Experts suggest alternatives to diffuse conflicts

KU CONFERENCE DAY 2:

‘Prefer co-existence to co-annihilation’

The second day of the 3-day international conference on “Eurasian Peace and Co-operation” at Kashmir University witnessed a health debate on several issues confronting the Eurasian regions, with experts and academics suggesting several alternatives to diffuse different conflicts.

In his paper titled “Conceptualizing Alternatives to Eurasian Peace and Co-operation,” senior KU professor, M A Kaw, focused on the nature and character of the potential threats to the region and suggested several alternatives to diffuse the conflicts in Afghanistan, Chechnya, Georgia, Middle East, Xinxiang and Kashmir. “The contending parties should take cognizance of the ground realities and prefer co-existence to co-annihilation,” he said.

The 3-day conference has been organised by the varsity’s prestigious Centre of Central Asian Studies. Prof Kaw is the Area Study Director of the Centre. “The conflicts can be resolved by taking all parties into confidence through peaceful dialogue,” he stressed, adding that peace was pre-requisite for regional co-operation, which “entails the concerned parties to slash down expenditure on defence and its consequential diversion to works of public utility.”

On Tuesday, the first technical session was chaired by Russaian professor, Sergi Serebriany.

In his paper titled “Implications of the Global Financial and Economic Crises on the International Economic and Political System,” Prof. Shimizu Manabui, of Tokoyo University, Japan said that in spite of the apparent weakening caused by the economic crises, international monetary system is still under the hegemony of the US and all decisions of the present international monetary system are dictated by US.
“Asia being the cradle of civilization, the different regions share the common historical background, cultural affinity so on and so forth. Therefore, t the need of the hour is to improve and strengthen the cultural ties in order to maintain the peace and stability in the Eurasia continent,” said Wu Fuhuan, president of the Xingjian Academy of Social Sciences, China. He presented the paper titled “Strengthening Cultural Exchange and Co-Building harmonious Asia”

Nivedetya Kandu, Research Fellow at Indian Council for World Affairs (ICWA)., New Delhi in her paper ‘Security Issues of the Eurasian Region: Regional Strategies and India’s Response’ stressed on SCO (Shanghia Corporation Organization) and maintained that SCO has become a significant forum for addressing politico-security and economic issues and concerns in Eurasia.

Ya Ser from Xinjiang Academy of Social Sciences, China said that China can play a crucial role in the peace and development of Eurasia. Ajay Kumar Mishra, Associate Professor, Ghandhi National Centre for Culture and Arts, New Delhi presented the paper entitled “Cultivation of Arts in Achieving Real World Peace in the Age of Globalization”. “Art being a creative, dynamic, cross-cultural and inclusive medium of self expression, testimony of humanity does have a major role to play in today’s global order and also in the context of Eurasian peace,” he said.

Gregory Gleason, an eminent Political Scientist of New Mexico University, USA presented a paper on “New Initiatives in South-Asian Politico-Military Normalization”. Highlighting the role of NATO’S forces in normalization in Afghanistan, he strongly emphasized that for maintenance of everlasting normalization in the region of Eurasian, all countries big and small need to devise a mechanism which would include cross-national, trans-border, and macro-regional cooperation.
Mondira Dutta, of JNU in her power point presentation on “North- South Transport Corridor: Promoting Economic Integration and Regional Cooperation” highlighted the transport network in Eurasia and maintained that need of an hour is to improve the transport network for economic development of the Eurasia.