ACHA PEACE BULLETIN
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/ACHAPeaceBulletin
A
publication of Association for Communal Harmony in Asia (ACHA)
www.asiapeace.org & www.indiapakistanpeace.org
Editor: Pritam K.
Rohila, PhD asiapeace@comcast.net
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Volume XIV, No. 04: April 15, 2010, Next Issue May15, 2010
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CONTENTS
EDITORIAL
*Marching Forward on the Way to Peace in South Asia, Pritam K. Rohila, Ph. D.
ARTICLES OF THE MONTH
*Forget 1947, it's history, Allen O'brien, TNN, 04 Mar, 2010
*Suspicion of India's hegemonic ambitions not based on facts, M S Khan, New Age,
*Canada-US Relationship Model for Pakistan-India? Ottawamysteryman, Feb 15, 10
*Atmosphere of mistrust, Kuldip Nayar, Kashmir Times, March 5, 2010
BOOKS & DVD'S
*Striving for peace: Video Lectures on Communal Harmony-National Integration,
EDUCATION & TRAINING
*May-June 2010, Brattleboro, Vermont, USA: PEACEBUILDING PROGRAM
EVENT REPORTS
*February 19, Faisalabad, Pakistan: EDU FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND PEACE
EVENTS
*March 20-21, village Malwa, Ambala, Harayana, India: SAVE THE GIRL CHILD
*March 26 – 27, Cleveland, Ohio, USA: BLDG INFRASTRUCTURES FOR CHANGE
*March 27, Worldwide: EARTH HOUR
*July 9-11, Brisbane, Australia: COPING RESILIENCE & HOPE BUILDING
MEMBERS' CORNER
*Dr. Stephen Gill
PEACE EDUCATION & TRAINING
*July 12 - 18, Cartagena, Colombia: INTER. INST. ON PEACE EDUCATION
PEACE & HARMONY NEWS FROM INDIA & PAKISTAN
PEACE & HARMONY NEWS FROM SOUTH ASIA
UPDATE: KASHMIR
UPDATE: NEPAL
UPDATE: PAKISTAN
UPDATE: SRILANKA
*Road to Jaffna Requires Governmental Regulation, Dr. Jehan Perera, 10 March 2010
___________________________________
EDITORIAL
*Marching Forward on the Way to Peace in South Asia, Pritam K. Rohila, Ph. D.
In 2009, the 16th year of its existence, the Association for Communal Harmony in Asia (ACHA) has continued to make slow, but steady progress in the pursuit of its mission of promoting peace in South Asia and harmony among South Asians everywhere. ACHA still is one of the oldest, best organized, most active, and most transparent South Asian peace organizations. Below is a brief report.
Peace-building
In view of the fact that currently India and Pakistan face a far more serious threat to their integrity, security and prosperity from what is happening within their own borders, than from each other, ACHA has realized the importance of building a culture of peace and harmony within India as well as Pakistan. Peace WITHIN each of them would make it much easier to accomplish peace BETWEEN them.
For this reason, the following ACHA Pledge of Peace and Harmony, which had served as the theme for its "2008 Peace Pilgrimage to India and Pakistan" (http://groups.google.com/group/peace--harmony-news-from-south-asia/browse_thread/thread/b93b387c490b2d39 ), was adopted also as the core project for its 2009 India-Pakistan Peace Day campaign (http://indiapakistanpeace.org/ ):
I Pledge:
I will not intentionally use my hands or my words to harm anyone;
I will treat my sisters and daughters with at least as much love and respect as I
treat my brothers and sons; and
I will treat all my neighbors as deserving of my respect, regardless of their class,
caste, sect or religion.
Now deriving inspiration from the work of a couple of American peace psychologists and in consultation with some South Asian peace activists, ACHA has embarked on a plan to help build a culture of peace and harmony among the youth and children of India and Pakistan.
The objective is to develop a program that would help youth and children in learning skills in independent thinking, empathetic listening, cooperative problem-solving and nonviolent conflict-resolution. It should help them to inculcate the noble values of kindness, compassion and tolerance. It should assist them in adopting ways of living in peace and harmony with others, especially with those who differ from them in social status, religious beliefs, and national origin. Finally, it should enable them to become more decent human beings and better members of their family, neighborhood, nation and the global village.
In this connection, in September-October, 2010, ACHA plans to organize, at a few places in India and Pakistan experiential workshops to train volunteer peace and harmony teachers. The volunteers will be selected by local peace activists, as individuals who have committed themselves to conduct peace camps for youth and children in their own areas.
Alliances
While maintaining and strengthening old ones, ACHA has made several new alliances with South Asian peace activists and organizations, thus improving its ability to initiate and implement projects in South Asia, particularly in India and Pakistan in cooperation with them.
Asiapeace: Electronic Discussion Forum
Thanks to its volunteer-moderator, Dr. Omar Ali, Asiapeace, ACHA's electronic forum, continues to be a popular site for a civilized discussion of South Asian issues, every day. It has 547 subscribers. Posts to this forum, along with Dr. Ali's incisive and insightful comments on them can be viewed at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/asiapeace/ .
Electronic publications
Except for some interruptions caused by their editor's 5-month ordeal due to his three eye surgeries, he has continued to bring out ACHA's three electronic publications.
The hope for peace was kept alive through the daily publication Peace and Harmony News from South Asia (http://groups.google.com/group/peace--harmony-news-from-south-asia ). Every day, it reaches 2,163individuals and organizations.
ACHA Peace Bulletin (http://www.asiapeace.org/acha/achamain.htm ), a monthly compendium of peace and harmony events and educational/training opportunities, books, and updates from and about South Asia. It has 1,014 subscribers.
Kashmir News (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KashmirSolutionsForum/ ) is ACHA's daily digest of views about and news from the various parts of the former princely state of Jammu & Kashmir. It has 180 subscribers.
Websites
For the last several years Dr. Ingrid Shaffer has been donating her time, as well as domain space, to design, update and maintain our two website www.asiapeace.org &www.indiapakistanpeace.org . Also she sets up, and maintains ACHA's electronic petitions.
Members
ACHA has maintained dues-free membership. In 2009, sixteen new members joined ACHA family, four more than last year. There are now 84 members, who come from a dozen different countries, and three continents.
Income & Expenses
ACHA does not have any paid staff. The office space and utilities, including phone (except calls to Pakistan) are provided free of cost. The travel, food, and lodging expenses related to its peace missions to India and Pakistan are borne by the participants. Hence ACHA is a very frugal organization.
Every quarter a statement of its income and expenses is emailed to ACHA members, and is posted on its website. The statement for the last quarter can be viewed at http://www.asiapeace.org/income_expenses.pdf .
During 2009, ACHA spent a total of $1004.72, and had income of $1,710.77. Almost all of the income was from donations made by 18 individuals. The donations ranged between $25 and $435, with an average of $94.
Future
ACHA is one of the best South Asian peace organizations, but still far from where it can and should be. But with the support of its members and well-wishers, it will continue to make progress towards its mission of peace and harmony in South Asia and among all South Asians. Support for ACHA can be rendered in any or all of the following ways:
ARTICLES OF THE MONTH
*Forget 1947, it's history, Allen O'brien, TNN, 04 Mar, 2010
*Suspicion of India's hegemonic ambitions not based on facts, M S Khan, New Age, March 4,10
*Canada-US Relationship Model for Pakistan-India? Ottawamysteryman, Feb 15, 2010
*Atmosphere of mistrust, Kuldip Nayar, Kashmir Times, March 5, 2010
*Forget 1947, it's history, Allen O'brien, TNN, 04 Mar, 2010
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/amankiasharticleshow/5639488.cms
Did you know that walls, barbed wire fences and barricades stretch across almost the entire 1,800 miles of the defined Indo-Pak border?
Did you know that some Rs 1,201 crore is spent on fencing, floodlights, roads and border outposts across the Indo-Pak border?
And did you know that the barbed wire border is going to be made less formidable by a 'Rope of Respect' peace chain comprising some two lakh hankies! It's how young India bridges the great Indo-Pak divide by laying down a new matrix for the bilateral relationship. With funky slogans on handkerchiefs from nine cities — Delhi, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai — and 1,200 schools, this TOI peace initiative — Aman ki Asha, begins a new season of hope, a new Indo-Pak border, sans discord. This is one in which young Indians take on responsibility for shedding the baggage of history.
It is obvious that this is the need of the hour. The terrorists must be crushed; the fundamentalists must be hushed. As some of our students' slogans rightly declare: If war is the answer, then the question is wrong; Nukes are flukes; Hand out free chocolates, not suicide vests; Put 1947 behind, it's history! Look ahead, it's 2010. Or more aptly: Love your enemies, it really kills them! Read on to find out why young India feels Munnabhai's reworked Gandhian philosophy of love is the only real weapon of change.
Why we need peace...
"We need peace because we have seen enough of this mutual hatred. Economically and politically too, peace would do a lot of good to India and its neighbour," says Shivam Sharma, student, Chandigarh. And "by working together, we can become an even stronger force in the global community," believes Gayathree Devi of Hyderabad. More important, young India regards geographical borders as an irrelevance in a globalizing world. As Irene Kibria, a student in Kolkata, says: "Borders can be different, but hearts are the same."
How to attain peace...
"Interactive camps and forums should be initiated to create acceptance and understanding of differences," suggests Anam Vadgama, a Mumbai student. Schools can help as well. Harini G, student, Chennai says, "Both countries must have a common pledge which could be read across schools, both in India and Pakistan, during the morning assembly." On a larger scale, suggests Delhi student Ayesha Bhatt, "Both countries need to work on their misunderstandings by being more friendly."
When is peace possible...
Trisha Menon of Bangalore says, "Perhaps in the next five years when commonalities of culture play a vital role." Sudeep Vashistha of DPS, Gurgaon believes, "There is an urgent need for each country to set things right within its own system. Once the inner eroded structures are taken care of, peace shall prevail. And that could take anything from tomorrow to 10 years!"
Till then, our students are already shutting out the dustbin of history and looking towards a future of peace. It could be the Aman ki Asha 'hanky campaign' or the 'If peace prevailed' venture. The latter is a look into the future and how the two countries could progress if they came together.
For instance, an unbeatable combined cricket team, suggests Vrinda Duve of New Delhi:
Where the ball bounces free,
and the bat rises to beat its bounce,
into that heaven of cricketing
freedom, Oh Lord, let the two countries awake
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*Suspicion of India's hegemonic ambitions not based on facts, M S Khan, New Age, March 4, 2010 http://www.newagebd.com/2010/mar/04/oped.html
MJ AKBAR, chairman of the fortnightly Covert magazine, is one of most revered journalists, columnists and non-fiction writers in India. He was formerly editor-in-chief of the Asian Age and the Deccan Chronicle and editor of the Telegraph and Sunday. He has also authored a number of books including Riots after Riots, India: The Siege Within, The Shade of Swords and Blood Brothers. Akbar had a brief stint in politics as a member of parliament for the Congress Party from 1989 to 1991, as adviser to the Ministry of Human Resources and also as official spokesperson for the late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Akbar was recently in Dhaka as the speaker at the 13th convocation of the Independent University of Bangladesh. He talked on a number of issues during an interview with New Age…
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*Canada-US Relationship Model for Pakistan-India? Ottawamysteryman, Feb 15, 2010
http://ottawamysteryman.blogspot.com/2010/02/canada-us-relationship-model-for.html
In looking at the future of Pakistan-India relationship, it is useful to have an aspirational model of what we might aim for. Various people have made various suggestions, based on the history of other countries in the world, depending on what their final vision is, and what lessons they draw from history. For example, it has been suggested that France and Germany could form a model: their history is full of wars in the 17th, 18th and 19th Centuries. Yet today they are living in peace, and are jointly the principal countries in the European Union (EU). Other people have suggested that East and West Germany could provide a model. After the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, the two Germanies merged peacefully, though not without significant economic and political adjustments.
Yet other people have suggested that Brazil and Argentina, which had a long-running rivalry in the 19th and early 20th Centuries (that included a race toward nuclear weapons, which both eventually gave up) could form a model. Other people yet have suggested that the European Union itself forms a model, for the whole of South Asia, including Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka - as a sort of next step from SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) - to result in what has been called a South Asian Union (SAU). Yet other people have suggested that the United States is itself a model for South Asia, and all countries in the region could eventually organize themselves internally and externally into what has been called the United States of South Asia (USSA).
All of these ideas have many things to commend them, and some have also been studied in depth by various scholars, generals, and diplomats. It may very well be that sometime in the future, a version of either the SAU or the USSA models, or some variation thereof, could be the model for political organization in South Asia.
Here I would like to suggest that perhaps the Canada-US relationship could serve as a good model for Pakistan and India for the immediate future, while in the long term other possibilities can also be studied and could come to fruition if found suitable. Consider the similarities…
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*Atmosphere of mistrust, Kuldip Nayar, Kashmir Times, March 5, 2010
It is unfortunate that Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor hijacked a successful trip by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Riyadh.
Tharoor's remark that Saudi Arabia could be an interlocutor for talks between New Delhi and Islamabad was embarrassing.
Tharoor may be indiscreet but I suspect that somehow, he got the impression that the prime minister would go along with him. True, an interlocutor is not a mediator. But he participates in talks.
Tharoor's observation did not work due to a strong reaction against it in the country. India's enunciated policy after the Simla conference in 1972 has been to talk to Pakistan, without involving a third party. Has there been some rethinking? Whatever the import of Tharoor's observation, it gives oxygen to the dead dialogue between the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan…
BOOKS & DVD'S
*Striving for peace: Video Lectures on Communal Harmony-National Integration, Published by Dr. Mohammed Arif. A set of 2 DVD's with all 9 lectures is available for Rs. 100 from Ram Puniyani, 1102/5 MHADA Deluxe, Rambaug Powai, Mumbai 4000076. More info from Ram.puniyani@gmail.com
The country has been witnessing a rise in communalization of society. Various efforts for peace are needed to promote communal harmony and national integration. These Docu-lectures aim to give the understanding about the issues involved, their historical background and as to what should be done by us to have a better society. They take the reference from moral values of our religions and from the political values of our national movement for freedom. These political values were embodied in the teachings and work of Bhagat Singh, Ambedkar and Gandhi. The topics covered are defining communalism, misconceptions about minorities, roots of communal violence, British policy of divide and rule, origin of communalism, agenda of communal organisations and striving for peace.
EDUCATION & TRAINING
*May-June 2010, Brattleboro, Vermont, USA: PEACEBUILDING PROGRAM. SIT Graduate Institute invites applications (from human rights workers, non-profit and NGO middle and senior level managers, government employees, mental health professionals, educators, graduate students) for a three graduate credits training course in which participants from 20-25 countries develop new skills for peace-building and new relationships with each other. Education takes place in and outside the classroom as participants live and socialize together in structured and unstructured activities. The wide variety of regional, ethnic, and cultural background provides abundant possibilities for participants to deepen their proficiency in intercultural communication and peacemaking practices.
Topics of Study include Conflict analysis and interventions, inter-communal dialogue, negotiation and mediation, peacebuilding and development, healing and reconciliation, peace education, training skills, issues of global relations, and more. Apply by April 15, 2010. More information visit www.sit.edu/contact or contactprogram@sit.edu
EVENT REPORTS
*February 19, Faisalabad, Pakistan: EDUCATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND PEACE BUILDING FAISALABAD (Report by Shafiq Sharif) -- Arooj-e-Mariam Catholic Church organized a 3-days orientation workshop titled "Education for Human Rights and Peace Building" on Feb. 19-21, 2010, in Faisalabad. Fr. Nisar Barkat (Director-NCJP), Fr. Khalid Rasheed Asi and others spoke to the workshop. Thirty-seven (73) Muslims and Christians took part in the workshop.
EVENTS
*March 20-21, village Malwa, Ambala, Harayana, India: SAVE THE GIRL CHILD
Designed to bring together all those who are working on the issue in the country to discuss ways to solve the problem of abortion of female fetuses, and the intentional neglect of girls and women, this National Consultation is being organized at village Malwa, Ambala, Harayana, by the Asha Parivar, National Alliance of peoples movement, Haryana Sarvodya Mandal, Mahila Aalekhan evam Sandarbha Kendra, Beti Bachao Abhiyan Haryana. More info from Gurmukh Singh 09467474707, 09416985157; Faisal 09313106745, 09968828230; and Manjeet 09466813365
*March 26 – 27, Cleveland, Ohio, USA: BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURES FOR CHANGE: INNOVATIONS IN CONFLICT RESOLUTION EDUCATION (CRE) AND JUSTICE INITIATIVES
Programs for this 3rd International Conference on Conflict Resolution Education (CRE) have been chosen from more than 60 workshops, special events, and pre-conference workshops (March 24-25) provided by more than 100 presenters from around the Globe. Presentations and workshops will focus on innovations in the fields that are making broad impacts in collaboration and research on issues related to the development of CRE and justice initiatives in local, state, national, and international communities. Participants will exchange best practices, evaluation methodology, creation of policy implementation structures, consideration of obstacles to success, and new and innovative use of training, resources and technology. Conference participants will be drawn from the local, state, national, and international community.
Conference and meeting publications are available http://creducation.org/cre/goto/3rd For more information, please contact Global Issues Resource Center, Cuyahoga Community College at 216-987-2224.
*March 27, Worldwide: EARTH HOUR this year is scheduled at 8:30 p.m. local time on Saturday, March 27. At that time, people around the world will turn off their lights for one hour, to participate in the world-wide campaign for Action on Climate Change.
Last year nearly one billion people participated in this campaign. In the US alone, an estimated 80,000,000 people turned off their lights and more than 300 cities participated officially. Even the lights on the Empire State Building and the Golden Gate Bridg were dimmed. To sign up and invite others to join you in this campaign, please visit www.EarthHour.org
*July 9-11, Brisbane, Australia: COPING RESILIENCE & HOPE BUILDING, an Asia Pacific Regional Conference will bring together practitioners, researchers, community activists and academics working in the trans-disciplinary area of human coping with diverse challenging life circumstances.
The Conference is interested in the fascinating capacity of human resilience to most adverse life events, as they unfold. The conference aims to advance evidence-based practices in resilience promotion and hope building. It will look at interplay of individual, family, community and social responsibility factors in resilience and provide directions for future practice and research.
The conference will be held in the beautiful City of Brisbane at the Griffith University, Nathan Campus. More info from Dr.Venkat Pulla dr.venkat.pulla@gmail.com
*September 27-October 1, 2010, Chandigarh, India: 5th INTERNATIONAL YOUTH PEACE FEST. To is to promote peace, equality and living in harmony with nature and to provide a platform for increased cross-fertilization of ideas through greater interaction among the young people, Yuvsatta, in cooperation with other organizations, is organizing this event, at the Peace City of Chandigarh http://chandigarh.nic.in/ . Around 10,000 (Ten Thousand) youngsters from around the world, and different states of India are expected to participate, many of whom will stay with a local y0uth of the participant's age and gender. Some of the things planned for this initiative are; A Peace Parade, Carnival games & Quiz Contests, Make and take crafts, Multi-cultural performances, Peace Talks & Peace Stalls, Face Painting & Photography contests, Film Shows & Music to UNITE, Deliberations on Environmental issues, Cricket for Peace, and One Sky One World Kite fly. Last date to register is July 30, 2010 (May 30 for participants from Pakistan due to visa process). Registration fee of Indian Rs. 100 is payable at the start of the Festival. More information from www.yuvsatta.org To register, send your resume with details of your interest in promoting a culture of nonviolence to yuvsatta@gmail.com
MEMBERS' CORNER
*Dr. Stephen Gill (stephengillgazette@gmail.com ) will speak on literature and peace at the international conference to be held from the 14th of 16th of March in Pakistan. He will participate on the invitation of Pakistan Academy of Letters.
PEACE EDUCATION & TRAINING
*July 12 - 18, Cartagena, Colombia: INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE ON PEACE EDUCATION . With the theme of "Learning to Read the World from Multiple Perspectives: Peace Education toward Diversity & Inclusion" The 2010 IIPE will be held at the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) Training Centre in Cartagena . An online application is available at www.i-i-p-e.org . Applications must be submitted by April 1, 2010 for full consideration. Notices of acceptances will be sent in mid April. More info from The International Institute on Peace Education www.i-i-p-e.org , info@i-i-p-e.org Tel: 202-556-1075
PEACE & HARMONY NEWS FROM INDIA & PAKISTAN
*http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IndiaPakistanPeaceDay/
*http://www.amankiasha.com/detail_news.asp?id=51
*http://ottawamysteryman.blogspot.com
PEACE & HARMONY NEWS FROM SOUTH ASIA
*http://groups.google.com/group/peace--harmony-news-from-south-asia
*http://www.amankiasha.com/detail_news.asp?id=51
UPDATE: KASHMIR
*http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KashmirSolutionsForum/
* www.drshabirchoudhry.blogspot.com
*http://kashmirforumorg.blogspot.com/
UPDATE: NEPAL
*http://www.nepalasiacenter.com/
UPDATE: PAKISTAN
UPDATE: SRILANKA
*Road to Jaffna Requires Governmental Regulation, Dr. Jehan Perera, 10 March 2010
The opening of the road to Jaffna was one of the dividends of the Presidential Election. It illustrated the benefits that could accrue to the people due to the competitive bidding for votes by rival political parties. In its bid to attract votes from the North prior to the Presidential Election, the government relaxed several of its security measures. One of these was the restrictions on travel to Jaffna by the A9 highway. This was promise that the government made, implemented immediately, and has kept even after the election. Unfortunately, as I discovered on a visit to Jaffna last week, there were also promises the government made and did not keep which has bitterly disappointed the people. They include the reunification of detainees in the camps with their families, and the dismantling of High Security Zones to enable people to get back their long lost lands…