More than 500 Rotary club members from India and Pakistan, who represent a cross-section of business and professional leaders from both countries, will meet in Islamabad to explore further efforts to help children in their communities and promote cultural understanding and peace between the two countries. The Indo-Pakistan Conference on Conflict Resolution and Peace will take place 2-4 June at the Islamabad Marriott Hotel, Convention Center and Bhourban Pearl Continental Hotel.

The conference will be attended by government officials from both countries including Mianmohammed Soomro, Chairman, The Senate of Pakistan, Khurseed Raza Kasuri, Foreign Minister of Pakistan and Shivshankar Menon, Indian High Commissioner.

The three-day conference will focus on measures to build support for a lasting peace and establish further links between the two countries’ economies. Organizers of the conference see it as another step in Rotary’s efforts to bring people of these two countries even closer.

In the past decade, Rotary clubs from India and Pakistan have overcome their countries’ political differences and worked to promote peace through joint humanitarian programs. Rotary has organized exchange programs, provided life-saving heart surgeries for needy children and organized conferences to further dialogue at the grassroots level.

The conference will continue this effort as Rotarians will discuss plans to establish a state-of-the-art Rotary Blood Bank in Karachi with support from Indian Rotarians and support for a vocational training institute in Delhi. Since 2001, seventeen Pakistani children with congenital heart problems have undergone life-saving heart surgeries in India, and Pakistani Rotarians have pledged to return the gesture.

“We believe that our contact at a person-to-person level takes on added importance given the shifts in political and diplomatic winds between our two countries,” says Navaid M. Khan, chairman of the conference. “When you read the newspaper, you may be frightened for our future, but when you work together you realize that we have so many common bonds, that peace can be a reality.”

Deepak Talwar, comprising Greater Delhi and parts of Haryana and UP, India, says, “To counter the stereotype image of hate and hostility promoted by fundamentalists, Rotarians have decided to team together and undertake community service projects in both countries under the slogan peace through community service.”

Participants in conference will also discuss how to help people from Pakistan visit India for social mobilization activities related to polio eradication and providing specialized training to young and upcoming professionals and entrepreneurs.



Media Contact: Howard Chang at howard.chang@rotary.org

###

NOTE: You are receiving this email because you have requested to receive updates on Rotary's activities. If you would like to unsubscribe, please email Petina Dixon at petina.dixon@rotary.org.

ROTARY

AN ORGANIZATION OF BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL LEADERS * UNITED WORLDWIDE

1.2 MILLION PEOPLE * NEARLY 170 COUNTRIES * PROVIDING HUMANITARIAN SERVICE

* BUILDING GOODWILL AND PEACE IN THE WORLD