Of late, India and Pakistan’s national civil society movements for promotion of inter-religious affection have been trying to provide yet another point of contact to reduce tension in the sub-continent. As a part of this unique attempt at track 3 informal diplomacy, delegations of religious scholars of the two countries under the leadership of Dr Syed Zafar Mahmood, President, Interfaith Coalition for Peace of India and Maulana Mohammad Hanif Jalandhari, President, World Council of Religions, Pakistan met for two-day Bilateral Interfaith Consultation “Towards Better Indo-Pak Relations” in Bangkok on 27 & 28 October 2010. The respective delegations comprised the following:

INDIA
Dr. Syed Zafar Mahmood, President, Interfaith Coalition for Peace, New Delhi, Sardar Nirmal Singh Raipuri, Dr. Deepali Bhanot, Professor of Sanskrit, Delhi University, Rev. Awala Longkumer, Rev. Fr. Dr. Packiam Samuel, Secretary General, Interfaith Coalition for Peace, His Grace Gee Varghese Mar Julios, Prof. Ali Mohammad Naqvi, Dean, Faculty of Theology, Aligarh Muslim University, Swamy Navananma Jnana Thapaswi, Mufti Fazailur Rahman Hilal Usmani, Mufti-e-Azam, Punjab, Mr. Tariq Umair Usmani, Mr.Syed Abid Mahmood, Journalist, Swami Sasikumar, Mrs. Narender Kaur

PAKISTAN
Maulana Mohd Hanif Jalandhari, Mufti Munib-ur-Rahman, Maualana Abdul Malik, Qari Ruahullah Madani, Maualana Yasin Zafar, Hafiz Nauman, Bishop Samuel Azaraiah, Bishop Mano Rumalshah

It was basically an interfaith bilateral living together. Full delegations had four joint sessions interspersed by lunches, dinners, coffee sessions and meetings of small Indo-Pak groups of 4-5 each mulling over various aspects of their joint efforts toward better bonhomie, at interfaith level, among the peoples of the two countries.

The enclosed joint declaration was issued at the conclusion of the two day consultations.

Program and Agenda

1.     BACKGROUND:

The World Council of Religions (WCR) in Pakistan and Interfaith Coalition of Peace (ICP) in India have planed a mutual consultation in Bangkok to reflect on how the religious communities in India and Pakistan can contribute to the normalisation process between the two countries. There are today several examples of representatives from various professions and civil society structures in the two countries that have met and developed good relationship, contact points and cooperation. ICP and WCR think this is a good time for the faith communities to also engage in these kind of relationship building activities. There may have been some contact between representatives from within the same faith community from the two countries, but this will be the first interfaith consultation between faith communities Pakistan and India.

ICP and WCR developed the idea for a consultation like this during their joint exposure visit to Norway in June 2009, and did further develop the plan through a working group meeting in Dubai in May 2010. Both structures mandated Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) to assist on logistics and facilitation of the consultation. The working group consists of Maulana Qari Rooh Ullah Madani from the WCR in Pakistan and Father Packiam Samuel from the ICP, both mandated from respectively WCR and ICP, as well as Arne Saeveraas from NCA. The consultation is jointly initiated by WCR and ICP. Based on this NCA is hereby sending out agenda and program for the planed consultation, se below.

2.     INTRODUCTION AND AGENDA:

The main objective of this first consultation is relationship building. Through getting to know each, good relationships and mutual trust will be developed, and this will provide a solid basis for future cooperation and joint activities. The participants of the consultation will also share reflections with each other on how future cooperation and joint activities can be fostered to contribute to the normalisation process between Pakistan and India.

The working group has suggested that the main language during the consultation will be Urdu. This means that some inputs during the consultation will be translated from English and other languages.

The working group has also suggested that we all meet as one group, focusing on the fact that we are all people of faith contributing towards that same agenda. Not so much focus will be put on that fact that some come from India, some from Pakistan, and that we represent different religious communities. Emphasis will be put on the larger WE, and our common objective. During plenary sessions and group work our seating will be mixed, not in separate country groups. However there will also be short sessions where the different faith communities and country groups have their separate meetings. You will find more details in the program below.

As part of our relationship building and developing of reflections and ideas towards our objectives, we will have an exposure program on the 2th, where we will be meeting representatives of faith communities in Thailand and hear about their experience related to interfaith dialogue and cooperation. They will also learn about your experience.

The main agenda and objectives for the two days consultation will be:

-         Relationship building between representatives of the faith communities in India and Pakistan.

-         Sharing of reflections and ideas for future cooperation and joint activities.

-         Summary of recommendations and a draft action plan for joint activities 2011.

3.     PROGRAM:

Tuesday October 26^th

Participant arriving and registering for the consultation in Asia Hotel Bangkok. There will

be no formal program on the 26^th . The working group will be receiving the participants

as they come.

07:00 – 10:00 pm     Dinner is available for those who have arrived.

Wednesday October 27^th

08:30 – 09:30 am     Breakfast buffet.

10:00 – 11:30 am     Welcoming session. Greetings  from representatives of Muslim-,                      Christian-,  and Buddhist communities in Thailand. Introduction of

                             all the participants to the consultation.

11:30 – 12:00 am     Tea Break

12:00 – 01:30 pm     Working Session I.

-         Introduction to the objectives and program of the conference.

-         Group work:

Sharing of reflections and ideas for future cooperation and joint activities.

01:30 – 02:30 pm     Lunch

02:30 – 03:30 pm     Working Session II.

-         Feedback from groups.

-         Short group gathering of the various religious communities.

03:30 – 04:00 pm     Tea

04:00 – 07:00 am     Exposure to interfaith cooperation in Thailand. Religious Leaders representing the Buddhist-, Muslim- and Christian communities will be joining us and sharing their interfaith experience from Thailand. Venue – Buddhist temple in Bangkok.

07:30 – 09:00 am     Dinner together with Religious Leaders of Thailand.

Thursday October 28^th

08:00 – 09:00 am     Breakfast buffet.

09:30 – 10:00 am     Morning Prayer provided by each religious community.     

10:00 – 11:30 am     Working Session III.

Plenary session: The Working Group presents a summary of the group work during working session II and suggests an outline to continue developing reflections and ideas for future cooperation and joint activities.

11:30 – 12:00 am     Tea.

12:00 – 01:30 pm     Working Session IV.

Experience on interfaith cooperation in Thailand presented by a representative from the Interreligious Council of Thailand.

01:30 – 02:30 am     Lunch.

02:30 – 04:00 pm     Working Session V.

Country groups gather to share reflections on issues to follow up on by respectively ICP and WCR in the coming year.

04:00 – 04:30 am     Tea

04:30 – 06:00 am     Working Session VI.

-         Summing up the sharing of reflections and ideas.

-         Recommendations and draft action plan for 2011.

-         Mandate for working committee.

-         Prayer and end of formal program.

07:00 – 09:00 pm     Dinner.

Friday October 29^th

06:30 – 10:00          Breakfast Buffet

Departures, no formal program. Some will leave on 29^th and some will stay over to 30^th.

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