Moving Towards Peace in Middle East and North Africa

You are invited to a meeting on Middle East and North Africa. 

On Wednesday, 25th June, 2014 at 18:00, at Ballroom of Dorchester Hotel, London, distinguished speaekrs will be discussing present crisis in the Greater Middle East and North Africa which is once again at a boiling point.

Speakers:

Rita Payne Chair, President, Commonwealth Journalists Association
Vijay Mehta, Chair, Uniting for Peace
Yasser Bin Homran, Peace Campaigner
Wajid Shamsul Hasan, Former High Commissioner of Pakistan to UK
Nadeem Chibbar, Assistant to YBH (Introduction)
Baria Alamuddin, Foreign Editor, Al Hayat
Halla Diyab, Syrian Writer, TV Commentator
Irfan Husain, Columnist for Dawn Newspaper and Author
Rev. Brian Cooper, Churches & Interfaith Secretary, Uniting for Peace

In Syria, a four-year civil war has claimed an estimated 160,000 lives, with no end in sight. Egypt has reverted to de facto military rule, with Islamists vowing revenge against what they view as the unjust ousting of the Muslim Brotherhood. Iraq – already driven by religious and ethnic hatred – is in the grip of an invasion by ISIS extremists who make even al-Qaeda pale in comparison in their capacity for brutality. In Afghanistan, democratic elections are being overshadowed by the threat of a resurgent Taliban with a possibility of a conflict spilling over to Pakistan. We are discussing the dangers of these countries becoming failed states. Whatever the agenda is behind, violence is costing the world community $9.8 trillion, $1,350 per person.

In a period of this momentous change all of the distinguished panel speakers will examine how beating of the war drums can be stopped thus opening new possibilities of resolution of conflicts for a safer and more peaceful world.

For press enquiries/registration, please contact:

Vijay Mehta - vijay@vmpeace.org - 07776 231 018

Rita Payne - ritapayne@hotmail.com