A two day intra-Kashmir cross-LoC women’s dialogue on ‘Women’s Roles in Society: Issues of Mutual Concern’ took place in Gulmarg from the 27th to 29th of September, 2011. Forty five women from all regions of J-K, as well as AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan participated in it. The dialogue was organized by the Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation (CDR), New Delhi, and Women for Peace, Srinagar.
CDR has held a series of dialogues between various stakeholders and civil society actors from the regions of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir since 2003. As a part of these efforts, CDR organised its first Intra-Kashmir women’s conference in November, 2007, which was among the first efforts to connect women across the LoC and to bridge divides.

We welcome the resumption of dialogue between the highest levels of leadership between the two countries and the meeting of the Indian and Pakistani Prime Ministers at Mohali. We are encouraged that India and Pakistan have committed themselves to discussing and resolving all outstanding issues, particularly Kashmir and terrorism.
The new environment of cooperation and mutual respect between the two countries that was reinvigorated at Mohali must now be followed up with fresh, bold and innovative measures which will ensure the permanent transformation of the relationship between India and Pakistan from an adversarial one to a partnership for regional prosperity.

A group of 27 citizens from India and Pakistan who have been working for peace between the two countries met in New Delhi from 5 to 7 May under the auspices of the Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation (CDR). The primary purpose was to review the state of India-Pakistan relations at both the official and the people-to-people level, particularly in the context of the agreement reached by the two Prime Ministers at Thimphu to resume bilateral discussions.
The group welcomed the positive decision taken at Thimphu and expressed the hope that this new window of opportunity will be utilized by both parties to promote and give a new impetus to the achievement of their common objective of peace and good relations.

The Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation (CDR) has held a series of Intra-Kashmir cross LoC conferences since 2005. These conferences have provided a platform to representatives of civil society and to political groups and parties from all regions and communities on both sides of the LoC to interact and explore ways to making a difference on the ground while building wider consensus on a range of issues for a resolution of the differences surrounding the state of Jammu and Kashmir. These CDR conferences have provided useful suggestions and recommendations over the years and built civil society networks across the LoC.