What we can for future

Elevate 2020, the annual conference of the deliberates on community

BY HASVEEN CHAHAL

The realities of the changing composition of the Sikh community in Australia, most of whom are migrants working in structurally declining industries, has provoked a group of young Sikh professionals to think about how best to serve the migrant community.

iven this desire to serve the community, “Sangat (community) of the Future” was the aptly chosen theme for the Young Sikh Professionals Network (YSPN) annual conference, Elevate 2020, held on 22 February in Melbourne. The purpose of this annual conference is to inspire young Sikhs and to collaborate on solutions to some of the most pressing issues affecting their community. The conference, attended by 120 delegates from across Australia and New Zealand, featured some of the most eminent Indian leaders from the region who canvassed their career successes and spoke on the broadened scope of sewa (selfless service) to create a more visible community.

In the report Economic Impact of Sikhs prepared by YSPN for Elevate 2019, an analysis of data from the last three census findings revealed that Sikhs are the fastest growing ethnic minority in Australia. Between 2006 and 2016, the Sikh community experienced 404% growth, with a current population of 125,000 people. However, a deeper look into this data shows that there is a disproportionately high representation of Sikhs in structurally declining industries due to factors such as rapid automation. This risks forming a divided community with an underclass of less-skilled migrants, a disengaged middle and an upper-class elite. Against this backdrop, YSPN challenged the delegates to take ownership of these issues to help shape the ‘Sangat,’ or community, of the future. Delegates learnt from the success stories of eminent Sikh leaders from political, health, business and entrepreneurial backgrounds. Dhruv Deepak Saxena, Director of Riverina Oils and Bio-Energy, captivated the audience in his keynote speech as he spoke about overcoming the struggles of building credibility during his career as an Indian immigrant. Mr Saxena called for the audience to strive for a future where the Western world recognises more than lone figures of success such as Ajay Banga and Sundar Pichai as representatives of the Indian community. Rather, he expressed the dire need for the Indian diaspora to band together to create collective success, which will bolster the credibility of the entire community.

In the panel discussion ‘Igniting the Dormant Potential of Migrants’ speakers Amit Singh (Senior Advisor for Alpha Beta), Mandeep Sodhi (founder of Hash Ching) and Shamila opalan, CEO of Herwit discussed the inherent desire for every person to be seen and to be heard. The insight gained here was that the established community can and must support new migrants in navigating their new environment. s opalan s female perspective was particularly inspiring as