New study outlines how Americans see Sikhism

A new comprehensive study of Sikhs in America, outlining how Americans perceive Sikhism and what the community needs to convey to effectively build positive awareness in America, is set to be released later this month.

The study giving facts, images, and stories of Sikhs in America, was conducted by noted pollster Geoff Garin, president of Peter D. Hart Research, who was the chief strategic advisor to Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign.

It will be published by the National Sikh Campaign (NSC) launched earlier this year to help promote the Sikh image in America.

NSC hopes to use this data to shape the Sikh community's communication strategy going forward, according to a media release.

"This study will help our community because we now know what we need to be communicating and whom we need to be communicating with to build awareness a" which is critical for a brighter, violence-free future in America,a¿ said Gurwin Singh Ahuja, co-founder and executive director of NSC.

"This future hinges on our ability to effectively tell our fellow citizens that our values are their values, that Sikh values are American values,a¿ he said.

The report outlines how Sikh Americans are currently viewed by their fellow Americans at large, the key targeted messages Sikhs need to communicate to the broader public to build maximum understanding of their faith and their identity, and the specific communities the Sikh community needs to communicate with to build relationships.

This thorough study is the result of a political style national polling methodology, including focus groups, according to Rajwant Singh, chairman of the Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE) and senior advisor to NSC.

The report will pave the way for NSC to begin larger advertisement and media collaborations with highly-regarded political consulting firm, AKPD a" founded by David Axelrod, one of President Barack Obama's main campaign strategists, the release said.

Since its launch, NSC has been networking with business leaders and Gurdwaras around the country to engage them to join this unprecedented campaign for Sikhs in America.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in) --