New England College Hosts Partners for Peace Delegation
New England College welcomed a delegation from Pakistan participating in the Partners for Peace program for a campus tour, discussion, and dinner on March 8. The delegation, consisting of twelve Pakistani leaders, traveled to New Hampshire to meet with a variety of officials on the topic of emergency preparedness. The trip was coordinated by George Bruno, former ambassador to Belize, who received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from New England College in 2009.
In addition to their stop at New England College, the group was scheduled to travel to Boston for a visit to Faneuil Hall, the Freedom Trail, JFK Museum, and the Boston waterfront. While in New Hampshire, the delegation attended a Manchester Monarchs game, toured the Elliot Hospital in Manchester, attended a Town Hall meeting in Dunbarton, and visited the State House, meeting with Governor Lynch and attending a session of the New Hampshire Legislature. Throughout their stay in New Hampshire, the Pakistani delegation met with a number of state and federal experts on preparing for and managing emergency situations. The delegation, headed by Mr. Ahmed Kamal, includes several officials who were responsible for overseeing their country’s response to the devastating floods that occurred in Pakistan last year. Mr.Kamal is chief of the disaster Risk Reduction Directorate in the Pakistan National Disaster Management Authority.
During their visit to New England College, the delegation from Pakistan had the opportunity to tour the College’s campus and meet with NEC students. The delegation gave a presentation to members of the NEC community followed by an open discussion.
The visit by the delegation from Pakistan was sponsored by the Partners for Peace program at the University of New Hampshire and is currently celebrating its tenth anniversary. The goal of the program is to build partnerships that include both civil and military organizations involved in disaster planning. New England College has participated in the Partners for Peace program in the past and welcomed the delegation from Kazakhstan in 2006.
