In order to better serve the community, we encourage you to contact us for information and welcome you to voice your opinions and ideas, and to participate in our mission against youth violence.

1. Mr. Balwant Sanghera (Chairperson) - balwant_sanghera@saccayv.com

   Balwant Sanghera is chair of the South Asian Community Coalition Against Youth Violence (SACCAYV). He has been actively involved, for many years,in the prevention of youth violence in the South Asian community. Mr.Sanghera retired as a School Psychologist in 2004 after serving in BC's public schools for 36 years. He is a tireless community activist.Over the years, Mr. Sanghera has served on various Boards including seven years as senator of Simon Fraser University and five years on the Langara College Board.He has received various honours and awards for his service to the comunity. These include the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal and the Order of British Columbia. Mr. Sanghera is a great role model for youth and adults alike.

   
   

2. Rubina Mudhar (Co-ordinator) - rubina_mudhar@saccayv.com

   
   

3. Gira Bhatt (Chair of Research Sub-Committee) - gira.bhatt@kwantlen.ca

   Born and raised in Mumbai, India, Dr. Gira Bhatt completed her MA in Clinical Psychology from the University of Bombay and received her second MA, and PhD from the Simon Fraser University in Social Psychology. Currently she is a faculty in the Applied Psychology degree program of Kwantlen Polytechnic University. While her research is focused on the issues of identity and acculturation, she remains actively involved with SACCAYV and other grass root organizations serving the South Asian community. As the chair of the research sub-committee of the SACCAYV, she is coordinating the effort of evidence-based examination of specific issues pertaining to South Asian community. She firmly believes that the academic institutions must extend to the community and work together with community partners to find culturally sensitive solutions to issues such as youth violence.

   
   

4. Indira Prahst (Chair of Media Sub-Committee) - indira_prahst@yahoo.com

   Indira Prahst is a full time faculty member in the Department of Sociology at Langara College. She is involved in research projects on deconstructing the glorification of gangs and domestic violence within the South Asian community. She has organized and moderated forums that allow young women and men to talk about the issue of domestic violence and gangs and has presented the subject in various academic settings and at the Premiers Congress. Indira won the award for outstanding woman in culture and arts from The Burns Bog Conservation Society 6th annual awards in 2007 recognizing outstanding women in BC. She is a recent recipient of the Langara College Leadership of Excellence award for her commitment to solution based explorations of community issues on domestic violence, gangs and racism. She is a special columnist for the “The Voice,” a local Indo-Canadian newspaper, contributes to radio programs and is one of the team hosts of “Asian Pulse TV.” Ms Prahst sits on various committees: Women’s Heath and Research Network, South Asian Network for Secularism and Democracy, South Asian Community Coalition Against Youth Violence and others.