UPCOMING PROGRAMMES
SPM & STPM school leavers
Hi To All Concerned in the education of our youth :
I came to understand that many of our Sikh youth from a humble background are literally lost and do not know what to do after the SPM and STPM examinations. And, there are some who have got many As in SPM but lack confidence and self-esteem.
I was told about a young lad of 18 years who got 9 As. Let me tell you briefly about this youth. His dad was a fitter earning about RM800 but currently jobless. Caring and diligent Mother works as a cleaner in a factory to make ends meet. 2 elder siblings are clerks and help provide a home for the family. He did not succeed in his application for a JPA scholarship bec his English is weak – only got a Credit and not an A.
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International Turban Day celebrated at Akaal Takht Sahib
Turban Day celebrated at Akal Takht
Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, April 13
With the active support of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), the Akaal Purkh Ki Fauj (APKF) today tied saffron and blue turbans to hundreds of children in front of Akaal Takht to mark International Turban Day, which falls on April 13.
The APKF had appealed to Sikhs all over the world to wear saffron-coloured turbans to mark the day. The organisation had also urged Sikh women to wear saffron headgear on the day.
ADVENTURE CAMP – participant comments on facebook
Pyario
Waheguru ji ka Khalsa || Waheguru ji ki Fateh ||
InSPiRE has been running Sikh Adventure Camp for teens and a Sikh Discovery Camp for 6-11 year olds for the last 4 years at Taman Botanik Malaysia in Shah Alam. This year’s Adventure Camp was held over the 20-22 March weekend and 58 participants, 16 Apprentices [youth leaders undergoing on-the-job training] and 11 adult facilitators/ volunteers took part.
Below I share a sample of comments gleaned from the conversations on Facebook about the Adventure Camp. Note that the next camp will be in March 2010, while the Discovery Camp 2009 is scheduled for 21-23 August 2009.
Read the participants’ comments below…
Guru raakhaa
Autar Singh
TURBAN PRIDE MOVEMENT (DASTAAR Swai-maan Lehr)
Gurmukh pyare jio
Waheguru ji ka Khalsa || Waheguru ji ki Fateh ||
The Turban Pride Movement (Dastaar Swai Maan Lehr)
The sons of Guru Gobind Singh Ji sacrificed their lives for their religion and for the Sikh form, which is recognized by unshorn hair and turban. We are fast losing this form.
It is our aim to give recognition and prominence to unshorn hair and turban as our pride, which is why the Turban Pride Movement of the Guru Khalsa Panth and its programs has been drawn up.
The programs drawn up for the whole Sikh community are as follows:
1. Mr. Singh International Contest (The Turban Pride)
2. International Turban/Dastaar Day – 13 April (a day before Vaisakhi Day)
3. Dastaar Tying Training Clinics
4. Sikh Tradition and Turban (Speeches, Dramas & Poetry recitals)
5. Integrated Tajposhi (Dastaarbandi) Smaagam
6. Turban Tying Competitions
This Movement was launched in 2004 by AKAAL PURKH KI FAUJ INTERNATIONAL. Various organisations have joined the Movement from around the world. It is now in its fifth year.
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The Turban in the Obama McCain Debate
The Turban in the Obama McCain Debate
by ARVINDER SINGH KANG
When the major U.S. news channels first began dissecting the presidential debate at the University of Mississippi last week and around 50 million eyes worldwide were glued to the television, an image of a blue-turbaned Sikh flashed across the screen.
Many of those watching Fox News and CNN screamed “Oh vekho! aapna Sardar!” (Look! A Sardar!).
The Mane of Lion
The Mane of a Lion
by Rubin Paul Singh
While on a road trip this past summer, my seven-year-old niece asked me a question that caught me off guard.
She asked: “Mama ji, why don’t you tie your beard?”
To be honest, it wasn’t something I had thought much about, so it wasn’t easy to come up with a quick answer, let alone one that would satisfy an inquiring seven-year-old.
With little thought, I quickly responded: “Because I want to look like my heroes.” She didn’t ask any more questions.
The answer seemed to satisfy her, but I wasn’t sure if it satisfied me; perhaps it needed a little more thought.
Exploring our Roots,Experiencing our Heritage #1
Gurmukh pyare jio
Waheguru ji ka Khalsa || Waheguru ji ki Fateh ||
INSPIRE, Malaysia and AKAAL PURKH KI FAUJ, India has jointly launched their inaugural ‘VIRSA Experience
Programme’ for Sikh diaspora youth, initially for Malaysian Sikh youth.
The programme theme is ‘Exploring our Roots,Experiencing our Heritage’. It is a 2+ month long programme providing a number of learning adventures for the participants to pick up Sikh and Punjabi skills while exploring their roots and experiencing their heritage.
The inaugural programme involves 9 young boys, between 17 – 21 years old, who left Kuala Lumpur last night
[10 January]. On arrival at Delhi airport, they were whisked to the Frankfinn guest house in Nizamuddin
where they spent their first night on the programme.This morning they boarded the first class AC car of
the Shane Punjab superfast train to Amritsar.
They have safely arrived at the Baba Deep Singh Niwas located near Chehratta Sahib Gurdwara. When I spoke to
them a few minutes ago, they were in high spirits and having their lunch.
The AKAAL PURKH KI FAUJ officers have lined up an exciting programme for them. I will keep members posted on the progress of this initiative.
Our plan is to open this up to Sikh diaspora youth from around the world. Interested? Please mail me personally.
This programme has been possible partly by donations from well wishers who have seen the need for human resource development. We thank them profusely.
Thank you.
Guru raakhaa
Autar Singh
Subang Jaya, Malaysia
Note of Gratitude
A FORWARDED MESSAGE
Amarjid Kaur is a single parent whose son is one of the two boys who has been selected to receive a full
sponsorship for the VIRSA Experience. This sponsorship was partly made available by Sanjha Homes of UK with
the balance being raised through the efforts of UPSO,Ipoh.
Guru raakhaa
Autar Singh
— Amarjid Gill wrote:
Dear Veerji Dheer Singh and Veerji Autar Singh,
Gurfateh. As the President of Sikh Single Mothers Association (Sikhmai), I would like to thank you for
giving the children of single parents’ homes an opportunity to experience this wonderful programme.
Our association is deeply grateful to you both. The time and effort that has been put into this
programme is deeply appreciated by all our members.
On behalf of the committee members, I thank all the donors who have made possible for these two boys to
go on this trip. I am sure they will learn a lot of things and it will make them better Sikhs and better
leaders of the Sikh community in the future. They are very lucky to be included in the pioneer batch
in this VIRSA experience. Thank you again!
May Waheguru continue to bless you and your family!
Regards.
Amarjid
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Reflection
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