[ Reminder: SAJA is hosting an all-star panel webcast on Wednesday night, 10 pm-midnight; Thursday morning in Asia: http://www.sajaforum.org/2008/11/webcast-saja-briefing-politics.html ]
Within 40 minutes of Obama's victory, SAFO - South Asians for Obama - had already sent out a press release. It began:
For the past 21 months, South Asians for Obama (SAFO) has spearheaded a movement to rally the South Asian American community behind Senator Obama. SAFO's efforts to organize this increasingly politically active constituency not only helped secure Obama's groundbreaking victory, but also engaged a new generation of South Asians in the political process. SAFO's organization, which consisted of thousands of activated volunteers located in chapters across the country, worked to educate and register voters, raise contributions and engage in get-out-the vote efforts that contributed to unprecedented voter turnout, particularly in the key battleground states of Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Florida, which were critical to Obama's victory.
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11:42 pm
Contact: Hrishi Karthikeyan
Email: hrishi1[at]gmail.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SOUTH ASIANS FOR OBAMA RALLIES COMMUNITY TO ELECT OBAMA
Community Offers Unprecedented Support for Historic Presidential Bid
WASHINGTON, DC, November 4, 2008 – Senator Barack Obama made history tonight when he was elected as the 44th President of the United States of America. For the past 21 months, South Asians for Obama (SAFO) has spearheaded a movement to rally the South Asian American community behind Senator Obama. SAFO's efforts to organize this increasingly politically active constituency not only helped secure Obama's groundbreaking victory, but also engaged a new generation of South Asians in the political process. SAFO's organization, which consisted of thousands of activated volunteers located in chapters across the country, worked to educate and register voters, raise contributions and engage in get-out-the vote efforts that contributed to unprecedented voter turnout, particularly in the key battleground states of Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Florida, which were critical to Obama's victory.
"When we started SAFO, our twin goals were to mobilize the South Asian community to support Barack Obama for President, and to change the nature of our community's participation in the political process," said SAFO co-founder Dave Kumar. "We wanted to get beyond the old model of simply giving candidates money in search of a photo-op and actually build a grassroots network of volunteers nationwide. Aided by Senator Obama's inspirational message and the community's hunger for change, SAFO built the largest and most active grassroots South Asian American political network our community has seen." "In Senator Obama, we saw an opportunity to change not just the face of our policies, but the character of our politics. We thought it was critical for our community to participate actively in effecting such change," noted Hrishi Karthikeyan, SAFO co-founder and National Coordinator. Nicholas Rathod, SAFO co-founder and National Outreach Director, said, "With his now-famous line, 'We are the ones we've been waiting for,' Senator Obama evoked Mahatma Gandhi's message that we must be the change we wish to see in the world. But Senator Obama's campaign hasn't just borrowed Gandhi's message, it has also used the grassroots organizing principles used by Gandhi and others to build a campaign from the bottom-up."
As part of its nationwide efforts, SAFO has:
Built a network of dozens of coordinators in 17 chapters around the country
Raised over $250,000 from over 1,750 individual donors
Registered 3,500 new voters at South Asian events and neighborhoods
Reached over 10,000 voters through canvassing and door-to-door efforts
Made over 20,000 phone calls to voters
Karthikeyan said, "As a result of our grassroots efforts throughout the primary campaign, we were well-equipped to support the efforts of the campaign's Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Vote Team in conducting outreach to the community. By assembling a national team of organizers and volunteers, we employed the very principles of community organizing that Senator Obama has been espousing for the past 25 years." "This has been a truly amazing journey," added SAFO Media & Communications Director Anhoni Patel. "For the last year or so, hundreds of SAFO organizers have worked tirelessly on Senator Obama's campaign. We have not only forged lasting friendships and contributed to this historic moment, but we hope that the organization that we have built across this country will have a lasting effect on our community and how it engages in the political process for years to come."
About SAFO
South Asians for Obama (SAFO) is a grassroots movement created to mobilize the South Asian community in America to support Barack Obama for President of the United States in 2008. For more information, visit www.safo2008.com.
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For further information about this topic, or to schedule an interview, please contact Hrishi Karthikeyan at (646) 498-7731 or at hrishi1@gmail.com.
