UNITED SIKHS PARTICIPATES AT THE 59th DPI/NGO CONFERENCE AT THE UN CHURCH OF RELIGIONS

New York : UNITED SIKHS participated, with various faith traditions represented at the UN, in the 59 th DPI/NGO Conference at the UN Church of World Religions on 7 th Sept 2006 . The conference was held for various faiths and NGO’s represented at the UN to seek peace and establish just local, national and international practices around the world.

Kuldip Singh and Rabinder Singh

In the shadow of the most inclusive world body, the United Nations, a commitment to the following goals of the UN Charter was made:

• To practice tolerance and live together in peace with others as a good neighbors
• To unite in strength with others to maintain international peace and security, and
• To ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be use, save in the common interest, and
• To ensure that international machinery would be used for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples.

The following verses from Sikh scriptures and litreature, supporting the above goals were read by Kuldip Singh, Director UNITED SIKHS and explained by Rabinder Singh, Associate Director, UNITED SIKHS-Multifaith Affairs, East Coast.

paarosee kay jo hoo-aa too apnay bhee jaan. ||167|| –Page 1373

Have compassion for your neighbor. What  ever is
happening to your neighbor feel that it is happening to you.

kabeer bhalee maDhookree naanaa biDh ko naaj.
Kabeer, Live in moderation, even dry bread, made of various grains, is good.

sooraa so pahichaanee-ai jo larai deen kay hayt.
Only such a person should be considered for brave who
stands for the downtrodden

purjaa purjaa kat marai kabhoo na chhaadai khayt. ||2||2||
He may be cut apart, piece by piece, but he never leaves the field of battle. ||2||2||

choon kar aj haman heelte dar guzashat

Halal asat burdan ba shamsheer dast

— Zafarnamah, Guru Gobind Singh

When all modes of redressing a wrong having failed, Raising of sword is pious

and just.

milbay kee mahimaa baran na saaka-o naanak parai pareelaa.

Panaa 498

No word can describe the strength of togetherness. In togetherness we achieve

what-so-ever we want.

ho-ay ika tar milhu mayray bhaa-ee dubi Dhaa door karahu liv laa-ay

har naamai kay hovhu jo rhee gurmu kh baishu safaa vi chhaa-ay

Panaa 1185

Come peoples let us get together and get rid of dichotomy and believing in God

let us spread the mat and discuss

logaa bharam na bhoolahu bhaa-ee.

kh aalik khalak khalak meh khaalik poor rahi-o sarab thaa N-ee.

Panaa 1350

Oh peoples, don’t get in doubt, humankind is the manifestation of the creator itself and the creator pervades and permeates in all the beings.

The meeting of various faiths centered on the concept of providing a ballast for a partnership that could provide tools for a peaceful coexistence.

Rabinder Singh Associate Director UNITED SIKHS

Kathleen Stone, Unitarian Universalists, said, “In a blessing from each, sung together in our own ways, we partner authentically together, respecting one another’s songs and singing our own. Like working together, we may at times be dissonant. But that’s natural. What we must remember is that the central essence of each of our religions is this deep desire for peace, for each one’s happiness, for compassion to rule, for wanting this life to be full and received with gratitude. So in the dissonance of reality, we can find our way, together.”

Dr Robert Orr, Assistant Secretary General for Policy and Planning, the Secretary General’s office, said “ The peoples in a service like this are the very embodiment of the United Nations. The United Nations is struggling with many big issues and we need your support.”

Food from various traditions was served to the guests. Food from the Sikh community was provided by the Makhan Shah Lubana Sikh Center .

Volunteers Assisting

Rabinder Singh, UNITED SIKHS Associate Director of Multifaith-New York region, said, “The unique institution of the Langar (Sikh community food) served at Sikh Gurudwaras (place of worship) strives towards making poverty history through its aim to unite everyone by removing the distinctions based on caste, color, creed and religion. This is achieved through the discipline of human service-Sikhi in action-practicing tolerance and living together in peace with others as good neighbors”

The ceremony ended with blessings from each religious tradition to one another, spoken and sung all together.

Participants included, Bhai Mohinder Singh of Nishkam Sewak Jatha with a team of 4 others from the UK and Africa, Paul Sherbow – Religions for Peace, Kulwant Singh from Sikh Cultural Society, Richmond Hill and Dr Gurcharan Singh from the Sikh Heritage Project.

To see pictures, please click on: https://www.unitedsikhs.org/multifaith/UNChurchCenter/

Issued by:
Arvind Kaur
Multifaith Program Coordinator
UNITED SIKHS
arvind.kaur@unitedsikhs.org
1-888-243-1690