South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) is a national non-profit organization dedicated to fostering an environment in which all South Asians in America can participate fully in civic and political life, and have influence over policies that affect them. Approximately 2.7 million South Asians live in the United States, tracing their backgrounds to Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and the diaspora, including Trinidad/Tobago, Guyana, and Africa. SAALT works to achieve our mission through a social justice framework that incorporates the strategies of policy analysis and advocacy, community education, local capacity-building, and leadership development. Each of these strategies are linked to specific programs which you will find more information about on this website.
Community Members and Activists Gather for Regional Conference (NJ)
representatives of local organizations, young professionals, artists and elected officials.
Qudsia Raja, SAALT New Jersey Outreach Coordinator noted that "this conference offered South Asians from diverse backgrounds to come together to share information and identify ways to take action in order to build a stronger community here in New Jersey."
Participants attended informational panels on the 2010 Census, the immigration 
system and leadership development. They were also invited to build key skills in workshops focused on getting involved with local government and being campus activists.
Samir Pandya, a participant, shared, "My goal was to get a better idea of what issues are out here facing our community. This has only made me want to explore these issues more."
Vega Subramaniam, SAALT Director of Programs and Partnerships, observed that "providing a space for local organizations to connect with one another and to community members from around the state helps all of us to make changes that will significantly strengthen the New Jersey South Asian community."
The conference also included an awards reception to honor ChangeMakers in the region. The honorees included Govinda Rajan (R), President of the Elders Volunteer Service in East Brunswick, and Sheheryar Sardar, board member of the New York chapter of Council for the Advancement of Muslim Professionals. The evening's 
keynote was given by Gouri Sadhwani (L), Deputy Executive Director for Organizing, Membership and Campaigns at Amnesty International USA.
Participant Aneeza Agha summed up the experience by saying, "There is a lot of work being done in our community and it looks like there is a lot more to be done. So hopefully we can all continue to work towards that."
SAALT plans to convene follow-up discussions and actions in New Jersey over the following months. Please contact SAALT at saalt@saalt.org to become involved in the New Jersey SAALT Circle.