Peacebuilding
Peacebuilding and interfaith are founding principles of the Sikh Dharam (or faith). Therefore, GNNSJ and the Nishkam Group have always engaged in interfaith dialogue. The initiative has grown, and now Nishkam engages in interfaith dialogue and collaboration locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.
We work with the Fetzer Institute, and support the Globalization for the Common Good and the Parliament of the World’s Religions. We also engage with the Elijah Board of World’s Religious Leaders, Religions for Peace and the United Nations.
GNNSJ is well recognised as a pioneer Sikh organisation within the interfaith arena, facilitating conferences and hosting numerous landmark events to foster international peace and harmony.
Peace Charter for Forgiveness and Reconciliation
The peace charter is a commitment to practice and nurture forgiveness and reconciliation, to foster healing, harmony, justice and sustainable peace in our world.
The peace charter has been launched in various countries across the globe in the effort to build peace within all spheres of society.
Partners
Intrafaith Partners and Affiliates
- 10 Gurus and Guru Granth Sahib Ji
- GNNSJ Trust (India)
- Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Amritsar
- Sikh Organisations
- Legacy of Interfaith - Ik Oankar – Unity in Diversity
- Titles Recieved - ‘Bhai Sahib’
Interfaith Partners & Affiliates
Zorastrianism
- Jehangir Sarosh
Baha'i
- Mrs Joan Bowers
Buddhism
- His Holiness Dalai Lama
- Ven. Dharma Tsi Master Hsin Tao
- Yann Lovelock
Hinduism
- Swami Ramdev
- Ramesh Kallidai
- Ram Katha Coordination Committee
- Natu Bhai Shah (CODF)
- Swami Chedanand
Islam
- Imam Umair Ahmed Ilyasi
- Sheikh Sidi Muhammed al-Jamal
- Imam Abduljalil Sajid
- Sheikh Ibrahim Mogra
- King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz (KAICIID)
- Sharif Istvan Horthy
- Shaykh Abdallah Bin Bayyah
Sufi
- Ajmer Sherif
- Justine Huxley (St Ethelburga’s)
Judaism
- Rabbi Bakhshi Doron
- Rabbi David Rosen
- Rabbi Jonathon Sacks
- Rabbi Alon Goshen-Gottstein (EBWLR)
Christianity
1. Church of England (Anglican / Protestant)
- Former Archbishop of Canterbury - Justin Welby
- Archbishop of York – John Sentamu (OBE)
- Bishop of Birmingham - David Urquhart
- Bishop of Coventry - The Rt Rev Dr Bishop Christopher Cocksworth
- Rev. Dr. Thomas Wipf
2. Greek Orthodox
- Metropolitan Kirill
3. Roman Catholic
- His Holiness Late Pope John Paul II
- His Holiness Late Pope Benedict XVI – from whom GNNSJ’s Chairman was awarded a papal knighthood (KSG)
- His Holiness Late Pope Francis
- His Holiness Pope Leo XVI
- Late Chiara Lubich (Focolare), led by Maria Voce
- Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nicholls
- William Ozanne
Local Interfaith Activities
Engagement / Dialogue with:
- Birmingham Faith Leaders Group
- Lunar Sociaty
- Birmingham City Council’s Faith Round Table
- University of Birmingham Community Advisory Board
- Birmingham Citizens
- Archdiocesan Commission for Interreligious Dialogue
- West Midlands Faith Forum (WMFF)
- Council of Sikh Gurudwara’s Birmingham
- Birmingham Council of Faiths
- Hindu Council Birmingham
Activities:
- Faith Encounter Programme
- Faiths for the City project
- Collaboration with Birmingham City Local Council
- Collaboration with Birmingham University
- Social Action through Bham Citizens
- Ram Katha, collaboration betwee Hindu/Sikh faith event
- Face to face, Side by side (regional launch)
National Interfaith Activities
Engagement / Dialogue with:
- Hindu Forum of Britain
- Interfaith Network UK through WMFF
- United Religions Initiative
- St Ethelburgas Centre
- Charity Commission
- Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales committee for other faiths
- Swami Narayan Organisation
- Council of Dharmic Faiths
Interface with UK Government through:
- British Sikh Consultative Forum
- Standing Advisory Committee for Religious Education (SACRE)
- Department of Communities and Local Government
- Birmingham City Council
Activities:
- Face to face, side by side strategy
- Value-based RE syllabus (24 dispositions)
- Hosting of URI AGM
International Interfaith Activities
Engagement / Dialogue with:
- Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue
- Brahma Kumaris
- Universal Peace Federation
- European Council of Religious Leaders
- Religions for Peace
- Jubilee Debt Campaign
- Globalisation for Common Good
- Goldin Institute
- Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions
- Elijah Board of World’s Religious Leaders
- Participation in Tony Blair’s Faith Foundation Faith Acts Fellowship
- Fetzer Institute Advisory Council on World Religions and Spiritualties
- International Trustee, Religions for Peace
- United Nations31 - in the process of obtaining UN DPi consultative status
- UN Alliance of Civilizations
- Participation in Tripartite Faith Forum on Interfaith Cooperation for Peace
- King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID)
- Global Thinkers Forum
- United Religions Initiative
- Museum of Worlds Religions (Taipai, Taiwan)
- Peace Charter for Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Activities:
- Langar at 4th and 6th CPWR events
- Part funding of post-Doctoral research in Religions, Civil Society and the UN by UNESCO coordinator at Birmingham University
- Paper presented at 59th annual DPI/NGO conference
- Recipient of Hollister award from the Temple of Understanding
- Celebration of UN World Interfaith Harmony Week since 2011 and spoke at UN headquarters on common ground for the common good
- Working towards a Museum of Worlds Religions (UK) and Charter for Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Hosted:
- 4th ECRL meeting on ‘Muslims in Britain’, Birmingham, UK
- Refugees and debt cancellation conference, Kericho, Kenya
- Globalisation for common good conference, Kericho, Kenya
- 4th Goldin Institute event / conference on ‘Reconciliation’ Amritsar, India
- 3rd Elijah Board of World Religious Leaders meeting on ‘Sharing Wisdom, the case of love and forgiveness. Amritsar, India