A two-day international conference on the role of Kashmiri women titled “Educating Women for Peace and Democracy – a South Asian Perspective” was held from May 10 to 11 at European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium.
According to a private news channel, Kashmir Council-EU arranged the event in collaboration with Friends of Kashmir Group based in the EU Parliament.
The first day of the conference was attended and addressed by a number of parliamentarians, human rights activists, experts and intellectuals from different countries.
Professor Agnieszka Kuszewska of University Social Psychology of Poland, Dr Agnieszka Nitza of University of Collegium Civitas Warsaw, Chairman Kashmir Council-EU Mr Ali Raza Syed, Khaula Siddiqi from Columbia Business School Canada, Sadia Mir from the University of Westminster, UK and Ifra Bukhari from University of Sheffield, UK were among the speakers.
MEP, Sajjad Karim said the conference was very timely because Kashmiri women were increasingly facing emotional wounds.
MEP Amjad Bashir hailed the conference saying it would help give voice to the people of Indian occupied Kashmir and highlight the role of Kashmiri women in a South Asian perspective.
About Kashmir issue, one of the participant said the Kashmir conflict was necessitating arms race and investment of resources on arms.
Kashmir Council-EU Chairman Ali Raza Syed discussed the central role of education for peace and democracy in South Asia and drew attention of the participants towards women’s suffering in conflict areas like Kashmir, saying they not only suffer violence, chaos and lost social harmony, but also the emotional pain of losing their loved ones.
Ali Raza stressed that healthy, educated and dignified women would ensure peaceful, educated and democratic South Asia, whose great potential is hostage to India’s stubborn refusal to Kashmiris’ democratic right to self-determination.
Former EU Ambassador Anthony Crasner told the delegates that the European Parliament’s report on India-EU relations had no mention of Kashmir.