WSC-AR Enews, December 2010

["WSC-AR" <contact@worldsikhcouncil.org>]

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[1]World Sikh Council - America Region (WSC-AR)

>P.O. Box 3635, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA

>Phone: 972.985.9591

>Fax: 888-398-1875

>E-mail: [2]contact@worldsikhcouncil.org

>Web: [3]www.worldsikhcouncil.org

>[4]

>WSC-AR Enews
>December 2010

>In this Issue (click on article to go to it)

1. 2010 National Sikh Convention - A Resounding Success

2. Participation in White House International Interreligious 
Consultation
3. Generations of Faith ? An Interreligious Encounter
4. Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence
5. Kuldeep Singh Elected to CPWR Board

6. State of Formation: A New Forum of Emerging Leaders

1. 2010 National Sikh Convention - A Resounding Success

Representatives of Sikh Gurdwaras and organizations from across the 
US gath ered
for a National Sikh Convention held from October 22 to 24 in New 
Jersey.  ?At
this national convention the Sikh American community, in addition to 
making  the
work of WSC-AR more effective, committed itself to developing an 
internatio nal
Sikh representative structure by assisting in the creation of national
representative organizations in other countries as well as working 
towards a
?connectional church? hierarchy for Sikh Gurdwaras in the US to avoid
unnecessary litigation,? said Dr. Satpal Singh, Chairperson of 
WSC-AR. US  Sikh
Gurdwaras (which are managed by Sikh community) and other US Sikh 
organizat ions
that respect the Sikh Rehat Maryada (Sikh Code of Conduct) were 
invited to  send
one delegate each to the National Sikh Convention. Representatives of 
Sikh
Gurdwaras and organizations from New York to California and Wisconsin 
to Te xas
attended the convention.  More information on the convention is
at [5]sikhconvention.org.

>Back to index

2. Participation in White House International Interreligious 
Consultation

WSC-AR participated in a Multi-Stakeholder Roundtable to Advance
Multi-religious Cooperation for Peace, Development, and Shared 
Security hel d at
the White House in October. WSC-AR?s invited representative, Dr. 
Tarunjit
Singh, attended the meeting with all the Kakkars intact. During the 
meeting  it
was publicly announced that this was the first time in recent history 
that  an
Amritdhari Sikh representative attending a White House event was 
permitted  to
carry all Kakkars intact by the US Secret Service.  Following the 
White Hou se
event, a dinner reception was held at the Royal Embassy of Saudi 
Arabia. The
gathering was organized by Religions for Peace in partnership with 
the White
House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

>Back to index

3. Generations of Faith ? An Interreligious Encounter

Three representatives of WSC-AR participated in a unique 
intergenerational
interreligious encounter held in November at the Pope John Paul II 
Cultural
Center in Washington, DC. The gathering included representatives from 
Catho lic,
Sikh, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu faith traditions. The Sikh
representatives included Dr. Manohar Singh, WSC-AR Executive 
Committee memb er,
as well as Mr. Savraj Singh and Mr. Anhad Singh, Sikh young adults 
who have
been active in Sikh-Catholic dialogue. A highlight of the meeting was 
the
closing public panel discussion titled ?Passing the Torch of 
Interreligio us
Dialogue: Experiences of the Past and Hopes for the Future? at which 
Dr.
Manohar Singh addressed the gathering. During the panel discussion 
Felix
Machado, Archbishop of Visai, India, read the Vatican?s letter to the 
Sikh
community congratulating it for the first time on the Prakash Divas 
(birth
anniversary) of Siri Guru Nanak Sahib, the founder of the Sikh Faith, 
which  was
observed on November 21. The meeting was organized by the Secretariat 
for
Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the United States Conference 
of
Catholic Bishops.

>Back to index

>4. Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence

>[6]

Building up on the tremendous success of Faiths United Against Tobacco
campaign, WSC-AR has joined the Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence 
(FUPG V)
coalition to work towards reducing death and injury from gunfire, 
working to
keep guns out of the hands of dangerous persons, encouraging efforts 
to pre vent
and reduce gun violence, and supporting new technologies to help law
enforcement more effectively trace crime guns and supporting 
development of
safety features to childproof guns. National religious organizations 
endors ing
FUPGV include National Council of Churches, Islamic Society of North 
Americ a,
Union for Reform Judaism, Unitarian Universalist Association, and the 
World
Sikh Council ? America Region. More information on FUPGV can be 
accessed
[7]here.

>Back to index

>5. Kuldeep Singh Elected to CPWR Board

[8]The Board of Trustees of the Council for a Parliament of the 
World's
Religions (CPWR) at its last meeting appointed Mr. Kuldeep Singh to 
its Boa rd.
Mr. Kuldeep Singh is the founding past Chairperson of WSC-AR and is 
current ly
the President of the Sikh Youth Association of North America. He was a
highlighted Sikh speaker at the Parliament of the World?s Religions 
held  in
December 2009 in Melbourne, Australia. He joins Mrs. Ginny Kaur and 
Dr.
Tarunjit Singh as Sikh trustees of CPWR. More information on CPWR can 
be
accessed [9]here.

>Back to index

6. State of Formation: A New Forum of Emerging Leaders

[10]Current discourse on religion and ethics is primarily defined by
established leaders?ministers, rabbis, academics and journalists. 
There i s an
entire population of important stakeholders without a platform: the
up-and-comers. To remedy this, the Journal of Inter-Religious 
Dialogue (JIR D),
Hebrew College, Andover Newton Theological School, and the Council 
for a
Parliament of the World?s Religions (CPWR) have joined forces to 
create S tate
of Formation, a forum for up-and-coming religious thinkers to draw 
upon the
learning that is occurring in their academic and community work, 
reflect on  the
pressing questions of a religiously pluralistic society, and 
challenge exis ting
religious assumptions. State of Formation is a community conversation 
betwe en
leaders in formation. Together, a cohort of seminarians, rabbinical 
student s,
graduate students, activists and the like?the future religious and 
moral
leaders of tomorrow?are working to redefine the ethical discourse 
today.
Writers for State of Formation will demonstrate candor and respect, 
and Sta te
of Formation?s content will reflect the diversity of budding 
religious and
ethical leadership in America and the particular learning that only 
occurs  in
religious and philosophical education. Above all, its contributors 
will add ress
the pressing ethical issues of our pluralistic world. WSC-AR 
representatives
serve on the board of JIRD and CPWR. Click [11]here to visit State of
Formation.

>Back to index

>About WSC-AR

The [12]World Sikh Council - America Region (WSC-AR) is a 
representative and
elected body of Sikh Gurdwaras and institutions in the United States. 
Its
members include 45 Gurdwaras (Sikh places of worship) and other Sikh
institutions, across the nation. WSC-AR works to promote Sikh 
interests at  the
national and international level focusing on issues of advocacy, 
education,  and
well-being of humankind.

>Member Gurdwaras of WSC-AR

1. Pacific Coast Khalsa Diwan Society, Stockton, CA
2. Gurdwara Sahib Fremont, Fremont, CA
3. Guru Nanak Sikh Mission, Livingston, CA
4. Sikh Gurdwara of LA, North Hollywood, CA
5. Sikh Gurdwara Riverside, Riverside, CA
6. Colorado Singh Sabha, Denver, CO
7. Guru Singh Sabha of Augusta, Augusta, GA
8. Sikh Study Circle of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
9. Sikh Religious Society of Chicago, Palatine, IL
10. Sikh Society of South, New Orleans, LA
11. New England Sikh Study Circle, Boston, MA
12. Singh Sabha of Michigan, Canton, MI
13. Sikh Gurdwara of Michigan, Rochester Hills, MI
14. Sikh Society of Michigan, Madison Heights, MI
15. Guru Nanak Foundation of Jackson, MS
16. Sikh Gurdwara of North Carolina, Durham, NC
17. Sikh Sabha of Upper Valley, Hanover, NH
18. Garden State Sikh Association, Bridgewater, NJ
19. Guru Nanak Sikh Society of Delaware Valley, Sewell, NJ
20. Siri Guru Singh Sabha, Glenrock, NJ
21. Sikh Sabha of New Jersey, Lawrenceville, NJ
22. Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh, Las Vegas, NV
23. Sikh Cultural Society Inc., Richmond Hills, NY
24. Sikh Cultural & Edu. Society of Western NY, Buffalo, NY
25. Sikh Religious Society of Dayton, Dayton, OH
26. Guru Nanak Found. of Greater Cleveland, Richfield, OH
27. Guru Gobind Singh Sikh Society, Bedford, OH
28. Guru Nanak Religious Soc. of Central Ohio, Columbus, OH
29. Sikh Sadh Sangat, Easton, PA
30. Philadelphia Sikh Society, Millbourne, PA
31. Tristate Sikh Cultural Society, Monroeville, PA
32. Mid South Sikh Sabha, Memphis, TN
33. Sikh Center of Gulf Coast, Houston, TX
34. Siri Guru Singh Sabha, Richardson, TX
35. Sikh Gurdwara of North Texas, Garland, TX
36. Singh Sabha Gurdwara, Fairfax, VA
37. Sikh Association of Central Virginia, VA
38. Sikh Religious Society of Wisconsin, Brookfield, WI

>Other Sikh Institution Members of WSC-AR

>1. Siri Guru Granth Sahib Found., Anaheim, CA
>2. Sikhs Serving America, Topeka, KS
>3. Sikh Youth Federation of North America, White Plains, NY
>4. Sikh Heritage Foundation, Long Island, NY
>5. Sikh Educational & Religious Foundation, Dublin, OH
>6. Sikh Youth Federation of USA, Toledo, OH
>7. Academy of Guru Granth Studies, Arlington, TX

>References

>1. http://www.worldsikhcouncil.org/
>2. mailto:contact@worldsikhcouncil.org
>3. http://www.worldsikhcouncil.org/
>4. http://www.worldsikhcouncil.org/
>5. http://sikhconvention.org/
>6. http://www.bradycenter.org/advocates/godnotguns
>7. http://www.bradycenter.org/advocates/godnotguns
>8. http://www.parliamentofreligions.org/
>9. http://www.parliamentofreligions.org/
>10. 
>http://www.stateofformation.org/?utm_source=Parliament+Newsletter&utm
> _campaign=9fe5d8bbdc-Newsletter_Beta_10&utm_medium=email
>11. 
>http://www.stateofformation.org/?utm_source=Parliament+Newsletter&utm
> _campaign=9fe5d8bbdc-Newsletter_Beta_10&utm_medium=email
>12. http://www.worldsikhcouncil.org/
>This message was sent by: World Sikh Council - America Region, POB 
>3635, Co lumbus, OH 43210

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