On November 7th, over one hundred Sikh students and parents from the Bay Area attended “Be Your Own Superhero”, an anti-bullying workshop at Milpitas Singh Sabha Gurudwara Sahib, California. During the workshop, U.K. Sikh artist J.S. Dhanjal from the United Kingdom promoted the exploration of creative outlets such as visual art. Joti Dhanjal’s art is inspired by Sikh history and Panjabi folklore–click here to view his online gallery. Sharing his experience of the workshop, Joti said, “The kids and parents had a great time and it was inspiring to see their creativity and response to the workshop.”
The workshop also included the following distinguished speakers:

Bob Nunez, Governing Board Member of the Milpitas Unified School District in Santa Clara county.
Vinny Walia, community advocate, public speaker, instructor of public speaking and debate workshops.
Harleen Kaur, founder of Kaur Films, producer and director of an inspirational film about young Sikh men and women called “Odd Couple”.

Followed by Joti’s session, Harleen Kaur’s film was screened for attendees. Children and parents received anti-bullying resources, and also had the opportunity to speak about their experiences with bullying. Upon hearing the children’s stories, guest speakers encouraged them to report their encounters with bullying, and provided them with the materials to do so.