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Major Coalition Activities in 2003
Amongst the many projects launched by the Coalition in
2003, a few stood out as being historic firsts for the Coalition
and the Sikh community. These initiatives represent important
milestones for Sikhs in North America because they bring
attention to who we are, the values we hold dear, and the
issues that are important to us.
Below is a summary of these major milestones; click on
each for more details:
- Amric
Singh Update - Federal Discrimination Lawsuit Against
NYPD - A major press conference and a motion for summary
judgment intensified an intense battle with the city over
the right for Amric to wear a turban and serve as a traffic
officer for the New York Police Department.
- New
Jersey Civil Rights and Civic Engagement Initiative
- For the first time, major gurdwaras in a state unified
to announce a civil rights agenda for the state. This
agenda provided government with a clear understanding
of the civil rights issues concerning Sikhs, and ways
to address them. Response from officials in New Jersey
has been extremely positive.
- Project
Reflect - A High School Curriculum on Sikhism
- To combat fear, ignorance and bias related to the Sikh
identity, the Coalition seeks to create educational programs
that foster understanding and compassion in the younger
generations. Project Reflect is a community-based project
that shares diverse cultures with others through education
and conversation
- Sikh
Women’s Empowerment Conference – Reclaiming Equality
- Over 100 participants from across North America gathered
for the Women's empowerment conference. The conference
marked the first time a Sikh civil rights organization
created a forum to focus on discussing issues concerning
Sikh women.
- Coalition
Hires Legal Director -After almost two years of being
an entirely volunteer-based organization, the Sikh Coalition
hired its first full time employee, Amardeep Singh, on
September 8, 2003. Amardeep, a co-founder of the Sikh
Coalition, joined the Coalition as its Legal Director.
His hiring marks a significant milestone--a full-time
legal resource focused on the civil rights and advocacy
of Sikhs and their concerns.
- Harpal
Singh Legal Victory - The Coalition's legal department
submitted a historic legal brief that marked the first
time that an amicus brief (friend of the court), filed
by a Sikh civil rights organizations, was held as correct
by a United State Court of Appeals (9th Circuit).
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