Caritas NZ says the pilgrims are in Glasgow to pray and to press world leaders for strong action at COP26 - the 26th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Religious leaders representing Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu, Buddhist and Baha'i traditions are offering prayers and calls for concrete actions.

The 31 October to 12 November conference is the first requiring countries to honour their Paris accord commitment to submit new, more ambitious plans to environmentally-damaging emissions.

Caritas NZ says the global Catholic charity has three critical targets it wants to see COP26 progressing:

• Strong emissions cuts to keep the 1.5C target alive
• More climate finance that is targeted and more readily accessible to the most vulnerable communities, equally shared between mitigation (cutting emissions) and adaptation. Finance to address Loss and Damage already incurred by the poor must be stepped up, recognising the ecological debt owed by richer countries to poorer ones.
• Tackling climate change in an integrated way, including protection and restoration of ecosystems and prioritising the needs of the poor in a just transition, in line with Laudato Si'.

During the conference, Caritas will hand over its "Healthy Planet, Healthy People" petition along with other messages from faith-filled activists and leaders from around the world.

Several hundred people gathered in the vicinity of the Scottish Events Centre when the conference opened, to pray for world leaders at the conference.

"We remind governments of their commitments made in Paris in 2015 to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees," says a multifaith declaration read at the event and signed by more than 50 religious leaders from Scotland and the United Kingdom.

Another multifaith statement asks "governments to swiftly and justly transition the global economy from fossil fuels toward renewables and compensate communities already affected by climate change."

"Across our doctrinal and political differences, we know that we must change our ways to ensure a quality of life which all can share, and we need to provide hope for people of all ages, everywhere, including future generations. To offer hope in the world we need to have confidence that those in power understand the vital role they have to play at the Glasgow COP26."

Scottish Catholic Bishop Brian McGee says the interfaith group is offering prayers for world leaders. It also expects to exert pressure on them to deliver on public demands for an urgent response to the climate crisis.

"Certainly that's what a lot of people have been doing. That is contacting the politicians and explaining to them that this is really, really important and we have to do something here," he says.

McGee says Catholic action at the climate summit shows love of God's creation and those suffering the impacts of global warming.

Pope Francis's "extraordinary leadership" in widening the ecological question beyond conservation has widened the way we look at creation and people suffering the impacts of global warming, McGee says.

"It's about how we treat people. It's about justice in all its forms."

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• La Croix
• Caritas
• Image: Caritas Internationalis

They have reported that one family, they have helped had not eaten properly for days.

Auckland-based organiser Harpreet Singh said the group had recruited volunteers and planned operations in Auckland, Christchurch, Napier, Whangarei and Hamilton.

Singh said the group, a Sikh Aware initiative which is open to all people, was motivated to help those who are following self-isolation guidance.

The service is open to all who are self-isolating.

That included medical staff and others, regardless of religion or ethnicity.

Those needing food are asked to order their groceries at their local store.

Volunteers will then arrange a pickup.

The goal is to provide same-day delivery if the order is placed before 12 pm.

Singh said volunteers were reimbursed by electronic banking for the groceries but provided free deliveries to the doors of people self-isolating.

One family who was self-isolating after returning from India had not eaten adequately for days, he said.

"They sent us a huge grocery list. They needed all kinds of essentials."

Volunteers at Sikh Aware are adhering to rules about not having physical contact or close contact with people in self-isolation, Singh said.

Singh said the group was busy last Friday and Hindus and Muslim volunteers were also offering help.

Sikh Aware NZ, Whangarei Sikh Society and Deg Tegh Fateh Sikh Society Christchurch were involved.

Harpreet Singh, an IT worker, migrated to Auckland in 2014 with his family.

He founded Sikh Aware in 2018 to educate other New Zealanders about the religion and advocate on behalf of vulnerable Sikh migrant workers.

According to the to latest census data about 41,000 Sikhs now live in New Zealand.

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• facebook
• stuff.co.nz
• Image: stuff.co.nz

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The president of the Sikh society said it is not something he thought he'd ever see when he moved to New Zealand three decades ago.

The new temple in Naenae is going to cater for a growing population, the number of people affiliating with Sikh in New Zealand has more than doubled since 2006. Continue reading

The 980-square-metre building was bought in August last year from Foodstuffs, which ran the New World store until 2014.

Wellington Sikh Society treasurer Kulbir Singh said location, location, location was behind the purchase of the Vogel St property.

"The first thing was the space, which is bigger than the site where we are in Porirua. The second thing is parking: over here we don't have any parking.

"We are going to have around 70 spaces at the new location. The third thing is it is closer to the railway station." Continue reading

Daejon Pahia was struck by a four-wheel drive as he crossed Manuroa Rd in Auckland just before 9am on Friday, suffering a serious head wound.

Nearby resident Harman Singh, 22, heard the crash and rushed to the scene where he found the boy bleeding extensively from his head and made the decision to break strict religious protocol and remove his turban to staunch the blood.

Mr Singh's actions have been praised around the world as an incredibly symbolic act of humanity, and Daejon's mother, Shiralee, has also contacted him to thank him. Continue reading

Parliament's first Sikh MP says there needs to be legislation around ceremonial daggers so it's clear they are not weapons and are safe to be worn.

National MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi said the biggest issue for Sikhs is being able to wear a kirpan - a short dagger that symbolises a Sikh's duty to come to the defence of those in need - at their workplace and at public events.

Recently seven Sikh cricket fans were barred from watching India play Zimbabwe in a Cricket World Cup match at Eden Park because they were wearing kirpans.

ICC spokesperson Philip Clark said he was comfortable with the way staff handled the situation at Eden Park and the policy banning all knives would be in place for the rest of the tournament.

He said the men were given the option of having their Kirpan respectfully removed and looked after or a ticket refund.

The Prime Minister, John Key, said the ICC made their own rules around the tournament, he did sympathise with the Sikh community regarding kirpans.

Labour's ethnic communities spokesman, Phil Goff, says maximum freedom for Sikhs to practise their religious beliefs and wear kirpans should be set out in law.

"In other countries, such as India, Canada, the United Kingdom and some Australian states, legislation has been passed recognising this right."

He said while safety needed to be considered - other countries have proven that the "right by law to carry the kirpan has not caused problems".

Source

• Stuff.co.nz
• Radio New Zealand
• Image: Stuff.co.nz/ChrisWatttie

Sikhism is the fifth largest religion in the world with a population of upwards of 30 million worldwide. There are an estimated 250,000 Sikhs in the United States having first arrived in the late 19th century.

Below are five basic facts about Sikhism:

• Belief
• History
• Scripture
• Place of worship
• The Five K's

Continue reading

Image: Hindu News