Punjab University Centre for South Asian Studies (CSAS) in collaboration with World Beyond War organization USA, hosted an online international conference on Global Peace & Security: Navigating the Future. The conference was attended by Director CSAS Prof Dr Naheed S. Goraya, Executive Director Centre for International Strategic Studies, Muzaffarabad Dr Asma Shakir Khawaja, Director Exult Solutions from India Rukmini Iyer, and scholars from USA, Canada, Sweden, UK, Republic of Congo, China, India, and Bangladesh presented their research on various topics.
In her address, Dr Goraya said, “In todays globalized world, we are facing enormous challenges to peace and security ranging from Climate/environmental crisis to global pandemics, economic inequality, terrorism. She said that peace is the fundamental investment that “we must make for human progress and sustainability on a global scale.” She said, “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 Asma Shakir said that current world order is not conducive to achieve the objective of peace as it is filled with mistrust. She said that conflict is a dominating phenomenon in international politics as it is cheaper than peace. Rukmini Iyer explored the theme of conscious leadership in the face of global turmoil. She drew inspiration from the timeless wisdom of Punjabi Sufi poets Bulleh Shah and Shah Hussain. She focused on the importance of integrating peace building into our daily routines, from schools to workplaces, and communities, by fostering empathy, promoting inclusivity, and supporting grassroots initiatives.
