South Asia community
As our city continues to grow and develop, Calgary has welcomed people from South Asia communities and invited them to make a home for themselves and their families as Calgarians. The South Asia liaison officer interacts with citizens that have cultural roots in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives.
Community involvement
The South Asia Police Advisory Board (SAPAB) is a community-focused partnership of committed representatives and service providers with the Calgary Police Service, creating awareness around issues affecting Calgary’s South Asia communities and promoting a healthy environment.
The South Asia community liaison is involved in several events and groups, including:
- Dashmesh Culture Centre, celebrating Nagar Kirtan
- Indian Society of Calgary, celebrating Utsav: Ganesh Chaturthi and Festival of India
- Indian Independence Day
- Diwali celebrations
- Eid celebrations
- Pakistan Independence Day
Values
It is hard to discuss the people of South Asia without recognizing the importance of religion and language. South Asia religions include, but are not limited to, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Islam. South Asia features more than 1,600 different languages, the most common being Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, Gujarati, Sindhi, Tamil, Bengali, Farsi and Pashto.
Calgarians whose cultural roots are South Asian have a broad range of customs and cultural practices. Many have experienced conflict stemming from prejudice. The liaison officer serves these communities by helping new Canadians adjust to the police and law in Canada and increasing cultural awareness among Calgary Police Service members.
South Asia Police Advisory Board
Vision: build trustworthy relationships between the South Asia communities and the police to make Calgary safe, inclusive, equitable and tolerant.
Mission: the South Asia Police Advisory Board is a volunteer community collaborative that provides a reciprocal opportunity to learn about police resources and discuss culturally appropriate solutions to safety issues facing Calgary’s South Asia communities.
Values: the behaviours that are expected of members when they engage between themselves and other partners:
- Accountability: demonstrate professional excellence and high-ethical standards by being dedicated and responsible for our work.
- Inclusion: create a safe place to express and embrace diverse perspectives.
- Respect: respond and treat all with respect through dignity, fairness and integrity.
- Transparency: strive to enhance the community’s confidence through honesty and openness.
- Trust: foster a healthy environment that promotes teamwork and collaboration.
The South Asia Police Advisory Board is committed to:
- Responding and treating all with respect through dignity, fairness and admiration.
- Demonstrating professional excellence by being dedicated, transparent and accountable in our work.
- Establishing an environment of trust by creating a safe place to express your opinions and views.
- Upholding the highest ethical standards and strive to enhance the community’s confidence through being honest, sincere and transparent.
- Being non-judgmental by accepting diverse perspectives and views.
- The safety of the community.
- Fostering a healthy environment that promotes teamwork and learning innovations.
- Community diversity by respecting and embracing differences.
The South Asia liaison officer provides a vital link between police and South Asian communities with the goal of enhancing communication. The officer also meets with community members to learn more about their religion, customs and culture. The South Asia liaison officer actively participates in cultural events and celebrations.
Email the liaison for the South Asia community.
Email the co-chairs of the South Asia Police Advisory Board: