Roundtable
Conferences: The Good, The Bad ... And The Useless
The Roundtable Open Forum
# 55
EDITOR
The following is this week's topic for discussion.
CONFERENCES - The Good, the bad ... and the Useless
Someone remarked the other day that at any given moment - night or day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year - somewhere in the world, there's a Sikh conference being held.
Frankly, it's not far from the truth.
We have taken to conferences ... as well as commemorations, anniversaries, etc ... like bees to honey.
There is a whole range of them, from the very good to the very bad.
Some I've attended in my lifetime have indeed been extraordinary ones and have proved fruitful beyond measure. Others, I'm afraid, merely go through the motions, and do no more than waste time and money. And then there are those that do more harm than good.
What makes a good conference?
Have you attended any that were remarkable and left a lasting impression on you? What did they achieve? How?
And the bad ones ... what made them bad? Where and how did they fail?
What is the ideal conference? What should it do to make it all worthwhile?
December 30, 2010
Conversation about this article
1: Balbir Singh (Germany), December 30, 2010, 1:00 PM.
The ideal conference takes place between the true Saadh and the seekers. The seeker then finds the right path ever new.
2: I.J. Singh (New York, U.S.A.), December 30, 2010, 7:25 PM.
This topic definitely hit a chord. I often return from conferences on Sikh issues feeling like a talking head detached from real life - a conference junkie at best. If a conference offers no action points at the end, then it is at best, as Shakespeare said, "sound and fury signifying nothing." And that's the way most conferences are - the exceptions are rarer than hen's teeth. A pity.
3: Rupinder Kaur (Faridabad, India), December 31, 2010, 3:26 AM.
I never knew that attending a Sikh conference can be such a blessing. Recently I attended a three day international conference on 'Pluralistic Visions in Guru Granth Sahib' held in Delhi where I got an opportunity to meet some eminent personalities from the world over whom I knew only through their articles and writings. It was like a dream come true. The presentations were wonderful and some of them made a lasting effect on my minds eye. Such useful conferences should be held often.
4: K. Singh (Massachusetts, U.S.A.), December 31, 2010, 2:00 PM.
There are many Sikh conferences happening throughout the world, and we are fortunate to say that times are changing, and some of these conferences are now being organized by the younger generation. While this is great to see and the younger ones are spending their efforts to organize such events, where one can learn and grow more as a Sikh, the points that Dr. I.J. Singh brings up are very valid. What are the takeaways? What is the betterment for the Sikh Panth or the world at large that will be accomplished? Who will benefit? It is true that at many of the conferences, there is a spirit, we are all caught up in the moment and want to save the world the next day. However, we come back to our daily lives and fall into routines, and nothing happens, we remain at status quo until the next conference, where we are back in the spirit. It is a never ending cycle! In order for these conferences to be successful and more than a reason to throw a dance party, we must make action items and be held responsible for them in some way, shape or form. How do we do this? That is the question.
5: Sangat Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), December 31, 2010, 5:02 PM.
This is how I got caught into a vortex. It was, I think in May, 1992. I got a call from Autar Singh, now of GLZ fame and then the Jathedar of Sikh Naujawan Sabha, Malaysia, asking if I would accept the Chairmanship of the International Sikh Conference that he was organizing to take place in June, 1992. "You are joking!" said I, "Nobody ever organized a conference of that magnitude in less than two months!". His reply was, God made the world in seven days, didn't He?" And, of course my usual clever reply was ... "And what a bloody mess it has been ever since!" With a dash of sheer madness and high on the octane of chardi kalaa, we embarked on that project. In the end it was highly successful. Conferences are here to stay. We live in the age of opinion. That is where you give vent to effusive and strident opinions. Then, there are ubiquitous workshops and I had to be a moderator for one or two. The popular but burning question was: Should we allow dating in the prevailing manner? The questions and my comments: "Sir, should we have dates?" My response: "Yes, most certainly, so long as you don't eat too many at a time." "How far can we go on a date?" Again, "You can go as far as you want, so long as you are holding hands, and walking!" Then, this was at a different kind of conference, I think in Norway in the mid-90s. I was found myself the only one with a turban and surrounded by mostly Europeans, at a cocktail party. Someone politely asked: "Do you drink?" I said "No, I don't." "What about smoking?" "No, I don't smoke either." Deciding that I was therefore a prude, he further ventured: "What about women?" My reply must have stumped him: "No, they don't smoke either." That was the conference for me, and many more to come and each remained interesting. We did have occasions of some literary grafting and/or cross fertilization of ideas to produce a possible healthy new fruit. The idea of 'Akal Purakh ki Fauj' probably germinated there.
6: Sangat Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), January 01, 2011, 4:24 AM.
Having said my piece and as an afterthought, might I summarize as follows: Bad - concepts raised resulting in resolutions for action remain in the conference room and stagnate. Good - Great tax deduction while socializing! Happy New Year for those who are 2 hours behind us.
7: Harbans Lal (Arlington, Texas, U.S.A.), January 02, 2011, 11:27 AM.
I am supportive of a new column to report on Sikh conferences and others in which Sikhs participate.
8: Izhaarbir Singh (Texas, U.S.A.), January 02, 2011, 9:47 PM.
While I cannot say I have ever been to a Sikh Conference, I have engaged in conversation with many Sikh conference participants. Mostly, I have not been impressed by the people that are the hi-fi products of these conferences. Excessive energy is wasted on rationalizing Sikhi, whereas Guru Granth Sahib is devoid of rational arguments for a belief in God or the consequential religious practices. Like K. Singh and I.J. Singh, I would like to see real-life application of concepts. Everyone is hyped about changing the world, but too often the products of these conferences seem to forget: "kahe re ban khojan jaaee?" What would make the ideal conference? One that focuses on the mastery of the internal self, rather than activist ideals. Let's face it, we have thousands of activist Sikhs, but not a single one that all Sikhs know and would accept as a leader of their Panth (comparing that to history when leaders were selectively chosen by the community ... maybe that's something to think about.) One that enthusiastically provides and encourages resources for people of all levels of familiarity with Sikhi to fully engage themselves with gurbani seriously. Lastly, one whose facilitators and leaders support its participants throughout the year by following through and accomplishing realistic goals. (This is in line with what K. Singh said earlier.)
9: Balbir Singh (Germany), January 03, 2011, 11:53 AM.
Sikhi is receiving Naam Simran when the mind confers it. A conference is not an exhibition of attitudes or influencing others with a show. A conference is also not a classroom.
10: Balmeet Singh (Delano, California, U.S.A.), January 04, 2011, 4:21 AM.
I have attended nearly every "Sikh conference" in North America and many in the UK. I must start out by saying that in every case, the organizers have put in tremendous effort with the best of intentions. Having said that, the end product is mostly useless in terms of Sikhi. Conferences (specifically the 18-35 types) are great for three main categories: people who have not been exposed to Sikhi beyond weekly gurdwara trips, people interested in specific speakers/ specialized research topics, and (the vast majority) people interested in networking/ relationships. Bottom line: if you fall into one of the three categories above, do attend and feel free to ask me for recommendations. Otherwise, open a book if you're lazy, the Guru Granth Sahib if your not, and let the learning begin.
11: Christine Kaur (Texas, U.S.A.), January 04, 2011, 3:52 PM.
Honestly, out of all of the conferences that I've been to in North America, the ones held by the Sikh Research Institute have been the most fruitful for me. Instead of telling us what we should or shouldn't do, their workshops educate us and make us think for ourselves. With them, it's not about networking or hanging out (not that it's a bad thing) but if you want to learn something, I highly recommend them.
12: Harkirat Singh (Netherlands), January 05, 2011, 7:59 AM.
I believe that, for a Sikh conference to be truly successful today, it should have the following essentials: a) speakers who are not only experts in their respective fields but who are articulate and have the ability to lecture effectively; b) it should have an audience or participants (not including organizers, or their families) of at least 100 to 200 - depending, of course, on the venue and the ambit of the venture; c) the actual participants in the proceedings must consist of at least 50% youth, and at least 50% women; d) there should be more than a mere "passing of resolutions" - there should be a concrete follow-up by the organizers (e.g., publication of papers) and concrete ideas offered to the participants for their follow-up. Invariably, many of you will think of, or know of, good exceptions to each of the above. But remember, exceptions merely prove the rule!