With a focus on the unique challenges and opportunities for AAPI candidates, NDTC's expert trainer will cover the ins and outs of deciding to run and for what office. Whether you're already gearing up to run or have maybe only considered it, this training is for you!
Expert Q&A Panel: NDTC Expert Q&A: The AAPI Experience in Politics
-
May 18th, 1:00-2:00pm ET
-
Register HERE
-
May celebrates the achievements and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) throughout America. Despite historic strides in representation and leadership, the AAPI community still faces rampant racism, prejudice, and discrimination, making getting involved in politics even more challenging.
-
The first step in addressing these issues is listening to AAPI leaders themselves! This month’s NDTC Expert Q&A will bring together a stellar panel of AAPI individuals to share their own experiences navigating the world of Democratic politics as a member of their community. Panelists will share challenges, triumphs, and lessons learned from the campaign trail. With a focus on solutions to these ever-present obstacles for AAPI candidates, staff, and volunteers, this is an excellent opportunity to hear from community members and ask questions directly.
RUN FOR SOMETHING
SAFA is proud to partner with Run for Something, a National political organization dedicated to recruiting and supporting young progressive candidates to run for down-ballot office. Run for Something connects partner organizations with candidates who need help, leveraging their national scale for local races.
Learn more about Run for Something Here
Sign up for the upcoming free AAPI-specific event offered by Run for Something in May:
See Yourself Running: Asian American Candidates
-
Wednesday, May 3rd, 8 pm ET
-
Register HERE
-
A virtual events which will address the realities of running for office as an Asian American
![[Page-1] VoteRiders_Virginia_2021.pdf.jpeg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/dd376e_4594b06ff2624e82bab0a0ba2e9e9efd~mv2.jpeg/v1/fill/w_156,h_260,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/%5BPage-1%5D%20VoteRiders_Virginia_2021_pdf.jpeg)
![[Page-1] VoteRiders_NewJersey_2021_Rev.pdf.jpeg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/dd376e_37be28c76387491f8cb8a9bbb6220d99~mv2.jpeg/v1/fill/w_151,h_252,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/%5BPage-1%5D%20VoteRiders_NewJersey_2021_Rev_pdf.jpeg)
SISTER DISTRICT PROJECT
SAFA is proud to partner with Sister District Project on Phonebanks in Support of Democratic Nominees!
Join Sister District Project & SAFA on The First Thursday of Every Month from 5-7 pm ET to call Democratic Nominees in Virginia!
All Training & Resources will be provided once you join via Zoom! Sign Up HERE!
