International Leadership Conference
“A New Paradigm of Leadership and Good Governance”
August 30, 2008
Guwahati, Assam, India
Conference Report
The Universal Peace Federation (UPF) of India organized an International
Leadership Conference (ILC) under the theme, “A New Paradigm of Leadership and
Good Governance” at Gauhati, Assam, on August 30, 2008.
The ILC was honoured to have among the keynote speakers the distinguished
scholar, author, journalist, social activist, film maker and development expert
Sanjoy Hazarika; the Economic Advisor to the Assam Chief Minister, Dr Jayanta
Madhab; the Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Mr Silvius Condpan; in addition to a
number of distinguished participants drawn from different fields including the
academia, politics,business and the media. Two special Ambassador for Peace
awards were presented to Mr. Sanjoy Hazarika and former IGP and MP, Mr. Ataur
Rahman in the Opening Session; later on, UPF honored three other distinguished
personalities from the field of the arts and media, Sri Pranjol Saikia & Smti.
Ava Hazarika with this prestigious award.
Dr Hazarika and Dr Madhab analysed the scale and urgency of developmental
challenges faced by the North-Eastern States, and Assam in particular. This
called for good governance as well as massive injection of resources and
investment, community ownership of projects, empowerment of civil society (of
women in particular), and a meaningful partnership between government and a
vibrant voluntary service sector. It was important that once a project had been
tested successfully, it should be expanded and multiplied on a large scale so
as to make the maximum possible dent on poverty and deprivation. Government’s
role should be to ensure transparency, accountability and time-bound
implementation especially for high value projects; to facilitate implementation
by the voluntary sector wherever feasible and when it was rendered necessary
because of the government’s own constraints; and search and support innovative
approaches if convention solutions could not
be applied due to existing local circumstances. In this connection, the
Conference applauded Dr Hazarika’s successful project to reach medical services
by ships and boats to increasing numbers of the thirty lakh inhabitants of
20,000 islands on the Brahmaputra who were otherwise traditionally denied the
fruits of governance; and appreciated the other projects being undertaken under
the leadership of participants at the Conference and discussed by Father Joseph
in Tripura and Mr Tajul Islam Bakshi (with support from the UPF) in Assam. The
Conference agreed that development goals could be achieved in an accelerated
manner through use of appropriate technologies, local competitive advantages
combined with globalization opportunities (“globalization”), consultation with
people in the framing of economic plans, involvement of the private sector to
supplement official funding, and sensitive governance especially in handling
issues like terrorism which
could not be resolved solely through the use of state force. The role of the
media was also highlighted in creating a positive environment for positive
initiatives.
Mr Silvius Condpan emphasized the importance of rejecting violence as an option
in resolving differences and disputes. He emphasized the role of every
individual Ambassador for Peace in creating a peaceful environment in keeping
with the directives of and message of the Rev Father Moon. Participants
commended and congratulated the UPF on organizing the ILC which was a
thoughtful, relevant, urgent and useful initiative for in the cause of peace.
They highlighted the importance of creating awareness within civil society and
institutions of governance in order to bring about clean and efficient
governance; and the need for every individual to care for those less
privileged. The conference agreed on the urgent need to revise and expand
education syllabi in order to cater to character education as a means to
inculcate the values of love, responsibility, respect for diversity, and
peaceful means for resolving differences among the youth. It strongly endorsed
the UPF emphasis on “the family as a school of love and peace,” and the core
principles of the world as one family and living for the sake of others, which
were completely compatible with India’s own traditional ethos of “Vasudaiva
Kutumbakam.” It urged the media to fulfill its potential role in peace-building
and deeply appreciated the basis of peace and good governance as defined by the
UPF. It recognized and welcomed the UPF initiatives to contribute to the
creation of empowered but responsible citizens working in partnership with
government in order to ensure sustainable peace and prosperity for all.
Tajul Bakshi
Convenor, ILC-Guwahati
Connect with friends all over the world. Get Yahoo! India Messenger at
http://in.messenger.yahoo.com/?wm=n/
