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Education
Education is the surest way of preventing future discrimination. Inevitably, as people get to know Sikhs – what our beliefs are, why we wear our articles of faith and our commitment to all of humanity – they relinquish their fear and mistrust. They see the similarities rather than the differences between themselves and those they once knew so little about.
Yet with nearly 300 million people in North America, education is a gradual process. The Coalition attempts to bridge this gap by focusing on areas that reach a large number of people, particularly those who influence the opinions of others. Schools, academic institutions, members of the media, law enforcement and government officials are prime examples of our education focus today. In 2004, the Coalition performed dozens of educational trainings across the United States.
2004 Education Highlights
 Coalition’s Education Program Inaugurates Diversity Essay Competition
In today’s world, it is important that people of all faiths understand and appreciate the diversity of religion, nationality, race and ethnicity across the United States and the world. The Diversity Essay Competition allows high school students to explore these topics and share their insight with the world.
Through this experience, students learned about those different from themselves and explored how we, as a society, can better understand one another. The Sikh Coalition will sponsor this event on an annual basis to promote these principles amongst all people.
2004 Diversity Essay Topic
Our world is made up of people of different ages, colors, races, cultures, nationalities, religions and ethnicities. That is what makes this world so beautiful and diverse. Yet our differences have also led to a lot of strife and pain. Celebrating the 400th anniversary of the installation of the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh scripture, we invite young people of all denominations, faiths, cultures, sexes, races and ethnicities to share their views on the following topic:
Religious pluralism is not mere tolerance of others. It requires constructive and active engagement with those who are "different," recognizing that diversity can enrich our lives.
The Coalition received an unexpectedly high number thought provoking essays and choosing the winners of the competition was extremely challenging for the judges. In its very first year, the context received entries from students in many countries around the world. We are thankful to everyone who participated. Your words inspired us.
The winners were:
- First Place ($1,000): Patrick J. Halloran ( Danville, IL, USA)
- Second Place ($500): Jupin Kaur Malhi ( Garland, TX, USA)
- Third Place ($250): Shannon Elizabeth Werle ( Springboro, OH, USA)
Consolation prizes of $50 were awarded to:
- Kari Lombard (Seattle, WA, USA)
- Meneka Kaur Dhand (Boca Raton, FL, USA)
- Shawnbir Singh Gogia ( Fair Oaks, CA, USA)
- Dewi Harjanto (Irvine, CA, USA)
- Illyana Ovshiyeva (Moscow, Russia)
- Byron Chou (Syosset, NY, USA)
Excerpts from Selected Essays
…intensive understanding and active engagement will change the world more than nuclear war, politicians, and money ever can. To use my previous example of 1984, it was easy to kill an innocent child because they were objectified. They were objectified to the point where you could no longer see a human, only an outlet for ignorant aggression and hate. To actively engage another human being is to verify their existence as human being. If the same murderous person looked at that innocent child, and saw dreams of the future, loving parents, sisters, a puppy, hobbies, favorite foods, and future loves, they would lower their rusty blade….
Patrick J. Halloran (Danville, IL, USA)
God does not teach us to hate one another. (6) Pluralism is a step beyond tolerance, a step away from the assumption of superiority and towards genuine understanding. As devout pluralists, we must be sure of our own perception, but willing to energize and fight for the perception of our neighbor. We must have the passion to enhance our being to an elevated level of spirituality which comes with acceptance. We must encompass what we know to be the passion for veracity, and fight for it consequently. In the words of Kahlil Gibran, “I love you when you bow in your mosque, kneel in your temple, and pray in your church. For you and I are sons of one religion, and it is the spirit.”
Jupin Kaur Malhi (Garland, TX, USA)
After the September 11 attacks, the Sikh people came under great scrutiny because of their distinctive garb. People became prejudiced and assumed that just because a man is wearing a turban, he was a member of the Taliban terrorist group…. I must admit that at first, I shared the same prejudice …….
… my friend asked me to attend an Awareness Club meeting after school... As each person told his own story, I was most disturbed and moved by a [Sikh] student’s testimony of his day at school. Through tears, the student recalled the names and abuses he had taken from various students in the hallways. His turban made him an easy target for names such as “terrorist” and “Taliban”. However, what I found most striking was when he said that he was proud of his heritage, he was proud of his religion and he was proud that he was different and no matter what others may say, he will continue to wear his turban and fight ignorance….. I truly look up to my Sikh friend; he is great example of what I wish to become.
Shannon Elizabeth Werle ( Springboro, OH, USA)
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 Art and the Experience of Sikh Youth
The Sikh Coalition worked closely with the Wing Luke Asian Museum in the International District of Seattle to create a traveling exhibition that encompasses the viewpoints and issues experienced by Sikh youth in America. The project, Sikh Virsa, is a reflection of a number of Sikh youth, ranging from age 12 to 22, attempting to tackle issues related to defining their identity despite the pressures of assimilation.
The project aimed to create a bond between the Sikh youth and connect them to the community. Their work would also spur discussion within the Sikh community and with others in the broader society about the experiences of Sikhs in America.
The design and implementation of the exhibit was facilitated with the aid of San Francisco–based artist, Rene Yung. Ms. Yung and the youth compiled an idea for the art component – to create four portals that interconnect to an adjoining "pool." Her vision of this large art piece came out of visits to the Gurudwara Singh Sabha of Washington in Renton, WA. All the Sikh youth attending the workshops shared their ideas and brought reference materials that related to community life and the Sikh faith and explained the unique representation of the Sikh ideology in the architecture of Harmandir Sahib.
 One of the four pillars of the exhibit was on their Daily Life.
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These youth took inspiration from the four entrances to Harmandir Sahib (one facing each cardinal direction) and assigned them themes that related to their lives. Each portal represented a theme the youth wished to discuss: Sikh immigration, culture, daily life and Sikh spirituality. Analogous to the configuration of the Darbar Sahib, the pathways lead to a central point of contemplation, represented in this design by the Reflection Pool.
The exhibit will be completed early in 2005, and will tour to different schools, universities, city halls and museums.
The project was organized by Wing Luke Asian Museum and made possible through grants from Rockefeller Foundation, The Cultural Development Authority of King County, and the National Endowment for the Arts, PONCHO and the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences.
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Project Reflect – Partnering to Educate Society
One of the primary goals of the Sikh Coalition is to educate the broader North American community about the Sikhs and their beliefs and history, and to dispel common stereotypes about the community. Toward this end, the Sikh Coalition partnered with other community organizations including Hate Free Zone Washington, Chaya, Arab Center of Washington and Somali Community Center to start a campaign of reflection on hate and discrimination in our communities, called Project Reflect.
Project Reflect aims to establish Washington State as a place where all individuals can feel safe, secure and welcome, regardless of race, religion or ethnicity, and where acts of hatred and discrimination will not be tolerated. The focus of the project is to advocate for and serve a diverse group of immigrant communities affected by post-September 11th backlash.
Project Reflect reached all levels of school administration and teachers, as well as students and parents. The program began in two schools districts in Washington — Kent School District and Lake Washington School District. The program has four primary goals:
- to provide accurate and compelling information about the culture, religion and experiences of Sikh, Arab and Muslim communities targeted post-September 11 th.
- to facilitate deepened “dialogue across difference” that seeks to bring out and challenge preconceived notions in a safe and constructive environment.
- to assist school districts in developing better policies and procedures to address discrimination and bullying in schools.
- to develop tools that can be used nationwide to facilitate deepened dialogue around targeted communities post-September 11 th.
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Sikh Student Associations and Coalition Launch Sikh Awareness Program
In 2004, the Sikh Coalition and Sikh student associations (SSAs) across North America partnered to launch the Sikh Awareness Program. As part of the program, SSAs organized events to educate others about the Sikh faith and the events of 1984.
This first Sikh Awareness Day was held in April and was organized to galvanize SSAs across the country while disseminating information about the Sikh faith. SSAs conducted a myriad of activities designed to educate others about the Sikh faith. Activities included: interactive PowerPoint presentations on the Sikh faith, langar program, dastaar tying and screenings of a movie “Keep the Faith” on the significance of the turban.
The objective of the 1984 remembrance programs held in November was for Sikh students and the general university body to learn about and remember the events of 1984. In June of 1984, the Indian army attacked Harimander Sahib located in Amritsar, Punjab – the holiest of places for Sikhs. Through the 1980s and early 1990s, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch reported that thousands of Sikhs were tortured and killed by the Indian government.
The Coalition provided SSAs with "ready-to-go" kits containing PowerPoint presentations, videos and guidelines on carrying out the respective programs. The kits were developed jointly with Sikh students, academic faculty, human rights experts and Sikh educators across the country.
The SSAs participating in the program included: Columbia University, Northwestern University, Rutgers University, University of Chicago, University of California at Riverside, Wayne State University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Stony Brook University, Babson College and George Washington University.
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