Sikh Response to Tsunami

[GuruManeyoGranth]

Waheguroo Jee Ka Khalsa!

Waheguroo Jee Kee Fateh!!

From what I've seen, there's been an incredible response by the Sikh community to the appeals for aid and money donations for the Tsunami. In my local gurudwara, almost £10,000 got pledged within 10 minutes at the weekend just gone.

The gurudwara committee is now thinking where they can donate this money. Ideally, all would like to donate to Sikh organisations such as Khalsa Aid and United Sikhs, but the prevalent view is that it should be donated an organisation such as DEC in the UK, because the money is likely to be used most effectively by such groups. This is not a reflection on the great seva the Sikh organisations do, but just a recognition that the international aid agencies have more experience and know-how in these situations.

How can this be overcome in the future, because in the heart of hearts we all wish to see Sikh institutions advanced? One way would be to have a single international charitable Sikh institution to respond to such disasters and emergencies - that way they would have more clout and recognition in the international arena. Also, a more unified and powerful sikh charity will be able to do service all the time, much like the Red Cross (Christian) and Green Crescent (Muslim) do. It would also have more credibility amongst Sikhs, as we'd be more willing to donate to them.

If Khalsa Aid and United Sikhs read this, is there anyway that you guys can hook-up and work together on this and other future missions :T:

...... I guess this is me being an idealist that all Khalsa should work together in the spirit of Unity and Eekta

Bhul Chuk Maaf

Waheguru

[samosasingh]

I think the problem is the general sangat has not "seen" what these sikh orgs can do. They have not as far as I can see proven why we should send our money to them. I think the sangat is worried it will get used more on org and less on the people that need it. I myself have debated donating to them and did not in the end as it does not seem that they have a proven track record like red cross, etc, etc. They really need to market there services in our gurdwaras, at which point I think they would get the full support of the community.

[ms514]

Sat Sri Akal:

Just an update on some Sikh organization effots. They attack by sea!

________________________________________________________

PRESS RELEASE

6 Jan 2005, Thursday

INNOVATIVE SOLUTION TO ACEH’S TSUNAMI PROBLEMS

Details of Press Conference:

Venue: 71 Jalan Maarof, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.

Time: Noon

Date: Thursday 6th Jan

Contact:

HARVINDER SINGH (Operations co-ordinator) 006 0193376140

HARBHAJAN SINGH (MALAYSIA) 006 0163850062

NAVRAAZ KAUR (UNITED SIKHS) 001 847 668 1367

A global Sikh relief team moves into action with a new action plan.

KUALA LAMPUR - As the log jam of relief agencies builds up in Banda Aceh, victims of the Tsunami in remote areas of the Aceh province of Indonesia continue to suffer from hunger and are in dire need of medical attention. The inability of relief agencies to reach these areas are frustrating their efforts to help victims.

Banda Aceh and Meulaboh, which have been heavily affected by the Tsumani, have seen an influx of relief agencies with the help of the US and Indonesian helicopters. However, other areas which are currently inaccessible are in dire need of food and medical supplies.

An innovative solution to access the out lying and remote areas is being put to test by GLOBAL SIKHS, a Tsumani relief team. Instead of moving into Banda Aceh, the band of volunteers from Malaysia, the United Kingdom and Canada are moving via sea. The plan: to reach directly to affected areas. GLOBAL SIKHS, combining the Malaysian-based organization MALA

YSIAN SIKH YOUTH and the global human development organization UNITED SIKHS, will be leaving the island of Langkawi, Malaysia, tomorrow (FRIDAY Jan 7).

GLOBAL SIKHS will be leaving with some 500 tons of material in the next few excursions. They will be carrying medicine, emergency supplies, food and water. Besides that, GLOBAL SIKHS will also be taking along with them generators, water purifications equipment, and mechanical diggers.

Above: Coordination team finalizing details.

The team of about 25 volunteers include 10 medical personnel. The others are engineers and Langgar (food) specialists. The team and supplies are being transported by a passenger ship and cargo barges. The passenger ship which carries the team members would be converted into a hospital ship on arrival as it has water purification equipment on board.

“We have chosen this method of access after consulting the Indonesian authorities and intend to setup base camp in Lhokseumawe in north eastern Aceh,” says Malkith Singh, a senior volunteer with Global Sikhs, who will be leading the first excursion.

Dr Susheelwant Kaur of UNITED SIKHS, who has traveled down from the UK, says that the medical supplies kindly donated by the Malaysian pharmaceutical companies and the public are sufficient for the few weeks but will need to be replenished regularly.

The transport ships have been organized by a group of Langkawi-based sailors. They will be form a supply road from Langkawi to Lhokseumawe on a weekly basis.

GLOBAL SIKHS have their operations centre at Sabha House in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. The centre has been frantic with activity for the last few days receiving donated items such as food and medical supplies from the public.

<

br>Operations centre in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.

Volunteers busy receiving supplies from donors.

- 30 -

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Images in this press release:

http://www.unitedsikhs.org/GlobalSikhspic1.jpg

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http://www.unitedsikhs.org/GlobalSikhspic3.jpg

If you require any assistance with regard to the receipt of this press release, please contact the phone numbers above or reply to this email.

[ms514]

Sat Sri Akal:

Just as a addendum to the viewpoints shared by mrsinghsahib. It is absolutely true that organizations such as the Red Cross and UNICEF are nore established and better connected and that is indeed due to their previous experience in these situations before. However, the Sikh community should have a vested interest in supporting their community organizations is they want them to operate at the same level as the bigger, more established ones. At the same time, the Sikh community should also demand accountability of any resources that are committed to these operations in the form of an itemized inventory of where the resources are being committed to. In this way, the Sikh community can hold the organizations responsible for proper allocation of funding while supporting the organizations'efforts and making them more prominent. We all know that Sikhism is all about selfless sewa and staying "gupt" about our donations to keep our ego down, but at the same token Sikhs also constitute as much population (if not more) as the Jewish community, and there is not a corner of the world that does not know what a Jewish person is. Through the Sikh organizations' efforts in these initiatives, there is a certain amount of global education that goes on as well, as this work when done is explained to be based in the core principles of Sikhism, through which interest is generated and even more education on Sikhism can occur.

Think of Sikh orgnizations like when a person applies for a job fresh out of their university. They read employment ads that state "experience required" everywhere. How is a fresh graduate supposed to be employed then? Simply put, the Sikh community mus

t begin to venture out and invest in their own initiatives, rather than rely on others to do work for them in the name of Sikhs. And Sikh organizations have a gigantic task ahead of them because many are newly formed organizations (especially here in the U.S., where the oldest organization is not even 10 years old) are campaigning vigourusly to get their names out and get volunteers and funding for their work.

It is an uphill battle for both the Sikh community and the Sikh organizations, but if the Sikh community is willing to invest some time, money and volunteers to these efforts while at the same time demanding accountability for their resources, then there is no reason that organizations such as UNITED SIKHS, The Sikh Coalition and SMART cannot be as large as Red Cross or UNICEF or NAACP.

Bhul Chuk Maaf.