A Report prepared by ACHA President Herbert Hoefer, Ph.D.

On Nov. 17th, the Association for Communal Harmony in Asia (ACHA) and the Portland State University (PSU) Institute for Asian Studies sponsored their third annual Civic Dialogue on Kashmir, at Portland, OR. About 150 people participated. About half of them were young university students.

The featured presentation was Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy�s new 45-min. documentary �Crossing the Lines: Kashmir, Pakistan, India.� Dr. David Savage, professor emeritus from Lewis and Clark College led the discussion following the documentary.

Using interviews of key figures and ordinary people from every side, as well as rare archival footage, the documentary chronicled the wars, failed efforts at peace, and the daily toll the Kashmir problem exacts upon all those caught in this tragic struggle over more than half century. World concern over this volatile international issue has increased since the public display of nuclear capability by both India and Pakistan.

Some of the dialogue participants on Nov. 17th were students, who had little knowledge of the Kashmir dispute. Some participants were very knowledgeable about the topic, and had offered their views at the previous Kashmir forums sponsored by ACHA and PSU. Noteworthy this time was the active participation by women as well, representing both Pakistan and India.

Beginning with the previous Indian government headed by the BJP and now continued by the Congress Party-led coalition, serious efforts have been made to open dialogue between the two historically adversarial governments. Gradually some trust has developed. Participants in this dialogue also noted how much more civil and hopeful their interaction was, compared to the previous two dialogues.

The dialogue participants all agreed that ordinary citizens of all three groups, Kashmir and Pakistan and India, wanted peace. They must unite to prevent old grudges and self-destructive nationalism from inhibiting a reasonable discussion of the issues and must stay committed to their peaceful resolution. Such efforts must begin by rebuilding trust and understanding between the peoples.

Dr. Pritam Rohila, Ex. Dir. of ACHA described how �ACHA Peace Bulletin, the organization�s monthly electronic newsletter helps build bridges of understanding among people of South Asia.

People were also offered the opportunity to sign a petition to the two governments of India and Pakistan to establish a memorial on the border at Wagah-Attari in honor of the millions of innocent people, who were massacred, at the time of partition, on both sides of the Border. The petition can be accessed online at www.asiapeace.org.

Contact Person for More Information:
Executive Director: Pritam K. Rohila, Ph.D.
pritamr@open.org