LSE Pakistan Summit to debate core issues as Pakistan commemorates 70 years of Independence

The South Asia Centre at the London School of Economics will hold its first-ever flagship summit — LSE Pakistan Summit on 10-11 April at the Auditorium, Aman Tower, IBA City Campus, Kayani Shaheed Road, Karachi. Presented by Aman Foundation, ‘Pakistan 70: LSE Pakistan Summit 2017’ commemorates the 70^th anniversary of Pakistan’s independence. It will debate core issues central to Pakistan’s emergence as a central power in the region, and her way forward in 21st century.

The Summit will comprise 4 thematic panel discussions that will debate issues of contemporary concern. There will be a panel discussion on Philanthropy and Institution-Building, examining how private philanthropic initiatives run alongside government social infrastructures in Pakistan, providing vital service and support to the less privileged sections of society — two significant sectors are higher education and public health. Senior philanthropists and stalwarts like Babar Ali (Founder of LUMS), Hussain Dawood (DawoodHercules Group), Fayeeza Naqvi (Aman Foundation) will share their experiences along with young dynamic citizens like the lawyer and social worker Tahera Hasan (Imkaan). Academic Zaffar Khan (LUMS) will bring the academic perspective on this unique tradition of giving in Pakistan, and Malik Ahmad Jalal (LSE alumnus and Director of Aman Foundation, Karachi) will provide overarching comments.

Another session titled Art and Modernity will explore the distinct style of Pakistani art that has developed through truck art, television humour, dance, film and political satire to public artworks and installations. The panel will discuss the place of art as a confined free space that has provided avenues for aesthetics and protest, being a continuing social commentary on emerging issues in Pakistan. Award-winning graphics designer Ali Rez, independent artist Farida Batool, radio host Fasi Zaka, and film researcher Ali Nobil Ahmad will debate the social impact of art, with Cornell Professor of Art and expert Iftikhar Dadi.

Pakistan’s complex political trajectory – alternating between democratic political governance and military rule – has given her Constitution a very special place in its political identity as a nation-state. Very recently, the 18^th Amendment has been a radical intervention in debates concerning the making of Pakistan. A panel discussion on The Constitution in Pakistan will include prominent Senator Sherry Rehman, Pakistan Constitution expert Matthew Nelson, leading jurist Hina Jilani and Director of the South Asia Centre  (LSE) and political anthropologist Mukulika Banerjee, who will debate a range of issues including the place of the Constitution in democratic governance and deepening democracy in Pakistan today.

One often hears about Pakistan’s demographic dividends, and her youth bulge – where more than 60% of the population is less than the age of 30. The question of development – across all sectors —  is closely linked to its dividends as one analyses the long-term processes at work in the economy. One panel discussion will discuss Development and Dividends, focusing on government and non-government initiatives and the challenges that confront the nation as it moves forward in economic growth.

SPECIAL HIGHLIGHTS

• A Special Lecture by Professor David Gilmartin (North Carolina State University, USA) on ‘The Indus and its Peoples’
• A Special Address by Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi on ‘A World in Tumult’
• A Special Alumni Talk by Professor Philip Oldenburg (Columbia University, USA) on ‘The Making of a Loyal Opposition in Pakistan’.

Speaking about the Summit, Dr Mukulika Banerjee, Director, South Asia Centre, London School of Economics & Political Science, said “Pakistan at 70” will be a unique, first-ever platform for frank deliberations on contemporary national issues, and will aim to create conversations between academic research and wider stakeholders, strengthening Pakistan’s global engagement and repositioning debates on Pakistan. Our association with the Aman Foundation highlights our shared values of building capacity, impacting public knowledge, developing potential, and creating opportunity in Pakistan today.’

Ms Fayeeza Naqvi, Chairman Aman Foundation, says, ‘As we mark the 70^th anniversary of Pakistan’s independence, Aman Foundation is proud to partner with the LSE-South Asia Centre to bring together thought leaders from across the world for discussions about key issues in Pakistan. Our hope is that the LSE Pakistan Summit engenders critical thought leadership, areas of collaboration for stakeholders, and solutions to some of Pakistan’s major challenges.’

EVENT DETAILS

10-11 April 2017, Auditorium, Aman Tower, IBA City Campus, Kayani Shaeed Road, Karachi.

Free pre-registration is required.

www.lse.ac.uk/southAsia/pakistan-at-seventy.aspx

ABOUT LSE PAKISTAN SUMMIT

This is the first-ever LSE PAKISTAN SUMMIT, which we want to hold every 2-3 years in a different city in Pakistan. The distinctive features of the Summit are:

1. It is the only such event hosted by an internationally-reputed university in Pakistan, focusing on Pakistan, and bringing international and local experts to the same table.
2. It is a public event, open to all, and free of charge.
3. A minimum of one hour is dedicated to giving the audience the chance to question experts.
4. The Summit is always in association with local philanthropists who share our belief in debate and dialogue.
5. Working papers (of each panel discussion), podcasts, special and exclusive interviews and conversations are available on the website of the South Asia Centre to ensure that the proceedings are accessible to everyone across the world, free of charge.

The South Asia Centre (www.lse.ac.uk/southAsia) was set up in 2015 at LSE; the Centre harnesses LSE’s world-class inter- and multi-disciplinary expertise to underwrite the School’s fundamental mission of impacting public awareness through informed knowledge. All activities of the Centre focus on public engagement and impact, capacity and skills development, and the creation of a global platform to engage with South Asia – whose particularities constantly challenge conventional social science thinking about the region.

The Aman Foundation (www.amanfoundation.org) was founded in 2008 by Arif and Fayeeza Naqvi, and is a not-for-profit social foundation operating in Pakistan. The mission of Aman Foundation is to champion dignity and choice for the under-served, focusing on health and education, to derive scalable, sustainable and systemic social change in Pakistan. The Aman Foundation’s flagship Aman Ambulance, with advanced life-saving equipment, has made over 840,000 interventions till date. The Aman Community Health-workers Program provides on-the-door preventive healthcare to 100,000 people from under-served communities. Aman Tech is a state-of-the-art vocational training institute set-up to arm the youth with competitive vocational skills. To date, over 6,700 students have graduated from the institute.