27 November 2017 – 28 November 2017 | Colombo, Sri Lanka
Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS) with the
partnership of Global Partnership for Preventing Armed Conflict (GPPAC) in
Hague, Netherlands convened a meeting titled “Strengthening Cooperation and
Collaboration among Civil Society Organizations in South Asia”, from 27-28
November, 2017 in Colombo, Sri Lanka with the participation of GPPAC South Asia
(SA) network members, RCSS and a GPPAC representative from the Global
Secretariat. The objectives of the meeting were to finalize the GPPAC SA Annual
Plan 2018 and understand the SA regional context.
The main focus of GPPAC is to establish peace and security in
the many regions they are operating through multi-actor collaboration and local
ownership of strategies. Since the inception, RCSS has been facilitating GPPAC
to connect with key actors and CSOs in SA promoting strengthening the regional,
national and local actors to work towards peace and security in the region.
However, GPPAC moved out of SA in 2015 which led to inactivity of the SA
network members. In 2017, GPPAC is returning back with future prospects to
reinstigate GPPAC activities in SA region through its network. 
Various initiatives that led GPPAC to be active in SA region
have given hope for better networking among CSOs within the region and
impactful initiatives that will enable dialogue among SA actors working for
peace and security within the region and beyond. With an understanding of
opportunities available to act to eliminate negative factors which lead to
conflict and insecurities in the South Asian countries, GPPAC is planning to
get insight from SA members to provide input mainly to work on prevention of
violent extremism, advancement of human security in SA and plight of refugees
in SA.
In this meeting, RCSS presented the tentative work plan for 2018
and it was finalized with a number of changes. During the meeting, the
participants presented a short presentation on ‘Role of Civil Society in Peace
and Security’ in their countries. Based on the inputs from the members and
deliberation followed by them, a theme for next year activities was decided.
The participants of the meeting were: Prof. Moonis Ahmar,
Program on Peace Studies & Conflict Resolution,Department of International
Relations,University of Karachi, Pakistan;
Mr. Hamid Darwesh, Directorof Programs, The Afghanistan Justice
Organization (AJO),Afghanistan; Mr. Azmal Khan, Assistant Professor in
International Relations, Jahangirnagar University&Bangladesh Enterprise
Institute, Bangladesh; Ms. Seema Kakran, Deputy Director, Women in Security,
Conflict Management and Peace (WISCOMP), India: Dr. Nishchal N. Pandey,
Director, Centre for South Asian Studies, Nepal; Ms. Visaka Dharmadasa, GPPAC
Gender Focal Point in South Asia & Chairperson, Association of War Affected
Women, Sri Lanka, Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, Executive Director,
Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA)Sri Lanka; Ms. Maithreyi
Rajasingam, Executive Director (Legal), Viluthu Centre for Human Resource
Development, Sri Lanka.
