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Asif Saleh, Founder
Asif and DrishtipatFor the most part, many of us do not currently reside in the country where our parents or grandparents grew up in. However, on the news or through friends, we hear about the injustices that plague our motherland on a daily basis: political oppression, women not having rights, minorities being disregarded and the poor taken advantage of. All-in-all, we feel helpless that there is nothing we can do to help as "outsiders". Well, think again. At least, that's what Asif Saleh, 31, founder of Drishtipat did. Instead of sitting back and watching the injustices, Asif rounded up the best, brightest and most passionate of individuals worldwide in an effort to safeguard basic individual human rights in Bangladesh. This week we put the well-deserved spotlight on Drishtipat and the inspiring efforts of the team of human rights crusaders that make up this organization.
Non-Profit Name
Drishtipat
Founded
April 2001
Website
www.drishtipat.org
Name
Asif Saleh, Founder and Executive Director, 31
Hometown
Born and raised in Dhaka
Current residence
London, UK
Education
University of North Carolina, BS, Computer Science, 1997
NYU Stern School of Business, MBA, 2003
Current experience
Vice President of Equities Sales Trading Technology, Goldman Sachs
Ethnicity
Bangladeshi
About the organization
Drishtipat is a non-profit, non-political expatriate Bangladeshi organization committed to safeguarding every individual's basic democratic rights, including freedom of expression, and is opposed to any and all kinds of human rights abuses in Bangladesh. We are based in the United States, and have members in every part of the globe.
Drishtipat started in 2001 as a response to an increasing feeling of helplessness of not being able to do anything faced by expatriate Bangladeshis at the human rights violations in Bangladesh. The first project was started by me setting up a website for a disabled journalist who was losing his power to write. This project became a big success after sufficient money was raised to rehabilitate the journalist within two weeks.
Ever since then Drishtipat tries to mainly address issues of journalist oppression, women's rights, minority rights and social justice in all our projects. Drishtipat is for the most part composed of students and young professionals with a view towards presenting an objective and non-partisan picture on human rights issues.
Our target is to build and nurture a strong sense of cultural and nationalistic identity within the expatriate community through their involvement in action-oriented projects that directly improve the lives of the less fortunate in Bangladesh.
Drishtipat initiatives to build a community of compassionate, vigilant and proactive members include: the discussion forum, the opinionated "community blog", as well as invitation to guest columnists and interviews of activists and leaders of social change.
By capturing the hearts and minds of the young generation Bangladeshis, wherever they might reside in the global community, Drishtipat hopes to harness their collective innovative and technical skills towards social and economic improvement in Bangladesh – one step at a time. Currently we have almost 1,000 members worldwide and 6 local chapters in New York, Boston, Washington DC, Chicago, London and Canberra.
Most notable milestones
What’s the niche?
The “niche” for Drishtipat is to serve as a conduit for the expatriate and non-resident Bangladeshi diaspora community by leveraging internet to connect to their roots and to matters of importance at the ground in Bangladesh. Awareness and action are the two main mottos of the organization. For that we heavilly use the internet to
create portal sites on topics of interest,
discussion forums,
blogs,
guest columnists write up ,
profiling global changemakers etc.
We bring stories of unheard voices – the inspirational stories of their struggles and survival – to a global audience.
What’s in store for the future?
We are starting up an internship project involving 2nd generation Bangladeshi Americans from summer of 2006. A selected group of individuals after a rigorous application process will go to Bangladesh for a 10 week project with a local Bangladeshi organization in the area of human rights, media and development sector. This project will be deepen the involvement of the diaspora youth with Bangladeshi issues and also show Bangladesh from a different angle where they can be able to make very substantial difference with their new ideas and new approach. Move away from individual donations to getting grants and hire a paid staff.
Who would you like to be contacted by?
We would like to be contacted by any organizations or individuals who are interested in the human rights related issues in Bangladesh and also by anyone who has a innovative idea in addressing an old problem by leveraging technology.
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Guiding principle in life
Everyone can make a difference. All it takes is a little bit of empathy and initiative. Once someone realizes their true potential for inacting a change, the gratification that comes of making that difference makes it impossible to turn back and go back to business as usual.
Measure of success
Making a difference in people’s lives and using one’s position, power and education to speak for the less fortunate ones.
Goal yet to be achieved
Work for Drishtipat full time and be able to support myself at the same time.
Best practical advice
Thinking about it won't produce results, doing it will.
Supportive words from a family member or friend on your venture
"Its always so good to see that people are not just comfortable in their own success. Rather working towards using their success to promote causes that would otherwise remain unaddressed."
Mentor
Afsan Chowdhury, a Bangladeshi writer, journalist, historian and activist, who has dedicated his life for the cause of humanity.
What motivated you to get started?
As we read the news from home, we get sad, we get angry, we get depressed. There are times we feel the urge to step up and to do something about it. This was one such moment when we thought why not give it a try...that's how we started Drishtipat. Drishtipat is formed as an Internet based activist organization of the expatriate Bangladeshis for providing assistance to the victims of human rights violation in Bangladesh. The mission of Drishtipat is to be very proactive in creating a mass awareness in Bangladeshi community, causing a pressure on the authorities and to provide logistic support to help and/or rehabilitate the victims of a specific case of human rights abuse Also seeing the lack of communication between the diverse diaspora South Asian community and the natives in enacting changes made me think that there is a room for an organization here.
What keeps you motivated?
When I go to Bangladesh every year and meet some of these people we have helped, I always get blown away seeing that what we did in our spare time actually changed their lives forever. Also they don’t look at expatriates as people who don’t walk the walk and just do the talk. They see us as doers.
The biggest kick is seeing other people believing your dreams and working for it. The sharing of the vision by a wider audience is the biggest motivating factor.
“As we read the news from home, we get sad, we get angry, we get depressed. There are times we feel the urge to step up and to do something about it.” Like best about what you do
Apart from the gratification aspect, I love the networking aspect of the organization. Through this, I have found and met so many like minded people, that its scary. I have friends spread all around the world.
Like least about what you do
Because we expand mainly via internet, all our meetings are on the phone or on the internet. I don’t like the fact that I don’t get to interact face to face. As a result, motivating them becomes a bit difficult sometimes.
Three characteristics that describe you
People oriented, compassionate and lively.
At age 10, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I always wanted to be a journalist. At age 10, instead of the serious kind, I was more interested being the kind of journalist that chases celebrities and writes gossip about them.
Biggest pastime outside of work
Cricket is my other passion. I also do like to write on my observations on life and enjoy reading political blogs.
Person most interested in meeting and why?
Shashi Tharoor, a great writer and a very successful career diplomat (the undersecretary general of UN). I would like to ask him how he has been able to juggle all and be successful in wearing all the different hats that he wears.
Leader in business most interested in meeting and why?
Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, – purely to learn the art of leading and learn how to think differently.
Three interesting facts about yourself
My articles get regularly printed in Newspapers.
I can talk to anyone from any background for hours (At 3 am in the morning last week, I spoke to cab driver for two hours and chatted).
I was a trained musician once.
Three greatest passions
Films, cricket and politics.
Favorite Book
Unheard Voices by Harsh Mander.
Favorite Cause (outside of yours)
Working on environmental issues.
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