PRESENTATION

1. PRESENTATION A NON-PROFIT NON-GOVERNMENTAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATION www.unitedsikhs.org recognise the human race as one

2. Our Mission To transform underprivileged and minority communities and individuals into informed and vibrant members of society through civic, educational and personal development programmes. UNITED SIKHS adopts a holistic and multi dimensional approach to achieve this.

3. Background UNITED SIKHS started as a service organisation to help recent migrants from Panjab to the United States. That was in 1997. Today UNITED SIKHS has grown into a human development organisation which works globally for the betterment of Sikhs at every level by networking with other Sikh and mainstream organisation. In 2002/3 UNITED SIKHS set up its chapters in Europe and Asia . Panjab, due to its unique, spiritual cultural and historical links with the origins of Sikhi, is best placed to provide a spiritual environment whereby Sikhs from Panjab and the Sikh Diaspora will be able to make a contribution to the betterment of Sikhs in particular and society in general.

4. UNITED SIKHS’ projects in Asia are mainly, but not exclusively, in Panjab and in cities and towns with a significant Sikh population. The projects are inspired by the virtues of--- daya, dharma, santokh, sanjam and nimrata (compassion, discipline, contentment, patience and humility.)

5. Office Setup Head office Location UNITED SIKHS’ head office is in Amritsar. Social upliftment is crucial in this area due to it unique historical and traditional links with Sikhi. We are confident that the trickle-down effect from Amritsar will benefit the rest of Panjab. Strategically, Amritsar holds great potential with the development of airport facilities and the global interest in the area with the potential listing of Darbar Sahib as a heritage site by UNESCO in 2005.

6. Head Office • Role • To run office-based projects; • To run the administration for field projects; • To house facilities such as a general office, library, function rooms, mini museum etc; • To coordinate operations at other UNITED SIKHS branches; • To provide office facilities and housing facilities ( where possible) for other visiting NGO volunteers; • To administrate the residential facility for UNITED SIKHS volunteers and visiting NGOs.

7. Branch Offices Branch offices are set up in any city or town where there are UNITED SIKHS projects, which warrant the need for an office. The facilities provided at the branch office may reflect the model of the head-office and vary according to local need and facilities. A Branch office was opened in Delhi in 2003.

8. Staff • There are paid and voluntary members of staff.  • Paid Staff • The Executive Director is a paid member of staff whose duties are to execute and oversee all functions, operations and projects of UNITED SIKHS. • Others: Office Manager, driver, cleaner, cook etc for the administration of the offices and residential facilities. • Non Paid Staff/Volunteers • These are volunteers from UNITED SIKHS’ chapters in ASIA, EUROPE and NORTH AMERICA who • run the office administration and office and field -based projects.

9. Projects All projects use a holistic approach and are interlinked hence providing an efficient management of volunteers, facilities and financial resources.

10. Office Projects • Aim • To set up a resource centre e.g. library, computer lab, office facilities, etc for all local and visiting NGOs; • To promote Sikh values, Culture and History in the local community; • To provide mentoring and impart skills through UNITED SIKHS volunteers, especially to the local youths; • To foster links and participate in a Sikh sangat committed to panthic ideals ; • To promote a good relationship between UNITED SIKHS and the local community; • To provide an avenue for interaction and exchange between overseas and local volunteers and the local community.

11. List of Office Projects • Quarterly UNITED SIKHS newsletter • Discourses on Gurbani, Keertan Maryada, Arts, Culture, Heritage and History • Gatka • Living Culture program to promote village arts • Evening English and Panjabi classes • Computer classes • Amritsar Heritage Walks • Library and Resource Centre • Cultural performances • Career and educational counseling and tuitions

12. Field Projects CAOF UNITED SIKHS Camp Change Agents of the Future (CAOF) Aim To educate and inspire youths to become social activists by promoting better understanding of the challenges and needs affecting youths. The first 6 -week CAOF camp was held in July 2003 at Sri Dasmesh Academy, Anandpur Sahib, Panjab.

13. Field Projects CAOF During the first 3 weeks of the camp, apart from curriculum based knowledge on Gurbani, History, gatka, keertan, etc, participants gained first hand experience with local culture for e.g. spinning the charkha, weaving dhurries; making Phulkari, learning traditional geets etc. This was followed by a one- week field trip where expert guides took the participants on a foot and vehicle journey tracing the footsteps of Sikh history and environment. In particular participants traced the route taken by Guru Gobind Singh when he left the Anandpur Qila.

14. Field Projects CAOF • The speakers/instructors at the camp were, inter alia: • Prof Devinder Singh, History professor at Guru Gobind Singh Khalsa College, Chandigarh; • Bhai Isher Singh • Prof Jagdeesh Singh, Panjabi professor at Mukerian College, Hoshiarpur; • Inderjit Singh Jaijee, human rights activists and author; • Prof Gurbachan Singh Bachan, Social scientist, Head of Guru Gobind Singh Chair, GNDU and former Gen. Sec of SGPC; • Dr Gurbhagat Singh, former Dean of Languages, Punjabi University Patiala.

15. Field Projects CAOF • Other camp speakers: • Dr Surinder Singh: Numismatist on Sikh Coinage and Sikh Sovereignty. • Baljit Kaur, gen secretary, Panjab Human Rights Organisation. • Prof Kanwaljit Singh and Gurpreet Singh: Keertan Maryada • Dr Brijpal Singh, former Prof of Economics, Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Administrative Service, Mussoorie. • Mahinder Singh Josh, Chandigarh, Founder member of Sikh Missionary College • Rajbir Singh, Khalsa Environment Project

16. Village Literacy Across Borders (VLAB) Aim To improve literacy in village schools and colleges by improving facilities and the provision of education. Background The poor provision of state education in Panjab villages is a contributing factor for poverty and substance addiction in villages.

17. Improve • Improving Provision of Village Education • Aim • To network with existing education charities to improve the provision of education in villages. • UNITED SIKHS aims to network with existing education charities committed to improving village education. An educational charity based in Jallandhar, is committed to building and running schools in villages to provide affordable and sound education to village children. It has built and runs 20 village schools with modern facilities including computer labs, libraries and sporting facilities. This charity aims to build 30 more such village schools within the next decade.

18. Improve UNITED SIKHS’ role as a networker would be to identify villages where village school educations provisions are poor and to act as an initial liaison between the charity (or similar charities) and the village.

19. B. SAHELEE • Showing and helping educational empowerment • Aim • A mentoring program to promote the provision of education to girls in villages. • SAHELEE aims to promote the provision of education to girls in villages through motivation. Our initial survey in villages shows that village girls who drop out of the school system after the 8th standard do so for 2 reasons in the main: • Prejudice against educating girls; and • Village girls have to travel to nearby villages or towns to further their education and parents are very hesitant to allow their daughters to travel alone. • Under SAHELEE , every year, suitable CAOF (Change Agents of the Future) international summer camp volunteers (from North America, Europe and India) will stay with host families which have young girls in the vulnerable age group.

20. SAHELEE These volunteers will be role models and be friends (SAHELEE) to village girls and families to motivate them to understand the importance of education. The volunteers will also teach the village girls conversational English as an incentive. UNITED SIKHS will encourage the volunteers to continue to keep in touch with the host village girl after they leave the village. UNITED SIKHS will provide continuous counseling support through local volunteers.

21. C. CHIPSSS Computers and Help In Providing Staff and Student Support Chipsss Mission Statement To promote premier computer education for students in Panjab schools and colleges.

22. CHIPSSS UNITED SIKHS’ aim of improving village literacy received a shot in the arm, when Sri Guru Angad Dev (SGAD) College’s computer department was identified as a befitting partner for the CHIPSSS project under the VLAB program. SGAD college is located in a village in Khadoor Sahib, whose students come mainly from farming families. SGAD college aims to provide affordable computer education to village students in the Taran Taran, Gurdaspur and Amritsar areas, who would otherwise not be able to afford the fees and travel costs for studying in computer colleges in nearby towns.

23. CHIPSSS • CHIPSSS Initiatives: • Help improve SGAD college’s computer facilities by supplying computers (new and used), software programs, books and journals; • Provide tuition and mentoring to computer students by assigning to SGAD college IT and English language volunteer tutors from UNITEDSIKHS-ASIA, EU and NA • Boost the performance and intake of computer students by providing financial awards and assistance as an incentive; • Boost the quality of computer training by facilitating and encouraging the academic staff to undertake continuous education by attending refresher courses; • Promote a “computer culture” by promoting the formation of and activities in a Computer club at SGAD college.

24. CHIPSSS • In 2003, UNITED SIKHS provided 5 computers to Sri Guru Angad Dev college, (SGAD) in the village of Khadoor Sahib, Amritsar, which offers computer training courses. Another Washington based charity, Village Literacy, also contributed funds for the purchase of these computers. SGAD college requires a further 10 computers. • In 2003-4, UNITED SIKHS hopes to send its IT qualified volunteers to computer colleges in Panjab to train teachers and students for period of 6 months or more. These volunteers may be recruited separately or they may be CAOF volunteers.

25. CHIPSSS • To celebrate the quincentenary of the birth of Guru Angad, UNITED SIKHS has launched the Guru Angad Fifth Centenary Scholarship. An annual award of Rs 30,000 rupees will be made to a top all-rounder Sikh student majoring in computer studies. He will be called a Guru Angad Scholar. • UNITED SIKHS will also fundraise to provide scholarships and bursaries for computer studies to 20 bright and needy students in 2003-4

26. Drugs Eradication through Education in Villages (DEEVA) Aim To provide preventive, detoxication and rehabilitation programs to villages.

27. DEEVA • Preventive Programs • PLAY • Providing Lively Activities for Youths • AIM • To build and run recreation centers in villages, schools and colleges to give youths an outlet of expression; and • To provide mentoring to youths. • Background • There is a dire shortage of healthy recreational facilities in villages and educational institutions resulting in the youths turning to cable television and drugs for pleasure. • A project paper has been prepared which details the setting up of a pilot PLAY activity centre. This centre will house games, sporting and counseling facilities that will be managed by a trained sports facilitator/counselor.

28. DEEVA UNITED SIKHS will network with a sports organisation to secure trained sports instructors. This sports organisation currently supplies trained sports instructors to public schools in India. UNITED SIKHS aims to use this pool of trained instructors for its PLAY centres. CAOF camp volunteers will provide mentoring and guidance by living with village families which have youths in the vulnerable age group.

29. DEEVA B. Drug Detoxification and Rehabilitation Centres D’care Detoxification and Counseling as a Rehabilitation Effort UNITED SIKHS is currently looking at a number of successful centers with views to inviting them to set up a pilot center. UNITED SIKHS has visited the Aas Kiran rehab centre, Hoshiarpur, which is based on Sikh spirituality and uses a “sukhmani method” to treat and rehabilitate addicts. UNITED SIKHS will send addicts they encounter in the villages to these centres.

30. Field Project SAKHEE • SAKHEE • Social Activity as a Key to Her Education and Empowerment • AIM • To provide village women with an outlet of expression to build self-esteem and confidence. • Background • An initial survey conducted in a Sangrur village, where there is a poor record for educating girls and a high record for addiction, showed that married women and young girls lack chardi kala or the ‘feel good factor’. • Many of the women interviewed had many skills, such as making of pekhian (hand-fans) etc. However, for social reasons, they were not encouraged to work, their skills went unnoticed and hence unappreciated.   • UNITED SIKHS plans to set up a pilot SAKHEE centre which will serve as a place for women to share and learn skills.

31. SAKHEE The SAKHEE centre will also have a sales outlet which will promote the goods produced by these women in nearby towns. The center will also be a place where talks and dialogue on parenting and other social issues etc will be promoted. During their seva projects, CAOF camp volunteers will also provide training, especially in literacy.

32. VIRSSA VIRSSA Vehicle to Identify, Restore and Safeguard Sikh Arts Why has the Sikh community a poor record for safeguarding Sikh Arts? Did you know…Khalsa College was not built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh nor by the British –this Institution was promoted by the Singh Sabha Movement; the architect was Ram Singh of the Mayo School of Art in Lahore; the land was donated by Sikh villagers of Kot Khalsa and the building costs were funded by the princely States of Patiala, Faridkot and Nabha.

33. VIRSSA VIRSSA Projects: 1. Restoration of Suraj Mal haveli in Anandpur Sahib. This is perhaps the last remaining 400 year old Guru-period haveli of Suraj Mal, Guru Teg Bahadur’s brother. It is in a derelict state and is in urgent need of funds to restore it. The Sodhi family which owns it has agreed for UNITED SIKHS to set up a trust fund to restore and manage the haveli. 2. AASA: UNITED SIKHS is promoting the setting up the Arts Appreciation Society of Amritsar (AASA). Its members will be arts enthusiasts who live, work or originate from Amritsar. UNITED SIKHS and other Amritsar based corporations will be its institutional members. AASA will organise events to celebrate the artistic splendour of Amritsar. 3. Amritsar Heritage Walks: UNITED SIKHS held its first Walled City walk in Amritsar on 15 Aug 2004. Our Walk Guides were members of INTACH (Indian National Trist for Arts Culture and Heritage). The walk was enjoyed by UNITED SIKHS volunteers and guests from the UK, US Delhi and Amritsar.

34. VIRSSA • The other UNITED SIKHS Amritsar Heritage Walks are: • Old Town Walk- explore lesser known nooks and corners of the city • Architectural Walk- discover the vestiges of once spectacular fortresses and admire the artwork of old buildings • Chatorey Walk- To taste the famous culinary delicacies of this city • Guilds Walk-To Trace different trades that have flourished in the city • Guru Ramdas introduced the first 32 shops to the city 400 years ago. • Masala Walk-To find culinary delicacies like pickles, papads, chooran, and warians • For more info on how to join our walks call UNITED SIKHS on (0091) (0)981 567 3242 or email unitedsikhs-asia@unitedsikhs.org

35. STARAE STARAE Scholarships as a Tool to Accelerate Rural Academic Excellence. UNITED SIKHS manages donations received from the Sikh community to fund a scholarship programme to provide premium education to bright and needy village students. In 2004, twenty bright and needy students from village schools were given STARAE scholarships to study at private schools. The participating schools are Khalsa College Senior Secondary School, Amritsar, Sri Guru Harkrishan Public school Amritsar, Shaheed Darshan Singh Pheruman School Rayya, Standard Public School Dhulka and St Soldier Day Boarding School, Jandialla Guru.

36. GHANAIA GHANAIA Giving Humanitarian Aid Necessities and Assistance Impartially to All. In March 2004, UNITED SIKHS launched Project GHANAIA to celebrate the spirit of selfless giving. We called upon Sikh organisations around the world to adopt Project GHANAIA to mark 20 years since the tumultuous events of 1984, when thousands of lives were lost in Panjab and the rest of India. The Sikh community was asked to help give the gift of life. On March 6, a blood drive was held in conjunction with the Long Island Blood Services at the Richmond Hill 118st Gurdwara, Queens New York 11419 Gurdwara. In order to commemorate the tricentennary of the Sikh “Red Cross” movement - when Bhai Khanaiya received a first-aid box from Guru Gobind Singh ji to serve humanity, UNITED SIKHS has drawn up a plan to run a Mobile Blood Drive Van project in Panjab. This service will be managed in partnership with The Bhai Kanhaiya Seva Society branch at Dera Hari Bhagat Pura (Gurdwara Mitha Tiwana, Hoshiarpur), which runs a blood bank that provides free blood supply to the needy.

37. GHANAIA In order to commemorate the tricentennary of the Sikh “Red Cross” movement - when Bhai Khanaiya received a first-aid box from Guru Gobind Singh ji to serve humanity, UNITED SIKHS has drawn up a plan to run a Mobile Blood Drive Van project in Panjab. This service will be managed in partnership with The Bhai Kanhaiya Seva Society branch at Dera Hari Bhagat Pura (Gurdwara Mitha Tiwana, Hoshiarpur), which runs a blood bank that provides free blood supply to the needy.