dayofremembrance.org

As a part of this year's Day of Remembrance program, taking place on Saturday, February 17th, Samina F. Sundas, executive director of American Muslim Voice, will be receiving the Clifford I. Uyeda Peace and Humanitarian Award. The Bay Area Day of Remembrance Consortium will present the award to her at its annual commemoration of the World War II internment of Japanese Americans - its lessons and legacy, especially in the current post-9/11 era -- as America finds itself in the midst of another war.

In addition to a program of cultural presentations, films and candle lighting ceremony, the 2007 Clifford I, Uyeda Peace and Humanitarian Award will be presented to Samina F. Sundas by the Consortium in recognition of her courageous leadership and personal dedication to the principles of peace and social justice, particularly in the post 9/11 period.

Ms. Sundas' advocacy on behalf of Muslim, Arab and South Asian Americans and others targeted as "the enemy" following 9/11, and her heart-felt efforts to promote friendship and mutual respect among diverse communities are deeply appreciated by the Consortium. The proud mother of two young adults, Misbah and Saqib, Ms. Sundas, is the founding executive director of the American Muslim Voice, and co-founder of Fear To Friendship, a group dedicated to promoting cross-cultural friendship and education following 9/11. She is also the founder of the "Global Peace Partners," a partnership between American Muslim Voice, Global Peace Partners and Peace Alliance.

American Muslim Voice was established in July 2003 as a grassroots, nonviolent, inclusive, civil, immigrant and human rights organization building alliances and genuine partnerships with like-minded groups and individuals to protect and preserve civil liberties and constitutional rights for ALL. Its goal is to bridge the gap between all communities and unite us all under the umbrella of our common humanity.

History of the Clifford Uyeda Award

The award was established three years ago by the Bay Area Day of Remembrance Consortium, to remember the legacy of the late Clifford I. Uyeda, a longtime civil rights and human rights leader whose life championed the civil and human rights of Japanese Americans, Chinese Americans, and others.

As the president of the National Japanese American Citizens League during the 1980s, Uyeda provided critical leadership in campaign to educate the nation about the World War II internment of over 120,000 persons of Japanese Americans; and worked for an official apology and the passage of redress and reparations bills in Congress.

As a founder of the National Japanese American Historical Society, Uyeda spearheaded a number of educational and advocacy projects regarding the history of Japanese Americans and their contributions to American democracy. Looking beyond the boundaries of ethnicity and race, Uyeda courageously spoke out and acted upon a variety of social justice and human rights issues, including Japan's war crimes in China, Korea and other nations during World War II.

He was a co-founder and co-chair of the Rape of Nanking Redress Coalition and continued to do education and advocacy on this and other issues throughout his life. The first recipient of the Award was Congressman Mike Honda in 2005; the second, Art Shibayama, Japanese Latin American redress activist, in 2006.