Of cross-cultural dialogues, war and peace

Chandigarh: The last day of the 12th edition of the annual Global Youth Peace Festival witnessed a deep sense of cross-cultural collaboration among the delegates, who had come from over 25 countries across the globe. They all spread the message of peace in a discussion on world peace. The event was held at Chandigarh Institute of Hotel Management (CIHM), Sector 42, Chandigarh on Monday.

The visiting dignitaries shared a series of presentations depicting various strategies and ideas to increase youth cooperation in their respective countries. They also appealed to the people to have a more generous outlook towards each other.

National Youth Leader Malaysia Makkal Sakti Party Malaysia Manimaran Armugam said, “Malaysia is a fairly peaceful and racially diverse country. But it has started to develop some minor forms of racial differences now. Our aim is to crush these seeds of intrapersonal differences and to empower the youth to connect with each other and deliver the necessary change.”

While speaking to TOI, delegates from Bangladesh, Palestine, Afghanistan and Syria spoke about the extent of national and personal damage they have faced due to the blind, mindless and politically-motivated wars and conflicts that have wreaked havoc in their nations.

Talking about her experience with the Israel-Palestinian conflict, 25-year-old Samar Awadulah, an engineer living in Palestine, said, “I don’t think anything can be done to improve the situation in Palestine because this war has reached a stage where it can no longer be managed or contained. I think the spirit of the people of my nation has completely shattered.”

However, showcasing indomitable courage in the face of extreme adversity, Abdulmunem Alsavva (42), a Syrian national said, “I have lost my own brother and a cousin in the bombings. It was extremely painful but I will stick around because I live in the hope of improvement and I think I will wait for the day it gets better. I will never leave my county. I love it and I have no hard feelings towards anyone.”

Bringing the vital issue of international terrorism to the fore, 23-year-old Muhammad Arif Muddabir from Afghanistan said, “Afghanistan is among the worst hit countries when it comes to terrorism but we do not wish to continue living like this. This is my first time in India and I have noticed that Indians always come together to fight for anything no matter what happens.”

On the other hand, the delegates from Japan, Canada and Mongolia mentioned their lack of awareness to understand the difficulties people from other nations face. The event concluded with a giddha and a bhangra performance.


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