Women give peace a chance
McGill workshop on women's role in building peace between India and Pakistan
Women and men from India, Pakistan and Canada are gathering at McGill University to discuss ways to foster peace between India and Pakistan this weekend. Prominent activists, scholars and policy-makers from Canada and South Asia will be taking part in a workshop organized by the McGill Centre for Research and Teaching on Women (MCRTW), from July 30 to August 1, when they will imagine ways to build peace between India and Pakistan.
The three-day workshop will allow participants to examine ways that women can gain leadership roles in peace building, as well as to develop policy recommendations for South Asian and Canadian civil society organizations and respective governments. The workshop will be a rare opportunity for women from both sides of the conflict to work together towards conflict resolution, on neutral territory, while allowing Canadians to be better informed on Indian-Pakistani policy.
Participants will build on international instruments, such as the Security Council Resolution 1325, to advance the peace process, while drawing on the experiences of local women to develop solutions. Workshop participants will be available for interviews during their stay in Montreal. Please contact Jennifer Jones of the MCRTW at 514-398-3911 (ext. 06 and 03) for more information or consult the website for a list of speakers and biographies.
Media are welcome to attend highlights, including the opening session on Friday, July 30, at 5:30 pm, at Thomson House (3650 McTavish St.). A closing forum is being hosted by the Centre de l'Asie du Sud at 3 pm on Sunday, August 1, in Room 232 of the Leacock Building (855 Sherbrooke St. W.).
Workshop co-sponsors include the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the International Development Research Council (IDRC), the Canadian Consortium on Human Security (CCHS), the Human Security Program of Foreign Affairs Canada (FAC), the gender and peace-building working group of the Canadian Peace-building Coordination Committee (CPCC), the Office of the Vice-Principal (Research) and the Arts Faculty of McGill University, the South Asia Centre/Centre de l'Asie du Sud (CERAS), South Asia Partnership Canada (SAP) and the South Asian Women's Community Centre (SAWCC).
About the McGill Centre for Research and Teaching on Women
The MCRTW was created in 1988 to promote research and teaching in the field of Women's Studies. It organizes seminars, lectures, book launches and conferences, while sponsoring visiting scholars and research associates. It administers the undergraduate program in Women's Studies. The MCRTW publishes occasional monographs, a quarterly newsletter and the annual Women's Studies Program Handbook.
