The idea of Jakara was born in the Spring of 1999 at the Sikh Renaissance Conference. A group of friends from Fresno attended the conference and while finding it informative, also found it lacking. The conference concentrated on theological underpinnings, but seemed dominated by adults without a genuine youth voice. At the end of each conference day, the friends got together and lingered over the strengths and weaknesses of the day's events. We thought we could do a better job.
It was then during a lunch on January 1, 2000 that we resurrected the idea. Ideas for topics were written and venues discussed, however it would take a push from a critical supporter during spring break and her booking of the initial venues that launched the progress towards Jakara 2000. With help, a website was created and on June 22, 2000 we proclaimed our mission as “A call to the next generation of Sikhs from all places, backgrounds, and points of view to reflect on our past and prepare for our future.”
Although we have undergone many changes since Jakara 2000, years later we still hold true to our original declaration. Jakara has evolved into an annual Sikh Conference where students, putting aside all divisions that fracture the community come together to share their experiences in a comfortable democratic atmosphere. Along with the annual conference, members of the Jakara family have helped organize a community radio station, camps for primary and secondary students, as well as community revival and educational forums.
What makes the Jakara Movement so unique is that we attempt to create a grassroots conference run exclusively by students addressing both our social and religious concerns. The purpose differs from many other traditional Sikh camps and conferences. Constructive criticism has helped us define our goals and intent over the years. In the Panthic Reht Maryada, two operant levels are described – individual and corporate responsibilities. A number of institutions address the individual responsibilities with various levels of success. However, we felt that few address the corporate responsibilities.
What are the corporate responsibilities of the Sikh Qaum? We do not claim to have the answers, but are trying to provide a forum where these ideas can be discussed and entertained. The corporate responsibilities involve the pursuit of justice, liberty, freedom, fraternity, and equality (to only name a few). Jakara does not seek to enforce some type of personal puritanism, but rather focus on issues that deal with the Qaum as a whole. We know the problems; it is now time to find the solutions. As the next generation of Sikhs, we are the inheritors of the Sikh tradition and we will determine its future - Jakara is your chance to have your voice heard.
