The Sikh Coalition Newsletter

Justice for All - The e-Newsletter
Harh 10, 534 NanakShahi
June 23, 2003
Volume 22

AAI, SAALT and the Sikh Coalition Host EEOC Community Forum

The Sikh Coalition, Arab American Institute (AAI), and South Asian American Leaders of Tomorrow (SAALT) have organized the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to meet with members of the Sikh, Muslim and South Asian communities in a workshop to discuss how to prevent, recognize and respond to employment discrimination. This forum is an excellent opportunity for business owners, managers, employees and community leaders to interact with EEOC community liasons and build relationships to help ensure individual and community interests.

When: Wednesday July 9th, 7-8:30pm
Where: Mason District Government Center, 6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale, Virginia

For more information contact narinder.singh@sikhcoalition.org or visit www.sikhcoalition.org/EventsEEOC.asp

Coalition Presents at the Governor's School

Speaking at the Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies, the Sikh Coalition gave a guest lecture on the Sikh faith to Dr. Dan Smith's World Religions seminar. The lecture included a discussion of the history and theological underpinnings of the Sikh faith as well as the current challenges facing Sikhs in North America.

Coalition Screens "Raising Our Voices" at University of Virginia

The Sikh Coalition, along with a representative from South Asian American Leaders of Tomorrow (SAALT), screened the hate-crimes documentary, "Raising Our Voices: South Asians Address Hate." The ROV documentary features interviews with victims, advocates, and law enforcement officials involved in incidents of hate against South Asians, including a Sikh gentleman beaten with a spiked baseball bat on September 11th. The screening and subsequent discussion period was arranged by the South Asian Leadership Society (SALS) at the University of Virginia.

For more information on the ROV Campaign please see http://www.saalt.org/rov.htm#ROV or contact us at info@sikhcoalition.org to arrange for a screening in your community.

Coalition Presents on the Sikh Faith at Interfaith Council of Greater Richmond

The Sikh Coalition joined sangat representatives from the Sikh Association of Central Virginia (SACVI) Gurdwara to present the Sikh faith to members of the Interfaith Council of Greater Richmond. The Interfaith Council was expanded in 1991 to include representatives from the Sikh faith, but recognizes the continued need to educate its members about the various world religions in its membership. The program included formal presentations as well as a discussion session with the audience.

For more information on the Interfaith Council of Greater Richmond, please see http://www.icgr.org/. To arrange for a presentation on the Sikh faith in your community, school, or workplace, please contact us at education@sikhcoalition.org

Coalition Presents on the Sikh Faith at College of William & Mary in Virginia

The Sikh Coalition presented the Sikh faith to members of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity at the College of William & Mary. As part of a continued educational outreach program, the Coalition provided general information on the Sikh faith through audio-video presentation, interactive discussions, and printed materials.

Sikh Coalition Hosts a Community Event to Provide Introduction to Sikhs in America Seattle, WA

The Sikh Coalition and Tasveer co-hosted an event to provide a better understanding of the Sikh community and their beliefs. The event was very well received by the broader community. The event was started with the screening of the movie - Mistaken Identity: Sikhs in America by Vinanti Sarkar. It was followed by a presentation on the history of Sikhs in North America and their contributions to the American life followed by an open forum where young Sikh men, women and children spoke about their experiences post 9/11 and also gave the audience an opportunity to ask questions from community members. The event was closed by a cultural presentation from Punjab and informal refreshments that gave an opportunity to the communities to build bridges.

We wish to thank all the co-sponsors of gthe event who worked very hard to make this event successful. These include Gurudwara Singh Sabha of Washington, Hate Free Zone Campaign of Washington, Arab American Community Coalition, Japanese American Citizens League, Commission on Racial Justice - Church Council of Greater Seattle, UW Alumni Association Multicultural Alumni Partnership, UW Graduate School Graduate Opportunities and Minority Achievement Program, UW Center for Curriculum Transformation, International Examiner, Wing Luke Asian Museum, Densho: The Japanese American Legacy Project, Seattle Office for Civil Rights, UW Department of American Ethnic Studies, UW School of Social Work, Intergroup Dialogue, Education and Action (IDEA) Training and Resource Center, South East Effective Development, Asian Counseling and Referral Service, APIC of King County, Chaya and El Centro de la Raza. We wish to also thank the City of Seattle's Neighborhood Matching Fund fior providing funding for the event.

Sikh Coalition joins the Unity through Diversity Week Celebrations Highline Community College, WA

The college celebrated the rich diversity on its campus by a variety of events, performances, lectures, and workshops. The objective was to foster a campus climate that celebrates diversity and multicultural understanding by sharing experiences and starting an honest dialog.

The Sikh Coalition and JACL conducted a workshop on May 1, 2003 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. Besides creating awareness about issues of race, ethnicity and faith, the workshop also focused on the affects of different legislations on the civil liberties of all communities.

Coalition Helps Define the Vision for Police Officers in the 21st Century (Kings County, WA)

The Sikh Coalition was invited to participate in the forum with the intended goal of defining the qualities that are required in the police officers who serve our communities. Gurvinder Singh and Sarabjit Singh represented the community at the forum and explained how the Sikh identity of a sant-sipahi (saint-soldier) is an ideal definition for a community police officer. They also shared the historical perspective on how Sikhs have been serving in the law enforcement in numerous countries and spoke of the need to have Sikh law enforcement officers in the local community. The forum also discussed fresh ideas on recruitment strategies and selection methods to find candidates who are well-suited for the community policing orientation and focus on service, which today's law enforcement officers must have.

The CityTalks! Forum - Dialogue on Race and Ethnicity in Workplace

CityTalks! event are sponsored by the Seattle Office for Civil Rights and the Seattle Personnel Department. 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 the event and set the tone for a healthy and mutually respectful dialog. The chosen topic for this event was "Does Racism Worsen During War Time?"

Hardeep Singh and Sorena Kaur from the Coalition represented the community at the event. They discussed the challenges of racism, such as Sikhs not being allowed to serve in the police force/armed forces of the U.S. while wearing a turban and keeping their kesh. They alluded to the irrational nature of this conflict since the "Sikhs in Uniform" exhibit, which was on display at the forum, was evidence that a turban and kesh in no way hinder the advanced placement of Sikhs in the British and Canadian armed forces. Hardeep mentioned the increase in hate crimes targeted at Sikhs, including the recent shooting of Avtar Singh in Phoenix, Arizona. They also shared their personal experiences of racial profiling at airports and insensitive comments heard at employee training meetings. The audience was also educated about Sikhism, the distinct appearance of Sikhs and their basic religious beliefs.

Racial Profiling Roundtable: The Asian American Experience (University of Washington, WA)

The Organization of Chinese Americans - Greater Seattle Chapter sponsored the event on May 31, 2003 at the Ethnic Cultural Center of University of Washington. The goals of the Racial Profiling Roundtable were: 1) to educate the Chinese American and Asian Pacific American communities about how we are all impacted by racial profiling, 2) to build coalitions with other communities who have experienced racial, ethnic, or religious profiling, and 3) to create a sustainable plan for continuing to address these issues by forming alliances and sharing resources. The Sikh Coalition was invited to share the experiences of Sikh Americans post 9/11. The forum resulted in a healthy debate about the role of community organizations to work together to put an end to such practices.

Coalition Participates in VFF Sikh Women’s Seminar

The Sikh Coalition participated in the Sikh Women’s Seminar organized by Voices for Freedom (VFF) in Baltimore, MD on May 3, 2003. Harsimran Kaur and Meeta Kaur, members of the Coalition’s Women’s Program, discussed various ways in which female members of the Sikh community are marginalized both in the home and in the community. They stressed the negative impact such discrimination has on the Sikh panth as a whole, and highlighted the importance of community awareness and participation in order to bring about a change.