What is ASAPA?

The Association of South Asian Political Activists is a student organization at the University of California, Berkeley. ASAPA provides a means by which students can discuss issues facing the South Asian community in the United States and abroad. ASAPA acts as a forum to initiate activity concerning social, political, and economic issues facing the South Asian community.

The issues that ASAPA addresses are meant to reflect the interests of its members. ASAPA welcomes a wide spectrum of political views, while attempting to balance competing political interests.

Past Campaigns

ASAPA’s past events include lectures and film screenings aimed at promoting discussion and debate on various topics relevant to the South Asian community. Some highlights include Dr. Stephen Cohen speaking on “India, Pakistan, and Kashmir in the 21st Century,” Dr. Priyavadan Patel on “Elections and Violence in Gujarat,” as well as prominent author Amitava Kumar discussing “Half-Faith, or a Writer’s Response to Fundamentalism.”

Our past screenings have included “Final Solution,” a 2003 documentary about the communal violence in Gujarat; followed by a Q&A with the director, Rakesh Sharma, as well as a screening of Santosh Sivan’s acclaimed Indian political drama, “The Terrorist.”

This semester we have raised funds for the devastating South Asia earthquake. ASAPA co-sponsored the South Asian earthquake relief benefit dinner; raising over $11,000 for victims of the disaster. In October we sponsored a talk by social justice activist, Shweta Narayan, on the environmental effects of the public health crisis caused by toxic poisons in Indian Industrial Estates. In November, ASAPA hosted Amit Srivastava of the India Resource Center and William Mendoza of Colombian union, Sinaltrainal, who spoke about the growing campaign to hold the Coca-Cola company accountable globally for human rights, environmental and labor abuses.

As of Fall 2006 ASAPA will also host the "Activism and Politics in the South Asian Community" DeCal.

Get Involved!

Visit us on the web: http://asapa.berkeley.edu/

Email us: asapaberkeley@gmail.com

Meetings: For information regarding meeting times, please contact Kiren or Aroma (asapaberkeley@gmail.com).