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Office of Public Engagement Blog

  • The 540th Anniversary of the Birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji

    Posted by Darron P. Monteiro on November 20, 2009 at 6:02 PM EST

    On Friday we hosted a reception commemorating the 540th anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the first guru in Sikhism.  It was the first time that this holiday has ever been celebrated at the White House.  Members of the Sikh community from around the country were invited to celebrate the occasion with traditional hymns led by the Sikh Kirtani Chanters from the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India.  Several administration officials were in attendance, including Dr. John Holdren (Office of Science & Technology Policy), Tina Tchen (Office of Public Engagement), Michael Strautmanis (Chief of Staff to Valerie Jarrett), Adolfo Carrion (Urban Affairs), and Nancy Anne DeParle (Health Reform). 

    Representatives from the Sikh Council on Religion and Education, United Sikhs, and other grassroots leaders came together to recognize the important contributions of Sikhs to our national life.  The first Sikhs arrived as laborers in the western United States around 1899 and gradually moved around the country.  They went on to become owners of successful businesses, serve honorably in the U.S. military in both world wars and other conflicts, lawyers, doctors, bankers, and members of many other professions. 

    Sikh Leaders

    Photo Credit: Yvonne Miller

    Sikh Musicians

    Photo Credit: Yvonne Miller

    Sikh Gathering

    Photo Credit: Yvonne Miller

     

    Darron P. Monteiro is the Deputy Associate Director of the Office of Public Engagement

  • Day by Day, Law by Law, Mind by Changing Mind

    Posted by Brian Bond on October 23, 2009 at 3:53 PM EST

    "These ideals, when voiced by generations of citizens, are what made it possible for me to stand here today. These ideals are what made it possible for the people in this room to live freely and openly when for most of history that would have been inconceivable. That is the promise of America. That is the promise we are called to fulfill. And day by day, law by law, mind by changing mind, that is the promise we are fulfilling."
    – President Obama, HRC National Dinner, October 10, 2009

    I came to work in the White House because I thought I'd be able to change people's lives in real and tangible ways here.  I believed that President Barack Obama would not only be the type of leader who would bring about real change, but also that he would put in place a team of committed public servants across the federal government -- smart and gifted leaders, straight and gay, women and men, as diverse as America -- who would work tirelessly to improve the lives of all Americans, including the LGBT community.  And I haven’t been disappointed.

    I know many don’t think things are changing fast enough.  The President shares your urgency.  This month, speaking at the HRC National Dinner, he said "while progress may be taking longer than you’d like as a result of all that we face... do not doubt the direction we are heading and the destination we will reach." 

    While our long-term focus is on major legislative goals like repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell and DOMA, passing an employment non-discrimination act, and providing domestic partner benefits for federal employees, we are also working daily to find ways  to make life a little better and a little fairer for LGBT Americans.

    We saw this very clearly this week:  HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan announced a series of proposals to ensure that HUD’s core housing programs are open to all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity; he also commissioned the first-ever national study of discrimination against members of the LGBT community in the rental and sale of housing.

    On the same day, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced a plan to establish the nation’s first ever national resource center to assist communities across the country in their efforts to provide services and support for older LGBT Americans. 

    And just a few weeks ago, the Administration on Aging at HHS issued its first ever grant to an LGBT Aging Services Program through its Community Innovations for Aging in Place initiative to the LA Gay and Lesbian Community Center.

    Every day so many of us working in the Obama Administration ask:  How can we ensure that our time here makes the lives of LGBT Americans living across this country safer, fairer, and a little better?  We know how much work is ahead of us.  Some items will take longer than others.  But the shift since January is clear, and progress at every level will continue.

    Day by day, law by law, mind by changing mind.  That is the promise we are fulfilling.

    Brian Bond is Deputy Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement

    Learn more about Civil Rights

  • White House Engagement with the Native Hawaiian Community

    Posted by Kalpen Modi on September 1, 2009 at 1:42 PM EST

    Furthering the President's commitment to taking the administration beyond the beltway and making the White House more accessible to all Americans, the Office of Public Engagement reached more than 150 organizations that made up and attended the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement Convention this past week. We participated in numerous roundtables with community leaders and visited with members of the Native Hawaiian community.
    As the President said in his August 21st Proclamation recognizing the 50th Anniversary of Hawaii's statehood, "The Aloha Spirit of Hawaii offers hope and opportunity for all Americans. Growing up in Hawaii, I learned from its diversity how different cultures blend together into one population -- proud of their personal heritage and made stronger by their shared sense of community. Our youngest State, Hawaii faces many of the same challenges other States face throughout our country, and it represents the opportunity we all have to grow and learn from each other."
    Community center mural painted by the talented youth of Papakolea
    Community center mural painted by the talented youth of Papakolea.  Photo credit: Lilia Kapuniai, CNHA
    Among the 20 groups represented at a discussion session were folks from the Department of Hawaiian Homelands, The Kamehameha Schools, Native Hawaiian Bar Association, Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce, Punana Leo, Native Hawaiian Educational Council, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and Papa Ola Lokahi, (Native Hawaiian Health Care). Topics of conversation included a general briefing of each organization’s work in the areas of data, housing, renewable energy, business, education, and health care, as well as a discussion on ways in which the White House and community could work together as the administration moves forward with its priorities.
    The White House attended meetings and roundtables with community groups and officials from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Department of Commerce/SBA, at the 8th Annual Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement convention. Remarks were delivered at an afternoon session where the White House reiterated the President’s commitment to the core policy goals of S. 1011 and H.R. 2314 (The Administration is continuing to work with the Committee and sponsors as specific language relating to the bill further evolves),and discussed clean energy, education, the recovery act, and the current priority - health reform.
    Sign at Halau Ku Mana Public Charter School
    A sign at the Halau Ku Mana Public Charter School. Photo credit: Lilia Kapuniai, CNHA
    Since 2000 alone, average family premiums have increased by 56% in Hawaii, and with nearly 8% of the population of Hawaii living with diabetes, health reform was a topic on everyone’s mind. But with the rate of diabetes among the Native Hawaiian population at twice that of non-natives (and since diabetes is one of the many conditions that insurance companies can currently use to deny coverage to individuals), this frank discussion on the dire need for health reform was a crucial part of the afternoon. Health reform includes increased access for all Americans, including Native communities, and will prevent insurance companies from denying coverage based on health. It will also end discrimination that charges folks more if they’re ill or female, and will reduce costs for families, businesses, and government, all of which is good news for everyone.
    A meeting with the young leaders of the Native Hawaiian community followed the convention sessions. We were also warmly welcomed by folks at the Papakolea Community Center, who briefed us on the center’s rich history and broad scope of their mission, including health and human services programs, community activities, and afterschool programs.  The students, teachers, and administrators at the Halau Ku Mana Public Charter School welcomed us to their campus, briefed us on the Native Hawaiian comprehensive and holistic approach to education, and shared the Aloha spirit with us.
    Papakolea Community Center children’s recreation area
    Papakolea Community Center children’s recreation area. Photo credit: Lilia Kapuniai, CNHA
    Like the meetings, both site visits included discussions on the perseverance of the native Hawaiian people, challenges facing the Native Hawaiian community, and ways in which the White House might work with the community to find common solutions to our common challenges.
    Kalpen Modi is an Associate Director of the Office of Public Engagement

  • Presidential Messages on Independence of Pakistan and India

    Posted by Kalpen Modi on August 18, 2009 at 9:56 AM EST

    This past weekend, the President issued two Messages: one on the Independence of Pakistan, and the other on Indian Independence. The Messages discuss the shared history among freedom fighters in India, Pakistan, and the United States, and address the many ways in which Americans of Pakistani and Indian descent contribute to the mosaic of American life. Take a look below:
    INDIA INDEPENDENCE DAY
    MESSAGE
     
    As Indians stood ready to claim their own fate on August 15, 1947, Prime Minister Nehru declared that a "tryst with destiny," forged years ago, would finally be fulfilled. His words recalled a history of struggle and future filled with hope. Today, sixty-two years since this appraisal, his words still exemplify India’s ongoing journey as it strives to reach new heights.
    The history to which the Prime Minister alluded took root in a decades-long struggle for independence. In the 19th century, efforts to challenge aspects of colonial rule reached climaxes in the 1857 rebellion and the founding of the Indian National Congress. The struggle culminated in the civil disobedience movement led by Mahatma Gandhi, and the cause of independence achieved its goal when British rule ended peacefully. Praising Gandhi’s leadership of this movement, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. remarked, "if this age is to survive, it must follow the way of love and non-violence that he so nobly illustrated in his life."
     
    India has attained unprecedented milestones as its democracy has matured. Boasting a vast diversity of ethnicities and languages, India constitutes the largest democratic union the world has ever known. Indian politics have given voice to women and countless minorities, and have demonstrated that Indians stand unified in their commitment to human dignity. 
    Economically, India is also forging a new path. Fulfilling the promise of internationally-competitive institutes of higher education, Indian professionals are leading their nation into a new phase of growth. From Bangalore to Boston, Indian scientists, engineers, and thinkers are generating ideas and prosperity that improve and save lives across India and the globe. In Bollywood and Hollywood, Indians contribute to films that captivate audiences in every corner of the world. As the Indian economy continues along this promising road, millions are being lifted out of poverty and are carrying the hope for a brighter future.
    This vibrant and promising India has a natural friend in the United States. Our people are bound by common values and ideals, and Indian Americans contribute to all aspects of American life. Our fates are tied by the interconnected nature of our world and a shared vision of peace, prosperity, and respect for human rights. Marking Indian Independence Day, the United States and its people celebrate the realization of the vision Prime Minister Nehru described and the bright future it continues to portend for the people of India.
    PAKISTAN INDEPENDENCE DAY
    MESSAGE
     
    At the stroke of midnight on August 14, 1947, a new Nation emerged from the plateaus of Balochistan and the mountains of the North West Frontier Province. More than one hundred years after colonial rule had arrived, it departed. The Quaid-i-Azam would later explain, "The story of Pakistan, its struggle and its achievement, is the very story of great human ideals..." Over the course of its history, Pakistan has encountered and overcome great challenges, and Pakistanis have brought life to the great ideals that Muhammad Ali Jinnah described. 
    In the earliest days of the Independence Movement, Muslims, Hindus, and other religious groups banded together to turn back the yoke of British rule. In the early 20th century, many Muslims began to pursue a separate homeland for the subcontinent’s Muslims. This pursuit, lead by the Muslim League, ultimately pointed a people towards self-determination and, out of this effort, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan was born.
    Since its founding, Pakistan has changed a great deal, but its people still carry forward the proud traditions of their forbears. The unmistakable rhythm of the qawwali and melody of the ghazal reverberate and inspire audiences in Pakistan and across the globe. Pakistani artists and poets elucidate the human experience as they explore time-honored themes such as devotion and love. World-class cricket, field hockey, and polo players participate in regional and international competitions, impressing all those who witness their skill.
    The United States has been a friend to Pakistan over the course of much of this storied history, and the American and Pakistani people share deep ties and common aspirations. Americans and Pakistanis have both made sacrifices in the service of justice, democracy, opportunity, and the rule of law. Our Nation knows well the heritage of Pakistanis because of our own proud Pakistani American populations. Living in cities large and small, from the shores of New York to the sands of Hawaii, Pakistani Americans enrich our Nation’s diversity. Their professional contributions, family values, and religious traditions have strengthened our economy and enriched our culture.
    As Pakistan enters the next chapter in its history, the United States supports the great human ideals to which we both aspire. Our children deserve the opportunity to receive an education and to achieve their dreams. Our families deserve the right to live freely in peace, to practice their faith without fear of insecurity, and to enjoy respect for the full range of their human rights. Today, as we mark the proud birth of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the American people recognize our common future, and reaffirm our unyielding support for Pakistan’s democratic institutions and the Pakistani people.     Working together, we can ensure that Pakistan rises above its challenges just as it has so many times before.
    Kalpen Modi is Associate Director of the Office of Public Engagement
      

    Learn more about Foreign Policy

  • A "Fresh" Conversation on the Future of America's Cities and Metro Areas

    Posted by Adolfo Carrión, Jr. on August 4, 2009 at 12:15 PM EST

    President Obama has made smart investment and smart growth a top priority for his administration. Not for its own sake, but because the President believes that we ought to be investing in what’s good for America’s future. Last year the President said to the nation’s mayors at their annual conference, "we need to promote strong cities as the backbone of regional growth….we also need to stop seeing our cities as the problem and start seeing them as the solution…strong cities are the building blocks of strong regions, and strong regions are essential for a strong America…" This in a nutshell is why the Office of Urban Affairs was created. Our job is to advance a new federal vision that recognizes cities and metropolitan areas as dynamic engines for our economy, and develop federal policy built on these strengths.
    This task is far more urgent than ever before because for the first time in history, the majority of the world’s population lives in cities. By the middle of this century this figure will likely grow by 37 percent. In the United States, 83 percent of people and 85 percent of jobs are located in the nation’s 363 metro areas. Beyond the numbers, the overwhelming majority of the nation’s assets — airports, hospitals, universities, financial institutions, infrastructure, manufacturing plants — are concentrated in metropolitan regions and generate almost 90 percent of the nation’s economic production.
    Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative Innovators and Cabinet Secretaries participate in Town Hall event moderated by White House Office of Urban Affairs Director, Adolfo Carrion
    (Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative Innovators and Cabinet Secretaries participate in Town Hall event moderated by White House Office of Urban Affairs Director, Adolfo Carrion. Pictured from right to left: Carrion, Philadelphia Mayor Nutter, Secretary Locke of Commerce, Dep. Secretary Sims of HUD, Secretary Vilsack of Agriculture, Rep. Dwight Evans, Jeremy Nowak from the Reinvestment Fund, Lucinda Hudson from the Parkside Community Association, Jeff Brown from ShopRite, and Yael Lehman from the Food Trust. Photo Credit: Shasti Conrad.)
    The President has asked us to lead a conversation about what makes sense for the future of cities and metros, given the new realities we face. I’m thrilled that President Obama has asked us to take this conversation to the experts. The experts, of course, are the people in communities who have figured out how to rebuild neighborhoods, build businesses, educate their kids, make their communities safe, clean up the environment, or come up with the latest technological or scientific innovation, in spite of government. The President says that "Washington can’t solve all our problems…change in this country comes not from the top-down, but from the bottom up." President Obama believes that government should serve to support American ingenuity and creativity.
    In that spirit, we kicked off the National Conversation on the Future of America’s Cities and Metropolitan Areas on July 23rd in Philadelphia, PA. The tour takes the discussion of a new vision for urban America outside of the Beltway and into cities and metro areas that are working on innovative ideas and integrated solutions to address the challenges we face today. For example, in Philadelphia, we highlighted Pennsylvania’s Fresh Food Financing Initiative (FFFI), an effort that brings fresh food to underserved communities, both rural and urban – also known as "food deserts". The FFFI is a public-private partnership between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, The Reinvestment Fund, The Food Trust, and the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition, that provides a statewide grant and loan program for grocery store development. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and Deputy HUD Secretary Ron Sims traveled with us to learn more about the FFFI and the impact on communities across Pennsylvania.
    We toured Jeff Brown’s Parkside ShopRite supermarket in the Park West Town Center, where we witnessed the success of the FFFI in providing jobs, healthy food, economic benefit and uplifting the morale of this community. The first display we encountered was a beautiful spread of bright green peppers, squash and tomatoes grown by students from the local Martin Luther King High School. ShopRite partnered with the high school to sell produce grown by the students. The supermarket not only offers fresh produce, delectable store-baked sweet potato pie, and virtually every product that a family shopper could want, but it also boasts a well-trained professional workforce that lives in the surrounding neighborhood.
    ShopRite employee serves Town Hall audience members fresh food
    (ShopRite employee serves Town Hall audience members fresh food. Picture Credit: Shasti Conrad.)
    On our walk, Secretary Locke noted the importance and personal significance of this effort. As a kid who grew up in public housing and whose parents owned a grocery store, he knows that something as simple as a clean and welcoming place to purchase nutritious food for a reasonable price can change lives and transform a community. The ShopRite has not only provided that physical space, but has engendered business investment and affordable housing development in the surrounding Parkside community. Parkside Community Association President Lucinda Hudson asserted that before efforts like the FFFI, her neighborhood had been overlooked for far too long.
    Following the tour, more than 300 people from the community joined us for a conversation with Jeremy Nowak from The Reinvestment Fund, State Representative Dwight Evans, who provided the visionary leadership for FFFI, Jeff Brown, Lucinda Hudson, Yael Lehmann from the Food Trust, and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. We had a lively exchange among the panelists that spanned the inspiring local story of the ShopRite and the FFFI to the federal agencies’ current initiatives to lift communities in similar circumstances. We discussed the Department of Agriculture’s "Know your Farmer, Know your Food" program and Ron Sims explained Secretary Donovan’s commitment to put the "UD back in HUD," along with lots of questions from the audience and suggestions for ways the federal agencies could help to support urban innovations like this.
    The Philadelphia Conversation was a great start to the "National Conversation on the Future of America’s Cities and Metropolitan Areas." At each stop on the tour we will bring local innovators together with Obama Administration staff to discuss ways in which Washington can be a partner and catalyst for community-based solutions, instead of a bureaucratic obstacle. We look forward to the next stop and the opportunity to hear from people who are working every day to ensure that their cities and neighborhoods are places of opportunity.
    For questions or ideas for the Urban Tour, please feel free to send a message to urbanaffairs@who.eop.gov.
    Adolfo Carrión, Jr. is the Director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs and Deputy Assistant to the President
     

    Learn more about Urban Policy

  • AAPI Briefing

    Posted by Mika Rothman and Kalpen Modi on August 4, 2009 at 8:20 AM EST

    Last Thursday, the Office of Public Engagement brought over eighty interns from various organizations around Washington DC to the White House for a briefing on AAPIs (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) in public service. Just a few of the organizations represented included the Organization of Chinese Americans, Japanese American Citizens League, National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, Indian American Leadership Council, DC Mayor’s Office on Asian Pacific Islander Affairs, and the White House.
    The briefing featured leaders from the White House, Department of Defense, Department of Labor, Department of Commerce and the Department of Interior. Associate Director of the Office of Public Engagement Kalpen Modi introduced OPE Director Tina Tchen, who welcomed the attendees and outlined the role of OPE. They and the other speakers spoke about the importance of engagement and empowerment, lauding the participants for dedicating their summer to service and encouraging them to continue to serve throughout their lives, whether in the government or the non-profit sector. Each speaker also shared personal stories, specifically what led them to a career in public service, and described the day-to-day activities in their current role.
    (A panel of professionals discuss what led them to a career in public service at the AAPI briefing. July 30, 2009)
    Candace Chin, the Special Assistant to the Director of Presidential Personnel, chronicled her path to the White House; first interning and working in the House and Senate, working on the Obama campaign and now, having the opportunity to work in the Office of Presidential Personnel.
    Arun Chaudhary, the White House Videographer discussed his passion for politics from an early age. He ultimately decided to study and pursue a career in filmmaking, hoping to stay politically active through his films. But then he heard about a new presidential candidate with a "funny name" – Barack Obama – and decided to join the Obama campaign. And now, as the official White House videographer, Arun is able to combine filmmaking and politics at the highest level.
    Ben Chang, the Deputy Spokesman for the National Security Council, entertained the audience with stories of working in Central America and at the United Nations as a Foreign Service Officer, sharing anecdotes about being mistaken on more than one occasion for an Asian diplomat. He said that he never took these moments of "mistaken identity" personally. He added that a rewarding part of serving as a career diplomat who is Asian American is reflecting in a small way the diversity of this country and changing some people’s perception of what is the "face" of America.
    (Rachel Haltom-Irwin shares her experiences from working on the campaign and in the White House. July 30, 2009)
    Rachel Haltom-Irwin, Director of the White House Internship Program, spoke about her involvement in the Obama campaign and transition to public service before telling attendees about intern opportunities in the White House.
    Ray Rivera from the Department of Interior, Vicki Tung from the Department of Commerce, Gautam Raghavan from the Department of Defense, and Charmaine Manansala from the Department of Labor participated in a panel discussion about their respective agencies. Each panelist explained to the audience how they became active in public service, from interning for non-profit organizations to working on campaigns, and encouraged the participants to continue in the path of public service.
    Office of Public Engagement Deputy Director Buffy Wicks closed out the briefing with an invitation for attendees to participate in President Obama’s call to service. For more information, we invite you to join us as well. Go to http://www.serve.gov to get involved now.
    For more information on the Office of Public Engagement’s outreach efforts, you can email us at public@who.eop.gov