The Centre for South Asian Studies (CSAS), University of the Punjab, in Collaboration with World BEYOND War Organization USA, hosted an Online International Conference " Global Peace & Security: Navigating the Future" on June 26, 2024. Dr. Asma Shakir Khawaja, Executive Director, Centre for International Strategic Studies (CISS), Muzaffarabad & Ms. Rukmini Iyer, Director Exult! Solutions, Transformation | Learning | Peacebuilding from India were the Guests of Honor at the event.
Prof. Dr. Naheed S. Goraya, Director CSAS in her welcome address said that in today's globalized world, we are facing enormous challenges to peace and security ranging from Climate/ environmental crisis to global pandemics, economic inequality, terrorism, weak governance with corrupt systems. Dr. Goraya said that peace is the fundamental investment that we must make for human progress and sustainability on global scale. It is high time that we, as human beings recognize that achieving global peace and security is not the responsibility of governments alone. It requires the active participation and contribution of civil society, academia, private sector, and each and every one of us as global citizens.
Dr. Khawaja in her key note address shared her invaluable insights on Global peace and security. According to her,the current world order is not conducive to achieve the objective of peace as it is filled with mistrust.
Conflict is a dominating phenomena in International politics as it is cheaper than peace.
She also chaired the first session of International Conference.
The other Guest of Honor, Ms. Rukmini Iyer in her keynote address, explored the theme of 'Conscious Leadership in the Face of Global Turmoil.'
Drawing inspiration from the timeless wisdom of Punjabi Sufi poets Bulleh Shah and Shah Hussain, she shared about the mystic perspective of peace beginning within and radiating out, and how that blends with the Jungian perspective of the state of the collective unconscious reflecting in the manifest world around us. She focused on the importance of integrating peacebuilding into our daily routines, from schools to workplaces, and communities. By fostering empathy, promoting inclusivity, and supporting grassroots initiatives, each of us can contribute to a world where peace is not an exception but the norm. Together, we can transform our world, one conscious act of leadership at a time. Scholars from USA, Canada, Sweden, UK, Republic of Congo, China, India & Bangladesh (5 different Continents) presented their research on a combination of topics, ranging from Connecting Communities, Great Power Competition, Non-State Actors, Extremism in Jordan, Democracy, Female Education in Afghanistan, Peace between Israel & Palestine to the philosophy of Ibn E Khuldoon , Bhullay Shah & Shah Hussain's messages of Peace.