WSC-AR Enews, December 2010
From "WSC-AR" <contact@worldsikhcouncil.org>Date Sat, 11 Dec 2010 22:07:06 -0500
If you are having trouble viewing this message, please go to http://communi ty.icontact.com/p/worldsikhcouncil/newsletters/wscar/posts/wsc-ar-enews-dec ember-2010 [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 To update/change your profile click here: http://app.icontact.com/icp/mmail-mprofile.pl?r=56760718&l=115693&s=Y SZJ&m=764746&c=341051 Forward to a friend: http://app.icontact.com/icp/core/message/forward?m=764746&s=56760718&c =YSZJ&cid=341051 Comment on this message in the iContact Community: http://community.icontact.com/p/worldsikhcouncil/newsletters/wscar/posts/ws c-ar-enews-december-2010#commentform Receive our messages as an RSS feed: http://community.icontact.com/p/worldsikhcouncil/newsletters/wscar/rss.xml? r=56760718&l=115693&s=YSZJ&m=764746&c=341051