Jul 12, 2010

The Thompson Reuters Foundation, The Stanley Foundation and Gerda Henkel Stiftung hosted a three day event in New York (17th till the 19th May) titled Reporting on Terrorism and Security.  Journalists from over 20 countries were invited to participate in the event including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Egypt, and Somalia.  Amongst the experts and practitioners that spoke in the various panels were Peter Newman, Director of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence, Dr. Mustafa Alani, Senior Advisor and Director of the Security and Defence Studies Department at the Gulf Research Center (GRC) in Dubai, Matthew Bunn, Associate Professor at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, Richard Barrett, Coordinator of the al Qaeda/Taliban monitoring team of the United Nations Security Council.

Mr. Hekmat Karzai, Director at the Center for Conflict and Peace Studies (CAPS) was also invited as one of the experts.  He spoke on a panel titled: The terrorist mind – how does a person become radicalised? In his remarks Mr. Karzai highlighted various factors, which leads individuals towards radicalization in South Asia.  In addition, Mr. Karzai participated in panel discussion with Mr. Richard Barrett and Ambassador Peter Galbraith on: Afghanistan, the Way Forward.

Mr. Karzai also visited the UN Headquarters where he briefed various UN personnel on issues concerning the UN Security Council 1267 — which was a resolution unanimously adopted by the UN Security Council in October of 1999 which imposed limited sanctions against the Taliban. Other issues discussed, included the Reconciliation and Reintegration program adopted by Afghan President Hamid Karzai in a bid to win over the insurgency and end the bloody insurgency. During his briefings, Mr. Karzai also met with the Secretary General of the UN, H. E. Ban Ki-moon.