Posts by Ashima Kaul

From the field WISCOMP: Disaster and dialogue in Kashmir

On August 6, 2010 the Himalayan town of Leh in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir on the Indian side was struck by torrential rains which completely destroyed some of its roads, bridges, hospitals and communication lines. Hundred of people were killed and many are still missing. The tragedy shocked the nation and the Jammu and Kashmir and Central governments ensured that relief and rehabilitation, including the evacuation of international and domestic tourists, was immediately enacted. Read more >>>

From the field Citizen Power in Kashmir

Ashima Kaul of Insight on Conflict travels with activists of the Right to Information Movement in Jammu and Kashmir as they visit a village to campaign. Read more >>>

From the field Sufis and Yogis rediscover traditions for peace

“If you listen to truth, curb the five; (five senses), Otherwise, you bend the body and call it namaaz (Muslim prayer). If you unite Siva (inner Being) and shunya (non-Being). That is the inner namaaz, indeed”, Professor M. H. Zafar, a Muslim Shaivaite scholar captivated the gathering of Muslim Sufis, Hindu Yogis, Buddhist Monks, Humanitarians and Peace practitioners at Sufi –Yogi Dialogue from 8th -12 April 2010 organized by Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW) at Kathmandu as he recited the sholaks ( verse ) of Nund Rishi, Kashmir’s patron saint. Read more >>>

From the field Kashmir: Building democracy, building peace

Dr. Muzaffar’s fellow activists, almost 20 of them from different villages, sitting with him in a circle in Citizen Council’s room in Chadoora, District Badgam almost an hour’s drive from the capital city Srinagar, agree with him. “When the oppressed and poor will get their rights, militancy will automatically go away”, they opine, which may not be accepted by all but clearly for the people who have joined the movement, they are convinced that RTI is the answer for social justice , good governance, accountability and transparency which in turn will bring peace. “Yahi hatiyar yahan aman layega (this weapon alone will bring peace here)”, they raise their hands and shout in unison. Read more >>>

Interview Why I work for peace in Kashmir

What motivates an individual to work for peace? And how do they get started? Ashima Kaul, our Kashmir Local Correspondent, is herself a peacebuilder with the Athwaas organisation. In this interview, she takes about her involvement in peacebuilding in Kashmir. Read more >>>

Commentary Sharing Stories of Building Peace

Our Kashmir Local Correspondent Ashima Kaul this week attended a Peace Exchange in Nairobi, Kenya, organised by Peace Direct. Here she offers a personal reflection on the experience. Read more >>>

From the field Life in a border village

In October 2009, Ashima Kaul, Local Correspondent for Kashmir and a peacebuilder with the Athwaas organisation, visited Jammu and Kashmir, accompanied by Tom Gillhespy of Peace Direct. On her trip she made a visit to a school, where she was able to get the views of the children and staff on the conflict in Kashmir. The visit is recorded in the below video. Many thanks to Renu Nanda for her assistance on the trip. Read more >>>

From the field Holy Cows in Kashmir

On December 4 2009, Fazal Haq Qureshi, 65 year old separatist leader from the moderate separatist alliance of Hurriyat was attacked by unknown assailants. Perceived as an ‘honest peace broker and negotiator’ between the government and separatist clan, he had almost four decades ago laid the foundation of a secessionist movement in Jammu and Kashmir. The attack on him was seen as a stern warning to all those who were ‘selling out on Kashmir’. Read more >>>

Inter-religious Dialogue in Kashmir

Shrines of mystic saints and Sufis in Kashmir continue to be common collective spaces for both Hindus and Muslims. Many renowned Kashmiri Muslim poets have nurtured the philosophy of Kashmiri Shaivism in their poems. This syncretic tradition is what all Kashmiris upheld in their daily lives. To me, growing up in Kashmir, the ‘soul’ of the region was always embedded in the traditions of dialogue and co-existence. This culture, and the daily practices of Kashmiris, was what I would define as peace. Read more >>>

From the field Visit of Melanne Verveer

Along with other women journalists in New Delhi today, I had the chance to speak with Melanne Verveer, the Ambassador-at-Large of the US State Department for Global Women’s Issues. She spoke of how the Obama Administration is ‘mainstreaming’ the women’s agenda and ensuring that it be included within defence, diplomacy and strategic planning. I asked her about her office’s role in interacting with NATO in Afghanistan and addressing violence aginst women in armed conflicts. It was a very interesting discussion, and I will soon be writing up a report on this for Insight on Conflict. Read more >>>