10 October 2004	Sunday	24 Shaban 1425

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KARACHI, Oct 9: After the US-led war on Iraq and Afghanistan for the control of oil and other resources, the world may witness riparian war and conflicts over air space.

This was spelt out by the Dr Kumar Rupesinghe, chairman of the Colombo-based Foundation for Coexistence, while delivering the keynote address at the regional workshop on teaching and research methods. The two-day workshop opened at the Karachi University on Saturday.

The event has been organized, under the Programme on Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, by the KU's department of international relations in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission, Islamabad.

Dr Rupesinghe noted that the world's most populated region, South Asia, was conflict-ridden both in terms of inter and intra-state relationship. In this context, he mentioned the 25-year-long battle between Sri Lankan government and Tamil militants, an almost civil war situation in Nepal, religious and ethnic unrest in India, Kashmir conflict between Pakistan and India, and fundamentalism in Bangladesh, besides sectarian, ethnic and other violence elsewhere in the region.

He was of the view that the world at this moment was passing through the most dangerous period because of the US hegemony and unilateralism in a unipolar world. He emphasized the need for understanding dynamics of the present day conflicts.

Dr Rupesinghe observed that many societies were engaged in social conflicts stirred up by poverty, search for identity, ideological differences, rise of fundamentalism, etc.

While the war on Iraq and Afghanistan appeared to be basically for the control of oil deposits and monopolizing the commodity, similar wars in future could be fought for control of water resources and air space, he said, adding that a battle for right to rule was yet another facet of conflict.

He cited the Malaysian and South African examples of coexistence despite presence of ethnic and cultural diversities and conflicts there.

Saira Yamin-Basim focused on the theory of basic human needs in the South Asian context. She claimed that denial of basic necessities, as well as cultural and transitory interests and values could create conditions leading to a conflict.

She pointed out that deprivation of this kind would pose a threat to the growth and development of an entity, and said that ethnic conflicts were a feature of a sharply divided multi-cultural societies.

However, power-bargaining, coercion and repression, and preferred practice by the states seeking to contain ethnic uprisings, tend to exacerbate a conflict situation. She emphasized the need for analyzing underlying human motivations to predict and regulate ethnic conflict.

Presentations were also made on cyber-space and conflict resolution at the workshop.

Mr Sarfraz Korejo told the participants that conflict resolution in education was linked to democracy and citizenship.

Earlier, coordinator of the programme Dr Mutahir Ahmad Shaikh introduced the programme and said the purpose of this workshop was to initiate a proper debate and discussion on the themes of conflict prevention, management and resolution with reference to Pakistan in particular, and South Asia in general.

The need to introduce and strengthen teaching and research methods on conflict and conflict resolution in Pakistani universities and research think tanks was also emphasized.

Programme director Dr Moonis Ahmar was of the view that not enough research and study had been done to understand the dynamics of conflict in Pakistani society and how one could suggest an alternative but a viable approach to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts which caused violence, insecurity and instability in Pakistan.

Advocating the case for the establishment of a separate department of peace and conflict studies, he raised the question that why was there a lack of substantial interest on conducting investigative studies on conflict and conflict resolution in Pakistan. The question was also deliberated upon.

It was a major concern among the participants that although Pakistan, like many developing countries of the world, was exposed to both intra-state and inter-state conflicts, there appeared a dearth of scientific research in conflict resolution and conflict management.

Dr Khalida Ghous, head of the IR department, and Dr M. Shamsuddin, Dean Faculty of Arts, also addressed the inaugural session.