The Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS) in collaboration with the India International Center (IIC) organised a conference/workshop on contemporary Ladakh on 01 February 2013 in New Delhi.
What were the Proposed issues to be discussed?
Ladakh today is no more a Cold Desert. During the recent years, the region has been changing dramatically bringing forward new developments and challenges at the social, economic and political levels. There are multiple new issues having serious implications for the future of Ladakh Tourism. While the rest of India has so much to learn from the region, Ladakh also has to ensure the negative effects of globalization
process does not harm the internal social, ethnic and economic fibre of its people.
Young Voices
While there have been numerous interactions led by the senior citizens of the region on the future of Ladakh, there have not been any exclusive forums to listen the young voices on how they perceive the
contemporary trends. Since the future belong to them and they are likely shape its multiple contours, it is essential the region and the rest of India listen to their inputs. Hence, one of the primary objective of this initiative is to provide a platform to the young voices from Ladakh
to discuss various contemporary issues. The workshop will encourage young scholars from Ladakh studying in various parts of the country to take part and provide innovative and alternative ideas to address the
contemporary challenges and a collective future.
Holding this workshop in Delhi will also provide the rest of India to listen to these voices, share their concerns and more importantly develop a national discourse.Equally importantly, the workshop also aims to bring
the various young voices within Ladakh cutting across regional, religious and ethnic lines into a single platform. Ladakh has never been monolithic; it is composed of a rich diversity with differing voices, a
good sign of any stable democracy. But the differences and diversity needs to be appreciated and understood so that the faultlines do not prohibit Ladakh from marching forward.
Resource Persons on Ladakh
The Institute will also invite few senior scholars/citizens who have a vast understanding of the region to serve as Resource Persons and channelize the young voices and their concerns in the right direction,
building a common future within the region, and with the rest of India.
Ladakh 2013: A Series?
Though the proposed workshop will take place in Delhi on 1 February 2013 organized by the IPCS in collaboration with the IIC, it is hoped that the initiative will attract sufficient attention amongst the
young voices from Ladakh and the rest of India. Depending on the funding support, it is hoped that this series will continue and the next round of dialogue will take place in Jammu, and later in Leh/Kargil.
FOUR THEMES
The workshop invites papers under the following four
themes with a special focus on economy, education, society & politics.