A two-day women-led Indo-Pak Peace Summit kicks off this weekend to celebrate heritage, brainstorm solutions for peace in South Asia, and channel the energy of women and youth towards developing “fresh new approaches”, organised by a women’s magazine in India.
The summit is the first-of-its-kind initiative, says a press statement by eShe magazine. It features over 40 accomplished women from around the world coming together to share their experiences and brainstorm for practicable solutions to build lasting peace in South Asia.
The event will take place virtually this weekend, January 16-17, 2021, between 3-7 pm India time, 2.30-6.30 pm Pakistan and 9.30 am-1.30 pm UK time, both days.
The all-women presenters and speakers include notable peace activists from the region and worldwide including three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee Dr Scilla Elworthy. The agenda also features panel discussions between award-winning filmmakers, global youth activists, writers, designers, and more besides a workshop on unconscious biases and technology, and a meditation session.
“After a year of loss and conflict, let us take practical steps to foster friendships, collaborations and harmony in our country and neighbourhood in 2021”, says Aekta Kapoor, founder and editor of eShe.
“This Summit is not for voicing hollow promises by those with political power. It’s about brilliant minds who are actually creating value in their own fields coming together to build peace. And women are usually inclined to think in terms of cooperation, sustainability and building relationships, which is what the region needs right now”.
The Summit will focus on celebrating the shared heritage of India and Pakistan, the two largest nations of the region. Panels and individual talks will explore various aspects of peace-building through literature, art, culture, design, cinema and youth activism.
Tensions between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan have long held up peace and development in South Asia.
Entry to the Summit is INR 900 (USD 12.30) for both days but free for media persons and bloggers. Complete schedule and registration details at this link.
— Aman Ki Asha
