World Sikh Lobby Day

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

Sikh organizations give memorandum to UN

By Ravinder Singh Robin

Amritsar, Mar 27 : Representatives of nearly 25 Sikh organizations from around the world gave a memorandum to the UN on various international Sikh issues in Geneva on Tuesday.

Nearly 200 members of the various Sikh organizations from 15 countries assembled at Langenthal to highlight the problem of religious freedom. The conference coincided with the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.

Talking to ANI from Switzerland, Harminder Singh, senior member of Sikh Foundation, said that though most of the Sikh affairs in India were taken care by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC), but as far as international Sikh issues were concerned, the SGPC had failed to take them up at international platform.

The representatives said that their demands include a request that the UN endorses International Code of Practice on Sikh articles of faith.

They said that Sikhs across the world were facing increasing difficulties regarding religious freedoms and their visible identity due to a lack of knowledge and ignorance.

The memorandum said that there was a need to properly protect the Sikh identity and articles of faith at work, in business and in public places.

Harminder Singh said that identity crises were one of the major issues for the Sikh living outside India. He lamented that SGPC also failed to resolve turban issue with the Government of France.

This was the first time that representatives of various Sikh organizations from different countries assembled on an international platform to not only discuss the Sikh issues, but also put forward their best efforts for resolving these issues, he added.

Besides Sikh representatives, senior members of various human right organizations also took part in the conference.

Photographs of Sikhs outside the UN, Sikhs handing the Memorandum to a representative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Sikhs discussing the first point on the Memorandum and Master Karan Singh addressing Sikhs outside the UN

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

PRESS RELEASE

Monday 26 March 2007

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS PROBLEM OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOMS ON EUROPE’S 50th BIRTHDAY

As European countries gathered to celebrate their 50th birthday in Berlin on the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome Sikhs held an international human rights conference in Langenthal, Switzerland to highlight the problem of religious freedoms.

The freedom of an estimated 1 million Sikhs in Europe to visibly practice their faith is a major concern for Sikhs throughout the world. Sikh representatives from over a dozen countries across the globe took part in the conference that attracted a number of non-Sikh speakers, such as Dr Charles Graves, the Secretary General of Interfaith International and Rev Dr Hans Ucko the Interfaith Director of the World Council of Churches.

For the last couple of years the right to wear the Sikh turban (dastaar) in France with respect to school children and when obtaining documentation, such as passports and driving licences have been well publicised. Similarly Sikhs with turbans are not able to take up public appointments and more recently some Sikhs in France are even being prevented from entering banks unless they agree to remove their turbans. The Sikhs have been fighting these restrictions and are preparing to take several of their cases to the European Court of Human Rights.

Similar problems exist for school children in Belgium and difficulties for Sikhs to work while wearing the turban are occurring at an alarming rate in virtually all countries in Europe other than the UK. The Sikh community in the UK, which is by far the largest in Europe, has fought and succeeded in securing greater rights in the last 40 years, although more recently these rights are been challenged due to practices in mainland Europe. One of the main reasons for Sikhs being afforded protection is that UK law has ruled that Sikhs are not simply a faith community, but a distinct ethnic and racial group that is protected by discrimination laws.

50 years ago the Treaty of Rome established the principle of the freedom of movement of labour. The Treaty for example allows British Sikhs to travel to and work in France and yet the practical conditions and national law that prevail in France does not make this possible. Turban wearing Sikh police officers, school teachers or university lecturers in the UK should be allowed to work in France, but French law contravenes the Treaty as it insists Sikhs can not take up public appointments such as these without first removing their turbans.

For the last fifteen months Sikhs with turbans have also been experiencing increasing difficulties travelling back from Brussels airport. When Sikhs with turbans go through security at the airport and the alarm sounds security staff insist Sikhs remove their turbans so they can be properly inspected. To ask a Sikh to remove the turban is highly offensive. They refuse to use hand held scanners to examine turbans as is the case in all other major airports of the world. No explanation has been given of why hand held scanners can not be used for the Sikh turban that would avoid causing serious offence.

Similarly, the right to wear the Kirpan, one of the five articles of faith, which is mandatory for practising Sikhs, is increasingly being challenged in many countries throughout Europe. For example, in Denmark a recent court ruling declared Sikhs are no longer allowed to wear Kirpans. Last year around 150-200 practising Sikhs took part in a lobby of the European Parliament in Brussels and although Sikhs had pre-arranged around 40 meetings with MEPs they were denied the right to enter Parliament unless they were prepared to remove their Kirpans.

Sikhs throughout the world are facing increasing difficulties regarding religious freedoms and their visible identity due to a lack of knowledge and ignorance. Sikhs continue to experience difficulties undertaking day to day activities.

On Monday Sikh representatives also took their case to the UN Human Rights Council. In a written submission Sikhs called for a UN endorsed international Code of Practice concerning the Sikh's right to religious freedom and the need to properly protect the Sikh identity and articles of faith at work, in business and in public places.

In devising the Code the UN have also been urged to consult the newly established International Sikh Advisory Board (ISAB) which was agreed and announced the day before. The ISAB will be based in the UK and comprise 25 Amritdhari (practising) Sikhs drawn from across the world and working closely with leading Sikh organisations in each country.

Gurjeet Singh

National Press Secretary

Sikh Federation (UK)

Rev Dr Hans Ucko the Interfaith Director of the World Council of Churches and Dr Charles Graves, the Secretary General of Interfaith International addressing Sikhs at the international human rights conference

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

PRESS RELEASE

Monday 26 March 2007

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS PROBLEM OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOMS ON EUROPE’S 50th BIRTHDAY

As European countries gathered to celebrate their 50th birthday in Berlin on the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome Sikhs held an international human rights conference in Langenthal, Switzerland to highlight the problem of religious freedoms.

The freedom of an estimated 1 million Sikhs in Europe to visibly practice their faith is a major concern for Sikhs throughout the world. Sikh representatives from over a dozen countries across the globe took part in the conference that attracted a number of non-Sikh speakers, such as Dr Charles Graves, the Secretary General of Interfaith International and Rev Dr Hans Ucko the Interfaith Director of the World Council of Churches.

For the last couple of years the right to wear the Sikh turban (dastaar) in France with respect to school children and when obtaining documentation, such as passports and driving licences have been well publicised. Similarly Sikhs with turbans are not able to take up public appointments and more recently some Sikhs in France are even being prevented from entering banks unless they agree to remove their turbans. The Sikhs have been fighting these restrictions and are preparing to take several of their cases to the European Court of Human Rights.

Similar problems exist for school children in Belgium and difficulties for Sikhs to work while wearing the turban are occurring at an alarming rate in virtually all countries in Europe other than the UK. The Sikh community in the UK, which is by far the largest in Europe, has fought and succeeded in securing greater rights in the last 40 years, although more recently these rights are been challenged due to practices in mainland Europe. One of the main reasons for Sikhs being afforded protection is that UK law has ruled that Sikhs are not simply a faith community, but a distinct ethnic and racial group that is protected by discrimination laws.

50 years ago the Treaty of Rome established the principle of the freedom of movement of labour. The Treaty for example allows British Sikhs to travel to and work in France and yet the practical conditions and national law that prevail in France does not make this possible. Turban wearing Sikh police officers, school teachers or university lecturers in the UK should be allowed to work in France, but French law contravenes the Treaty as it insists Sikhs can not take up public appointments such as these without first removing their turbans.

For the last fifteen months Sikhs with turbans have also been experiencing increasing difficulties travelling back from Brussels airport. When Sikhs with turbans go through security at the airport and the alarm sounds security staff insist Sikhs remove their turbans so they can be properly inspected. To ask a Sikh to remove the turban is highly offensive. They refuse to use hand held scanners to examine turbans as is the case in all other major airports of the world. No explanation has been given of why hand held scanners can not be used for the Sikh turban that would avoid causing serious offence.

Similarly, the right to wear the Kirpan, one of the five articles of faith, which is mandatory for practising Sikhs, is increasingly being challenged in many countries throughout Europe. For example, in Denmark a recent court ruling declared Sikhs are no longer allowed to wear Kirpans. Last year around 150-200 practising Sikhs took part in a lobby of the European Parliament in Brussels and although Sikhs had pre-arranged around 40 meetings with MEPs they were denied the right to enter Parliament unless they were prepared to remove their Kirpans.

Sikhs throughout the world are facing increasing difficulties regarding religious freedoms and their visible identity due to a lack of knowledge and ignorance. Sikhs continue to experience difficulties undertaking day to day activities.

On Monday Sikh representatives also took their case to the UN Human Rights Council. In a written submission Sikhs called for a UN endorsed international Code of Practice concerning the Sikh's right to religious freedom and the need to properly protect the Sikh identity and articles of faith at work, in business and in public places.

In devising the Code the UN have also been urged to consult the newly established International Sikh Advisory Board (ISAB) which was agreed and announced the day before. The ISAB will be based in the UK and comprise 25 Amritdhari (practising) Sikhs drawn from across the world and working closely with leading Sikh organisations in each country.

Gurjeet Singh

National Press Secretary

Sikh Federation (UK)

UK speakers: Sukhvinder Singh, Avtar Singh Sanghera and Manmohan Singh

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

Publication:Times Of India Chandigarh; Date:Mar 27, 2007; Section:Punjab; Page Number:2

Church, interfaith body to take up Sikh issues

Yudhvir Rana | TNN

Amritsar: Before Sikhs’ single largest representative body , Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, could raise the issues pertaining Sikh identity crisis, especially the turban ban in France post 9/11, at the international platform, the Church of Scientology, World Council of Churches and International Interfaith, Switzerland, came for its rescue.

The Church of Scientology has decided to take up the issues pertaining to protecting Sikhs’ distinct identity with their counterparts in France with an aim to generate a pressure group to press upon French government to withdraw its controversial and alleged anti-minority decision so they could enjoy their religious freedom.

World Council of Churches Programme Executive president Jurg Stettler, chairman Hans Ucko and secretary general Charles Graves announced their decision in a special programme held at Gurdwara Sahib, Langenthal, Switzerland on Monday. The function was organised by Gurdwara Langenthal founder president Karan Singh.

Talking to TOI over phone from Langenthal on Monday Hans Ucko hailed the efforts of tiny Sikh community of Europe in upholding their religious practices despite odds at various countries.

“French example of curtailing rights of minorities was regrettable,” said Hans, adding that French government was taking the secular option too far. He said the World Council of Churches would take up the matter with their French counterpart to try to work out the protection of Sikhs’ identity and their religious symbols.Jurg Stettler said the Church of Scientology was also subjected to discrimination in France.

He said he had already taken up the issue with his French counterpart Danielle Gourord of in Paris. Stettler was of view that incidents of violation of Human Rights, be it religious issues, should be taken up assertively on the international platform so that justice could be delivered to the minority communities being subjected to discrimination.

Charles Graves expressed concern over the incidents of hate crime on Sikh community especially post 9/11. He said they would also give a representation to the UNO for the cause.

Charles Graves (picture)

Hans Ucko (picture)

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/...ish-skin-custom

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

PRESS RELEASE

Monday 26 March 2007

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS PROBLEM OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOMS ON EUROPE’S 50th BIRTHDAY

As European countries gathered to celebrate their 50th birthday in Berlin on the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome Sikhs held an international human rights conference in Langenthal, Switzerland to highlight the problem of religious freedoms.

The freedom of an estimated 1 million Sikhs in Europe to visibly practice their faith is a major concern for Sikhs throughout the world. Sikh representatives from over a dozen countries across the globe took part in the conference that attracted a number of non-Sikh speakers, such as Dr Charles Graves, the Secretary General of Interfaith International and Rev Dr Hans Ucko the Interfaith Director of the World Council of Churches.

For the last couple of years the right to wear the Sikh turban (dastaar) in France with respect to school children and when obtaining documentation, such as passports and driving licences have been well publicised. Similarly Sikhs with turbans are not able to take up public appointments and more recently some Sikhs in France are even being prevented from entering banks unless they agree to remove their turbans. The Sikhs have been fighting these restrictions and are preparing to take several of their cases to the European Court of Human Rights.

Similar problems exist for school children in Belgium and difficulties for Sikhs to work while wearing the turban are occurring at an alarming rate in virtually all countries in Europe other than the UK. The Sikh community in the UK, which is by far the largest in Europe, has fought and succeeded in securing greater rights in the last 40 years, although more recently these rights are been challenged due to practices in mainland Europe. One of the main reasons for Sikhs being afforded protection is that UK law has ruled that Sikhs are not simply a faith community, but a distinct ethnic and racial group that is protected by discrimination laws.

50 years ago the Treaty of Rome established the principle of the freedom of movement of labour. The Treaty for example allows British Sikhs to travel to and work in France and yet the practical conditions and national law that prevail in France does not make this possible. Turban wearing Sikh police officers, school teachers or university lecturers in the UK should be allowed to work in France, but French law contravenes the Treaty as it insists Sikhs can not take up public appointments such as these without first removing their turbans.

For the last fifteen months Sikhs with turbans have also been experiencing increasing difficulties travelling back from Brussels airport. When Sikhs with turbans go through security at the airport and the alarm sounds security staff insist Sikhs remove their turbans so they can be properly inspected. To ask a Sikh to remove the turban is highly offensive. They refuse to use hand held scanners to examine turbans as is the case in all other major airports of the world. No explanation has been given of why hand held scanners can not be used for the Sikh turban that would avoid causing serious offence.

Similarly, the right to wear the Kirpan, one of the five articles of faith, which is mandatory for practising Sikhs, is increasingly being challenged in many countries throughout Europe. For example, in Denmark a recent court ruling declared Sikhs are no longer allowed to wear Kirpans. Last year around 150-200 practising Sikhs took part in a lobby of the European Parliament in Brussels and although Sikhs had pre-arranged around 40 meetings with MEPs they were denied the right to enter Parliament unless they were prepared to remove their Kirpans.

Sikhs throughout the world are facing increasing difficulties regarding religious freedoms and their visible identity due to a lack of knowledge and ignorance. Sikhs continue to experience difficulties undertaking day to day activities.

On Monday Sikh representatives also took their case to the UN Human Rights Council. In a written submission Sikhs called for a UN endorsed international Code of Practice concerning the Sikh's right to religious freedom and the need to properly protect the Sikh identity and articles of faith at work, in business and in public places.

In devising the Code the UN have also been urged to consult the newly established International Sikh Advisory Board (ISAB) which was agreed and announced the day before. The ISAB will be based in the UK and comprise 25 Amritdhari (practising) Sikhs drawn from across the world and working closely with leading Sikh organisations in each country.

Gurjeet Singh

National Press Secretary

Sikh Federation (UK)

Speakers at the conference from France - Chain Singh, Kashmir Singh, Gurdial Singh and Shingara Singh

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

PRESS RELEASE

Monday 26 March 2007

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS PROBLEM OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOMS ON EUROPE’S 50th BIRTHDAY

As European countries gathered to celebrate their 50th birthday in Berlin on the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome Sikhs held an international human rights conference in Langenthal, Switzerland to highlight the problem of religious freedoms.

The freedom of an estimated 1 million Sikhs in Europe to visibly practice their faith is a major concern for Sikhs throughout the world. Sikh representatives from over a dozen countries across the globe took part in the conference that attracted a number of non-Sikh speakers, such as Dr Charles Graves, the Secretary General of Interfaith International and Rev Dr Hans Ucko the Interfaith Director of the World Council of Churches.

For the last couple of years the right to wear the Sikh turban (dastaar) in France with respect to school children and when obtaining documentation, such as passports and driving licences have been well publicised. Similarly Sikhs with turbans are not able to take up public appointments and more recently some Sikhs in France are even being prevented from entering banks unless they agree to remove their turbans. The Sikhs have been fighting these restrictions and are preparing to take several of their cases to the European Court of Human Rights.

Similar problems exist for school children in Belgium and difficulties for Sikhs to work while wearing the turban are occurring at an alarming rate in virtually all countries in Europe other than the UK. The Sikh community in the UK, which is by far the largest in Europe, has fought and succeeded in securing greater rights in the last 40 years, although more recently these rights are been challenged due to practices in mainland Europe. One of the main reasons for Sikhs being afforded protection is that UK law has ruled that Sikhs are not simply a faith community, but a distinct ethnic and racial group that is protected by discrimination laws.

50 years ago the Treaty of Rome established the principle of the freedom of movement of labour. The Treaty for example allows British Sikhs to travel to and work in France and yet the practical conditions and national law that prevail in France does not make this possible. Turban wearing Sikh police officers, school teachers or university lecturers in the UK should be allowed to work in France, but French law contravenes the Treaty as it insists Sikhs can not take up public appointments such as these without first removing their turbans.

For the last fifteen months Sikhs with turbans have also been experiencing increasing difficulties travelling back from Brussels airport. When Sikhs with turbans go through security at the airport and the alarm sounds security staff insist Sikhs remove their turbans so they can be properly inspected. To ask a Sikh to remove the turban is highly offensive. They refuse to use hand held scanners to examine turbans as is the case in all other major airports of the world. No explanation has been given of why hand held scanners can not be used for the Sikh turban that would avoid causing serious offence.

Similarly, the right to wear the Kirpan, one of the five articles of faith, which is mandatory for practising Sikhs, is increasingly being challenged in many countries throughout Europe. For example, in Denmark a recent court ruling declared Sikhs are no longer allowed to wear Kirpans. Last year around 150-200 practising Sikhs took part in a lobby of the European Parliament in Brussels and although Sikhs had pre-arranged around 40 meetings with MEPs they were denied the right to enter Parliament unless they were prepared to remove their Kirpans.

Sikhs throughout the world are facing increasing difficulties regarding religious freedoms and their visible identity due to a lack of knowledge and ignorance. Sikhs continue to experience difficulties undertaking day to day activities.

On Monday Sikh representatives also took their case to the UN Human Rights Council. In a written submission Sikhs called for a UN endorsed international Code of Practice concerning the Sikh's right to religious freedom and the need to properly protect the Sikh identity and articles of faith at work, in business and in public places.

In devising the Code the UN have also been urged to consult the newly established International Sikh Advisory Board (ISAB) which was agreed and announced the day before. The ISAB will be based in the UK and comprise 25 Amritdhari (practising) Sikhs drawn from across the world and working closely with leading Sikh organisations in each country.

Gurjeet Singh

National Press Secretary

Sikh Federation (UK)

Speakers from Germany - Avatar Singh Hundal, Gurdeep Singh Pardesi, Rajinder Singh and Gurbinder Singh

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

Bhai Amrik Singh Ji, Chair Sikh Federation (UK) will be on MATV at 9:30-10:30pm tonight Thursday 29 March on channel 793.

Please forward this message to friends and family throughout Europe via email and text.

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

PRESS RELEASE

Monday 26 March 2007

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS PROBLEM OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOMS ON EUROPE’S 50th BIRTHDAY

As European countries gathered to celebrate their 50th birthday in Berlin on the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome Sikhs held an international human rights conference in Langenthal, Switzerland to highlight the problem of religious freedoms.

The freedom of an estimated 1 million Sikhs in Europe to visibly practice their faith is a major concern for Sikhs throughout the world. Sikh representatives from over a dozen countries across the globe took part in the conference that attracted a number of non-Sikh speakers, such as Dr Charles Graves, the Secretary General of Interfaith International and Rev Dr Hans Ucko the Interfaith Director of the World Council of Churches.

For the last couple of years the right to wear the Sikh turban (dastaar) in France with respect to school children and when obtaining documentation, such as passports and driving licences have been well publicised. Similarly Sikhs with turbans are not able to take up public appointments and more recently some Sikhs in France are even being prevented from entering banks unless they agree to remove their turbans. The Sikhs have been fighting these restrictions and are preparing to take several of their cases to the European Court of Human Rights.

Similar problems exist for school children in Belgium and difficulties for Sikhs to work while wearing the turban are occurring at an alarming rate in virtually all countries in Europe other than the UK. The Sikh community in the UK, which is by far the largest in Europe, has fought and succeeded in securing greater rights in the last 40 years, although more recently these rights are been challenged due to practices in mainland Europe. One of the main reasons for Sikhs being afforded protection is that UK law has ruled that Sikhs are not simply a faith community, but a distinct ethnic and racial group that is protected by discrimination laws.

50 years ago the Treaty of Rome established the principle of the freedom of movement of labour. The Treaty for example allows British Sikhs to travel to and work in France and yet the practical conditions and national law that prevail in France does not make this possible. Turban wearing Sikh police officers, school teachers or university lecturers in the UK should be allowed to work in France, but French law contravenes the Treaty as it insists Sikhs can not take up public appointments such as these without first removing their turbans.

For the last fifteen months Sikhs with turbans have also been experiencing increasing difficulties travelling back from Brussels airport. When Sikhs with turbans go through security at the airport and the alarm sounds security staff insist Sikhs remove their turbans so they can be properly inspected. To ask a Sikh to remove the turban is highly offensive. They refuse to use hand held scanners to examine turbans as is the case in all other major airports of the world. No explanation has been given of why hand held scanners can not be used for the Sikh turban that would avoid causing serious offence.

Similarly, the right to wear the Kirpan, one of the five articles of faith, which is mandatory for practising Sikhs, is increasingly being challenged in many countries throughout Europe. For example, in Denmark a recent court ruling declared Sikhs are no longer allowed to wear Kirpans. Last year around 150-200 practising Sikhs took part in a lobby of the European Parliament in Brussels and although Sikhs had pre-arranged around 40 meetings with MEPs they were denied the right to enter Parliament unless they were prepared to remove their Kirpans.

Sikhs throughout the world are facing increasing difficulties regarding religious freedoms and their visible identity due to a lack of knowledge and ignorance. Sikhs continue to experience difficulties undertaking day to day activities.

On Monday Sikh representatives also took their case to the UN Human Rights Council. In a written submission Sikhs called for a UN endorsed international Code of Practice concerning the Sikh's right to religious freedom and the need to properly protect the Sikh identity and articles of faith at work, in business and in public places.

In devising the Code the UN have also been urged to consult the newly established International Sikh Advisory Board (ISAB) which was agreed and announced the day before. The ISAB will be based in the UK and comprise 25 Amritdhari (practising) Sikhs drawn from across the world and working closely with leading Sikh organisations in each country.

Gurjeet Singh

National Press Secretary

Sikh Federation (UK)

Photographs of other speakers at the conference - Mohinder Singh (Belgium) and Jaswinder Singh (Netherlands). Jagdish Singh (Belgium) also spoke briefly (unfortunately no photograph)

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

http://www.sikhsangat.com/index.php?showtopic=26121

Outcomes from the first World Sikh Lobby - Geneva, Switzerland

London, UK - The significance of the decisions last week by the international Sikh community taking part in the first World Sikh Lobby at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland is now becoming clear.

Leading Sikh organisations across the globe came together to take important steps to ensure there is a better co-ordinated Sikh political voice on the international stage and safeguard Sikh interests abroad.

The organisations are also clear in their long term objective. Bhai Amrik Singh, the Chair of the Sikh Federation (UK) said: ‘There is no question about our ultimate goal – we are all committed to working towards establishing an independent sovereign Sikh State that will provide a solution to many difficulties faced by the Sikh community. An independent sovereign Sikh State will only be achieved by exerting international political pressure and through diplomatic means.’

The process of better international co-ordination is being led by the Sikh Federation (UK), the first and only Sikh political party in the UK. It has demonstrated through its actions and political successes at a national and European level over the last few years the need to professionally present the Sikh case.

Bhai Narinderjit Singh, the General Secretary of the Sikh Federation (UK) said: ‘The developments in Switzerland last week signal a move in the right direction. There is a need to mirror the political activities of Sikhs in the UK in each country where significant numbers of Sikhs live.’

The timing of the move by the international Sikh community follows the recent election results in Panjab which have highlighted the sad state of affairs with Sikh politics in the region and the absence of a strong, distinct and independent Sikh political voice.

The Shromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) often referred to as the ‘Sikh Parliament’ has become an extension of the same second-rate and failed political process. The message from Sikhs living abroad is the SGPC does not possess the necessary expertise or vision to tackle the international challenges before the Sikh Nation.

The key outcomes from the meeting of Sikh representatives that took part in the first World Sikh Lobby and gathered at the UN in Geneva were the establishment of a World Sikh Lobby Network, International Sikh Advisory Board, International Sikh Consultative Forum and the holding of one-day international summits to discuss the international political strategy of the Sikh Nation.

World Sikh Lobby Network - In organising the first World Sikh Lobby, holding an International meeting of Sikh delegates and committing to hold one-day international summits and min-summits it has allowed the establishment of a World Sikh Lobby Network of around 150 Sikh political activists across the globe. An appeal has been made to all leading Sikh organisations across the globe for Sikh political activists to join the Network by emailing contact information to info@sikhfederation.com.

In each country a national Sikh lobby network is being established that will comprise Sikh activists from a range of Sikh organisations that will co-ordinate political lobbying at the regional and national level as well as contribute to the international initiatives. For example, the national network in Canada - Sikh Lobby Network (Canada) is to be formally established within the next three months with the assistance of the Sikh Federation (UK). It is expected to be in place in time for the next national elections with a Sikh Agenda for the Canadian Government. Each national network is expected to be in place before the first one day international summit in London in September. In Europe the networks are already taking shape with the next Sikh Freedom Lobby in the European Parliament taking place on 9 May 2007 in Brussels.

International Sikh Advisory Board - At the international meeting of Sikh delegates it was decided to establish a 25-member International Sikh Advisory Board. The Board will be made up of appropriately qualified Amritdhari Sikhs from across the world and will work with national governments and at the international level for the recognition of Sikhs as a ‘Qaum’ and accepting the Sikh's right to religious freedom and the need to properly protect the Sikh identity and articles of faith at work, in business and in public places. Further details of the structure and working of the Board will be released after the first one day international summit in London in September.

International Sikh Consultative Forum and one-day international summits - It was also agreed that two one-day international summits will be held each year to discuss the international political strategy of the Sikh Nation. The first summit following the highly successful meeting in Switzerland will be held in London in September. Possible venues for other summits include Vancouver, Canada and San Francisco, USA. Mini-summits will take place at international events, such as, the next Sikh Freedom Lobby in the European Parliament in Brussels in May. The one-day summits and mini-summits will in effect constitute ‘meetings’ of the newly established International Sikh Consultative Forum that was proposed by Sikhs from the USA.