[WiLT] Resolving Conflict between Communities - from Kashmir to East London

[WiL Admin]

Resolving Conflict between Communities - from Kashmir to East London

The City Circle is pleased to host a number of speakers who will
explore case studies of how to resolve local conflicts at home and
abroad to be held on Friday 3 April 2009 at 6.45pm - 8.30pm, Abrar
House, 45 Crawford Place, London W1H 4LP.

Bilal Hafeez will introduce Peace Direct and its work. Ashima Kaul
will speak about the situation in Kashmir and her work with Peace
Direct in bringing Muslim, Hindu and Sikh women together with a view
to building foundations for peace.  Halima Hussain will speak about
the situation in Newham and the way that Community Conversations have
been used to bring people together.  Truce 20/20 participants will
share one of their exercises in conflict resolution.

Ashima Kaul is a journalist by training. Born in Kashmir, she left
when still a child. She returned to Kashmir as a journalist and was
shocked to see young unmarried women queuing up for sterilization,
because of their fear of rape. She also saw wives waiting outside the
prison, from the Hindu and Muslim communities, facing the same issues
yet isolated from each other. She determined to dedicate her life to
bridging the gap between the two communities, creating samanbals where
women could meet each other in safety, while developing the means to
earn a living. Her latest report is attached as an Annex. Peace Direct
recruits people in the UK to support Ashima's work on a long term
basis.

Halima Hussain (formely Arif) started as a volunteer for Newham
Conflict and Change's Muslim Mediation Service in Oct 2004, and is
currently the Service Development Officer. She has experience in
mediation for both families and neighbour disputes, developing
training programmes as well as setting up Muslim Mediation Service as
a Charity Organisation. She is in the process of qualifying as an
accountant and in Life Coaching.

Muslim Mediation Service works mostly with Muslim families helping
them to find ways to resolve their issues through communication. All
Muslim Mediation Service volunteers have the opportunity to volunteer
for Conflict and Change in neighbour disputes as well. MMS also works
with C&C on community conversation projects, bringing different people
within the community together to have their say on issues that are
affecting them and also an opportunity to hear from other people in
their community.

Truce 20/20 is a project (jointly run by Newham Conflict and Change
and Peace Direct) that trains young people in Newham, East London, in
conflict resolution and community leadership. As part of the training,
participants meet an overseas peacebuilder, such as Ashima, and learn
from their experience of working in 'hot conflict.' Truce 20/20 is
eighteen months old, but already the participants have formed a
Steering Committee to direct the project, and are working in schools
with peer mediators, and with the police and other community based
services. Participants are drawn from a wide range of ethnic and
religious backgrounds, with a significant minority on each course
being Muslims. In the light of recent events in Gaza, Truce
participants are hoping to set up a community conversation with young
people from the Jewish community in neighbouring Ilford.

Free Entrance. All Welcome.

For more information please contact Rabia Malik on
notices at thecitycircle.com