“The Khalsa was founded to protect the vulnerable… Now the time has come to extend that care beyond humanity to the environment…” - Rajwant Singh, Buckingham Palace, 1991 at the announcement of the Sikh Cycle of Creation.

The last Sikh 300-year cycle – running from when Guru Gobind Singh formed the Khalsa in 1699 to the end of the last millennium – was dedicated to protecting the vulnerable in society, especially widows and orphans.

By 1999 the 24 million Sikhs around the world were feeding over 30 million people a day in the free langar offered in their gurdwaras.

The new 300-year cycle began in 1999, and builds on the lessons learned from the previous cycle. It calls for Sikhs to extend their protection of the vulnerable to all of Creation – all of the natural world – which needs our help now more than ever.

The EcoSikh 5-Year Plan is one of the first steps by which we can improve our protection of nature. It shows us how to become eco-pioneers – as a world religion, as local communities and as conscientious individuals.

We can make a difference, and we begin today.