The Sri Hemkunt Sikh Youth Foundation was founded in 1980 in New York by 11 visionaries who saw that the Sikh Youth
were losing touch with their heritage. A detailed history of the Foundation and its origin can be viewed here.
Determined to make a difference, the Foundation has successfully created an environment where the youth can learn
about the spiritual and moral teachings of Sikhism as well as develop their confidence as individuals.
The Foundation’s mission is to:
- Encourage, promote and disseminate the teachings of the Sikh Gurus, and their message of universal brotherhood,
peace and tolerance
- Encourage the participation of the Sadh Sangat (public gathering) in social and religious activities, including:
learning Keertan and practicing Gurbani, practicing Sikh philosophy and keeping our rich culture alive
- Promote learning the Punjabi language in Gurmukhi script and studying the spiritual teachings of Sri Guru Granth
Sahib Ji
This is achieved through 3 flagship events:
- The Speech Competition (Symposium): Participants aged 6-25 are split into 5 groups based on age and asked to
prepare a speech explaining their thoughts about a book based on Sikh teachings
- The Keertan Darbar: A darbar focussed on reviving the use of Sikh Heritage String and Percussion Instruments,
split into 3 groups based on age: basic, intermediate and senior
- The Panthic Digital Voice: In a collaboration with SikhLens, we endeavour to create the next generation of storytellers
by teaching the Sikh Youth essential filmmaking skills on content based on Sikh concepts and history