ACHA PEACE
BULLETIN
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/ACHAPeaceBulletin
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A publication of
Association for Communal Harmony in Asia (ACHA)
www.asiapeace.org & www.indiapakistanpeace.org
Editor: Pritam K. Rohila, PhD pritam@open.org
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Volume XI, No. 3,
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CONTENTS
EDITORIAL
*Democracy, Communal Harmony & Peace, Pritam K. Rohila, Ph. D.
LETTERS
*Yet another train blast, Ammu Abraham, Mumbai
PEACE & HARMONY NEWS
PEACE & HARMONY CONFERENCES
*April
20-22,
PEACE & HARMONY EVENTS
*March
14 – 17,
*March 17,
*March 17,
*March
18-
*March
18-19, Cottage Gove, Creswell, &
*March 19,
*March
20,
*March
21,
PEACE PETITIONS
*Independence
Day Border Concert
SRI LANKA UPDATE
*Two Decades of War; Five Years of Ceasefire Agreement; What Next?
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EDITORIAL
*Democracy, Communal Harmony & Peace, Pritam K. Rohila, Ph. D.
Democracy
is on the march in
Elections are an important feature of democracy, but are not sufficient by themselves. Free press and independent judiciary are also essential. And democracy is not complete without full and free participation in decision-making of different sections of population, especially the minorities and the downtrodden.
Even more important for a democracy is tolerance for differences of opinion and belief. Everyone should have a right to live according to one’s beliefs, without risking one’s liberty or life.
How disagreements are handled determines the strength of democracy in any country. It also determines if there is communal harmony within nations, and peace between them.
If
in
LETTERS
*Yet another train blast, Ammu Abraham, Mumbai
Yet another train blast. 66 people dead. Most of them Pakistanis this time.
Yet another attempt to blow a hole through the fabric of peace and the possibility of the absence
of organized hatred
among the people of
Absence
of hatred is what one humbly hopes for these days.
In
one's youth, one had more ambitious visions; but today one's hopes are more
modest.
One
hopes, for an absence of hatred.
Can
Democracy grow on the tears of weeping people?
Can
injustice be set right by tribal revenge?
Can
there be Equality, Socialism on the blood and bones of blasted human bodies?
In the moment of truth, while life still pulses through one's veins, human beings are mostly
survivors.
We
seek to save ourselves, and then others most like ourselves.
We
glorify this into the idea of Our People.
Our
religion, our nation, our oil, our soil, our water, our watan,
our national sovereignty...
They
say that in olden days they used to add human blood to fix archways for
bridges.
Can
the arches of the Nation of Peace,
blood?
After last year's train blasts in Mumbai, I wanted so badly to know who did it; just because I
travel those trains
every day.
Was
it the Bajrangis, Was it that unreal Don allegedly in
Or
is there lurking among us an invisible network of Lets, Jaishes
& their friends?
One may never really know; but one can only cope with that powerlessness by empowering
oneself with the belief
in and commitment to Peace.
We are a generation that grew up without seeing world wars; we were born into independent
But these genocides and train blasts have brought home to us the energy and power of the word
Peace.
We,
who used to giggle when people demanded World Peace & found it rhetorical.
May this train blast at least renew the commitment of today's young people to Peace; so that it is
a living vision for
them.
We
did not value it; because we had it handed over to us.
We
were free, because the blood had already sunk into the earth.
Only
in Peace can the children be Free. Only in peace can girls actually giggle at
World Peace.
PEACE & HARMONY NEWS
Foreign Secretary Shiv
Shankar Menon shakes hands
with his Pakistani counterpart Riaz Mohammed Khan
prior to the start of the composite dialogue process in
*
*Shivshankar calls on Shaukat Aziz DAILY TIMES |Wednesday, March 14,2007 http://www.southasianmedia.net/index_story.cfm?id=371059&category=Frontend&Country=MAIN
*Pak-Afghan jirga to restore peace:
Aziz DAILY
TIMES
*Climate of reconciliation with Pak:
*Pak,
Afghan agree on Jirga commission PEOPLE'S DAILY |Tuesday,
*Pak compensates Sri Lankan soldiers DAILY TIMES |Tuesday,
*Indo-Pak talks next round tomorrow DAILY TIMES |Monday,
*Afghan Jirga arrives for
talks DAILY TIMES |Monday,
*
*A new hope for
Indian ‘POW families’ DAILY
TIMES |Sunday,
*
*SAARC Car Rally - a unique sojourn THE HINDU |Sunday,
*
*Lanka team to mark Pak
Gandhara Week DAILY NEWS |Sunday,
*Curbs on Indo-Pak diplomats travel eased HINDUSTAN TIMES
*Dhaka-Kolkata train from April 14 DAILY STAR |Saturday,
*Indo-Pak ties improving: Manmohan Singh,
PTI,
http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/mar/08ties.htm
*LoC, border ceasefire holding
strong' DAILY
TIMES |Friday,
*Geelani gets passport to travel
abroad Indian Express |Friday,
*Indo-Pak track-II meeting? DAILY
TIMES |Thursday,
*
*
*Sharp drop in Indian
*Cooperation
with
*Indo-Pak secy talks on March 13 IRNA |Wednesday,
*Pak to build Afghan hospital DAILY
TIMES |Wednesday,
*
*
Additional Secretary for at the Ministry of
External Affairs K C Singh (right) at the meeting with Pakistani Additional
Secretary Tariq Usman
(left) and other officials at in
*SAARC energy ring
proposed THE
HIMALAYAN TIMES |Tuesday,
*Pak Sikhs celebrate Hola Mela DAILY
TIMES |Monday,
*Holi celebrated throughout South
*Liberal view of world
vital: PM HINDU
|Sunday,
*India-Bhutan
Friendship Treaty enforced KUENSEL
ONLINE |
*National
*
*Indian intelligence warned of Musharraf attack HINDU
|Friday,
*
*All
of
*'India to help
Nepal peace process' NEPAL
NEWS |
*'A friendship
of goodwill and trust' BBS
|
*India,
Pak on same wavelength: Kasuri INDIAN EXPRESS |
*For the good Samaritan, there are no Hindus or Muslims, Indian Muslim, Feb22, 07 http://indianmuslims.info/news/2007/february/22/features/for_the_good_samaritan_there_are_no_hindus_or_muslims.html
*
*Tales of sorrow, survival and comradery Indian Express |Tuesday,
*
*
*Thar Express arrives in Pak from India THE NEWS |Sunday,
*Hindus worship
at Katas Raj (
*N-accidents:
http://www.southasianmedia.net/index_story.cfm?id=364095&category=frontend&Country=main&pro=0
*J&K issue
ripe for resolution: Musharraf KASHMIR
TIMES |
*Women seek
amendment in 14 points THE KATHMANDU POST |
PEACE & HARMONY CONFERENCES
*April 20-22, Albacete, Spain: WORLD CONFERENCE ON EARLY CHILDHOOD PEACE EDUCATION
to help promote the need for changes in early childhood education in order to
stem the growth of the prevalent culture of violence and
contempt and prepare
the child to assume a responsible life in a free society, with a spirit of
understanding and peace.
More info from http://www.waece.org/albacete/ingles/ppal.htm
PEACE & HARMONY EVENTS
*March 14 – 17, Cleveland, Ohio, USA: INTER-AMERICAN SUMMIT ON CONFLICT RESOLUTION EDUCATION, to be hosted by Global Issues Resource Center, Office of Community Continuing Education, at Cuyahoga Community College and The Organization of American States, for government representatives from among the 50 states and 34 countries of the Americas and their non-governmental organization partners who have legislation or policies in place to deliver conflict resolution education at the K-12 level and in colleges of teacher education. More info including a registration form and preliminary conference program, from Jennifer Batton at 216-987-2224 or Jennifer.Batton@tri-c.edu
*March 17,
*March 17, Vancouver, B.C, Canada.:
STOP THE WAR MARCH starting at 1:00
p.m., at English Bay (Denman & Davie) followed by a RALLY at 2:00 p.m. at
Vancouver Art Gallery. Gather at
*March 18-
*March
18-19, Cottage Gove, Creswell, &
*March 19,
*March 20,
*March 21, Portland, OR, USA: RESOLUTION AGAINST WAR ON IRAN will be read for approval, followed by a celebration of Now Rouz, the Iranian New Year, at Noon, at the City Hall. More info from www.aifcpdx.org
PEACE PETITIONS
*Independence Day Border Concert
In the spirit of international friendship, Friends
Without Borders is circulating petitions for
permission to organize an Independence Day Concert at India-Pakistan Border. If
enough people speak up, surely we'll get a "YES!" And heck, when the
people have joined their voices together, asking for a better bridge between
them, then permissions or no, the aim has already been fulfilled.
Citizens of
Citizens of
More info from Friends Without Borders http://www.FriendsWithoutBorders.org or kid2kid@gmail.com
SRI LANKA UPDATE
*Two Decades of War; Five Years of Ceasefire Agreement; What Next?
In this context the National Peace Council is encouraged by the response of
civil society networks from all parts of the country, represented by 350
leaders, who yesterday attended a peace symposium on the theme of "Two
Decades of War; Five Years of Ceasefire Agreement; What Next?"
Representatives of the four religions and civil society groups spoke of the
need for a political solution rather than a military solution. In
addition, Ambassadors from Norway, the United States and Japan, and High
Commissioners of Canada and Australia took part in the event and demonstrated
international solidarity with the call of civil society for negotiations, peace
and political reform.
The key ideas that were expressed included expediting the political proposals
of the All Party Representatives Committee, honouring
the mandate of the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons who are
observers to the Presidential Commission to investigate Serious Human Rights
Violations, and to resume government-LTTE peace talks. We are pleased
that the government and opposition political parties sent their political
representatives who also addressed the gathering in accordance with the spirit
of the symposium.
The peace symposium showed that civil society is ready to take up the challenge
of working for peace, reconciliation and a new political framework at the local
level inspired by the values of multi-culturalism and
with respect for diversity. We regret that in recent times peace events
have been the target of hostility and violence by nationalist and pro-war
groups with close links to those in power. The National Peace Council
calls on the government and LTTE to provide civil society with a conducive environment and encouragement to take the messages
from the peace symposium to the larger society and thereby help to extricate
the country from the trap of violence and warfare.
Executive Director
On behalf of the Governing Council
National Peace Council of
Tel: 2818344, 2854127, 2819064
Tel/Fax:2819064
E Mail: peace2@sri.lanka.net
Internet: www.peace-srilanka.org