‘Colombo Defence Seminar’ to be held in August

‘Countering Violent Extremism: Global Trends’, will be the theme of the 7th ‘Colombo Defence Seminar – 2017’. The international defence conference is to be held for the seventh consecutive year at the Bandaranaike International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo on the 28th and 29th of this month (August 2017).

According to Army media, the conclave is to be attended by 800 participants, including 200 foreign representatives. Organizers have extended invitations to all Chiefs of Army Staff (Army Commanders) in the SAARC Region for the conference while Army Chief of Zambia has already confirmed his participation. This year’s sessions would be addressed by 15 foreign and 12 local experts.

The conference will see sessions being held on thematic topics including ‘Violent Extremism’, ‘Countering Violent Extremism’, ‘The Role of Armed Forces in Countering Violent Extremism’, and ‘Mechanism to Counter Violent Extremism’ supplemented with topical subjects such as ‘Challenges and Dilemmas, National Perspectives – East Asia and West Asia’, ‘Role of Regional Organizations’, ‘Impact of Global Governance’, ‘Legal Implications’, ‘Intelligence Cyber Challenges and Strategies’, ‘Specific Tasks of Armed Forces and Civil-Military Relations’, ‘UN Strategies’, ‘Education Strategies in Internal Security’, ‘Public Diplomacy in Countering Violent Extremism’, ‘Balancing Hard Power and Soft Power’, ‘Role of Military in Global Governance’, ‘Empowering Communities to Counter Violent Extremism’ and ‘Use of Fourth Generation Warfare to Counter Violent Extremism’, etc.

Aimed at accommodating a wider discourse with scholars and promoting intellectual connectivity among regional and global partners, the ‘Colombo Defence Seminar – 2017’ provides an ideal platform for exchange of experiences and expertise with focus on formulation of collective mechanisms to counter such extremism. Such discussions would also inevitably stimulate stakeholders, dedicated to promote positive alertness to the process of learning strategies. The Seminar is also poised to muster serious attention on root causes that have so far wreaked havoc in nations, and highlight the significance of addressing those sprouts for sustenance of durable global peace and the healthy conduct of statecraft.

The Sri Lanka Army organized conference was launched in 2011 as the Defence Seminar with the participation of more than 160 foreign delegates from 60 countries. In 2016 it took a new turn and came to be known as the ‘Colombo Defence Seminar’.

Last year (2016) the conference was held under the theme ‘Soft Power and Its Influence on Global Issues’ on 01st and 02nd September at the BMICH. Around 800 participants from 71 countries attended the two day conference last year.