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update Foundation for Universal Responsibility of HH The Dalai Lama Vol. 11 No. 1 June 2012 The resumption of secretary-level talks Asia. The workshop provided a unique processes. It organized a roundtable on between India and Pakistan recently, dialogic space for the participants to Women in Conflict Contexts: Voices from promises to improve the strained interact with one another and address Kashmir which provided a safe and relations between the two countries and stereotypes regarding the ‘other’. secure space for women to discuss some offers hope for positive developments of the most contentious issues that Furthermore, carrying forward the work in South Asia. While the resumption of emerged from the street protests in done at its previous roundtables that Track I diplomacy is a significant step, Kashmir in 2010. The roundtable foregrounded issues relating to security, WISCOMP believes that sustainable sought to initiate processes whereby they foreign policy and conflict peace requires inclusive societal change could proactively engage in preventive transformation, a one-day roundtable that moves beyond formal peace tables actions. on Women, Peace and which are largely dominated by men. It Disarmament was organized on the Moreover, in an attempt to reach out especially seeks increased women’s International Day of Peace. The to the community, two new Samanbals participation at all levels while roundtable sought to make a (meeting place) were formed in Srinagar recognizing the contribution they make contribution to alternative and gender- and Jammu. Some members of the to broader peacebuilding processes. sensitive discourse on security in India. Athwaas group initiated the Qalamkaar At the core of WISCOMP’s Samith (Writers’ Group) in Srinagar to In Jammu and Kashmir, the release of engagement is the idea that gender is encourage young writers and address the much awaited interlocutor’s report, everywhere, shaping not only the way contemporary concerns of young proposing a “New Compact” for the we move through the world but also Kashmiris. The Marasim Samanbal in region has triggered a series of public the way we relate to the world and to Jammu was initiated to generate debates. The recommendation to set up each other, in thought and in action, dialogue on issues of contemporary a constitutional committee to review from political representation to cultural relevance to the Jammu region. Going central acts and articles of the Indian into the future, the Samanbal seeks to production. Therefore, in its work this constitution extended to the state after provide a platform for moderate voices year WISCOMP renewed the 1952 has been controversial. However, to promote nonviolent social action. commitment to focus centrally on in line with WISCOMP’s philosophy of gender as it operates in local and global sustained dialogue for social change, the WISCOMP also organized its Fourth culture and society. report proposes peace dialogue between Peace Journalism Workshop in Jammu WISCOMP also engaged youth leaders all stakeholders both at the inter-state in March 2012. The workshop in its various programs as it believes and the intra state levels; in order to introduced the concept of Peace they can play a vital role in societal harmonize relations between people on Journalism to young journalists and change, on different facets of both the sides of the LoC as well as emphasized the need to embrace a peacebuilding and conflict between people from various parts of ‘polygon of perspectives’ in their transformation. The Ninth Annual the Jammu and Kashmir state. reportage. Conflict Transformation Workshop, In the past one year, WISCOMP’s In this edition of Update, we share with titled Gender, Democracy and Athwaas initiative in Jammu and you the proceedings and outcomes of Peacebuilding in South Asia saw the Kashmir organized several dialogues, these events along with latest participation of 40 young professionals seminars and workshops with a view to publications from WISCOMP. and youth leaders from all across South contribute to inclusive dialogue – The WISCOMP Team WISCOMP (Women in Security, Conflict Management and Peace) is an initiative of the Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness The Dalai Lama, New Delhi. The Foundation brings together people of different faiths, creeds, professions and nationalities in a manner that respects and encourages diversity of beliefs and practices and promotes and devises strategies to transform this commitment into an instrument of social change. It works to develop nonviolent methods, improve communication between religion and science, and secure human rights and democratic freedom. KASHMIR Women in Conflict Contexts: Voices from Kashmir – A WISCOMP-Athwaas Roundtable A WISCOMP-Athwaas roundtable titled Women in group and several other women from the Valley who Conflict Contexts: Voices from Kashmir was organised have been part of peace initiatives, met and held at Srinagar on July 30, 2011 to assess the impact of protests discussions. and bandhs (shutdowns) on the everyday life of women and children; analyse the role women played during the The deliberations at the roundtable included discussions street protests of 2010; generate awareness on UN Security not just on the impact of protests on the women but also Council Resolution 1325 and delve into the contribution on their participation; the role of police and armed forces of women to peacefully resolving the conflict in Kashmir in fuelling/quelling the protests and the role of political in the current context. The peacebuilding goals of Athwaas which include: rebuilding human relationships, individual and (L-R) Ms Asmat Aijaz, Ms Sheeba Shah, Prof Nusrat Andrabi and Prof Neerja Mattoo parties in breaking the cycle of violence and counter (L-R) Ms Seema Kakran (Assistant Director, WISCOMP), Ms violence by the protestors and armed forces. Ezabir Ali, Ms Roma Wani and Ms Emma Brannlund The following recommendations came out of the community dialogues, reconciliation, solidarity between deliberations: women from different cultural, ethnic, religious and • Women’s organizations like WISCOMP should regional backgrounds, creating common ground and concentrate on issues that few other organisations deepening the democratic processes were severely deal with and avoid politically contentious issues. challenged during the Summer uprising of 2010. The • WISCOMP could act as a driving force to participants at the Roundtable assessed if peacebuilding encourage national and local actors to include efforts of organizations and groups such as Athwaas women in the peace negotiations and monitor towards conflict transformation and quest for peace their progress. somehow remained limiting and evasive in the wake of • Raise awareness about violence against women exploitative and manipulative agendas of the various in its various forms. stakeholders. The Summer Uprising of 2010 seemed to • Start citizen campaigns in support of the Model suggest that political impact of the work that groups such Police Act and the Women’s Reservation Bill. as Athwaas had carried out over the years was limited. Such groups were unable to decisively dent the influence of • Lobby for training and support for the women divisive forces. It was under these circumstances that the elected to the Panchayats. 2 KASHMIR • Strengthen and support the State Commission for • Establish Mohalla Committees where young and Women. old could come together and prepare these • Raise awareness around gender mainstreaming and committees to act as connectors between the lobbying for gender sensitive policy making in the authorities and the people. Legislative Assembly and within the political parties. • Advocate for transparent investigations into the • Take legal recourse through writ petitions and killings of 2010. Public Interest Litigations (PIL) in order to achieve the objectives laid out in the earlier points. However, these were more cumbersome methods and needed to be used sparingly. Nourishing Young Kashmiri Writers: The Qalamkaar Samith WISCOMP has over the years facilitated the coming the college. Some noted literary enthusiasts from the Valley together of several groups across the state of Jammu and and established writers attended the seminar and shared Kashmir through the Samanbals. The Samanbals are driven their work that addressed contemporary concerns of by the overarching vision to create ‘safe and secure’ spaces Kashmiris. Ms Meera Khanna, a writer from New Delhi for women (in collaboration with men) to come together read out excerpts from her collection of poetry titled If and share, articulate and express themselves so as to heal There be a Paradise: An Anthology of Reflections on and make the shift from victims to survivors to possible change makers. A Samanbal (meeting place) called Qalamkaar Samith (Writers’ Group) was formed in Srinagar in June 2011 with a small membership of twelve writers. The Qalamkaar Samith seeks to use the Samanbal model to encourage the writing potential of young writers by facilitating interactions between members who share a common love for literature and those who enjoy sharing each other’s adventures in the world of letters. The space will also help provide positive criticism to the efforts of the young writers. The group seeks to create awareness about Kashmiri identity, the social, cultural and literary traditions of Kashmir and the important Kashmiri poets and writers especially among students. The members of the Samith have been meeting

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