Seeking our collective peace: The northeast India diaspora looks into solutions for peace and development in the region

Conference

 

July 3, 2012

Date: Saturday, 30th January 2012

Time: 9:30 am to 5 pm

Venue: Conference Room 1, India International Centre, 40 Max Mueller Marg, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi - 110 003

Concept Note

A one day discussion panel on “Seeking our Collective Peace.- The Northeast India Diaspora Looks into Solutions for Peace and Development”, 30th June 2012, Conference Room 1, India International Centre, 40 Max Mueller Marg, New Delhi 110003.

New Delhi, 30th June 2012: Members of Civil Society, social activists, scholars and members of Northeast Indian student organizations met on a one day conference at the India International Centre in New Delhi on the 30th of June to talk about “Seeking Our Collective Peace. – The Northeast India Diaspora Looks into Solutions for Peace and Development in the Region”.  Many people emigrate from the Northeast Indian states (Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram and Sikkim) due to lack of job opportunities, higher education or the latent presence of violence in their region. Most of the emigrants go to metropolitan cities, like Bangalore, Chennai or New Delhi, within “Mainland- India” while some travel overseas. Within India many of the Northeast Indians have to face prejudices, sexual harassment and racism while in their homeland several violent conflicts continue.

This panel wants to analyze the state of the Northeast Indian Diaspora within and outside India and create a platform for them so that they can have a greater engagement within the peace process in the Northeastern region.

Among the participants were representatives of Northeast Indian student organizations like Mr John Hingkung, Forum Admin, Stop Discriminating People From North-East India Online Forum and Mr Fleming Marak, Delhi Achik Youth Federation. Mr Pradyot Deb Burman, Chairman & Editor, The Northeast Today (TNT), Author Sudeep Chakravarti, Journalist Ms Teresa Rehman from Assam and Sociologist Ms Elizabeth Imti from Nagaland were only some of the attending panelists. The inaugural speech was given by Binalakshmi Nepram, Founder of MWGSN. Guest of Honour Mr. B G Verghese delivered the keynote speech.

The panel agreed that there is still a lack of a coherent strategy from the Northeast due to the inner- factional conflicts. The Northeast hast to start to speak with one voice and try to co-operate with each other. As an economical and intellectual elite, the Northeast Indian Diaspora must join hands with their friends and families in the North East, start businesses there and engage with politicians of the region. Prof. Anuradha Chenoy concluded the meeting with the remarks, that this meeting was just a start of a long journey, but the most important lesson learned today is that first the Northeast has to be linked together - politically, economically and culturally – before it can positively influence the peace process in the region.

Organized by: Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network (MWGSN), Mindfields, The Northeast Today (TNT) and Control Arms Foundation of India (CAFI)

Supported by: Heinrich Böll Foundation – India

Programme Schedule and Report

Download Programme Schedule, Profile of Speakers and Report coming soon.....  

Media Coverage

03.07.2012

The Poknapham: Press Release (in Manipuri)

01.07.2012

Northeast Today: Remove Weaknesses of Institutions that Speak for the Northeast

The Assam Tribune: Remove Weaknesses of Institutions that Speak for the Northeast

30.06.2012

Yahoo News: Remove Weaknesses of Institutions that Speak for the Northeast

 
 

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