The Role of FOSWAL

• Culture was not a part of SAARC Charter for almost two decades.  
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• After our Academy started working on Cultural Connectivity in 1987, worked for cultural connectivity at micro and macro levels, intensely and passionately, for two years, with limited help from the MEA and Ford Foundation, everyone was convinced that the constitution of SAARC should be amended, and culture should be included in the area of their activities and their serious deliberations.  
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• It was precisely because of the efforts of our Foundation , that during the 11^th SAARC Summit in Kathmandu , on January 1-2,  2002 , culture was included in the SAARC Charter , and our Foundation  was given the status of SAARC RECOGNISED BODY , the first one in the field of culture, and THE ONLY ONE in the SAARC Region which was authorized to do all culture-related activities under the SAARC banner and SAARC Logo.
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• Consequently, FOSWAL  successfully organized thirteen major SAARC Writers Conferences in all the seven SAARC countries, and several literary, intellectual and cultural initiatives.  
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• However, during the 12^th Summit held in Islamabad, culture and cultural exchanges were not included in the SAARC Summit Declaration .  
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• Our Foundation is convinced that a SAARC Conference on CULTURAL CONNECTIVITY , of writers and intellectuals, peace activists and creative fraternity, academicians and opinion-makers in the media, political philosophers and peace activists, preceding the SAARC Summit, will result in the churning of ideas and will provide recommendations for the manner in which cultural connectivity can play a major role in Track Two efforts towards peace and tranquility.