DRUM – Desis Rising Up and Moving is a multigenerational, membership led organization of low-wage South Asian and Indo-Caribbean immigrant workers and youth in New York City.
Founded in 2000, DRUM has mobilized and built the leadership of thousands of low-income, South Asian and Indo-Caribbean immigrants to lead social and policy change that impacts their own lives – from immigrant rights to education reform, civil rights, and worker’s justice.
DRUM’s organizing model involves five core elements:
- Base building– Daily outreach in schools, workplaces, communities
- Leadership Development– Monthly workshops, trainings, and Leadership Institutes to build the skills of our members in policy change campaigns and social justice issues.
- Policy Campaigns– Running short and long term campaigns to reform policies at the city, state, federal, and international levels on issues ranging from immigration, civil rights, education, and labor rights.
- Alliance Building– Forging collaborations with diverse communities and sectors to build strong social justice movements for change.
- Institution Building– Building democratic and mass participatory spaces for people otherwise marginalized from shaping public policy