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Appendix II: Educational
Training in 2003
The Sikh Coalition has made extraordinary efforts to educate
the great American public, law enforcement and government officials
about Sikhism and Sikh practices so that the Sikh concerns may
be better understood by the public and policymakers.
In order to better apprise the public of our Education Program’s
efforts, below is a list of trainings conducted by the Sikh Coalition
in 2003. These trainings have been conducted before private institutions,
law enforcement, and at schools and universities. Selected training
programs involving community members with Coalition members are
listed below, training sessions conducted independently by community
members with Coalition materials are not referenced. With your support, the Coalition will be able
to expand its Education programs. For more information please
email education@sikhcoalition.org.
Secondary Educational Institutions
Paramus High School December 2003
Conducted educational workshops on Sikhs and Sikh practices for approximately two hundred students in Paramus, New Jersey. Will be conducting trainings on Sikhism to teachers at the high school in the coming months.
St. Paul Academy October 2003
Presented general overview of Sikhism and addressed questions regarding Sikh beliefs to class of students.
Suburban Chicago (IL and WI) School Systems 2002- 2003
Conducted presentation on Sikhs and workshops on diversity
Harvard University Multiple Dates
Presented a paper, “Sikh-Americans at the Intersection of Racial and Religious Bias” during a panel on Religion, Civic Engagement, and Racial Justice during Color Lines Conference at Harvard Law School. The event was organized by the Civil Rights Project at Harvard University. Spoke on Sikh concerns and challenges faced by the Sikh-American community in a post-9/11 environment at an inter-faculty luncheon organized by the Pluralism Project at the Harvard Faculty Club. Conducted a seminar on civil rights for students in March 2002.
Columbia University November 2003
Presented Sikhs civil rights concerns to students at University course on post-9/11 civil rights.
Ripon College November 2003
Presented Sikh thought and concerns to class of students at Ripon College in Ripon Wisconsin.
Dunwoody College October 2003
Presented general overview of Sikhism and addressed questions regarding Sikh beliefs to class of students.
Bellevue Community College October 2003
The Sikh Coalition participated in the Interfaith Diversity Fair at Bellevue Community College, in Bellevue, Washington. The Sikh Coalition conducted workshops h to discuss the stereotypes and misconceptions held about Sikhism and about having an honest dialogue to better understand each other.
William & Mary College June 2003
Conducted workshop on the Sikh faith to members of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity at the College of William & Mary.
School for Government and International Studies June 2003
Presented the Sikh faith to Dr. Dan Smith's World Religions seminar. The presentation included a discussion on present day challenges for Sikhs in North America.
Highline Community College May 2003
The Sikh Coalition and JACL conducted a workshop attended by about 100 students and faculty that focused on the experiences of the communities subjected to hate and prejudice in the early 1900s, to the Japanese experience in the 1940s and the experiences of the Sikh, the Muslim and the Arab communities after 9/11.
University of Oregon March 2003
Conducted presentation to about 400 students on how stereotypes and prejudice against Sikhs and on Sikh practices.
University of Washington January 2003
Trained approximately 150 teachers attending a conference on multi-ethnicity in our society about Sikhism and the challenges facing Sikh students and to work with Sikh students.
Private Institutions
and Organizations
Japanese Americans Citizens League
January-December, 2003
Conducted approximately
ten presentations along with JACL at teacher training workshops,
to students and at conferences on the experience of different
immigrant communities, including the Sikh community, in adapting
to American life. The focus is on fear and discrimination in
times of crisis and how this affects minority communities, including
the Sikh community. Two more presentations are planned for February.
Hate Free Zone Campaign of Washington
(HFZ)
November 2001 - Present
Conducted
over 25 educational workshops with HFZ in the Pacific Northwest
in different schools, colleges and other institutions. The presentations
have focused on experiences of Sikh Americans post 9/11 and dispelling
some of the stereotypes that people have associated with the Sikh
identity.
Asian Counseling
and Referral Service (ACRS)
January 2003 - Present
ACRS provides
multilingual and multicultural services to the members of the
Asian Pacific American community. The Coalition has worked with
ACRS on a variety of programs and presentations including a training
of all its employees about Sikhs and the Sikh identity.
South Asian American Leaders of Tomorrow
October
2001 to Present
Have appeared
on approximately 20 separate panels primarily in University settings
to discuss Sikh civil rights concerns at panels organized by South
Asian American Leaders of Tomorrow. Settings at which Coalition
has appeared on panels include: United States Congress, Georgetown University, Harvard University, Columbia University, University of Washington and University of California, Berkeley.
Wing Luke Asian Museum
(WLAM)
April 2003 Organized a special community forum
along with WLAM with support from about 30 more community organizations
called ‘Mistaken Identity’. The event discussed the essential
values of the Sikh faith and gave an in-depth presentation of
the history of Sikhs in North America from 1890s to the present day.
Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration
Services (formerly the INS) December
2003
Conducted
training on Sikhs and Sikh practices for more than two hundred
BCIS employees on separate who may interact or work with Sikh
immigrants in the performance of their employment functions.
Monmouth County Bias Crime Officer’s Association
December 2003
Conducted
training on Sikhs and Sikh practices for approximately seventy-five
bias crime detectives and police officers from New Jersey and New York who may encounter Sikhs while performing
policing duties.
Middlesex County
Prosecutor’s Office
November 2003
Conducted
training on Sikhs and Sikh practices for Middlesex County, New Jersey police officers and prosecutors who
interact with Sikhs in the performance of their employment functions.
New Jersey Attorney General’s Office
September
2003
Conducted
training on Sikhs and Sikh practices to New Jersey
civil rights officials who interact with Sikhs in the performance
of their employment functions.
Seattle Office of Civil Rights
June 2003
Worked with Seattle Office of Civil Rights to conduct a “CityTalks!”
event. “CityTalks!” are events are sponsored by the Seattle Personnel
Department and Office of Civil Rights in which city employees
are invited to a conversation about race and ethnicity in the
workplace. It is a facilitated dialogue consisting of small group
discussions led by trained facilitators. The Sikh Coalition was
invited to open a “CityTalks!” event and set the tone for a healthy
and mutually respectful dialogue on race and ethnicity.
United States
Department of Justice December 2002
New York City Police Department
Conducted
presentation at invitation of Community Relations Service of United
States Justice Department on Sikhs, Sikh practices and Sikh concerns
to New York City Police Department community relations officers
who regularly interact with Sikhs.
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