Programs >Past Programs >Symposium on South Asia

Date:       July 18, 2002
Location: Cannon Caucus Room,
             345 Cannon House Office Building,
             Washington DC
Time: (Schedule is subject to change as discussions continue)

       7:30 AM – 9:30 AM (Inauguration)
       9:30 AM – 12:30 PM Symposium (Morning session)
       1:30 PM - 5:00 PM Symposium (Afternoon session and conclusion)
       7:00 PM - 9:00 PM (Banquet)

7:30 AM - 9:30 AM: Opening Remarks: P.D. John, Executive Director,  Policy Institute For Religion and State

Inaugural Address: Rep. Joe Pitts, House International Relations Committee, US Congress

9:30 AM - 11:00 AM :   Panel on Nuclear Issue:

Security in the region (in light of the changing dynamics among the US, Pakistan, and India), Nuclear proliferation, War on terrorism, and Impact of religious extremism on regional security;

Moderator: Senator Sam Brownback, Chair-Senate Subcommittee on South Asia, US Congress

Admiral. Ramu Ramdas, (Retd Chief of Naval Staff, Indian Navy, New Delhi, India)
Brig. Feroz Hassan Khan (Brookings Institute, Retired Pakistan Military)
Dr. Jonathan Glenn Granoff (Author, President of Global Security Institute)
Dr. Douglas Shaw (Nuclear Proliferation Control Expert, Georgetown Univ. Washington DC)
Dr. Nayer Ali (Social activist, Columnist and a Physician, CA)

Senator Sam Brownback making opening remarks

From Left to Right: Admiral Ramu Ramdas (Retd. Indian Navy), Sebator Brownback and Dr. Jonathan Granoff (GS Institute)

11:00 AM - 12:30 PM : Panel on Religion and Politics:

Rise of religious extremism and its impact on: Pluralism, Democratic institutions & Fundamental human rights.

Moderator: Ms. Nina Shea (Director, Center for Religious Freedom/Commissioner-US Commission for International Religious Freedom)

Bishop Geevarghese Coorilos (President, National Council of Churches, India)
His Holiness The Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Puri (Head of a Hindu Religious Order)
Dr. Bruce Robertson (Author, Faculty - John's Hopkins Univ. Retd. State Department)
Dr. Lise McKeon (Author, Chicago, IL)
Mr. John Dayal (Secretary General, All India Christian Council, New Delhi, India)

1:00 PM - 2:30 PM : Panel on Socio Economic Development:

Issues and strategies for relief and development, Socio-economic Enquiry Into the Conditions of Prostitutes in India,Threat of AIDS, Human trafficking,Social justice & Socio Economic Justice

Moderator: Ambassador. Nancy Ely-Raphel (Special Advisor to the Secretary of State,Director Office to Monitor and Combat Human Trafficking)

Bishop. Percy Fernandez (General Secretary, Catholic Bishops Conference of India)
Mr. Pashupati Rana (General Secretary RPP, Nepal)
Dr. Keshav Bhattarai (Prof, University of Missouri)
Dr. John Dayal (General Secretary, All India Christian Council, New Delhi, India)
Dr. K.P. Singh,  Ph.D (University of Washington, Seattle WA)
Mrs. Jayanti Jayaseelan, (Social Worker, India)

2:30 PM - 4:00 PM :    Panel on US-South Asia Trade & Economic Issues:                     
Impact of nationalism on trade policies, Impact of Extremism on the developing market economy and democratic principles & International investment

Moderator: Rep. Sherrod Brown, Senior Member House International Relations Committee - US Congress

Dr. Ashutosh Varshney (Dept of South Asia Studies, University of Michigan, USA)
Dr. Gautham Adhikari (Endowment for Democracy, Washington, DC)
Dr. Lokendra Chand (Former Prime Minister of Nepal, Katmandu)
Dr. Nakadar (Publisher, Physician, Detroit, MI)
Mr. Farrukh Goindi (Social Activist, Pakistan)
Honorable. Tariq Karim, (Former Bangladesh Ambassador to the US)

Left to Right: Mr. Farooq Goindi, Dr. Ashutosh Varshney, Congressman Sherrod Brown (Chair), Dr. Rahman Nakadar and Dr. Gautham Adhikari

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM : Press Hour with the speakers

Floor Exhibit By:  Ms. Shabnam Hashami (Social Activist, New Delhi, India)

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM : Reception and Banquet (Cannon Caucus Room)

Guests Invited:

Senator. Jesse Helms (US Senate)
Senator. Richard Lugar (US Senate)
Senator. Joseph R. Biden (US Senate)
Senator. Sam Brownback (US Senate)
Rep. Benjamin Gilman (US Congress)
Rep. Henry J. Hyde (US Congress)
Rep. Sherrod Brown (US Congress)
Rep. Joseph Pitts (US Congress)
Rep. Ronnie Shows (US Congress)
Rep. W.J. Tauzin (US Congress)
Rep. John Dingell (US COngress)
Rep. Ed Bryant (US Congress)
Mr. Jaswant Singh (The Finance Minister, Government of India)
Mr. Pashupati Rana (Leader of RPP Party, Nepal)
Mr. Deepak Bohara (Former Tourism Minister, Government of Nepal, Katmandu)
Mr. Abraham Mathai (Member of State  Minorities Commission, Mumbai, India)
Ms. Hephzibah Priyadharshini (Principal, Tatabad Educational Center, India)
More Religious, Political and regional leaders from South Asia will be participating in the event. Various Members of US Congress will also be speaking at the banquet.