World Peace is Most Desirable but Why is it so Difficult to Achieve?
As part of the International House Association’s Global Forum series on “Pathways to Peace: Lessons in Reconciliation,” this panel session will explore how communities and nations rebuild trust and understanding after conflict. The programme will also highlight emerging opportunities for collaboration within the expanding International House network.

Panellists: Dr. Shashi Tharoor, MP and Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs; Author, Columnist and former UN Under-Secretary-General; Amb. Shyam Saran, President of the India International Centre; former Foreign Secretary; ex-Chairman of RIS and NSAB; and Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Climate Change and Nuclear Affairs; Dr. Anil Sooklal, The High Commissioner of South Africa to India (2024), and a former academic and diplomat with extensive multilateral postings; Amb. Vijay Nambiar, A former Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations and Chief of Cabinet to the UN Secretary-General; Kenneth Felix Haczynski da Nobrega, A Brazilian career diplomat and economist, currently serving as Ambassador of Brazil to India and Bhutan; Amb. Surendra Kumar, Founder and President IAFA; former High Commissioner to Kenya and former Permanent Representative to UNEP and UN-Habitat

Register here:
https://ihouse2025-worldpeace.eventbrite.com

(Collaboration: International House Association (IHA), Indo-American Friendship Association (IAFA), University of Chicago Center in Delhi)

The World is not Binary: Reflections from a COP of Truth and a COP of Implementation

Opening Remarks: Shyam Saran, President, IIC and former Special Envoy and Chief Negotiator on Climate Change

Lead Presentation by: Dr Arunabha Ghosh, CEO, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), and COP30 Special Envoy for South Asia

Panelists: Ravi Shankar Prasad, Former Special Secretary MoEF & CC, and (currently)Distinguished Fellow, CEEW; Laveesh Bhandari, President, Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP); Dr Ajay Mathur, Former Member of PM's Council on Climate Change and  Professor of Practice in the School of Public Policy, IIT, Delhi.

Chair: Shyam Saran, President, IIC

This talk reflects on COP30 as a pivotal moment where climate diplomacy confronts its limits and possibilities. Moving beyond binary narratives, it assesses concrete outcomes, hard truths, and the implementation-driven pathways shaping the world’s climate future.

The seventh edition in the series on ‘Understanding Qawwali’ conceptualised by Manjari Chaturvedi. It is a symposium on the traditional artform of Qawwali.


At 18:30
Venue: Fountain Lawns
Qawwali Mehfil Traditions & Experiments - A curated evening performance

Saiyan Sajilay – Celebrating Basant & Krishna in Qawwali (60 minutes)
By Qawwal Danish Hussain Badayuni from Badaun & Sufi Kathak by Manjari Chaturvedi

Sawaal Jawaab - Mian Samat Bin Ibrahim And Gopal Nayak (15 minutes)
By Qawwal Sibtain Nizami & Qawwal Saqlain Nizami from Delhi
In memory of Qawwal Late Ustad Meraj Nizami of Qawwal Bachche Dilli Gharana

Qaul - Khanqahi Qawwali (60 minutes)
By Qawwals Hussaini Brothers from Hyderabad
Adil Hussain Khan Warsi
Fazil Hussain Khan Quadri
Kaamil Hussain Khan
In memory of Qawwal Late Ustad Ahsan Hussain Khan Bandanawazi

(Collaboration: Ganga Jamuna Culture Foundation)
 

Vocal Recital by Sounak Chattopadhyay

A Hindustani vocalist with training from Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khansahab and Mubarak Ali Khan Sahab of the Kirana Gharana, semi-classical forms from Smt. Sanjukta Ghosh, advanced training in RabindraSangeet and other traditional Bengali songs.

(Collaboration: Impresario India)
 

INTACH-IIC National Heritage Quiz 2025

Delhi and NCR Zonal Final Round with School students

(Collaboration: Heritage Education and Communication Service, INTACH)
 

At War with the Single Strand : How Indian Science Fought the Covid-19 Pandemic

Edited By Renu Swarup, Govindarajan Padmanaban and Narendra Kumar Arora

Discussants: Dr. Vinod Paul, Member (Health) NITI Aayog ; Prof. A K Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to Govt. of India ; Dr. Renu Swarup, Former Secretary, Govt. of India ; Prof. G. Padmanabhan, Former Director Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru; Dr. N. K. Arora, Executive Director, The INCLEN Trust International

A World in Flux: India’s Economic Priorities

Essays in Honour of Shankar Acharya

Edited by Amita Batra and A K.Bhattacharya (Rupa Publications:2025)

Chief Guest: Hon’ble Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

Discussants: Shyam Saran, President IIC, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Former Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission; Shankar Acharya, Former Chief Economic Advisor, GoI; Sajjid Z. Chinoy, Managing Director and Chief India Economist, JP Morgan; Amita Batra, Professor, School of International Studies, JNU and editor of the book; and A.K. Bhattacharya, Editorial Director, Business Standard and editor of the book

IN THE MULTIPURPOSE HALL FROM 10:00 TO 13:00
Movement Workshop
Conducted by Tanushree Shankar

Open to all dancers of all classical styles

AT 16:00 IN C.D. DESHMUKH AUDITORIUM
Avatarana – The Story of Natya
A theatrically witty retelling of a 2500-year-old saga, scripted and performed
By Smt Ramaa Bharadvaj

AT 18:30
Young Dancers Festival

Kuchipudi Recital
By Abhinaya Nagajothy

Followed by
Odissi Recital
By Shashwati Garai Ghosh
 

Organised in collaboration with Natya Vriksha; Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India; and with the Support of Friends of Natya Vriksha

IN THE MULTIPURPOSE HALL FROM 10:00 TO 13:00 
Movement Workshop
Conducted by Tanushree Shankar

Open to all dancers of all classical styles

AT 16:00 IN C.D. DESHMUKH AUDITORIUM
Lifetime Achievement Award
The 6th Natya Vriksha Lifetime Achievement Award will be conferred upon Dr. Kiran Seth, Founder, SPICMACAY Movement

Talk: Embodying Histories: Dance, Choreography and Narrative
Speaker: Dr. Jeff Friedman, Dance Studies Scholar, Rutgers University, Fulbright Specialist at the Department of Art, Media and Performance, SHSS, Shiva Nadar Institution of Eminence

At 18:30
Young Dancers Festival
Bharatanatyam Recital
By Madhura Bhrushundi

Followed by
Kathak Recital
By Dheerendra Tiwari
 

By Dr. Gaurav Sood, disciple of Pt. L.K. Pandit. Dr. Sood also specialises in songs of the Golden Era of Hindi films

The concert will be preceded with a tribute to K.L. Saigal and Pran Nevile by Shalini Bhargava

Organised to mark  K.L. Saigal’s 121st birth anniversary and Pran Nevile Centenary Celebrations

(Collaboration: K.L. Saigal Memorial Circle)