Posted on 17/01/25 | Category: Announcements Press
Governor General & Minister for Communications Officiate
Sydney, Australia, 14 January 2025 – The Governor General of Australia, Her Excellency the
Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC, officially opened the 25th Sikh Youth Australia (SYA) Summer
Camp on Friday 3 January 2025, marking one of her first engagements with the Sikh community since
her appointment in July 2024.
It was truly a meaningful and momentous occasion as the Governor General adorned a phulkari
(handwoven fork embroidered shawl) on her arrival, encapsulating the vibrant, caring and innovative
spirit of the Sikh community.
Also gracing the milestone 25th annual summer camp was the Hon Michelle Rowland MP, Minister for
Communications and James Jegasothy, Deputy Chief Executive Officer for Multicultural NSW.
Following a formal meet and greet with prominent Sikh community leaders, the dignitaries were taken
on a tour of the camp to witness first hand the activities being enjoyed by over 350 attendees aged 3
to 85, including slip and slide, basketball, soccer and spiritual and self-development workshops,
designed for each age group.
Most notably, the Governor General and Minister paid their respects to the Guru Granth Sahib, the
central holy religious scripture of Sikhism regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and eternal Guru.
They then cut a celebratory 25th anniversary cake which was followed by lunch.
The Governor-General found much common ground between her focus on care, kindness and
respect with Sikh values of care, selfless service and inclusion of all. A shared love of cricket was also
undeniable, with a spontaneous cry of “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi” erupting from the audience.
The Hon. Michelle Rowland MP and Deputy CEO of Multicultural NSW James Jegasothy also shared
personal reflections along with Camp Commandment, Mr Jaideep Singh and SYA President, Satwant
Singh Calais. Some of the camp leaders shared stories of their times attending the camp over many
years where they experienced the transformative power of service and belonging.
For the last 25 years, SYA’s flagship Summer Camps have focused on building a full suite of activities
centred around spiritual, charitable, cultural and leadership development of the Sikh community.
Having started with 25 people at the first camp in 1999, the camp has gone from strength to strength,
attracting participants from across Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore, Malaysia and the UK.
The annual camp held in January each year aims to develop self-esteem and confidence in Sikh
youths in Australia, improve the social capacity of the Sikh community to deal with contemporary
youth issues, develop strong ethics, good citizenship and values to be proud Australian citizens and
enhance the knowledge amongst youth on Sikh religion and culture.
About Sikh Youth Australia
Sikh Youth Australia is a volunteer run, not-for-profit charitable organisation established in 1999 to
service the social, cultural and spiritual needs of Sikh youth and new migrants. It is recognised as the
peak organisation representing Sikh youth in Australia. From humble beginnings, SYA has grown to
be the largest youth organisation representing Sikhs in Australia with chapters in New South Wales,
Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.
Over the past 25 years, Sikh Youth Australia (SYA) has been a progressive, national organisation
enriching the lives of Australian Sikh youth and families by empowering Sikh youth, young adults and
parents to understand and enjoy their identity and positively contribute to the social and economic
development of Australia.
Starting from its flagship Summer Camps, SYA has slowly built a full suite of programs focusing on
the spiritual, charitable, cultural and leadership development of the Sikh community. Today, these
activities have impacted over 100,000 lives across Australia. This has included initiatives such as the
Future Leaders Program, Young Sikh Professional Network (YSPN), Culture Care, Sikh to Give,
Women in Leadership, Spiritual and Self-Development Workshops, Natural Disaster Assistance,
ANZAC Day Parades, as well as multifaith collaboration events.
SYA Annual Summer Camp Background
For the past 25 years Sikh Youth Australia has been holding a Summer Youth Camp for Sikh youths
and parents in the month of January. Having started with 25 people at the first camp in 1999, last
year we had over 350 participants. We have gone from strength to strength and have been attracting
participants from all across Australia and on many occasions even from New Zealand,
Malaysia and India.
Camp attendees can be segmented into youths, young adults and parents, aged between 3 to 85.
The objectives of the Sikh youth summer camp include:
• Developing self-esteem and confidence in Sikh youths in Australia
• Improving the social capacity of the Sikh community to deal with contemporary youth issues
• Developing strong ethics and values in being proud Australian citizens
• Enhancing the knowledge of youth on Sikh religion and culture
The camp is also about having a fun time! Adventure activities are organised every afternoon and
include orienteering, bubble soccer, abseiling, slip and slide, basketball and soccer. There are plenary
sessions plus 12 workshops daily, designed for each age group.
During the afternoons, special workshops and yoga sessions are held for young adults and parents,
while the youth are provided with team building and recreational activities. In the evenings there are
guest speakers, debates and cultural activities to provide an opportunity for everyone, no matter how
old, to demonstrate their skills, passion, as well as increase their knowledge of Sikhism and Sikh
culture and heritage.
At our SYA Summer Youth Camps, every participant will learn values and skills such as teamwork,
co-operation, leadership and respect for others. By the end of the camp each participant, no matter
how young or old, will leave with at least one thing they didn’t have before they arrived whether
they have learnt something new, created a new friendship or discovered something about
themselves.
Media contact:
• For more information or event photographs, please contact: Sheila Dhillon, Communications
Director, Sikh Youth Australia – 0423 884 848