Coffee, Conversation, and Community: Sunita Viswanath Meets Chicago Members and Supporters

On Saturday, November 8th, Hindus for Human Rights hosted Coffee & Conversation with Sunita Viswanath at Summer House Santa Monica in Chicago’s Lincoln Park. The gathering brought together local supporters, students, and community members for an informal morning of conversation over coffee.

The event created a relaxed space for people to meet Sunita Viswanath, Executive Director of Hindus for Human Rights, and to learn more about the organization’s work at the intersection of faith and justice. In attendance along with new friends were Rishab Chatty, HfHR’s Chicago chapter lead, Aminah Ahmed, HfHR’s earliest volunteer and former interfaith campus fellow, and Pushkar Sharma, founder of our partner organization SACRED, and board member of our new 501c4 organization Hindus for Human Rights Action.

We were also honored that Junaid Ahmed, Aminah’s father, who is running for Congress, stopped by to chat with us. Attendees exchanged reflections on their communities, the current crisis of immigrant rights and ICE raids in Chicago, and how to leverage the recent NYC win of progressive values in Chicago. The group also discussed the importance of dialogue across traditions, and how to build solidarity around human rights and equality. There was a commitment to building the Chicago chapter of HfHR.
Amid the cozy atmosphere of the café, participants engaged in thoughtful discussions and connected over shared commitments to compassion and justice.

Hindus for Human Rights thanks everyone who joined us for this Chicago gathering, and invites Chicago friends to help build our local chapter.