September 02, 2001

KATHMANDU:  A two week long South Asian training on human rights and peace began in Kathmandu Saturday.

The peace training was organized by South Asia Forum for Human Rights (SAFAR) in order to create a sense of awareness for peace in the region. Participants from all seven nations of South Asia are taking part in the training course.

Highlighting the objectives of peace training, general secretary of SAFAR Tapan K. Bose said conflicts in various forms have afflicted South Asia and its people.

He said that peace is required for development and stability in this region. As keynote speaker, French peace activist Professor Rada Ivekovic said that peace has been disturbed all over the world but common and collective efforts of people would help to restore peace.

Ranabir Samaddar of Sri Lanka dwelt on the peace training and said that the training aims at mobilizing people from the grassroots level to establish and restore peace in the region.

The training course includes six modules: justice, violence and non-violence; gender and law; dialogue and social audit; culture and economy; media and information and peace studies.