The South Asian Peoples Forum (SAPF) has successfully concluded a South Asian Peoples Unity Conference in conjunction with the 2nd annual Faiz Peace Festival, Toronto. The Conference was held on the premises of the University of Toronto, Canada, between April 23-26th, 2009. The delegates came from Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Islamabad, California, New York, Birmingham, London-UK, Ottawa, Waterloo and Toronto.
Abid Hasan Minto, and Sharene Razack opened the conference. Presently you can view Sharene Razack’s contribution here
The participants discussed the crises in Sri Lanka, Imperialism in South Asia, State Repression in South Asian countries and Britain, the history and dilemmas of the Left in South Asian countries, and current struggles against Neoliberalism in South Asia and in the diaspora. Sections of the conference can be viewed at Panel on Imperialism and at Panel on Sri-Lanka The film Amu (Dir: Sonali Bose) was screened during the conference, and raised a discussion about the state’s pogroms against minorities, focusing on the events of November, 1984, New Delhi.
Recognizing the current crises in Sri Lanka and Pakistan, in particular, the delegates to the conference passed the following Resolutions at the close of the conference:
The Conference on the Unity of the Peoples of South Asia
i. condemns all foreign intervention in the region and demands the immediate withdrawal of US, NATO, ISAF and other foreign troops from the region;
ii. opposes militarization and war preparations by our individual governments, and stands against nuclearization;
iii. condemns all acts of state terror and repression against our peoples and against all social and political movements under any pretext such as the war on terror, democracy, development, secularism, national unity and territorial integrity and others;
iv. condemns political violence and acts of terror by non-state actors against civilians in the name of religion, ethnicity and nationalism;
v. holds that neo-liberal offensives have weakened the security of all ordinary people of South Asia and other parts of the world, and supports all struggles in defence of livelihood, economic rights, well-being and social security; and
vi. resolves to disseminate the proceedings of the conference and to organize similar conferences in future.
