Transparency with our most vulnerable moments can lead us to the courage we need to take charge of not only our individual destinies but also collectively participate in our community’s destiny.

— Meeta Kaur, a recent participant of the Sikh Coalition’s Sikh Presenters Course, reflects on her experience during the three-day workshop.  I attended this very same course and had the opportunity to meet Meeta and many other enthusiastic Sikhs from a variety of backgrounds who were looking to bring awareness of Sikhs and Sikhism to their communities – not in a missionary-type context, but to simply educate people on who we are and what we believe. 

Meeta’s quote is very significant, especially after I wrote about my own experiences of being bullied.  Like many of the other participants, my desire to help eliminate discrimination and ignorance of Sikhs and Sikhism and foster peaceful coexistence in our communities comes from a very personal place.