(New York, New York) June 13, 2007 - The Sikh Coalition today announced the start of its 3rd Annual Diversity Essay Competiton.  Last year's 2nd Annual Diversity Essay Competition drew over 1,700 entries from more than 30 countries around the world.

Topic

The purpose of this year's essay competition is to examine the role of freedom of religion in the context of contemporary society. As in previous years, we hope that the topic will stimulate a healthy conversation among young people.

Therefore we invite young people to share their views on the following topic:

On February 10, 2004, the French Parliament voted 494 to 36 to approve a legislative bill which bans all conspicuous “religious” articles of faith from public schools. The bill passed France's national legislature and was signed into law by President Jacques Chirac on March 15, 2004. The law disproportionately affects those for whom the wearing of “religious” articles is considered an obligation, not a choice—an obligation that cannot change, whether the practitioners are in public or private spheres.

In an essay of 1,000 words, please discuss the implications of the French ban for the minority communities of France who have been impacted by it. In your essay, please take only one of the two positions below:

• If you favor the ban: While engaging with issues faced by communities impacted by the ban, please discuss how France’s conception of secularism (laïcité) can be used to shed light on the ban.
• If you oppose the ban: What makes you oppose it? Please outline a strategy through which the international community may be mobilized to force France to repeal the ban.

Click Here for More 2007 Competition Information

Awards

All entries will be eligible for the following awards:

• First Place: $1,000.00
• Second Place: $500.00
• Third Place: $250.00

Submission Deadline

All entries must be postmarked no later than February 1, 2008.

All completed entries (application form & essay) must be sent to:

The Sikh Coalition - Essay Competition
P.O. Box 7337
Olympia, WA 98507-7337
United States

Eligibility

• You should have been between 14 to 19 years old on December 31, 2006 to qualify for the competition
• All entries will be considered without regard to race, sex, national or ethnic origin, citizenship, religious affiliation, or disability

Started as an effort to educate the greater North American community on Sikhs and Sikhism, the Sikh Coalition seeks to safeguard the civil and human rights of all people as well as to promote the Sikh identity and communicate the collective interests of Sikhs to civil society. The Coalition serves as a resource on Sikhs and Sikh concerns for governments, organizations and individuals.

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