UNITED SIKHS invites you to the 4th Global Sikh Civil and Human Rights Conference in 2012, to be held at United Nations Church Center in New York. The topic for the conference this year is “Identity, Human Rights, and United Nations”, building upon the landmark decision of the UNHRC in 76 year old French resident Ranjit Singh's turban case. Community leaders and members will engage in a dialogue with experts, government reps., multifaith representatives, human rights lawyers, and academicians on the above theme and on topics of Sikh Civil and Human Rights.

To register for the conference, click here.

Date: Tuesday, April 24th, 2012
Time: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Location: United Nations Church Center, 777 United Nations Plaza, 2nd Floor Plaza Room, New York, NY 10017

Agenda

• 10:00 am –10:15 am
• Registration and Coffee

• 10:15 am – 10.30 am
• Welcome Remarks
  Mankanwal Singh - Director, UNITED SIKHS

• 10:30 am – 11:40 am
• Individual Speaking Session

  Topic: Identity and Religion: The Role of Ideological, Social and Spiritual Contexts

  Speakers:
  1. Dr. Rahuldeep Singh - PhD, Assistant Professor of Religion, California Lutheran University
  2. Matthew C. Weiner - PhD, Associate Dean of Religious Life
  3. Sukhvinder Singh - Head of Policy, Equality and Human Rights Commission (UK)
  4. Dabinderjit Singh – Director at the National Audit Office (UK), OBE, Sikh Federation
  5. SGPC Representation
  6. DSGMC representation

• 11:40 am – 12:00 pm
• Open Discussion

• 12:00 pm – 12:45 pm
• Lunch

• 12:45 pm – 1:00 pm
• Reassemble

• 01:00 pm – 1.15 pm
• Introductory Remarks

Navneet Singh Narula
Chief Executive Officer of nBrilliance Consulting, Motivational Speaker and Social Entrepreneur

• 1.15 pm – 1.55 pm

• Panel I - Are Nations fulfilling their obligations towards international instruments to which they are a PARTY?

  Panelists:
  1. Susan Herman - President, American Civil Liberties Union
  2. Kevin Parker - State Senator, New York
  3. Elizabeth K. Cassidy - Deputy Director for Policy and Research, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
  4. Bani Dugal - President, NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief

• 1:55 pm – 2:05 pm
• Break

• 2:05 pm – 2:45 pm

• Panel II - The impact of the UN decision on the religious minorities in France, and its global ramifications.

  Panelists:
  1. Julius Grey - Constitutional Lawyer
  2. Jagmeet Singh Dhaliwal - Member Of Parliament of Canada
  3. Matt Cherry - International Representative of United States, International Humanist and Ethical Union
  4. Jack Glaser - Associate Professor of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley

• 2:45 pm – 3:00 pm
• Coffee Break

• 3:00 pm – 3:40 pm

• Panel III: Challenges & Solutions offered by the UN and beyond the UN

  Panelists:
  1. Dr. Bobbi Nassar - Vice Chair, UN NGO Committee on Human Rights
  2. Judith Hertz - Co-Chair of the Commission on Inter- religious Affairs of the Union of Reform Judaism
  3. Ali H. Alyami - Executive Director, Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Saudi Arabia
  4. Bani Dugal - President, NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief

• 3.40 pm – 3:50 pm
• Concluding Remarks
  Kuldip Singh - Director, UNITED SIKHS

• 3:50 pm – 4:00 pm
• Open Discussion/ Q&A

CONFERENCE MATERIALS: Conference materials will be distributed in folders to attendees at the conference

REGISTRATION: Online pre-registration is appreciated to attend The Conference. Registration closes to all at 5pm on Monday, April 23rd. Suggested donation for the conference- 20$. Space is Limited