Bridging Partition

Over the past three decades, in the shadow of hostile nationalisms fuelled by radical Islamic and Hindu politics, military crises, a runaway arms race, nuclear weapons and war, an amazing set of civil society initiatives has been taking root in India and Pakistan. A citizens’ diplomacy movement embracing thousands of activists, scholars, business people and retired government officials has emerged in an unprecedented effort to build national and cross-border networks for peace and cooperation between the two countries. In these essays, leading scholars, activists and writers from India and Pakistan reflect on the political and personal impact of crossing the border, and exploring the possibilities and limits of this new movement in its quest to chart a path to peace between the two countries.