Global Sikh Civil Rights Conference

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, human rights lawyers, and academicians on the above theme and on topics of Sikh Civil and Human Rights.

The discussions will be focused on issues related to (but not limited to) the UN Human Rights Committee's recent landmark decision that upheld a French Sikh resident, Ranjit Singh's  freedom of religion, by holding that he should be allowed to wear his turban, as he is religiously mandated to do so, for his identity card photograph.

We will also be releasing our Annual Global Sikh Civil Rights Report which will shed light on the most pressing issues of the Sikh nation.

Previous Conferences

The 2^nd Global Sikh Civil Rights Conference was held in December of 2009 in Toronto, Canada, where over 200 participants from 9 countries gathered to adopt recommendations and declarations on the crucial civil rights issues facing the Sikh community. Attendees of the Global conference include eminent human rights lawyers, politicians, judges, activists, multifaith representatives, and community leaders. Participants actively engage in dialogue about issues they face in their respective countries.

The 1^st Global Sikh Civil Rights Conference was held in December of 2008 in New York, USA, where over 200 participants from 9 countries gathered to adopt recommendations and declarations on the crucial civil rights issues facing the Sikh community. Attendees included eminent human rights lawyers, politicians, judges, activists, multifaith representatives, and community leaders, and participants were able to actively engage in dialogue about issues they face in their respective countries.

One of the main events of the gathering was the filing of the Right to Turban (RTT) cases before the United Nations Human Rights Committee on behalf of Sikh students denied their right to education and freedom to religion in French schools. In addition to the RTT cases being filed, the attendees deliberated on issues of Right to Kakaars, awareness of Sikhism within and outside the community, awareness of Sikh civil rights and identity issues. At the end of deliberations, recommendations and declarations on civil and human rights issues essential for the Sikh community were passed.

Global Sikh Civil Rights Report

UNITED SIKHS’ Global Sikh Civil Rights Report is a report where a community across borders voices their opinions on the current practices, future policies and the overall state of human and civil rights of Sikhs in their respective countries. The report combines insights from human rights reports with original survey data collected from Sikhs worldwide, and is put together by a team of lawyers, activists, academics and civil rights experts.

The 2008 Global Civil Rights Report had provided a first-of-its-kind insight into the needs and challenges of the global Sikh community. In addition to country essays, the 2009 report incorporates data from the Global Sikh Civil Rights Survey administered in 17 countries with over 300 respondents. Sikhs around the world weighed in on issues of hate crimes, xenophobia, current policies and practices toward minority communities, and the particular challenges of the Sikh community.

Click here to read the 2008 Global Sikh Civil Rights Report

Click here to read the 2009 Global Sikh Civil Rights Report