NEW DELHI: Creating space for the youth of Pakistan and India to find their voice and shape the leaders of tomorrow to become agents of constructive social change, Delhi is playing host to the Fourth Annual Conflict Transformation Workshop with 40 young participants from Pakistan and India taking part in the programme.

Organised by Women in Security, Conflict Management and Peace (WISCOMP) of the Foundation of Universal Responsibility of His Holiness

The Dalai Lama, the meet was inaugurated on Saturday by Ambassador Ragnar Angeby of Sweden and WISCOMP founder Meenakshi Gupta.

Emphasising the need for "collective learning" for fostering an understanding between individuals and groups and effectively facilitating the process of conflict transformation, Ms. Gupta said: "The workshop and its changing contours have evolved since 2001 and this year the focus is on building leadership, trust and understanding between the third generation of Indians and Pakistanis.''

The workshop brings together young people from diverse fields of academics, media, law, social work and research from both sides of the border for an intensive interaction on conflict transformation, composite dialogues, people-to-people interactions, peace-building and multi-track diplomacy between Pakistan and India.

Participating in the programme, a group of youth from Lahore also in the Capital for the meet claim that while they are surely interested in seriously contributing to creating peace between the two countries, they are also eager to try out Karim's restaurant, go shopping at the sari store `Nalli's', and get a taste of Dilli Haat and Lajpat Nagar.

Speaking at the programme Ambassador Angeby noted: "Dialogue, leadership and workshops of these kinds are all about co-creating a new future together with all of those who will live better in the future. Leadership is not just about being in power, but having the capacity of managing and transforming change.''

The participants will also visit Taj Mahal and participate in several programmes

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail