On May 18, the Indian American Impact Project hosted their 2022 Summit: Dream With Ambition, in Washington DC, which was a historic gathering of South Asian philanthropists, community leaders, celebrities, organizers and elected officials. SAPHA was honored to be a partnering organization for this event.
The Summit consisted of a congressional panel, with morning breakout sessions discussing policy and advocacy surrounding the global climate crisis, civil and voting rights, educational equity, and healthcare access and equity.
SAPHA was invited to moderate the healthcare access and equity panel for the morning breakout session. The panelists consisted of South Asian public health experts, including Dr. Kavita Patel, Physician and former Director of Policy for the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement in the White House; Dr. Meena Seshamani , Director of the Center for Medicare and Kishan Putta, Communications and Community Outreach Specialist for DC Link. The panelists addressed timely topics such as the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic, and the South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act. There were engaging discussions on the need for data disaggregation to get a better understanding of the diverse and dynamic health needs of the South Asian community. Conversations also highlighted the need for ensuring that those making policies surrounding healthcare access actively engage and consider the needs of the South Asian communities, especially those who are the most vulnerable and disadvantaged. Overall the panel was a great success and SAPHA is delighted to have been invited to moderate.
The lunch program had distinguished panelists who work in federal policy, including Neera Tanden, White House Staff Secretary who spoke about their experiences/challenges/barriers as South Asian women working on the hill, and activist and actress Richa Moorjani speaking about climate change. Mid-day training sessions discussed the importance of combating misinformation, mobilizing our communities to vote, and being the change. The afternoon breakout sessions focused on the various constituencies within the South Asian communities, including the youth and LGBTQ+ and highlighted the importance of pan South Asian mobilization and unity.
The Summit closed with a panel on inclusive immigration and spoke of the need for amplifying our collective stories and voices to promote unity in order to develop a more equitable, safer and prosperous country for all. The various panel discussions throughout the day were incredibly thought provoking and engaging and we look forward to future events!
