AID-Houston, in collaboration with Rice University's South Asian Society, Asian-American Network Against Abuse of Human Rights (ANAA), Voices Breaking Boundaries organized the 3rd Annual Dosti Forum on January 22, 2006 at Rice University, Houston. The 2006 theme was “The Role of Peace in Economic and Social Development”.  The event was attended by over 200 Indian and Pakistani immigrants as well as by leaders such as Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), (who is Co-Chair of the India and Pakistan Caucuses), Consul General of Pakistan in Houston G.R. Baluch, Deputy Consul General of India K. P. Pillai, and Houston Councilman M. J. Khan. Following the keynote address by Ms. Lee, Omar Noman from the United Nations and Sanjay Ruparelia from the New School University, NY, talked about links between peace, development and security. This was followed by group discussions which explored these topics: 1) Human rights, women's empowerment and the state of development in India and Pakistan, 2) The present and future of economic interdependence between India and Pakistan, 3) Does defense spending take away from spending on development in Pakistan and India?, and 4) Progress and conflict in 2005: Current events in India-Pakistan relations. Some participants gave a petition about atrocities in Sindh and Baluchistan to Congresswoman Jackson Lee. The forum concluded with a message to “allot more resources to health, education, infrastructure development and to equitable, participative and sustainable growth”. For more information about the Dosti Forum, please visit http://www.pakindiadosti.org/.                                                     

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Contributed by Ilyas Hasan Choudry