The Center for the Advancement of Public Action Leadership Institute (CLI) at Bennington College and the Institute for Environmental Diplomacy and Security (EDS) at the University of Vermont will be jointly holding an important meeting at Dawson College next week during Study Break. The workshop has three objectives:

• to seek diplomatic solutions between Pakistan and Afghanistan to promote social and ecological cooperation in the face of irrepressible drivers of change such as population increase, globalization/urbanization, climate change and warfare/conflict;
• to discuss the Indus basin treaty and should it be revised and updated to include Kabul river and Afghanistan beyond existing players (Pakistan and India), or should there be a separate treaty between Pakistan and Afghanistan to govern the allocation and distribution of water resources in Kabul river and its tributaries. It is already the largest irrigation in the world; and
• to explore the type of integrated ecosystem management and community-based interventions that can be designed and implemented in the trans-boundary communities of Kabul river basin to enhance their resilience and sustainability in the face of population increase, globalization/urbanization, climate change and warfare/conflict.

How did such an important meeting come to be held at Dawson? Bennington College reached out to the College when it found itself unable to guarantee entry into the US for participants from Afghanistan and Pakistan due to the travel ban. And although participation is limited to key players from such organizations as the Aga Khan Foundation and its Development Committee, the World Bank, and German-based KfW, a promotional bank that assists developing countries achieve its sustainability and employment goals, the Vermont hosts have extended an invitation to Dawson students on the final day of the workshop. Sixteen students enrolled in Peace Studies and North-South Studies as well as some participating in Model UN will take part in a full-day of programming with some of the key players in the discussion.

Dawson College and the Peace Centre are proud to be hosts of the workshop and wish the participants every success in their discussions. We are also grateful for the opportunity to expose our students to such high-level and important work.