The Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation (CDR) aims to be a catalyst for peace in South Asia. It strives to do this through a process of dialogue and discourse, achieving peaceful settlements of conflicts with justice and equality. Its overall mission and eventual goal is to facilitate reconciliation between adversaries in South Asia.
Major achievements
The CDR has engaged in diverse activities in Mumbai, Punjab,New Delhi and Jammu-Kashmir. It organises training workshops for the youth, women, influential civil society members and elected Panchayat members at village level, field visits, research studies on environment and climate change impact, conferences, peace dialogues and Track-2 meetings. Some titles include:
- Inter-Regional Civil Society Dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir
- Dialogue between majority and minority communities in Jammu-Kashmir and Mumbai
- Intra-Kashmir Cross-LoC Cvil Society Dialogue
- Intra-Kashmir Cross-LoC Women’s Dialogue
- Youth Dialogue and Training workshops
- Peace Education Training for government school teachers
- Indo-Pak - Lawyers Dialogue, Teachers Dialogue, Water Dialogue and Track 2 Dialogue co-hosted with the Jinnah Institute of Pakistan
- Reserch studies on - Impact of Violence on communities living close to the Line-Of Control in Jammu-Kashmir and Mumbai, Local Governance, Impact of Climate Change and Water issues
Success story
CDR has done sustained work in Jammu-Kashmir for 15 years and helped towrds building peace infrastructure in that state. Throughout 2004, the Intra-Regional Dialogues evolved to become a series of Intra-Kashmir dialogues. In 2005, these brought together a significant number of people across the two Kashmirs, well ahead of the governmental process. As an outcome of these dialogues, a clear consensus emerged across the political spectrum regarding several important issues. Topics included:
- The rejection of violence as a tool to resolve the conflict
- The need for an inclusive dialogue process
- The need for a solution applicable to all three regions and acceptable to all three parties
- The importance of Kashmiris deciding their own future
- Ceasefire and return of refugee arranements for those stranded across the line of contact
- An end to human rights violations and a reduction of security forces in civilian areas
Not only was the information and dialogue outcome shared with civil society through several write-ups in local newspapers, but the resolutions were also brought to the attention of policy makers in the government. Some of the issues and concerns raised during the dialogues have been widely circulated and discussed by concerned people in the government. These are also published in the book - Beyond Borders. In some instances, CDR has been instrumental in shaping government policies to answer specific needs and aspirations of the people. The policy change has been reflected in several governmental initiatives, including suggestions for opening travel and trade routes in all three regions.
Since 2005, CDR has organized over sixteen "Cross-LoC Dialogues" and is the only organzation to do so in Jammu-Kashmir.
