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KARACHI, Nov 26: The need for evolving a culture of tolerance was emphasised at a two-day workshop on “Conflict Management Mechanisms and the Challenge of Peace” here on Monday. The was organised by the Department of International Relations, University of Karachi, in collaboration with the Hanns Seidel Foundation, Islamabad, under the Programme on Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution.
Ambassador (Retd) Tariq Fatemi in his keynote address termed conflict “an inherent feature of human being” which, he said, “in no way means that men could not transcend this difficulty.” He referred to South Asian independence movement in which, he said, Pakistan’s creation was an explicit example of democratic mindset and struggle. He stressed the need of creating outlets which could give dissent an opening and release. “This culture of tolerance is needed for consolidating the principles upon and for which Pakistan has been created.”
He said that the workshop was an effort towards creating an environment in which greater freedom of thought could become realisable.
Brig (Retd) A.R. Siddiqi, Executive Director of the Regional Institute of Peace and Security Studies, said “South Asia has two poles, and these poles are poles apart — mystical and militant — and a suitable amalgamation of both these will have an enduring and peaceful impact on the region.”
He said that India and Pakistan had long remained immune to the realisation that culture sometimes preceded politics. He gave an example from the world of poetry that a Mushaira (a poetical gathering) could vastly enhance feelings of mutual trust and togetherness among the peoples of the two countries. In today’s world the trends in South Asia seemingly tend to be moving towards cooperation rather than conflict, according to him.
Lt-Gen Talat Masood, a defence analyst, in his paper on “Iran-US Conflict” said that America was actually the first country that provided a nuclear reactor to Iran. Iran after Iran-Iraq War, in his view, realised the need for a sustained nuclear programme. Strategically it was difficult for the US to permeate Iran militarily because Iran was neither Iraq nor Afghanistan. He mentioned the fact that any military adventure by the US in this regard would culminate in unimaginable consequences for the world at large which would be irreversible in nature and scope.
Prof Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui, Vice Chancellor of the University of Karachi, in his inaugural address said that there was a need for a greater linkage between the world of academia and common man’s understanding. “The increasing gap between people’s perception of reality which in most cases remains unaided by scholarly input is causing great harm to the increased realisation of the importance of peace. Therefore, efforts by scholars are a response to the long unheard cries of the unheard all over the world.” He said that a little amount of wealth would be enough to de-escalate conflicts and tensions in the world. This duty could not be performed by the corporate world and, therefore, the intellectual world would have to come forward to cater to the needs of humanity at large.
Prof Moonis Ahmar, Director of the Programme on Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution (PPSCR), stressed an increased role of conflict management studies. His paper focused on the ameliorating a role that conflict management techniques could play in paving the way for managing and controlling conflicts. He mentioned Pakistan-India, Indo-China and Bosnia issues as concrete reflection of the actual achievements of such a role. “Flexibility and accommodation are necessary attributes required for entering into a process of peace and dialogue. The world is not without examples of peacefulness and the concrete realisation of the principles and methods of conflict management and resolution.”
Ms Salma Malik of the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, in her paper on “The Role of Research Institutes and Think Tanks in the Process of Conflict Management”, said that there was an urgent need for establishing independent think tanks. She was of the opinion that think tanks through sustained and dispassionate research could lead to exceptionally viable solutions and damage-control methods for several conflicts of the world.
Mr Alexander Justin, a civil society activist from UK, said that a lot more human effort was needed in Iraq. His paper on “Conflict in Iraq” questioned the increasing surge in violence in Iraq. He opined that a significant role was being played by human rights organisations in Iraq and Iraq, adding that greater integration among its people was certainly needed.
Prof M. Shamsuddin, Dean, Faculty of Arts, University of Karachi, said that the ideas of conflict management and peace were quintessential for any healthy society of the world.
