A group discussion on ‘ Creating change in a changing world: A dialogue between young leaders from India and Pakistan’ was organised by us at Hotel Vishal Residency, Near Radisson Hotel, Rangpuri, Nh-8, Mahipalpur,  Delhi on 3rd April, 2013 with a youth peace delegation from Pakistan comprising of over 50 people.

The Peace Delegation to India from Pakistan was a joint effort of ‘Jaago Naujawan’ and ‘Lions Club Islamabad’ in promoting Peace Ties between Pakistan and India. The medium through which the dual alliance aims to establish harmony in the region is through people to people connectivity. The program focuses in providing the energetic youth of Pakistan to meet and interact with the Indian students, NGOs, Government officials and sightseeing. Cultural study is the other dimension for the youth to explore during the visit. The program brings forth an exhibition of Indian heritage, culture and history with a blend of spectacular tourist destinations. This was a fantastic opportunity for the youth to explore and visit the 5 culturally enriched cities of India including Delhi, Aagra, Jaipur, Lucknow, Ajmair Shareef. This was  a great occasion for the youth of Pakistan to bond together and act as ambassadors of their country in promoting a message of regional harmony.

The objective of this event was to spark a dialogue among people from India and Pakistan on various topics and what can we do to improve relations. Some very interesting thoughts and perspectives came out during this discussion. The issues that were discussed included:
• What can we learn from our respective democratic systems?

• What are ways to find realistic solutions to long standing issues like Kashmir? How can citizens from both sides help?

• How do we lobby with our respective governments to ensure stronger ties and boost tourism?

• What are practical ways to stay in touch and build a long-term association?

Participants agreed that awareness creation and sensitization amongst citizens fromthe two countries was essential and the youth, in particular, had a crucial role to play in achieving this. The representatives also vowed to continuing the dialogue and taking tangible steps towards ensuring that relations between the two countries move forward peacefully and constructively.

Please go through the below videos and pictures to get the jist of the discussion. You can watch all videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/PADtalk

Finally, Youth from India and Pakistan join hands for a peaceful and constructive future together

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