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International Seminar on Education and Peace

By Dr. Ravindra Kumar

The two day international seminar on Education and Peace, organized by the World Peace Movement Trust (Founded in 2001 by Dr. Ravindra Kumar, a renowned scholar and Former Vice Chancellor of the CCS University, Meerut, India) at The Club, Andheri West, Mumbai, India concluded on May 16 with a resolution passed by more than one hundred academicians, scholars, peace-workers, socialites and Gandhians of ten countries of the world, including India, to bring like-minded, sincere and dedicated people together to work at local, national and international levels for harmony, peace and unity.

Besides well-known Gandhians like SN Subbarao, N Radhakrishnan, Siddheshwar Prasad, Satyanarayan Reddy and Christian Bartolf from Germany, eminent scholars and activists like Asghar Ali Engineer, Uzma Naheed, Allwyn D'Silva, Teesta Setalvad, Suleman Kakar from Afghanistan, Kingsley Okoro from Nigeria, and Enver Duran from Turkey, and renowned constitutional expert Subhash C Kashyap, Justice Rajesh Tondon, Justice Alok Singh, and HP Kanoria were among the chief speakers of the two days seminar.

Earlier on May 15, Kantilal Bhuria, Minister for Tribal Affairs, India in his inaugural address laid great stress on mass awakening in rural areas in a country like India where more than 65 percent people are still far behind of those who stay in cities and metropolitans in all walks of life, and particularly in the field of education.

Manikrao Thakare, the MPCC Chief in his address urged for a value-based education while the Chairman of the Cyber Tribunal Justice Rajesh Tondon called for a fair and speedy justice and safeguarding the freedom of each and everyone in the society.

In his speech on May 16, Asghar Ali Engineer, remembering Gandhi, urged for practicing non-violence and to follow the Mahatma's message of giving respect to others' religions and faiths. P Joshi from the NLU, Jodhpur emphasized that the most intense danger to world peace would not stem from irrational acts of the state or individual but from the legitimate demand of the world's poor and disfranchised. She called for united international action to follow law and legislation in its true spirit. Emphasizing on launching time-bound schemes, Dr. Suleman Kakar suggested a seven points program that could be the basis of peace-education at a global level, while Teesta Setalvad emphasized broad thinking and outlook, and reform in society on this basis.

Asserting "Creating a culture of peace through well-directed and value-based education," the Trust's Chief and a Former Governor of Tripura Siddheshwar Prasad welcomed the guest-speakers and endorsed the endeavours of Dr. Ravindra Kumar, the Convener of the Seminar and Secretary-General of the Trust, particularly his bringing people together through this historic event in the City of Mumbai. Along with congratulating him, he also congratulated Lakhmendra Khurana, the Chairman of the organizing committee for the Seminar.

Source: A Report by Dr. Prinkal Joshi, National Law University, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

Universally renowned Gandhian scholar, Indologist and writer Dr. Ravindra Kumar is the Former Vice-Chancellor of CCS University of Meerut