WASHINGTON, DC : The Sikh Council on Religion and
Education (SCORE) would like to announce two
exciting opportunities for enthusiastic
individuals who have both an affinity with
Sikhism, and a passion for the environment.
The first is a full time position based in Delhi,
for somebody who will pioneer the EcoSikh
initiative and take it to the next stage.
The second is a part time internship based in
Washington DC, who will be instrumental in the
dissemination of the EcoSikh message throughout
the global Sikh community, and in getting some
great environmental actions underway.
What is EcoSikh?
EcoSikh is the Sikh community’s response to the
global environmental crisis. It is a specific
initiative that follows from the launch of the
Sikh Five Year Environmental Plan launched at
Windsor Castle last November (www.windsor2009.org)
as part of the ARC/UNDP Long-term Commitments to
Protect the Living Planet.
Why?
Because Sikhs can make a huge difference. Since
Guru Gobind Singh established the Khalsa in 1699,
in which he emphasised the importance of
protecting the vulnerable, Sikhs are now giving
free, nutritious food or langar to 30 million
people a day in their gurdwara kitchens,
regardless of caste, creed or need. Three hundred
years later, in 1999, Sikhism announced the 300-
year Cycle of Creation. Since then:
·
March14th has been established as Sikh
Environment Day, which this year saw Avtar Singh
Makkar, President of Shiromani Gurudwara
Prabandhak Committee(SGPC), pledge to plant
100,000 trees in SGPC run schools and colleges.
Dixie Road Gurdwara in Toronto has made plans to
install solar panels for energy.
Many gurdwaras including the Guru Gobind Singh
Foundation Gurdwara in Washington have started
planting vegetables and fruit trees on their land
to be used for langar.
Over100,000 trees have been planted under the
auspices of Baba Sewa Singh, a Sikh environmental
hero based in Khadoor Sahib.
River Bein associated with Guru Nanak, the founder
of Sikhism, has been cleaned with community’s
activism led by Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal.
Amritsar is to become a model eco-city under the
ARC/UNDP Green Pilgrim Cities Network.
RakabGanj Gurdwara in Delhi and the Golden Temple
in Amritsar have started giving tree saplings to
devotees on important occasions.
The Nanh iChhaan Foundation, a non-profit
organisation based in India, was founded in August
2008 with the objective of promoting women's
empowerment and protecting the environment by
preserving trees.
