Participants

• Dr. Karan Singh, MP, International Chairman Temple of Understanding
• Dr. Bhai Mohan Singh, Chairman Emeritus Ranbaxy Laboratories, Max-India Limited, President of GSI
• Mr. Yuriy Ageshin, President of Chamber of Law, Russian Federation
• Sri. Ashok Singhal, International Executive President, Vishwa Hindu Parishad
• Dr. S. A. Ali, Founder Member, Hamdaard University
• Dr. M. D. Thomas, National Co-ordinator, Nat’l Catholic Bishops Commission for Religious Harmony
• Mohammed Rafiq Shariq Warsi, Deva Sharif, Barabanki, UP, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• Swami Om Vesh, Minister of Sugaracane, Uttar Pradesh
• Sergei Glaziev,  Leader of the Opposition, The StateDuma, Russian Federation
• Svetlana Smirnova, Deputy Chairman, Committee on Federation Affairs and Regional Policy, State Duma (Parliament), Russian Federation
• Ranjit Singh Kalha, Member Human Rights Commission, former Ambassador to Iraq and Indonesia
• Dr. Vachaspati Upadhaya, Vice-Chancellor of Lal Bahadur Shastri Sanskrit Vidyapeeth
• Dr. Andreas D’Souza, Director of Henry Martyn Institute, an International Centre for Research, Interfaith Relations, and Reconciliation, Hyderabad
• Dr. Kharak Singh, Director, Institute of Sikh Studies, Chandigarh
• Brig. Sarbjit Singh Randhawa, son of late Gurnam Singh Randhawa, I.G. Police, Mizoram
• Dr. Surjit Kaur Jolly, Principal of SGM College, Delhi University, Secretary, GSI
• Sushil Kumar Chopra, IAS, former Add’l Secretary, Mizoram, Deputy Commissioner DMC
• Mohinder Singh Sandhu, Former Commandant Police, 1st MAP, Mizoram
• Bhai Kirpal Singh, Head Granthi and Chief Research Scholar, Gobind Sadan Institute
• Other guests who served in Mizoram
• Prof Shilin Yvanovich – Professor of Institute of Asian and African Countries, Moscow State University
• Rev. Dr. Harvey Sindima, Malawi Theologian and Prof. at Colgate University, USA
• Rev. Dr. Samuel Muyskens, Wichita, Kansas, USA - Chair, North American Ecumenical and Interfaith Staff; Director of the oldest local interfaith council in North America
• Dr. Raj Wadhwa, former Principal Vivekananda College, Delhi University
• Tenzin Lhadrun, Sonam, Lobsang – Jamyang Choling Institute, Dharamsala
• Dr. Hillel Levine, Director International Institute of Mediation and Historic Reconciliation, Prof of Jewish Studies, Boston University, USA 
• Mary Pat Fisher – internationally renowned author, “Living Religions,” GSI
• Valeria Iman Porokhova, Chairman of Al Furq’an Center, Moscow and Syria
• Dr. Fatima Hussain, Delhi University
• Natasha Schenova, International Organization for Peace through Culture, Ekaterinburg, Russia
• Galina Ermolina, Novozibirsk, educator, leader of spiritual pilgrimages
• Dr. Azad N. Shamatov, Head South Asian languages Dept, Tashkent State Institute of Oriental Studies
• Tegbir Singh, youth leader, Boston, MA, USA
• Inderpreet Kaur, age 12, and the Gobind Sadan youth corps with International youth groups
• Ralph Singh-Vice Chair North American Interfaith Network, founding President GSUSA

Program

Thursday 17 February, 2005:

Inaugural Ceremony, 11:30 a.m.,

Dr. Karan Singh, Presiding

• Welcome by Dr. Bhai Mohan Singh, Chairman Emeritus Ranbaxy Laboratories, Max-India Limited, President of Gobind Sadan Institute
• Introduction of participants, description of sessions
• Keynote Address: Mr. Yuriy Ageshin, President of Chamber of Law, Russian Federation
• Sergei Glaziev,  Leader of Opposition, Russian Parliament
• Remarks from Swami Om Vesh, Sugarcane Minister, Government of Uttar Pradesh
• Presidential Remarks: Dr. Karan Singh, MP, International President of Temple of Understanding
• Message of His Holiness Baba Virsa Singh, founder-patron of the Gobind Sadan Institute

Lunch

4 p.m.

Lessons from Mizoram: Creating Sustainable Peace

Chair: Ralph Singh Vice-Chair North American Interfaith Network,founding President Gobind Sadan USA

Speakers:

• Brig Sarbjit Singh Randhawa, son of late Gurnam Singh Randhawa, I.G. Police, Mizoram
• Sushil Kumar Chopra, IAS, former Add’l Secretary, Mizoram, Deputy Commissioner DMC
• Mohinder Singh Sandhu, Former Commandant Police, 1st MAP, Mizoram
• Bhai Kirpal Singh, Head Granthi and Chief Research Scholar, Gobind Sadan Institute
• Other guests who served in Mizoram

6:30 p.m.

Sabbath service at Sh’ma Place, led by Rabbi Hillel Levine

7 p.m.

Dinner

8 p.m.

Youth session: “Sharing Culture, Sharing Peace”

Chair: Tegbir Singh

Participants: Inderpreet Kaur, age 12

• Gobind Sadan youth
• Youth from America, Russia, and India

Friday, 18 February

10-12:30 a.m. Cooling the Fires Around the World

Chair: Ranjit Singh Kalha, Member Human Rights Commission,former Ambassador to Iraq and Indonesia

Speakers:

• Prof Shilin Yvanovich – Professor of Institute of Asian and African Countries, Moscow State University
• Rev. Dr. Harvey Sindima, Malawi Theologian and Prof. at Colgate University, USA
• Rev. Dr. Samuel Muyskens, Wichita, Kansas - Chair, North American Ecumenical and Interfaith Staff; Director of the oldest local interfaith council in North America
• Tenzin Lhadrun, Sonam,  Lobsang – Jamyang Choling Institute, Dharamsala
• Dr. Hillel Levine, Director International Institute of Mediation and Historic Reconciliation, Prof of Jewish Studies, Boston University  
• Valeria Iman Porokhova, Syria and Moscow, Chairman of Al Furq’an Center, translator of the Holy Qur’an and Hadith into Russian
• Dr. Fatima Hussain, Delhi University
• Dr. Raj Wadhwa – former Principal Vivekananda College, Delhi University
• Natasha Schenova, International Organization for Peace through Culture, Ekaterinburg, Russia
• Galina Ermolina, Educator, Novozibirsk

Lunch in small groups with speakers

3 p.m.

Leading Indian Scholars from Delhi and Punjab interact with speakers in lively discussion

Chair: Dr. Surjit Kaur Jolly, Principal of SGM College, Delhi University

5 p.m.

Tea

6 p.m.

Religious Leaders’ Role in Breaking Down the Barriers to Peace

Chair: Dr. Vachaspati Upadhaya, Vice-Chancellor of Lal Bahadur Shastri Sanskrit Vidyapeeth

Speakers:

• Svetlana Smirnova, Deputy Chairman, Committee on Federation Affairs and Regional Policy, State Duma (Parliament), Russian Federation
• Sri Ashok Singhal,  International President, Vishwa Hindu Parishad
• Andreas D’Souza, Director of Henry Martyn Institute, an International Centre for Research, Interfaith Relations, and Reconciliation, Hyderabad
•  Dr. M. D. Thomas, National Co-ordinator, Commission for Religious Harmony, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India
• Mr. S.A.Ali, Founder Member, Hamdard University
• Mohammed Rafiq Shariq Warsi, Deva Sharif, Barabanki, UP, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• Swami Om Vesh, Minister of Sugarcane, Uttar Pradesh
• Dr. Kharak Singh, Director Institute of Sikh Studies, Chandigarh

With closing blessings from

His Holiness Baba Virsa Singh, founder and patron of Gobind Sadan Institute

Background

Gobind Sadan:

For four decades Gobind Sadan has brought together people of all castes and creeds to work, worship, and live together as members of one family. High and low, everyone receives inspiration and blessings from the great visionary and healer His Holiness Baba Virsa Singh Ji. Babaji preaches the oneness of all humanity and all religions, thus helping to bring down the barriers that divide us. Families, clans, and whole villages come to him to help solve their disputes, and in many strife-torn regions of the world his gian (enlightened guidance) has brought lasting peace. His historic peacemaking that ended the Mizoram insurgency still holds, after three decades.

Babaji’s Path to Peace:

• Heals peoples’ minds, bodies, and souls to bring peace within
• Overcomes religious, ethnic, and personal conflicts
• Overcomes poverty, turning wasteland into productive farms to alleviate suffering

The Seminar:

 As part of Gobind Sadan Institute’s series on “Emerging Trends in World Peace,” this seminar brings together government and religious leaders, reconciliation specialists, and social and spiritual workers from all religions and many parts of the globe to jointly consider how spiritual approaches bring peace in situations of conflict.

RSVP Gobind Sadan Institute, Gadaipur, Mehrauli, New Delhi 110030

Ph. :2680-5446, 2680-9608, 2680-3398

Celebration of the Birthday of His Holiness Baba Virsa Singh Ji

In Gobind Sadan, “God’s House without walls,” devotions in many forms continue around the clock. In honour of the birthday of His Holiness Baba Virsa Singh Ji, special prayers will also be offered. All are encouraged to participate.

Daily: 5:00  Singing evening prayers at Darbar Sahib

7:00 Singing Jaap Sahib, Hanuman Chalissa, and Chandi di Waar at havan

February 18, 3 a.m.to February 20, 2 a.m.  – Multiple Akhand Paths in Darbar Sahib

February 18 , 8 a.m. to February 20, 8 p.m.: Special havan near main gate

February 18: 1:45 p.m. – Friday Namaz at mosque

February 19: Prayers in Jesus’ Garden

5:30 p.m. – Buddhist chanting

6:15 p.m. – Candlelighting and prayers at Jesus’ Place

6:45 p.m. – Sabbath Prayer at Sh’ma Place

Sunday, 20 February:

9 a.m. to 12 noon – Kirtan

12 noon to 1 p.m. – Kavi Darbar

3 p.m. – Address of His Holiness Baba Virsa Singh Ji

Continuous langar