Dr. Meenakshi Gopinath

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Women are a great resource for Peace. Their true potential still remains largely untapped.

Our vision and mission needs to focus on unlocking the power wihin each woman such that we emerge to find our true place in the sun an spread the light of truth, empathy and wisdom.

Women can together create an alternative, more humane vocaubulary of power for this century that stresses the interconnectedness of all sentient beings. This will enable all to live more lightly and inclusively on the planet.

VITA

Meenakshi Gopinath is Founder and Director of WISCOMP (Women in Security, Conflict Management and Peace), an initiative that seeks to promote the leadership of South Asian women in the areas of peace, security and regional cooperation. She is also mentor of Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi, a leading Women’s College of India where she was Principal for 26 years. She was the first woman to serve as member of the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) of India.

Prof. Gopinath is a member of multi-track peace initiatives in Kashmir and between India and Pakistan. She has authored among others Pakistan in Transition, and co-authored Conflict Resolution – Trends and Prospects, Transcending Conflict: A Resource book on Conflict Transformation and Dialogic Engagement and has contributed chapters and articles in several books and journals on Gandhi, the politics of Pakistan, the arts Conflict Resolution, Gender and Peace Building et al. Her interests include issues of human rights and gender, conflict transformation and Buddhist and Gandhian philosophy.

CURRENT SITUATION

I work to educate and train women and young people , especially South Asia in leadership for Peacebuilding in and through the education space and civil society. My engagement focusses more on bridging the divide between areas of conflict and what are seen as zones of Peace. Young people are the pivot and inspiration for my engagement. I work in outreach and to engage with nonviolence and sustainable development practices with a Gandhian and Buddhist perspective(to the best of my ability) using a Gender lens to interrogate and where possible, counter the structural causes of conflict. I write and speak on education as a potent tool towards the realization of active coexistence. I work so that those who are consigned to the margin emerge from the shadow of invisibility and find voice.

VISION

Co-creating empowering spaces for women ,men and young people to actively dismantle structures of violence in their personal lives and workplaces.

Persuade corporates to use CSR funds to invest in peace and link sustainable development and growth with Peace and Gender equality

To attempt to see that every school and every college and university in my country mainstreams educating for peace into their curricula and create a movement around this objective..

AWARDS & ACHIVEMENTS

Pioneered Conflict Transformation and Gender sensitive curricula, advocacy and training in India.

Received National Awards : Padma Shri Award among the top three national Honours by the State in India, Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi Award, the Rajiv Gandhi Award for Excellence in Education and the Mahila Shiromani Award and the Delhi Citizen Forum Award and Qimpro Platinum Standard Award for Education and Celebrating Womanhood South Asian Recognition Award for Social Harmony and International Lifetime Achievement Award – 2009 for outstanding work in the field of justice, Equity, Peace and Progress and Distinguished Alumna Award, by Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi for meritorious contribution in the field of Education

M. Singhvi fellowship Award at the David Davies Memorial Institute of International Studies (DDMI), University of Wales, Aberystwyth, Award of Honorary Doctorate Degree for significant contribution to the education of women and the commitment to fostering global peace through Conflict Resolution, La Trobe University, Australia