Annual UBC SSA Conference

[UBC SSA]

The mentoring program is currently being folded into the mentoring program of the new organization - VIRSA. It's a coalition against Youth violence, etc.

We're really trying to aim more directly at "normal" Punjabi Youth. But it is hard to do that at times while still maintaining a "pro-Gurmat" atmosphere!

[S1ngh]

plz do remember to take pictures of the event and share it with online sangat

[Jassika]

i just got back from this and it was amazing!!! hmm s1ngh i didnt take pics but a lot of other people did so they might be uploaded onto their site soon. i'll share a few of the highlights though.

*There were four speakers, a skit, and a really nice gatka performance.

*Sikhism combined the two concepts of "saint" and "soldier" to create an absolute balance and you cant be a sikh if you're not both of these.

*A soldier is not someone with a sword on a battlefield but someone that just fights for the truth which can be with words

*For hundreds of years the moon was very respected and worshipped and people made sacrifices on days of a full moon.

*Then some men reached the moon and walked all over it literally treating it like dirt and claiming it with their flag

*Like the moon, the saints were also walked over cause they were just people.

*They wouldnt try to touch the sun

*How is it possible to be a saint and a soldier in one when a saint is calm and sees no enemies while a soldier has an urge to fight and must distinguish between sides?

*Sikhs are water. They stay cool, remain lower than everything, and provide a lot of seva. Water's soldier side is provoked by fire=injustice. This boils the water and causes it to start rising and rising as steam.

*True sikh priorities are 1.waheguru 2.family 3.work (people shouldnt put work ahead and do things like cut their hair just for a job)

*People today always look for the easy way out of everything.

*Guru Gobind Singh used to charge fines to people for speaking in the darbar but now we have people running around and talking about the suits people are wearing and look at people matha teking

*Back then they had darshan of only one guru and now we have the darshan of every Guru and shaheed

*We dont have to be like other religions and wait till death for salvation

[Gurjeet_Kaur]

Vaheguroo Jee Ka Khalsa Vaheguroo Jee Kee Fateh!!

I agree, it was soo awesome.

Props to the SSA UBC for the whole event and SSA SFU for the hilarious skit

Also thanks to Baba Deep Singh Jee Gatka Akhara (Guru Nanak Academy) for the awesome gatka.

Another highlight was during the gatka, when the instructor was talking about how the sikhs were outnumbered 40 to 1 and the students acted as the 40 mughals while the teacher acted as the one sikh and they all crowded around him in a circle with their shastar and he just started fighting EVERYONE all at once...really crazy...

One of the speakers also mentioned that when she was at UBC they used to have these events and only a handful of people showed up...and this time, the hall was nearly full...the number of people attending has dramatically increased over about 17 years..

Another speaker talked about a protest in california regarding the ban of conspicuous religious attire in France, including Sikhs, Muslims and whoever else affected by this ban... and he said they requested him to ask the sangat here to have a protest on the same day..so there's 2 protests going on at the same time..but they haven't finalized a date yet.

i think he said the one in cali is organized by United Sikhs or something?

anyways, hopefully someone will put up pics for the rest of the sangat to see.

Vaheguroo Jee Ka Khalsa Vaheguroo Jee Kee Fateh!!

[Gurmatveechar]

pics and video of the entire event, including the gatka show should be available shortly on the G U R M A T S T U D I E S website

[S1ngh]

Great.. Wow nice put jassika and GJDS.. Sounds really cool

yeah regarding protesting.. UnitedSikhs (unitedsikhs.org) ppls are running this campaign.. and it would be nice if whole west coast (San Francisco and BC) do it together.. this way media will pay attention to us and thus we will be SEPERATE from muslim protesting..

[Gurjeet_Kaur]

umm..Bhai Parminder Singh jee said it's kind of a joint protest between Sikhs, Muslims, and Jews...and i think it would have a greater impact if we did it together...

i see what your saying about wanting the media to pay attention to Sikhs...but more people means more awareness about this which means we have a better chance to win this thing.

[S1ngh]

Bhaenjee we were supposed to do protesting this past weekend.. (on sat 17th) when muslim jointly did the protesting all around the world (london,paris,frisco and so on).. The reason we didn't go cauz it would not help sikhs at all.

First France have no idea who are sikhs and how we are effected by this. Tomorrow UnitedSikhs gonna meet with several main US officials/offices and had an seperate appointment with French ambassador @ French embassy. So far of west coast of US, some singhs will march down to the French consulate on thursday and submit the issue there and wait for the reaction for a day or two, then prepare for Protesting.

Bc might be lil different as of California, cauz if sikhs and muslim do protesting here in frisco, i think we will be outnumbered heavily and the public will think all protesters as of Muslim. So there's no good for us

above are my views

Regarding to the event : I luv the below point :wub:

*Sikhs are water. They stay cool, remain lower than everything, and provide a lot of seva. Wa

ter's soldier side is provoked by fire=injustice. This boils the water and causes it to start rising and rising as steam.