TORONTO, October 17, 2013 -- India and the Peace-building Process in Afghanistan, a joint workshop by the York Centre for Asian Research and the South and Central Asia Project, will explore the relationship between the two Asian countries in the context of the ongoing efforts for political stabilization and socioeconomic recovery in Afghanistan, Oct. 18.
“The workshop will delve into the less explored aspect of the growing web of regional links between South and Central Asia,” says Professor Sergei Plekhanov in the Department of Political Science and a key organizer. Plekhanov who is also the director of the South and Central Asia Project adds, “As NATO withdraws from Afghanistan, developing effective regional cooperation becomes crucial for the country’s security and development.”
Presenters at the two-part event include several academics and former high-ranking government officials from the region. The presentations will cover topics such as the issues and prospects faced in the process of rebuilding Afghanistan and India’s role in it. Professor Plekhanov and Nivedita Das Kundu, Foreign Policy Analyst and Assistant Director (Research) at the Indian Council for Social Science Research, based in Delhi, will moderate the sessions.
WHAT: India and the Peace-building Process in Afghanistan, a joint workshop by the York Centre for Asian Research and the South and Central Asia Project
WHERE: 120E, Stedman Hall, York University, Keele Campus, (building number 22 on the map)
WHEN: Friday, Oct. 18, 2013, 9:30am-1:00pm
Program highlights:
-- The Afghan Peace-Building Process: Issues and Prospects, 10:00am–11:15am
Sabrina Saqeb, Former Member of Afghan Parliament, Co-Founder of the Research Institute for Women, Peace & Security
Humayun Hamidzada, President and CEO of Development Policy Group International, and former Deputy Finance Minister of Afghanistan
Moderator: Professor Sergei Plekhanov
-- India’s role in Afghanistan, 11:30–1:00pm
Professor V Yoga Jyotsna, Department of Political Science, Osmania University, Hyderabad, India (topic: Afghanistan’s all-weather friend, India)
Captain G.S. Inda, Senior Fellow, Center for Joint Warfare Studies, New Delhi, India (topic: What place does Afghanistan occupy in India’s vision of interests and concerns?)
Ajey Lele, Research Fellow, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi, India (topic: Indian investments toward capacity-building in Afghanistan)
Moderator: Nivedita Das Kundu
NOTE: Organizers are available for media interviews
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