Press Release: 

Second World Punjabi Conference Takes Place in Prince George, June 28-July 1^st

             “Nation Building in the 21^st Century and the Punjabi Nation”, a four-day conference, takes place at the University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, B.C. from June 28 to July 1^st 2003. Building on the success of our First World Punjabi Conference in August 2000, the topic of this conference is “Nation Building in the 21^st Century and the Punjabi Nation”. Sponsored by the international Punjabi magazine, South Asian Review and Punjabi literary organization, Sahit Sabha Prince George, the conference will feature scholars, cultural personalities and activists presenting papers on different aspects of modern nation building, focusing on the Punjabi nation while including other nations. Issues of Punjabi history, language, culture, economy and politics will be discussed.

            In this era of “globalization” and the dictate of a single mega-power on the international scene, when nations large and small struggle to maintain their identity, the very existence of the Punjabi nation numbering 150 million people is not even acknowledged!  The majority of Punjabis can not even study their mother language in school. In these times how is the Punjabi nationality to develop? What challenges face the Punjabi and other nations as they try to affirm their rights?  How are the questions of language, culture, economics, politics to be addressed by the Punjabi and other nations today within the context of globalization?  Writers, poets, thinkers, political activists from India, Pakistan, Canada, the United States, England, Sweden, Australia, Puerto Rico, and elsewhere will present and discuss papers on these questions.

            We extend a warm invitation to everyone to participate in this Second World Punjabi Conference June 28-July 1^st.. Anyone interested in joining us in beautiful Prince George, wood industry capital of British Columbia, should contact one of the following conference representatives:

Bhupinder Malhi, President, Virasat Foundation
Co-ordinator Second World Punjabi Conference
Bhupinder@virasatfoundation.com

Vijay Kapila, President, Sahit Sabha Prince George
Second World Punjabi Conference Convenor

CANADA

Sucha Deepak                          250-561-1687

Bhupinder Malhi                       604-765-3063

Vijay Kapila                             250-561-2969

Gurdip Singh                            204-783-0184

Nazir Kahut                              905-828-8807

Major Mangat                          905-796-9797

USA

Dr. Manzur Ejaz                       703-863-3451

Dr. Sawraj Singh                     509-962-3652

INDIA

Dr. Karnail Singh Thind            0172-212421

Prof. Nirdosh Kaur                  98155-77515

Janmeja Johal                           0161-2426246

PAKISTAN

Prof: Afzal Toseef                   92-42-744-3310

BRITAIN

Ajmer Coventry                      0247-636-3298

Harbinder Samra                    0208-737-1826

Salvinder Dhillon                    0208-898-3264

SWEDEN

Syed Asif Shahkar                   0871-28570

SINGAPORE

Lachhman Singh                      64650865

AUSTRALIA

Navdip Singh Punia                0294375774