tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57804164076373871552024-03-19T21:09:52.357-07:00Peace with Justice for AfghanistanSupport the women of Afghanistan as they work towards peace with justicePeace with Justicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860174057707986117noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780416407637387155.post-22641492192185698532010-02-08T02:37:00.000-08:002010-02-10T02:11:15.645-08:00Kabul Press Conference: Reactions from Afghan women civil society leaders, London Conference Communique<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvuPSdYwNtO3KcTKKqxeCVsaepBvuKzQsqrZ25NvQZFaMzmkUC84xfqwDeFy8-zyT30aiCKaZmaX3e51MTl4OfuHqYboeF-ysV_8SOYmclSwhcNQCqMqAnSOECVRQ7gnmoXMYIkco3SSo/s1600-h/13.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435832579178876930" style="WIDTH: 396px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 239px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvuPSdYwNtO3KcTKKqxeCVsaepBvuKzQsqrZ25NvQZFaMzmkUC84xfqwDeFy8-zyT30aiCKaZmaX3e51MTl4OfuHqYboeF-ysV_8SOYmclSwhcNQCqMqAnSOECVRQ7gnmoXMYIkco3SSo/s400/13.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhud54UlQuAMaAsednLvPC3fZRTO1FFUcy_RNy68GSWfUKN2xqryNxLeTx6Z1uBVNIcFFYcZmIftCvFsWdGSN2SdGNGnlwrVrpn82AjyRkvamNzY8nk6cCxvH3U1oVp-ajEz62FHsrMDfk/s1600-h/11.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435832035323425330" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 291px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhud54UlQuAMaAsednLvPC3fZRTO1FFUcy_RNy68GSWfUKN2xqryNxLeTx6Z1uBVNIcFFYcZmIftCvFsWdGSN2SdGNGnlwrVrpn82AjyRkvamNzY8nk6cCxvH3U1oVp-ajEz62FHsrMDfk/s400/11.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><br /><strong>Kabul Press Conference: Reactions from Afghan women civil society leaders, London Conference Communiquéof the London Conference on Afghanistan</strong></div><br /><div align="justify"><br />January 29, 2010<br /><br /><em>Reactions to the Final Outcome Communiqué of The London Conference </em></div><br /><div align="justify"><br />The final communiqué of the London Conference clearly reflects the advocacy efforts of the Afghan women who traveled to London, and the document includes central priorities of the women of Afghanistan they were charged to represent. This accomplishment is recognized not only for the commitment of Afghan women, but also that of the Afghan government and its international partners to ensure that human rights must be at the heart of any efforts to seek a political solution to the conflict through negotiations and incentive packages directed to the Taliban. The women of Afghanistan endorse this provision and strongly recommend a rigorous monitoring system accompany any reintegration scheme to ensure women’s rights are not violated and that any such violation are aggressively and swiftly addressed as a national security concern.<br /><br />Also warmly welcomed in the communiqué is the commitment to fully implement the National Action Plan for Women of Afghanistan and the newly signed Elimination of Violence Against Women Law. Additionally applauded is the renewal of the Government of Afghanistan’s commitment to strengthen the participation of women in all Afghan governance institutions, including elected and appointed bodies and the civil service, To make these promises reality, the women of Afghanistan call on public decision makers to immediately develop a concrete strategy with meaningful affirmative action policies. Our more specific reactions to the official communiqué include the following recommendations:<br /><br /><strong>On Security</strong></div><div align="justify"><br />- The phased growth and expansion of the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police must be accompanied by efforts to ensure the security forces have the protection of women as one of their main functions. This can be enhanced through recruitment of more women in all security sectors, investment in Family Response Units, and training for the security forces and the justice sector on the Elimination of Violence Against Women Law.<br /><br />- The Government of Afghanistan’s commitment to continue development of a National Security Strategy must be consistent with UN Security Council resolutions 1325, 1820, 1888 and 1889. A National Action Plan on Women peace and security should be integrated as a core element of the national security policy, and a quota of women’s representation in all peace and security deliberations be established. </div><div align="justify"><br />- Women should be consulted by and represented by the authorities developing the national Peace and Reintegration Programme. The proposed Peace and Reintegration Trust Fund to finance the Afghan-led Peace and Reintegration Programme should ensure that a proportion of the financial incentives to communities to support reintegration are used to support women’s empowerment and development and the protection of their human rights through rigorous monitoring and redress. </div><div align="justify"><br />- A specific proportion of international donor assistance to be channeled through multi donor trust funds such as The Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund and the Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan should be devoted to addressing women’s specific needs in the areas of reconstruction, rule of law, and access to formal justice.<br /><br /><strong>In Governance:</strong> </div><div align="justify"><br />- Women should be engaged in consultation to develop an overall plan for more effective and accountable national civilian institutions, including the civil service and the police. </div><div align="justify"><br />- The training for 12,000 sub-national civil servants at the sub national levels should include skills building in analyzing and responding to women’s development and security needs. Affirmative action policies should be developed to ensure a significant portion of sub-national-level civil servants are women. </div><div align="justify"><br />- The proposals for a new national policy on relations between the formal justice system and traditional dispute resolution councils must be treated as an opportunity to ensure that women’s constitutional rights are protected in any judicial or dispute resolution systems with an emphasize on investing funds on the formal justice system.</div><div align="justify"><br />- Women must be centrally involved in all anti-corruption efforts to ensure that the specific forms of corruption that afflict them are addressed.<br /><br /><strong>Next steps:</strong><br /></div><br /><div align="justify">A clear agenda was established at the London Conference, including the announcement of an Af-Pak Peace Jirga, a Loya Peace Jirga, and the Kabul Conference. Each of these events provides opportunity for the Government of Afghanistan and its international partners to demonstrate the commitment articulated at the London Conference that reconciliation and reintegration will not take place at the expense of human rights and that women are central to bringing peace and stability to their country. Women must be fully represented at every stage of planning for these events and must be included at decision-making levels at the events themselves. In the months ahead, the Afghan Women’s Network will hold national consultations to prepare the women to participate and to be sure their perspectives are adequately represented in any decisions. We, the women of Afghanistan, are committed to working alongside the Government of Afghanistan and the international community to bring peace and prosperity to our beloved country and all of its people. We stand as full partners for the future of Afghanistan. </div><div align="justify"><br />We extend our deep gratitude to international supporters who made this opportunity possible for the women of Afghanistan, in particular the United Nations Development Fund for Women, the Initiative for Inclusive Security, BAAG and ACBAR.<br /><br />عکس العمل زنان رهبر در جامعۀ مدنی افغانستان پیرامون ابلاغیه رسمی کنفرانس لندن در رابطه به افغانستان، 29 جنوری 2010<br /><br /><br />عکس العمل زنان و نماینده گان جامعهء مدنی افغانستان در مورد نتیجه نهایی ابلاغیه کنفرانس لندن:<br />ابلاغیه نهایی کنفرانس لندن بصورت واضح توسط کوشش ها و دادخواهی زنان افغان که در کنفرانس لندن سفر نموده بودند و ضمن مدارک که شامل نگرانی های اساسی زنان افغان بود مطرح گردید. نتیجه کنفرانس لندن نه تنها زنان افغان بلکه دولت افغانستان و جامعهء جهانی متعهد هستند که هر گونه تغیرات سیاسی که در افغانستان با ذیدخل بودن طالبان در دولت صورت گیرد با وجود آن هم حقوق بشری باید حفظ گردد و همچنان حقوق بشر هر گونه تلاش های را در زمینه رفع معضلات سیاسی و درگیری ها در افغانستان از طریق مذاکرات و آتش بس مستقیماً با طالبان رفع نماید. زنان افغان این پیش نویس را شرط قرار داده و شدیداً یک سیستم نظارتی پیشنهاد نموده تا از برنامه ها و توطئه ها که حقوق زنان را نقض می نمایند نظارت نموده و برعلاوه هر گونه تخلف و متجاوزین باید سریعآ به عنوان یکی از نگرانی های ملی نشان داده شود.<br /><br />همچنان در ابلاغیه نظریات به شکل کامل در رابطه به تطبیق پلان ملی برای زنان (NAPWA) و تطبیق قانون منع خشونت علیه زن نیز ذکر گردیده است. بر علاوه از تجدید دوباره دولت افغانستان و نظریات دولت در رابطه به قوی ساختن زنان و اشتراک آنان در تمام سطوح دولت و قانون اساسی به شمول زنان برگزیده، اعضای مقرر و خدمات ملکی بخاطر به واقعیت ساختن وعده ها و شامل ساختن زنان در تصمیم گیری های اجتماعی تحسین صورت گیرد. عکس العمل های بیشتر و معین ما در زمینه ابلاغیه رسمی شامل سفارشات ذیل می باشد:<br /><br />امنیت:<br />افزایش و پیشرفت نیروهای نظامی افغانستان و پولیس ملی افغانستان باید صورت گیرد و تلاش های در زمینه اجرا گردد تا نیرو های نظامی بتوانند حفاظت از زنان را در یکی از اساسات کاری شان بگنجانند. این موضوع میتواند با افزایش و استخدام تعداد بیشتر زنان در بخش های امنیتی، سرمایه گذاری در واحد های رسیده گی به قضایای فامیلی و آموزش نیرو های امنیتی و بخش عدلی در رابطه به قانون منع خشونت علیه زن صورت گیرد. تعهدات دولت افغانستان در ادامه انکشاف ستراتیژی ملی امنیتی در سازگاری با قطعنامه های شواری امنیت ملی 1325، 1820،1888 و 1889 باید صورت گیرد. ساختن پلان ملی برای زنان در رابطه به صلح و امینیت باید در اولویت ها به عنوان یکی از عنصر های پولیس امینیت ملی قرار گرفته و سهمیه نماینده گان زنان در تمام فرصت های صلح و امنیت ایجاد گردد.<br />با زنان باید با ایجاد دوباره پروگرام صلح ملی مشورت صورت گیرد. پروگرام صلح ملی باید حمایه شود تا زنان بتوانند قدرتمند شوند تا از حقوق انسانی خود استفاده نمایند.<br /><br />حکومت داری:<br />زنان باید در مشوره ها برای انکشاف و موثریت هر چه بیشتر تمام پلان ها شامل بوده و قوانین مدنی ملی نیز در زمینه جوابگو باشند، به شمول خدمات ملکی و پولیس.<br />برای 12،000 کارمندان ملکی ساحوی در تمام ساحات تریننگ در رابطه به ساختن مهارت های آنان در تجزیه موضوعات و پاسخگویی به انکشاف و نیازمندی های امنیتی زنان صورت گیرد. پالیسی های عملی که در زمینه انکشاف خدمات ملکی ساحوی که آنرا زنان تشکیل می دهند را تصدیق نماید.<br />پروپوزل ها در رابطه پالیسی جدید در ارتباط به سیستم های عدلی رسمی و جرگه یا شورای اصلاحی به عنوان فرصتی مورد عمل قرار گیرد تا اینکه این جرگه ها را متقاعد بسازند تا حقوق اساسی زنان در هر گونه موضوعات قضایی و یا سیستم شورای اصلاحی با تاًکید به اینکه سرمایه گذاری بالای سیستم عدلی رسمی صورت گیرد.<br />زنان باید در تمام پروسه های اساسی در از بین بردن فساد نقش اساسی داشته تا اینکه در تمام اشکال معین فساد که آنها را متضرر میسازد نشان داده شود.<br /><br />قدم های بعدی:<br />در کنفرانس لندن اجندا مشخص که شامل دایر کردن جرگه صلح، لوی و کنفرانس کابل در بهار 1389 تدویر می گردد. هر کدام از این رویداد ها فرصت را برای دولت افغانستان و همسایه های خارجی شان ایجاد میکند، تا تعهدات که در کنفرانس لندن نموده بودن را به اثبات برسانند که صلح و آشتی دوباره با هزینه های حقوق بشر صورت نمی گیرد و زنان افغان نقش اساسی را برای آوردن صلح پایدار در کشور شان دارند. زنان باید کاملاً در تمام مراحل این تصمیم گیری ها شامل شوند و همچنان زنان باید در مراحل تصمیم گیری های رویداد ها خودشان را شامل بسازند. در ماه آینده، شبکه زنان افغان جلسه مشورتی ملی را برای آماده ساختن نظریات و پیشنهادات زنان در رابطه با اشتراک فعال شان در این پروسه ها را آماده ساخته و در اختیار ملت از طریق مطبوعات قرار خواهد داد. یکی از مهمترین مطالبات زنان این است که نماینده شان در تصمیم گیری ها به سطح دولت و جامعهء جهانی برای آوردن صلح سهیم باشند. ما، زنان افغانستان، تعهد میکنیم تا در کنار دولت افغانستان و جامعهء جهانی برای آوردن صلح و کامیابی برای کشور محبوب ما و تمام مردم آن کار می کنیم. ما به عنوان همراهان آینده افغانستان ایستاده گی می کنیم.<br />ما در ادامه از حامیان بین المللی آنهای که همچو فرصت ممکن را برای زنان افغان فراهم نمودند صمیمانه سپاسگزاری می کنیم، به خصوص از United Nations Development Fund for Women(UNIFEM) به ابتکار Inclusive Security, BAAG و نهاد ACBAR . </div>Peace with Justicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860174057707986117noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780416407637387155.post-24985785936831593292010-02-01T13:33:00.001-08:002010-02-08T03:33:28.091-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRQs6NuVUcbMKkYyIYraaLTOQY3rm23Sv_yqkxVU1cSLZd_VbtB-EiBZ5kWVDwF2A-LS5tMs8yN3e5YufQB0BFFHVoqAe9ueTulCfaQ_LUgjKW29NvGHsZcXkoQupAVX6hjxJAPSWo1Y/s1600-h/21876_101987059832765_100000644156945_56996_4769228_n.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433391497029157698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 264px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRQs6NuVUcbMKkYyIYraaLTOQY3rm23Sv_yqkxVU1cSLZd_VbtB-EiBZ5kWVDwF2A-LS5tMs8yN3e5YufQB0BFFHVoqAe9ueTulCfaQ_LUgjKW29NvGHsZcXkoQupAVX6hjxJAPSWo1Y/s400/21876_101987059832765_100000644156945_56996_4769228_n.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtsSH2M8ASgxhngshckP0-bBYk4zLh7a-qinYZ7Cl-bLUCNmNN_OJNUip9XId6NnuBCAwahg2d1zDgHhrqsuZWIzKXVVT03ElCL3j62ePLjDM41Xgjb3ywqHosDB_XVrmb2Jnb76xyNE/s1600-h/21876_101987063166098_100000644156945_56997_467839_n.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433391435631158818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 274px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtsSH2M8ASgxhngshckP0-bBYk4zLh7a-qinYZ7Cl-bLUCNmNN_OJNUip9XId6NnuBCAwahg2d1zDgHhrqsuZWIzKXVVT03ElCL3j62ePLjDM41Xgjb3ywqHosDB_XVrmb2Jnb76xyNE/s400/21876_101987063166098_100000644156945_56997_467839_n.jpg" border="0" /></a>Peace with Justicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860174057707986117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780416407637387155.post-49712892431223155252010-02-01T06:52:00.001-08:002010-02-01T06:59:53.445-08:00'Women are Key to Every Element of [the Afghanistan] Agenda'<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3LFAsAo-cPrLp78nxKDZ9sh3eVOKYYQe7X0J_MIfjTpWndUA40s9lpQRy4WNmyM0e3lpxRa_gTcXx7RBPoYhYPlNLrPobGKg3GRrtevgWqFDWsC0NzuKQ-q0OOHxRE6FYyjN0eUjpVUc/s1600-h/Afghan+Woman.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433289746991031922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 235px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 350px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3LFAsAo-cPrLp78nxKDZ9sh3eVOKYYQe7X0J_MIfjTpWndUA40s9lpQRy4WNmyM0e3lpxRa_gTcXx7RBPoYhYPlNLrPobGKg3GRrtevgWqFDWsC0NzuKQ-q0OOHxRE6FYyjN0eUjpVUc/s400/Afghan+Woman.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2010/01/136283.htm<br /><br />Secretary Clinton unveiled the U.S. plan to support women’s initiatives, outlined in the Women’s Action Plan for Afghanistan, at the London Conference on Afghanistan on January 28.<br /><br />The Plan includes initiatives focused on women’s security; women’s leadership in the public and private sectors; women’s access to judicial institutions, education, and health services; and women’s ability to take advantage of economic opportunities, especially in the agricultural sector. This is a comprehensive, forward-looking agenda that stands in stark contrast to the oppression and marginalization women face from Afghan insurgents.<br /><br /><strong>Women are key to every element of this agenda </strong>– from strengthening the economic sector, to promoting good governance, to energizing civil society, to sustaining peace and security. Progress is not possible if half a country’s population is left behind. <strong>Afghan women must not be viewed simply as victims who need to be sheltered. They must be respected and valued as leaders </strong>-- a reserve of talent that Afghan society needs to draw upon in order to prosper and succeed.<br /><br /><br />The Afghan government is taking important steps. It has committed to enacting legislation to eradicate violence against women and has recognized the importance of women in both the Afghan National Development Strategy and the National Action Plan for the Women of Afghanistan. <strong>Much more remains to be done.</strong> The U.S. looks forward to supporting these and other initiatives that will help build the capacity of Afghan women to participate fully in Afghan society and shape their country’s future<br /><br /><br />for full action plan see</div><div align="justify">http://www.state.gov/s/special_rep_afghanistan_pakistan/2010/136250.htm</div>Peace with Justicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860174057707986117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780416407637387155.post-32623778728156162422010-01-30T07:00:00.000-08:002010-01-31T13:29:06.610-08:00We MUST Hold Duty Bearer Accountable to Promises Made: Women's Rights Will Not Be Traded for Political Expediency<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic3Uy2po4Cm0GX_fRF-1sjSsQ4vS_iTr_B3KWy-HQ0TQ6dLBlv0mhuUotFAEp5aExGQumDNX1rEVrdiD4jiEkfb2lHvlTpPYPKenvpWVzgk2o0gpiLca6HExCHuspLNsH5FyjexQ4jKf8/s1600-h/Milliband.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic3Uy2po4Cm0GX_fRF-1sjSsQ4vS_iTr_B3KWy-HQ0TQ6dLBlv0mhuUotFAEp5aExGQumDNX1rEVrdiD4jiEkfb2lHvlTpPYPKenvpWVzgk2o0gpiLca6HExCHuspLNsH5FyjexQ4jKf8/s400/Milliband.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433018827717541394" /></a><br /><br />UK Minister David Milliband speaks at the Davos Debates on the London Conference and the importance of women as a central tenant to the political equation in Afghanistan.<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JqwFRCTKOM&feature=featured<br /><br /><div align="justify">British Foreign & Commonwealth Office summary of the Afghan Women's activity at the London Conference:<br /><br />The women of Afghanistan articulated a serious concern that reconciliation with the Taliban would have a negative impact on women's rights in Afghanistan.<br /><br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">The Afghan women arrived with BBC's Lyse Doucet and positioned themselves in the media tent. At <strong>the press conference, Miliband, Spanta, and Kai Eide answered their question/concern with a firm answer that the Taliban are only offered reconciliation on the basis that they agree to work with the Afghan Constitution, and the words written within it that guarantee women's rights and equal participation.</strong></div>Peace with Justicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860174057707986117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780416407637387155.post-9752433744460240852010-01-30T03:05:00.000-08:002010-01-30T07:00:13.148-08:00U.S. Secretary of State Clinton: 'Women have to be involved at every step of the way'<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZehWbBfa-2XFBECcEApfhYZ4by-tVWpXkOIP-m5U1SOXso4OBpzoj6ha0Bcq2VchRMQPE7S6OGh_MPOzi4fZoJKwmJsQR2okroMOUMAz71OuJhDhyGSXAe01IPVHrjK66LnH5GpcK0yQ/s1600-h/Sec+of+State+Clinton.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432488414594390994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 221px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 318px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZehWbBfa-2XFBECcEApfhYZ4by-tVWpXkOIP-m5U1SOXso4OBpzoj6ha0Bcq2VchRMQPE7S6OGh_MPOzi4fZoJKwmJsQR2okroMOUMAz71OuJhDhyGSXAe01IPVHrjK66LnH5GpcK0yQ/s400/Sec+of+State+Clinton.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify"><strong>'I also believe very strongly, as is apparent in what I say about this issue, that </strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGZ9PxcVc6HX3kKljsvIvFtwqOCbcQDPeWlWJiBN2ZJgvrBTAbswECpLjLQGT5xlStSi8qdfKOhM3wv2gQo3Sry13PKlwGryapanMTJOpJagxm5YupHnfOE9mbNFq41jfLd3FRiO1NVAw/s1600-h/afgh_conf-3.jpg"></a><strong>women have to be involved at every step of the way in this process. To that end, I unveiled our Women’s Action Plan. It includes initiatives focused on women’s security, women’s leadership in the public and private sector; women’s access to judicial institutions, education, and health services; women’s ability to take advantage of economic opportunities, especially in the agricultural sector. This is a comprehensive, forward-looking agenda that stands in stark contrast to al-Qaida’s recently announced agenda for Afghanistan’s women, attempting to send female suicide bombers to the West.'</strong></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="left">For full transcrpit of Secretary of State Clinton's remarks at the London Confernece go to, <a href="http://still4hill.wordpress.com/2010/01/28/3245/">http://still4hill.wordpress.com/2010/01/28/3245/</a></div>Peace with Justicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860174057707986117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780416407637387155.post-20284718409566411152010-01-30T02:52:00.000-08:002010-01-31T13:05:08.093-08:00We Demand: “the status of women [must] not [be] bargained away in any short-term effort to achieve stability”.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIA04_C1LDg29R3clehf9vdhHKq0IHKOlZ1na8BcQlQbXhYCCVeEB0Nezek7B4NjCZ0N1XCyHJvYzsP8umLiMtCBcztX6U-GlQTZepwmxyUbMJ-pWuEecunpp1L08wE0xqgYMMSQMqYFo/s1600-h/Afghanistan.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432491175083876018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 304px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIA04_C1LDg29R3clehf9vdhHKq0IHKOlZ1na8BcQlQbXhYCCVeEB0Nezek7B4NjCZ0N1XCyHJvYzsP8umLiMtCBcztX6U-GlQTZepwmxyUbMJ-pWuEecunpp1L08wE0xqgYMMSQMqYFo/s400/Afghanistan.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><br /><div align="center"><strong>Negotiating with the Taliban: the view from below</strong><br /></div><a class="print-page" title="Display a printer-friendly version of this page." href="http://www.opendemocracy.net/print/50037" rel="nofollow" jquery1264847936152="3"></a><a class="print-mail" title="Send this page by e-mail." href="http://www.opendemocracy.net/printmail/50037" rel="nofollow" jquery1264847936152="4"></a><a class="print-pdf" title="Display a PDF version of this page." href="http://www.opendemocracy.net/printpdf/50037" rel="nofollow" jquery1264847936152="5"></a><br /><div align="justify"><a href="http://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/deniz-kandiyoti/negotiating-with-taliban-view-from-below">http://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/deniz-kandiyoti/negotiating-with-taliban-view-from-below</a></div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://www.opendemocracy.net/author/deniz-kandiyoti" jquery1264847936152="6">Deniz Kandiyoti</a>, 29 January 2010 </div><div align="justify"><br />While the only official woman delegate in the Afghan mission to the London Conference pleaded that women’s rights must not be sacrificed on the altar of security concerns, women’s rights activists who had also travelled to London brought their own message. </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">At the conclusion of a gathering of nearly 70 countries and representatives of the international donor community in London on February 28, negotiations with the Taliban are firmly on the agenda, discussions revolving around the best way of achieving a peace settlement. Both President Karzai, in need of shoring up his shaky legitimacy, and the international powers, seeking an exit option from their costly military entanglement in Afghanistan, appear united on the principle if not the modalities of these negotiations. A two-pronged strategy of simultaneous military surge and meditation and talks for peace and a more inclusive political settlement are now on the table.<br /><br />What will the implications of these new directions be for ordinary men and women of Afghanistan? How will the interests of civil society - national and international - be represented in this process? What of human rights and, more specifically, women's rights to which the international community had made vocal commitments in the aftermath of the Bonn conference in 2001? These were some of the questions raised on January 26 at a conference titled “An Alternative View: Afghan Perspectives on Development and Security” which aimed “to ensure that the needs of the Afghan people remain forefront on the international community’s agenda”.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify">Lakhdar Brahimi, former UN Special Representative to UNAMA (2001-2004) offered a candid critique of past errors; the lack of representativeness of the Bonn process in 2001, the failure to expand ISAF forces outside Kabul at a point in time when it could have made a real difference and UNAMA choosing to politely ignore the reality of Operation Enduring Freedom, a counter terrorism operation at cross-purposes with the objectives of state-building. The unresolved issue of transitional justice - the failure to bring the past perpetrators of war crimes to justice - hung heavily in the air. Had justice been traded for peace in the post-Bonn settlement, finally achieving neither justice nor peace? Could the same errors be repeated again?<br /><br /></div><div align="justify">The increasing militarization of aid and its perverse consequences for effective, needs-based aid delivery dominated the concerns of civil society representatives. Why was it that the most insecure provinces, least able to absorb aid, received a disproportionate share of the resources while the poorest regions were being ignored? Did Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) imperil the work of civilian providers of aid through their connection with the military who are held accountable for the loss of civilian lives? Was aid increasingly being used as a tool of counter-insurgency? If so, does the assumption that aid contributes to peace building and counterinsurgency hold any water? The injection of aid can be shown, some argued, to have destabilizing effects when it provides incentives for noxious elites who have a stake in instability, undermining the goals of both counterinsurgency and development. Kai Eide, UN Special Representative to UNAMA warned that the current troop surge and larger military budgetary allocations would only accentuate what he called “the QIP impulse” - the tendency to pilfer money through so-called “quick impact projects” meant to win “hearts and minds”- and divert resources from bottom-up projects, conceived through proper consultation with the grass roots and geared to meeting people’s perceived needs. Civil society and the NGO community could play a critical role in meeting these needs, but could they be sheltered from pressures to pursue military objectives?<br /><br /></div><div align="justify">Dr. Hazrat- Omar Zakhilwal, Minister of Finance and Chief Economic Advisor to the President, complained that only 20% of total aid (10% of which was earmarked for specific projects) was channelled through the government and that aid had not assisted the state-building process. However, alongside the mismanagement and ineffectiveness of international aid, grave concerns were also expressed over widespread corruption, nepotism and lack of accountability at all levels, an expensive and ineffective justice system biased against the most powerless, lack of security, lack of progress in governance reforms and limited success in socio-economic development. This resulted in high levels of distrust between the population and the government, feeding the existing tendency to look for local solutions to the provision of public goods such as justice and security.<br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><strong>The possible social implications of the “reconciliation” process were uppermost in the minds of representatives of human rights and women’s rights organizations. Would compliance with international standard setting human rights instruments be upheld? What would the consequences for women’s rights be? Arezo Qanih, the only official woman delegate to the London Conference (in a 63-strong Afghan mission) made a plea that women’s rights should not to be sacrificed at the altar of security concerns. She invited the government and international community to honour their commitments to the goals of the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS), to develop a strategy for the implementation of the National Action Plan for the Women of Afghanistan (NAPWA) and to respect international agreements. Kabul MP, Shinkai Karokhail, chairperson of Afghan women parliamentarians, pointed out that the goal of accountable and sustainable development could not be attained without investing in women’s needs and addressing their concerns.<br /></strong></div><br /><div align="justify">In written statements, press conferences, presentations to Parliament and to the London Conference the group of women’s rights activists who travelled to London articulated their common platform. <strong>They explicitly asked that “the status of women is not bargained away in any short-term effort to achieve stability”.</strong> <strong>They also demanded that women constitute at least 25% of any peace process, including upcoming peace jirgas, in line with existing constitutional guarantees for women’s representation. International donors and the government were held to account over the implementation of the National Action Plan for the Women of Afghanistan</strong><a href="http://afghanistan.unifem.org/prog/MOWA/napwa.html" jquery1264847936152="17"><strong> </strong></a><strong>(NAPWA), the gender component of the Afghan National Development Strategy (ANDS), governance reforms for gender equality and the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325- endeavours initially backed by international donors, now at risk of being sidelined and ignored.<br /></strong><br />What are the prospects of these demands getting a hearing? BBC’s Today programme featured an interview on 27 January with one of the women’s rights activists from Afghanistan who expressed some of her concerns about the reconciliation process. She was asked whether she thought that abuses against women in Afghanistan had anything to do with the Taliban or whether they merely expressed aspects of Afghan culture. This apparently innocuous query has a depressing ring for many women’s rights activists who have seen their concerns systematically hijacked and their voices silenced for decades. When the mujahidin were in alliance with Western powers in the fight against the Soviet Union and in the subsequent period of civil war, their human rights abuses, including horrendous instances of gender-based violence, were largely passed over in silence. Yet these were the conditions that eventually paved the way for the Taliban victory and take-over. When Operation Enduring Freedom was launched in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, the plight of women in Afghanistan was invoked as a humanitarian crisis justifying military intervention. Not only were the Taliban demonized, but a donor-funded infrastructure of mechanisms and institutions was put in place to secure gender justice and equality. It was clear from the start that the political buy-in for these measures was shallow - the passage of the Shi'i Personal Status Code through Parliament amply illustrates this point - and that the constituencies rallying around these policies had a very weak hand to play and were at constant risk of intimidation and retribution.<br /><br /></div><div align="justify">Will the women of Afghanistan now have to brace themselves to hear Western powers inviting them to find virtue in their culture in the shape of new policies more acceptable to negotiating partners in the reconciliation process? Or will international donors merely treat their earlier commitments as misguided policies that are best forgotten? As a critic of the ways in which some of these policies were implemented, I nonetheless believe that the international community should accept responsibility for their consequences. The women of Afghanistan, of whatever political persuasion, are entitled to their own voices. This they continue to be denied.</div>Peace with Justicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860174057707986117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780416407637387155.post-55186242025823123062010-01-30T02:23:00.000-08:002010-01-30T03:22:22.332-08:00BBC News - Fox, Hutton and Frogh debate Afghanistan, human rights and the Taliban<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHsU5bX45NbP1iS1jOXm7juRYKLFA_EopIguy1aisKn4xH8y_7Lzwwx32bXxei4RK_EfsCcv9Y6Ty8fo8drQeQuF_VYsyp3oepDyqrcc5BXq08r4iMGs96cMgx6u3XqOEliRq00QwfEzs/s1600-h/Untitled.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432481819310866002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 222px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHsU5bX45NbP1iS1jOXm7juRYKLFA_EopIguy1aisKn4xH8y_7Lzwwx32bXxei4RK_EfsCcv9Y6Ty8fo8drQeQuF_VYsyp3oepDyqrcc5BXq08r4iMGs96cMgx6u3XqOEliRq00QwfEzs/s400/Untitled.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/the_daily_politics/8485318.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/the_daily_politics/8485318.stm</a></div><br /><div>The Afghan people are not asking for a quick exit strategy. Good governance and poverty eradication through a framework of inclusion and human rights - a sustained long term strategy for Afghanistan.</div>Peace with Justicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860174057707986117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780416407637387155.post-87534492873330265452010-01-29T03:22:00.000-08:002010-01-30T02:20:43.114-08:00Afghan Women Civil Society Leaders React to the London Conference<div align="justify"><strong>Reaction from Afghan women civil society leaders to the Communiqué of the London Conference on Afghanistan </strong><br /><br />January 29, 2010<br /><br />Background to women’s engagement in The London Conference on Afghanistan<br /><br />The London Conference on Afghanistan on January 28th on security, governance, and regional cooperation concluded with important decisions on how to resolve Afghanistan’s conflict and governance challenges. Women of Afghanistan will be profoundly affected by these decisions, yet Afghan women were provided no official designation to feed into decisions nor negotiate conclusions In an event that spanned an entire day and included more than 70 countries, only a single Afghan woman was included to speak as part of the official agenda, co-presenting the concerns of Afghan civil society. Only through the help of BAAG in coordination with ACBAR, was she provided a few extra moments to also present a distinct message from the women of Afghanistan on their priorities for the future of the country to the assembled foreign ministers, military representatives, and other participants.<br /><br />Afghan women will not be silent nor made to be invisible.<br /><br />The Afghan Women’s Network supported extensive consultations with Afghan women leaders preceding the London Conference and then provided for four Afghan women civil society leaders to travel to London during the conference proceedings to present women’s perspectives on security, governance, and regional cooperation. The result was a package of concrete recommendations, presented as the statement to the London Conference.<br /><br />This statement sets out Afghan women’s demand that the proposed reintegration process is not undertaken at the expense of women’s hard-won human rights. It stresses the need to ensure meaningful representation of women in any negotiations and in all governance reform initiatives. It underscores the centrality of women to deepening democracy, combating corruption, and brining peace and stability to the country. The full statement and recommendations are available on www.artworksprojects.org/afghanistan.<br /><br />While in London, the delegates used every possible opportunity to spread the message of Afghan women to official delegates to the conference, including foreign ministers, office of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, SRSG to Afghanistan Kai Eide, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai. Their message was picked up by media throughout the world. Personally invited to the press conference of U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, they were singularly recognized at the event by the Secretary for their courage and commitment to human rights.<br /><br /><strong>Reactions to the Final Outcome Communiqué of The London Conference </strong></div><div align="justify"><br />The final communiqué of the London Conference clearly reflects the advocacy efforts of the Afghan women who traveled to London, and the document includes central priorities of the women of Afghanistan they were charged to represent. This accomplishment is recognized not only for the commitment of Afghan women, but also that of the Afghan government and its international partners to ensure that human rights must be at the heart of any efforts to seek a political solution to the conflict through negotiations and incentive packages directed to the Taliban. The women of Afghanistan endorse this provision and strongly recommend a rigorous monitoring system accompany any reintegration scheme to ensure women’s rights are not violated and that any such violation are aggressively and swiftly addressed as a national security concern.<br /><br />Also warmly welcomed in the communiqué is the commitment to fully implement the National Action Plan for Women of Afghanistan and the newly signed Elimination of Violence Against Women Law. Additionally applauded is the renewal of the Government of Afghanistan’s commitment to strengthen the participation of women in all Afghan governance institutions, including elected and appointed bodies and the civil service, To make these promises reality, the women of Afghanistan call on public decision makers to immediately develop a concrete strategy with meaningful affirmative action policies. Our more specific reactions to the official communiqué include the following recommendations:<br /><br /><strong>On Security<br /></strong></div><div align="justify">- The phased growth and expansion of the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police must be accompanied by efforts to ensure the security forces have the protection of women as one of their main functions. This can be enhanced through recruitment of more women in all security sectors, investment in Family Response Units, and training for the security forces and the justice sector on the Elimination of Violence Against Women Law.<br />- The Government of Afghanistan’s commitment to continue development of a National Security Strategy must be consistent with UN Security Council resolutions 1325, 1820, 1888 and 1889. A National Action Plan on Women peace and security should be integrated as a core element of the national security policy, and a quota of women’s representation in all peace and security deliberations be established.<br />- Women should be consulted by and represented by the authorities developing the national Peace and Reintegration Programme. The proposed Peace and Reintegration Trust Fund to finance<br />the Afghan-led Peace and Reintegration Programme should ensure that a proportion of the financial incentives to communities to support reintegration are used to support women’s empowerment and development and the protection of their human rights through rigorous monitoring and redress.<br />- A specific proportion of international donor assistance to be channeled through multi donor trust funds such as The Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund and the Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan should be devoted to addressing women’s specific needs in the areas of reconstruction, rule of law, and access to formal justice.<br /><br /><strong>In Governance:<br /></strong></div><div align="justify">- Women should be engaged in consultation to develop an overall plan for more effective and accountable national civilian institutions, including the civil service and the police.<br />- The training for 12,000 sub-national civil servants at the subnational levels should include skills building in analyzing and responding to women’s development and security needs. Affirmative action policies should be developed to ensure a significant portion of sub-national-level civil servants are women.<br />- The proposals for a new national policy on relations between the formal justice system and traditional dispute resolution councils must be treated as an opportunity to ensure that women’s constitutional rights are protected in any judicial or dispute resolution systems with an emphasiz on investing funds on the formal justice system<br />- Women must be centrally involved in all anti-corruption efforts to ensure that the specific forms of corruption that afflict them are addressed.<br /><br /><strong>Next steps:<br /></strong></div><div align="justify">A clear agenda was established at the London Conference, including the announcement of an Af-Pak Peace Jirga, a Loya Peace Jirga, and the Kabul Conference. Each of these events provides opportunity for the Government of Afghanistan and its international partners to demonstrate the commitment articulated at the London Conference that reconciliation and reintegration will not take place at the expense of human rights and that women are central to bringing peace and stability to their country . Women must be fully represented at every stage of planning for these events and must be included at decision-making levels at the events themselves. In the months ahead, the Afghan Women’s Network will hold national consultations to prepare the women to participate and to be sure their perspectives are adequately represented in any decisions. We, the women of Afghanistan, are committed to working alongside the Government of Afghanistan and the international community to bring peace and prosperity to our beloved country and all of its people. We stand as full partners for the future of Afghanistan.<br /><br />We extend our deep gratitude to international supporters who made this opportunity possible for the women of Afghanistan, in particular the United Nations Development Fund for Women, the Initiative for Inclusive Security, BAAG and ACBAR. </div>Peace with Justicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860174057707986117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780416407637387155.post-58126701867516044312010-01-29T03:13:00.000-08:002010-01-29T03:16:59.349-08:00Afghan Women Civil Society Leaders Recognised at the London Conference<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTAkdfVGVOmifcPLntBzIhIfhEf4iUV7BkHRyeS70lOv0qKGYNZ9cEoC9w1UM3aUl5xt2mleUqAIX17a5HOaZpU-eEYau9fJLZAbapAuk7YDFHWF9pRXXS_QRcDHxAMJW3DGuEsv_L7Sw/s1600-h/Afghanistan-The-London-Conference-2010%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 249px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTAkdfVGVOmifcPLntBzIhIfhEf4iUV7BkHRyeS70lOv0qKGYNZ9cEoC9w1UM3aUl5xt2mleUqAIX17a5HOaZpU-eEYau9fJLZAbapAuk7YDFHWF9pRXXS_QRcDHxAMJW3DGuEsv_L7Sw/s400/Afghanistan-The-London-Conference-2010%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432119109538384898" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjS7jNeT68gvNIHrRfISCy38k5pXZb5gQ_5NS3gnpioXps7xMWyLH6PuBzNWluo5oUxEt-oJWvElg9bYezzxZi-sqCGU_jivBSZt7m5C3ogOeaqIvc1Gk1MaRs1UZ8PB9liEx_S9ovZtA/s1600-h/21876_101855093179295_100000644156945_52906_1598049_n%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjS7jNeT68gvNIHrRfISCy38k5pXZb5gQ_5NS3gnpioXps7xMWyLH6PuBzNWluo5oUxEt-oJWvElg9bYezzxZi-sqCGU_jivBSZt7m5C3ogOeaqIvc1Gk1MaRs1UZ8PB9liEx_S9ovZtA/s400/21876_101855093179295_100000644156945_52906_1598049_n%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432118656779591762" /></a>Peace with Justicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860174057707986117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780416407637387155.post-91979873653466655212010-01-29T02:49:00.000-08:002010-01-29T03:12:45.906-08:00London Conference Committs to Upholding Afghan Women's Human Rights<a href="http://afghanistan.hmg.gov.uk/en/conference/communique/" target="_blank">http://afghanistan.hmg.gov.uk/en/conference/communique/</a><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong>Communiqué</strong></div><div align="justify"><br />Afghan Leadership, Regional Cooperation, International Partnership</div><div align="justify"><br /><br />1. The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the international community met today in London to renew their mutual commitment towards helping Afghanistan emerge as a secure, prosperous, and democratic nation. Today’s Conference represents a decisive step towards greater Afghan leadership to secure, stabilise and develop Afghanistan. The international community underlined its support for the Government of Afghanistan and its security, development and governance. </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"><br />2. At the London Conference, President Hamid Karzai built on commitments set out in his inauguration speech, which articulated clear priorities for stabilising and developing Afghanistan.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />3. The international community pledged to maintain its long-term commitment to Afghanistan, as previously set out in the 2001 Bonn Agreement, in the 2002 Tokyo Conference, the 2006 Afghanistan Compact, the 2008 Paris Declaration and the 2009 The Hague Conference Declaration. The international community re-affirmed its support for the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions upholding the security, stability and prosperity of Afghanistan and in particular the role of the UN itself in achieving this goal.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />4. Conference Participants emphasised that the Afghan Government and the international community are entering into a new phase on the way to full Afghan ownership. Conference Participants re-affirmed the goals of greater Afghan Leadership, increased Regional Cooperation and more effective International Partnership. Together we are committed to make intensive efforts to ensure that the Afghan Government is increasingly able to meet the needs of its people through developing its own institutions and resources. </div><div align="justify"><br />5. The London Conference will be followed by a conference in Kabul later this year, hosted by the </div><div align="justify">Afghan Government, where it intends to take forward its programme with concrete plans for delivery for the Afghan people. These should be based on democratic accountability, equality, human rights, gender equality, good governance and more effective provision of government services, economic growth, as well as a common desire to live in peace under the Afghan Constitution. We remain convinced that together we will succeed. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />6. The challenges in Afghanistan particularly in political, economic, development and security areas are significant and inter-related. It is in our shared interest to overcome them and we re-affirmed our commitment to doing so. The nature of international engagement in Afghanistan continues to evolve, in favour of increasingly supporting Afghan leadership in the areas of security, development, governance and economic assistance.<br />Security<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />7. Conference Participants expressed gratitude to Afghan citizens, Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), and to those nations whose citizens and military personnel have served in Afghanistan. Conference Participants expressed their sorrow for all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for a secure and stable Afghanistan. Conference Participants also thanked those countries that have provided transit and related facilities to International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the ANSF.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />8. Conference Participants reiterated their resolve to combat terrorism, in particular Al Qaeda, and commended Afghan efforts to this end. Conference Participants condemned in the strongest terms all attacks by the Taliban and their extremist allies, including Improvised Explosive Devices, suicide attacks and abductions, targeting civilians, and Afghan and international forces. These attacks undermine stabilisation, reconstruction and development efforts in Afghanistan.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />9. Conference Participants noted that most civilian casualties are caused by insurgent attacks. Conference Participants welcomed the determination by ISAF, in partnership with the Afghan Government and ANSF, to continue to do their utmost to protect and further reduce the risk to civilians and jointly to investigate civilian casualties.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />10. Conference Participants welcomed the progress made by the Afghan security forces as they increasingly take responsibility for military operations. Conference Participants also welcomed the Government of Afghanistan’s stated goal of the ANSF taking the lead and conducting the majority of operations in the insecure areas of Afghanistan within three years and taking responsibility for physical security within five years. To help realise this, the international community committed to continue to improve the capability and effectiveness of the ANSF. Conference Participants also committed to providing the necessary support to the phased growth and expansion of the Afghan National Army (ANA) and Afghan National Police (ANP) in order to reach 171,600 and 134,000 personnel by October 2011, as approved by the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB) on 20 January 2010. The international community also showed its full support for the continued development and implementation of the National Police Strategy. Beyond this, the Government of Afghanistan and the international community will decide if this is sufficient, based on the prevailing security situation and long term sustainability.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />11. Conference Participants welcomed the decision by the North Atlantic Council, in close consultation with non-North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) ISAF partners, in full agreement with the Government of Afghanistan and in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 9762, to develop, by the Kabul Conference, a plan for phased transition to Afghan security lead province by province, including the conditions on which transition will be based. Further to this, Conference Participants welcomed the shared commitment to create the conditions to allow for transition as rapidly as possible. This is with a view to a number of provinces transitioning to ANSF lead, providing conditions are met, by late 2010/early 2011, with ISAF moving to a supporting role within those provinces. Conference Participants welcomed the intention to establish a process among the Government of Afghanistan, ISAF and other key international partners to assess progress and monitor in areas other than security that influence transition.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />12. Conference Participants welcomed:<br />ISAF’s increased focus on partnering ANSF and the principle that Afghan forces should progressively assume the leading role in all stages of operations;<br />the Government of Afghanistan’s determination to assume greater responsibility for detentions, in keeping with the growth of Afghan capacity, in accordance with international standards and applicable national and international law;<br />the contribution the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan (NTM-A) is making towards the growth and expansion of the ANSF and urged the international community to meet outstanding requirements for trainers and mentoring teams, and to continue efforts in this respect;<br />the contribution made by EUPOL to monitoring, mentoring and advising the Ministry of Interior and supporting national and provincial level Afghan-led police reform and urged partners to reinforce and provide logistical support to EUPOL, especially in the provinces;<br />bilateral support to the ANSF from a range of countries and urged the international community to coordinate closely in this work with the NTM-A and EUPOL, including through the International Police Coordination Board (IPCB);<br />the Government of Afghanistan’s commitment to continue development of a National Security Strategy with the support of the international community; and<br />the Government of Afghanistan’s commitment to devise and implement a National Security Policy, which is to be presented at the Kabul Conference and which outlines the security infrastructure and roles and responsibilities of the different security agencies. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />13. In the context of a comprehensive, Afghan-led approach, Conference Participants reinforced the need for an effective and enduring framework to create and consolidate a stable and secure environment in which Afghan men and women of all backgrounds and perspectives can contribute to the reconstruction of their country. In this context, Conference Participants welcomed the plans of the Government of Afghanistan to offer an honourable place in society to those willing to renounce violence, participate in the free and open society and respect the principles that are enshrined in the Afghan constitution, cut ties with Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups, and pursue their political goals peacefully.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />14. Conference Participants welcomed:<br />the Government of Afghanistan’s commitment to reinvigorate Afghan-led reintegration efforts by developing and implementing an effective, inclusive, transparent and sustainable national Peace and Reintegration Programme;<br />plans to convene a Grand Peace Jirga before the Kabul Conference; and<br />the international community’s commitment to establish a Peace and Reintegration Trust Fund to finance the Afghan-led Peace and Reintegration Programme. Conference Participants welcomed pledges to the Trust Fund and encouraged all those who wish to support peace-building and stabilisation efforts in Afghanistan to contribute to this important initiative. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />15. Conference Participants recognised the seriousness of the humanitarian situation in different areas of the country, particularly food insecurity. Conference Participants invited the international community to support the 2010 Humanitarian Action Plan.<br />Development and governance</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />16. Afghanistan faces formidable development challenges, which require sustained, long-term support from the international community. A better coordinated and resourced civilian effort is critical to overcoming these challenges. Economic growth, respect for Rule of Law and human rights alongside creation of employment opportunities, and good governance for all Afghans are also critical to counter the appeal of the insurgency, as well as being vital to greater stability in Afghanistan.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />17. The international community noted the progress that the Afghan Government has made on economic development, including reaching the completion point under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative, which will provide Afghanistan with up to $1.6 billion in debt relief from major creditors. This takes total debt relief to around $11 billion. Conference Participants agreed that the priority, as established by the Government of Afghanistan, is accelerated progress on agriculture, human resources development and infrastructure, and to ensure these are underpinned by expanded capacity and structural reforms. Conference Participants looked forward to the new economic development plan, and to the start of discussions on a new Afghan-led IMF programme and to continued IMF in-country engagement.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />18. Conference Participants welcomed the Government of Afghanistan’s commitment to assume increasing financial responsibility for its own affairs, and underlined that critical reforms were needed to maximise domestic earnings, with a view to attaining fiscal sustainability over time, including:<br />increasing tax and customs revenues;<br />restructuring public enterprises in order to ensure greater accountability and efficiency; and<br />pursuing the Road Map of the 2007 Enabling Environment Conference as reflected in the ANDS;<br />continuing regulatory reforms including implementation of the new mining regulations and bearing in mind Afghanistan’s current commitments under the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />19. Conference Participants welcomed:<br />the Government of Afghanistan’s plans for more coherent and better coordinated development. This involves aligning key ministries into development and governance clusters and refining the Afghan National Development Strategy development priorities, in particular infrastructure, rural development, human resources development, agriculture and the main areas of governance. It also involves developing a work plan, which should be completed by the Kabul Conference;<br />Conference Participants supported the ambition of the Government of Afghanistan whereby donors increase the proportion of development aid delivered through the Government of Afghanistan to 50% in the next two years, including through multi donor trust funds that support the Government budget e.g. the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund and the Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan. But this support is conditional on the Government’s progress in further strengthening public financial management systems, reducing corruption, improving budget execution, developing a financing strategy and Government capacity towards the goal. Conference Participants confirmed their intention to establish a detailed roadmap with the Government of Afghanistan, before the Kabul Conference, and to provide technical assistance to help develop the Government’s capacity to achieve its goal;<br />The Government of Afghanistan’s plans to implement budgetary reforms, to increase budget execution rates and to take steps to improve domestic revenue collection in parallel with enhancing anti-corruption practices and institutions with the aim of achieving fiscal sustainability.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />20. Conference Participants welcomed the Government of Afghanistan’s commitment to develop an overall plan for more effective and accountable national civilian institutions, including the civil service. They welcomed the Government of Afghanistan’s decision to approve the Sub-National Governance Policy and prepare implementing legislation in advance of the Kabul Conference. Conference Participants committed to support the enhancement of sub-national governance through the Government of Afghanistan’s single framework of priority programmes. To facilitate its implementation, the Government of Afghanistan intends to publish the criteria for administrative boundaries. Conference Participants welcomed commitments made by the Government of Afghanistan and urged the international community to provide additional support to train 12,000 sub-national civil servants in core administrative functions in support of provincial and district governors by the end of 2011.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />21. Conference Participants acknowledge the Government of Afghanistan’s increasing efforts to implement the National Justice Programme with a view to making more transparent, fair, and accessible provision of justice available to all Afghans equally.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />22. Conference Participants commended the Government of Afghanistan’s commitment to improve access to justice and respect for human rights, including through its Justice and Human Rights Programme, political and financial support for the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, and the adoption and implementation of a new national policy as soon as possible on relations between the formal justice system and dispute resolution councils. The Government of Afghanistan reiterated its commitment to protect and promote the human rights of all Afghan citizens and <u><span style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>to make Afghanistan a place where men and women enjoy security, equal rights, and equal opportunities in all spheres of life.</strong> Conference Participants also committed to strengthening the role of civil society.<br /></span></u></div><div align="justify"><u><span style="color:#ff6600;"></div></span></u><div align="justify"><br />23. Conference Participants welcomed the Government of Afghanistan’s whole-of-government approach to fighting corruption, and its ongoing work to mount a concerted effort to tackle the key drivers of corruption, through development of clear and objective benchmarks and implementation plans, in advance of the Kabul Conference, including but not limited to:<br />empowering an independent High Office of Oversight to investigate and sanction corrupt officials, and lead the fight against corruption, through decree within one month;<br />during 2010, establishing a statutory basis for related anti-corruption bodies, including the Major Crimes Task Force and the Anti-Corruption Tribunal, guaranteeing their long-term independence;<br />enhancing the effectiveness of the senior civil service appointments and vetting process and revising the civil service code. This will include, by the time of the Kabul Conference, identifying the top level civil service appointments;<br />the intention of the President to issue a decree prohibiting close relatives of Ministers, Ministerial advisers, Members of Parliament, Governors and some Deputy Ministers from serving in customs and revenue collection departments throughout government;<br />as a priority during 2010, adopting comprehensive legislation agenda to make Afghan laws consistent with the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, including the Anti-Corruption Penal Code, to expand provisions related to asset declaration; and<br />inviting Afghan and other eminent experts to participate in an independent Ad Hoc Monitoring and Evaluation Mission which will make its first monitoring visit to Afghanistan within three months, develop clear and objective benchmarks for progress and prepare periodic reports on national and international activity for the Afghan President, Parliament and people, as well as the international community.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />24. Conference Participants committed to helping the Government of Afghanistan’s anti-corruption efforts by providing assistance to the new institutions and committed to increase the transparency and effectiveness of its own aid in line with the June 2008 Paris Conference Declaration and the United Nations Convention Against Corruption. In particular, Conference Participants agreed to:<br />work with the proposed anti-corruption bodies to review existing procedures and investigate instances of corruption that involve internationals; and<br />work with the Government to improve procurement processes, including establishing additional measures to ensure due diligence in international contracting procedures.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />25. Conference Participants noted the decision by the Afghan Independent Election Commission to postpone Parliamentary elections until 18 September in accordance with the Afghan Constitution and electoral law. In this regard, Conference Participants welcomed the Government of Afghanistan’s commitment to ensuring the integrity of the 2010 Parliamentary elections and to preventing any irregularities and misconduct. Conference Participants also welcomed the Government of Afghanistan’s commitment to work closely with the UN to build on the lessons learned from the 2009 elections to deliver improvements to the electoral process in 2010 and beyond.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />26. The international community welcomed the Government of Afghanistan’s commitment to implement the National Action Plan for Women of Afghanistan and to implement the Elimination of Violence Against Women Law. Conference Participants welcomed the Government of Afghanistan’s commitment to strengthen the participation of women in all Afghan governance institutions including elected and appointed bodies and the civil service.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />27. Conference Participants emphasised the pernicious links between the narcotics trade, the insurgency and other criminal activity, including corruption and human trafficking. Conference Participants therefore welcomed:<br />the recent progress the Government of Afghanistan has made including the 22% reduction in poppy cultivation last year and increase in the number of poppy free provinces from 6 in 2006 to 20 in 2009;<br />the undertaking by the Government of Afghanistan to update the National Drugs Control Strategy during 2010, which will include targeted programmes of agricultural development and the reduction of poppy cultivation;<br />the ongoing support of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International community to support the Government of Afghanistan to counter this trade;<br />the continuation of the “Paris-Moscow” process in counter-acting illegal production, consumption and trafficking of narcotics and the elimination of poppy crops, drug laboratories and stores. Also the interception of drug convoys as well as the continuation of consultations on the marking of pre-cursors and greater bilateral regional cooperation; and<br />the contribution to multilateral anti-narcotics efforts by the Plan of Action of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Members, adopted in March 2009 by the Special Conference on Afghanistan in Moscow.<br />Regional cooperation/international architecture<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />28. Conference Participants reaffirmed their support for a stable, secure and democratic Afghanistan, acknowledged Afghanistan’s potential role as a land-bridge between South Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East and the Far East and renewed their pledge to work together actively to this end. Conference Participants underscored that regionally-owned and steered initiatives stood the best chance of success and welcomed a number of recent initiatives that showed the need for neighbouring and regional partners to work constructively together. In this context Conference Participants noted the recent Istanbul Regional Summit on Friendship and Cooperation in the “Heart of Asia” and its Statement. This regional co-operation includes reaffirming the principles of the Good Neighbourly Relations Declaration of 2002, and working actively for:<br />Afghan sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity;<br />Non-intervention in Afghanistan’s internal affairs and mutual non-interference;<br />Afghan-led peace, reintegration and reconciliation efforts;<br />Ending support wherever it occurs on each other’s territory for illegally-armed groups, parallel structures and illegal financing directed towards destabilising Afghanistan or individual neighbours;<br />Combating terrorism including but not limited to increased intelligence- sharing, dismantling the logistical, financial and ideological support for terrorist networks and tackling the causes of radicalisation;<br />Development of trans-regional trade and transit; including work on infrastructure and progress on energy, power transmission lines and transport infrastructure, including railway networks;<br />Conducive conditions for the return of Afghan refugees; and<br />Trans-regional co-operation against the narcotics trade.<br />Supporting people-to-people contact, including interaction and exchanges between the civil society, academia, media and private sector.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />29. Conference Participants welcomed the fact that Afghanistan and its regional partners would have opportunities in 2010 to develop and co-ordinate contributions to advance these principles. Conference Participants noted the value of a more coherent and structured approach to individual initiatives. In this respect, Conference Participants welcomed the fact that Afghanistan has invited the relevant regional bodies (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and Economic Cooperation Organisation in accordance with their respective mandates) and others including the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to develop as soon as possible a co-ordinated plan for Afghanistan’s regional engagement. Conference Participants invited the countries, regional organisations and fora concerned to offer regular updates, including at the Kabul Conference.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />30. Emphasising the theme of enriching regional cooperation, Conference Participants welcomed the contribution made by specific bilateral and regional projects including that of the OIC on education and tackling radicalisation, the OSCE and the Afghanistan-Pakistan Cooperation Workshop (Dubai Process) on border management. Conference Participants were grateful for the information given by several countries on bilateral initiatives including the Afghanistan-Pakistan Trade and Transit Agreement, on which they welcomed progress achieved and looked forward to a timely conclusion, and the Indonesian programmes for capacity building including technical cooperation in the fields of education, health, agriculture, poverty reduction, renewable energy and small and medium enterprises.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />31. Conference Participants recalled that the international community was engaged in Afghanistan in support of the Government of Afghanistan. Until such time as the Government of Afghanistan is able to assume the responsibility, Conference Participants noted with appreciation that UNAMA continues to be the primary international organisation for coordinating international support in line with the UNSCR 1868. Conference Participants welcomed:<br />the Afghan Government’s presentation of clear priorities;<br />the international community’s commitment to more effective and properly resourced civilian engagement to support the Afghan Government in order to improve the impact of international civilian assistance;<br />the international community’s commitment to align its assistance more closely with Afghan priorities, in keeping with Paris Principles on aid effectiveness, thereby increasing Afghan government capacity;<br />the international community’s intention to work closely with UNAMA to reinvigorate civilian delivery;<br />the appointment of a new NATO Senior Civilian Representative; and<br />the decision of the EU to strengthen its presence in Kabul under one single representative.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />32. Conference Participants welcomed the decision by the UN Secretary General to appoint Staffan di Mistura; the decision by the NATO Secretary General to appoint Mark Sedwill; and the forthcoming appointment from the European Union (EU) High Representative; and looked forward to their taking up their jobs in the first few months of 2010. Conference Participants invited them to work closely together to ensure closer coordination in Kabul. Furthermore while noting recent improvements in the functioning of the JCMB, Conference Participants invited the co-chairs of the JCMB to recommend to its members additional measures to make the JCMB ever more effective.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />33. Conference Participants took the opportunity to thank the incumbents: UN SRSG Kai Eide, NATO SCR Fernando Gentilini and EUSR Ettore Sequi and EC Head of Delegation Hansjörg Kretschmer for their invaluable work and commitment to Afghanistan.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />34. We look forward to reviewing mutual progress on commitments at the Kabul Conference later this year. </div>Peace with Justicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860174057707986117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780416407637387155.post-73707005515421514712010-01-29T02:45:00.000-08:002010-01-31T13:35:14.011-08:00Afghan Women Dominate Media at London Conference<a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123061298">http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123061298</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.tv3.cat/videos/2616459/Les-afganeses-victimes-dels-talibans-despres-de-vuit-anys">http://www.tv3.cat/videos/2616459/Les-afganeses-victimes-dels-talibans-despres-de-vuit-anys</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/01/27/world/international-uk-afghanistan-women.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=Afghan%20women,%20unifem%20&st=cse">http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/01/27/world/international-uk-afghanistan-women.html?_r=2&scp=1&sq=Afghan%20women,%20unifem%20&st=cse</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.unifem.org/news_events/story_detail.php?StoryID=1017">http://www.unifem.org/news_events/story_detail.php?StoryID=1017</a><br /><br /><br />http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1957537,00.htmlPeace with Justicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860174057707986117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780416407637387155.post-82787405848884658832010-01-29T02:41:00.000-08:002010-01-29T03:05:22.483-08:00Afghan Women are Recognised by World Leaders<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1EcbEBQSSu2agGxKYiySvnMrBquuyaBWhNKnOQcGidcqSpS5ni8HSuDnBi4E2-ZNRi8098umNqb10jK8CbwDUNmxmn5ykH7quxYw48po8nxHFsnXQ-u0Csad_h2w4iv___ynwh2EiW_E/s1600-h/Sec+Clinton+and+Arezo.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432110181187230002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 299px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1EcbEBQSSu2agGxKYiySvnMrBquuyaBWhNKnOQcGidcqSpS5ni8HSuDnBi4E2-ZNRi8098umNqb10jK8CbwDUNmxmn5ykH7quxYw48po8nxHFsnXQ-u0Csad_h2w4iv___ynwh2EiW_E/s400/Sec+Clinton+and+Arezo.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><strong>Afghan Women at The Heart of the Quest for Peace</strong></div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="http://www.inthenews.co.uk/news/rock-indie/middle-east/afghan-women-at-heart-of-quest-for-peace-$1356461.htm">http://www.inthenews.co.uk/news/rock-indie/middle-east/afghan-women-at-heart-of-quest-for-peace-$1356461.htm</a></div><div><br />Thursday, 28, Jan 2010 07:35</div><div><a href="http://twitter.com/shoebox_poems" target="_blank">By Elizabeth Davies</a></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div align="justify"><strong><br /></div></strong><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><strong><div align="justify">In the relatively quiet media centre at today's Afghanistan conference in London, it was a small group of female Afghan civil society activists which managed to command all the attention.<br /></strong></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">One was Selay Ghaffar, from Humanitarian Assistance for the Women and Children of Afghanistan, who was interviewed by inthenews.co.uk earlier.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Most early discussion of the conference focused on president Hamid Karzai's proposal for the "reintegration" of Taliban insurgents into society. However, by the final press conferences this afternoon questions were being asked about the potential impact of such a move on Afghanistan's women.<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />The Taliban regime was notorious for its treatment of women, banning them from appearing in public without the burqa and preventing them from acquiring any sort of further education or employment. Today, Afghan women are officially free of such impediments. In September 2009 Helmand province, in southern Afghanistan, even admitted the first female recruits into the Afghan police force.<br /><br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">However, many worry that if the Afghan government focuses its attention on winning over the more moderate members of the insurgency, its dedication to improving the conditions of women within the country may suffer. Ms Ghaffar told inthenews.co.uk that if the Taliban were reintegrated, women "will be sitting back in our homes behind the curtains".</div><div align="justify"><br />The hosts of the conference were keen to emphasise this afternoon that such a scenario would never unfold. <strong><u>David Miliband, the British foreign secretary, stated firmly that any reintegration would be contingent on insurgents accepting the Afghan constitution, in which women's rights are enshrined.</u></strong> The outgoing United Nations special representative to Afghanistan, <strong><u>Kai Eide, was even more emphatic. "We cannot compromise [the human rights of any Afghans]", he said, let alone half of the population. </u></strong></div><div align="justify"><br />As was expected, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton returned to the issue when making her statement at the close of the conference. <strong><u>Women were crucial to bringing stability to Afghanistan, she said, which was the women's action plan she was unveiling was so important.</u></strong> This plan was a "comprehensive, forward-looking agenda" in stark contrast to al-Qaida's tactic of using women as suicide bombers. It would improve women's security, access to the judicial system and education, positions of leadership in the public and private sector, and ability to take advantage of increasing economic opportunity in the country. </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">As the grand finale to her press conference, <strong>Mrs Clinton asked the four Afghan women to stand to general applause. </strong>The finishing touch appeared to underline that, at least rhetorically, international leaders view the rights of Afghan women as inviolable in the search for peace.</div>Peace with Justicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860174057707986117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780416407637387155.post-84140329892143105622010-01-28T08:05:00.000-08:002010-01-28T08:08:09.417-08:00Only ONE Afghan Women Speaks at London Conference<p align="justify"><strong>The London Conference on Afghanistan</strong></p><strong><p align="justify"><br />January 28, 2010</strong><br /><br />As the only Afghan woman scheduled to address the plenary, I must spend a moment to focus on women’s needs and priorities and the role women should play in efforts to stabilize and rebuild my country.<br /></p><p align="justify">Afghan women are acutely aware of the need to improve security on-the-ground. We are paying the largest price for the resurgence in violence and we benefit most from peace and stability. Evidence from around the world is clear: societies are more peaceful, stable and productive when women have equal status with men.<br /><br />Over the past few weeks, there have been extensive consultations with Afghan women leaders to prepare our messages to this Conference today. We have put these in writing and we hope you all have a copy. I will focus my comments on the key issues that must be addressed – not only in words, but in important practical ways:<br /></p><p align="justify">1. <strong>Women must have a voice in all decision-making about the future of the country.</strong> This must include any peace jirgas, conferences on development, or negotiations to reconcile competing factions. Women have a broader view of security, different priorities in development, and specialized knowledge and expertise that should be leveraged in efforts to return peace to the country.<br /><br />2. <strong>Women’s rights and status must not be bargained away in efforts to reconcile competing factions.</strong> In any negotiations, women’s rights must be protected. We have fought too long and too hard to improve the status of women – rights that were completely eroded in the past. Compromising our rights will not bring peace; it will only undermine efforts to develop my country and leave unfulfilled a fundamental promise the international community made to Afghans in 2001. We look to the Afghan government and the international community to guarantee that our existing constitutional rights will be protected and advanced.<br /><br />3. <strong>The military surge must be complemented by an equally robust effort to boost civilian support for recovery and long-term reconstruction.</strong> Only with a commensurate, coordinated, and complementary effort to invest in social and economic development, enhance government efficiency, root out corruption, and enhance rule of law will long-term peace and prosperity be attainable. Do not focus on short-term, quick impact projects; address human development needs. Undertake those efforts in partnership with Afghans themselves – women and men— and gear programs to long-term sustainable development outcomes.<br /><br />4. <strong>Finally, in seeking to enhance rule of law, make sure to protect women’s rights.</strong> Informal and traditional justice systems have historically proved discriminatory to women. Without careful checks and guarantees, violations of women’s rights will go unpunished and women’s voices will not be heard. As you seek to increase access to justice, intensify efforts to improve the formal justice system, because women’s access to equal justice is far greater when formal, legally binding systems of redress exist with greater capacity for independent monitoring.<br /><br />Women in Afghanistan are critical partners for peace. Women’s engagement is not an optional extra component of stabilization and recovery; it is a critical precursor to success. Women’s empowerment will enable you to deliver long-term stability, democratization, and development. Thank you.<br /></p>Peace with Justicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860174057707986117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780416407637387155.post-32286302760185515232010-01-28T08:04:00.001-08:002010-01-29T03:26:37.761-08:00Afghan Women Civil Society Leaders Meet World Power Brokers, Presenting Them with Statement for Women’s Inclusion<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpBTqtRmQSqmAEw0ufmTTPPlF7-lbgltdv0VMhlycYCifopb1yhWmJhrY8-qft8Mf4Y2y7td-NiQX0IKYsjtXxwF6t5hY5x0XL7GikBeDz7Jd1-YQW_8JiE0c7IwzQW-ik5EZQarQUt04/s1600-h/Karzai.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431822465005840946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpBTqtRmQSqmAEw0ufmTTPPlF7-lbgltdv0VMhlycYCifopb1yhWmJhrY8-qft8Mf4Y2y7td-NiQX0IKYsjtXxwF6t5hY5x0XL7GikBeDz7Jd1-YQW_8JiE0c7IwzQW-ik5EZQarQUt04/s400/Karzai.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">Afghan Women Civil Society Leaders attend Prince of Wales reception and present statement to, amongst other world leaders, Secretary of State Clinton, President Karzai, President Merkel, Ambassador Holbrooke, Ambassador Eide, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs David Milliband MP, Foreign Minister of India Vishwanath Pratap Singh, Foreign Minister of Belgium Yves Leterme, Foreign Minister of Luxemburg Jean Asselborn, Foreign Minister of France Bernard Kouchner, Forieign Minister of Canada Lawrence Cannon, Foreign Minister of Australia Stephen Smith, Foreign Minister of New Zealand Murray McCully, Ambassador James Wright and Ambassador Sedwill.</div>Peace with Justicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860174057707986117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780416407637387155.post-31183834456817778422010-01-28T08:01:00.000-08:002010-01-28T08:09:23.249-08:00WHERE ARE THE WOMEN AT THE LONDON CONFERENCE?<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVk2g6iOOVfomggOL8frNrIA67CGoc6ia2Y_ThymH9hxM4kN2wQMgjzl_fhqXyx0b2lCiiWhjFlZFvyFWeDiZam_q4zqYaHdY4h50VRRpVwbou6H8VlteLJGQLJE_hYrCsnPO3Q0NlP88/s1600-h/House+Of+Commons.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431821984044118786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVk2g6iOOVfomggOL8frNrIA67CGoc6ia2Y_ThymH9hxM4kN2wQMgjzl_fhqXyx0b2lCiiWhjFlZFvyFWeDiZam_q4zqYaHdY4h50VRRpVwbou6H8VlteLJGQLJE_hYrCsnPO3Q0NlP88/s400/House+Of+Commons.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">With only one Afghan woman officially attending the London Conference, and no women on the Government of Afghanistan delegation, the House of Commons discussion focused on the question, with such significant rhetoric around women’s rights and inclusion, where are the women, and why was there resistance to their inclusion?</div><br /><div align="justify"></div><strong>WE ARE WORRIED ABOUT OUR FUTURE</strong> – <strong>we are extremely concerned that a ‘reintegration’ policy/ talks with the Taliban will result in a rolling back in the gains made in women’s human rights since 2001. Women’s rights must not be bargained away in the interest of short term peace and security</strong>, and to the detriment of long term peace and stability. Any approach to security must to be about the security of all people of Afghanistan – the Government of Afghanistan and the international community must adhere to their obligations under UN SCR 1325, including ensuring that Afghan women are involved in peace and security process.<br /><br />While we as Afghans may not like it, an immediate withdrawal of troops, a speedy settlement, would be a failure for your Government and mine. <strong>We need time, we need patience. We do not need quick fit solutions.</strong> We are extremely cautious of this ‘reintegration’ that everyone is talking about. First there needs to be a reconciliation process – and this is a process, one that may take some time. And it must include a holistic transitional justice process so that those who have committed violence in my country are held to account for that violence.<br /><br /><strong>We, Afghan women, are not helpless victims of violence and of our circumstance.</strong> We are agents of change. We need opportunities to engage in the dialogue – at the local, national and international level. We want to be treated as human beings who deserve the right to exist equal to others. </div>Peace with Justicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860174057707986117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780416407637387155.post-43607535699202957972010-01-28T07:56:00.001-08:002010-01-28T08:00:48.983-08:00Women must be included in all future discussions on long term strategies for Afghanistan<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGNR1ucF-da9XG6P8mixaANNTB083FbqT-NpF6KFt0A4a7K9NcX1QBVLs-_dy68fVCkjhs0WeqoKTq9vgRIoBuvLKxzmpVjzRZAdTEdgg3JXCe0FDc86sM4_mdADKqW971ebczQdPM0qk/s1600-h/Press+Conf+2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431820354643774706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGNR1ucF-da9XG6P8mixaANNTB083FbqT-NpF6KFt0A4a7K9NcX1QBVLs-_dy68fVCkjhs0WeqoKTq9vgRIoBuvLKxzmpVjzRZAdTEdgg3JXCe0FDc86sM4_mdADKqW971ebczQdPM0qk/s400/Press+Conf+2.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHl8bBpgpzZZQ6TUA2_5YvXH6JBn_gqOJEyzCYYOKpq_0Zsl6e-tNc7zWSgA42brb-lMXfzHynjmDtGHJo31sc7xS_2j2TPFYuaMmLzQQsQqSs-PezpHUSVg-9HCeINJbs5LZfvrZ1Z_Y/s1600-h/Press+Conf+1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431820230945423234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHl8bBpgpzZZQ6TUA2_5YvXH6JBn_gqOJEyzCYYOKpq_0Zsl6e-tNc7zWSgA42brb-lMXfzHynjmDtGHJo31sc7xS_2j2TPFYuaMmLzQQsQqSs-PezpHUSVg-9HCeINJbs5LZfvrZ1Z_Y/s400/Press+Conf+1.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><strong>Afghan Women’s Leaders’ Priorities for Stabilization</strong></div><div align="center"><br />Statement and RecommendationsJanuary 27, 2010<br /></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="justify">We, Afghan women leaders and representatives of women’s civil society organizations, concerned about the absence of women’s perspectives on proposals being discussed at The London Conference on Afghanistan have created recommendations for stabilization that bear in mind the obligation to consult women and address their priorities and needs. </div><div align="justify"><br />Afghan women are the first to benefit from stability and pay the heaviest price for the resurgence in violence. <strong>Sustainable peace will not be achieved without women’s full participation.</strong> They are mobilized as never before to protect the gains they have made with the help of the international community since 2001 and to contribute to the peace process by promoting security and good governance grounded in respect for human rights and equality. <strong>We call for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and related resolutions calling for women’s full participation in peace building</strong> as part of all initiatives to accelerate conflict resolution and recovery in the country.</div><div align="justify"><br />The following recommendations were developed during an extensive consultative process with Afghan women leaders in Kabul, followed by Dubai on January 24th and London on January 26th to feed directly into the topics for discussion at the Ministerial meeting on January 28th.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"><strong>I Security</strong></div><strong></strong><div align="justify"><br />Fundamental to progress in Afghanistan is enhanced security on the ground. But achieving true security will require more than military stabilization; it will require women’s freedom of movement and access to basic services—police protection, justice, health care, education, and clean water. Additionally, it will necessitate social change in private as well as public life; rampant domestic violence and other abuses of women’s rights exacerbated by conflict are major contributors to women’s insecurity. Women experience instability differently from men; they therefore have specific perspectives on how to achieve security for all Afghan citizens. To fully engage all Afghans in efforts to create a secure environment, we recommend that:<br /></div><div align="justify"><strong>Women must be represented in all peace processes.</strong> Consistent with constitutional guarantees for women’s representation, women must comprise at least 25% of any peace process including any proposed upcoming peace jirgas. They must be represented in any national and local security policy making forums, such as the Afghan President’s National Security Council.</div><div align="justify"><br /><strong>Reconciliation guarantee women’s rights.</strong> The government and international community must secure and monitor women’s rights in all reconciliation initiatives so that the status of women is not bargained away in any short-term effort to achieve stability.</div><div align="justify"><br /><strong>Security policy must protect women.</strong> All efforts to enhance security in Afghanistan must better serve women. This can be achieved by:</div><div align="justify"><br />- training national and international security personnel regarding Afghan laws and in particular the Elimination of Violence against Women law;<br />- recruiting women to security services, especially national police, UNPOL, international peacekeepers, civilian and military staff of PRTs; and<br />- expanding the number of Family Response Units in local police districts to enable more culturally sensitive and responsive engagement with women.<br /><br /><strong>II Governance and Development</strong></div><div align="justify"><br /><strong>Investment to expand women’s engagement and effectiveness in public decision-making</strong>, in electoral politics, public administration, and in civil society help to deepen democracy, tackle corruption, increase the legitimacy of government, and concentrate the focus of public sector management on providing basic services. To strengthen women’s leadership skills and to promote gender-responsive public sector performance we recommend that:<br /></div><div align="justify"><strong>National gender equality policies be implemented.</strong> International donors should make aid contingent on accelerated implementation of existing policies for the advancement of women in Afghanistan, especially the National Action Plan for the Women of Afghanistan, and the cross-cutting gender component of the Afghan National Development Strategy.</div><div align="justify"><br /><strong>Governance reforms advance gender equality.</strong> Good governance reforms should advance gender equality and the capacity of public services to respond to women’s needs by:</div><div align="justify"><br />a. upgrading to senior management gender focal points in all national institutions and strengthening the gender units;</div><div align="justify"><br />b. extending current quotas to all branches and levels of elected and appointed government;<br /></div><div align="justify">c. supporting special measures to help women overcome obstacles to effective political competition (e.g.: measures to prevent political violence against women, measures to overcome access barriers to public debate, training, and resources);<br /></div><div align="justify">d. enforcing the 30% quota to civil service positions at all levels;<br /></div><div align="justify">e. strengthening of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and ensuring it participates in all decision-making clusters to ensure attention to gender and women’s needs.<br /></div><div align="justify"><strong>Aid should be tracked for women’s rights.</strong> All aid should be monitored to track its effectiveness in promoting women’s rights and gender equality. Donors should ensure that a minimum of 25% of funds are dedicated specifically to achieve gender parity. Financing for Afghan women’s organizations should increase to strengthen women’s implementation of the development agenda and civil society participation in reconstruction.</div><div align="justify"><br /><strong>Women’s access to justice be enhanced.</strong> Traditional dispute resolution systems have historically been gender biased. Resources must be invested in expansion of the formal justice system to give women access to justice and ensure that all judicial mechanisms comply with the constitution of Afghanistan, women’s rights under Islam and international standards. <br /><br /><strong>III Regional Frameworks/International Architecture</strong><br /></div><div align="justify">We commend the regional cooperative forums focused on trade, refugees, and drug trafficking for their efforts to involve women. As regional mechanisms are developed to address cross-border security challenges, we advise that:<br /></div><div align="justify"><strong>Women’s regional peace coalitions be engaged for dialogue.</strong> Any regional efforts should engage women and leverage the relationships they have built through existing networks.<br /></div><div align="justify"><strong>Women be involved in creating new regional mechanisms.</strong> Women should help design any new approaches to and structures for stabilization and reconstruction in Afghanistan as well as efforts to create regional forums for cooperation. Any such processes and structures should engage women at all levels of decision-making and should implement UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and related resolutions calling for women’s participation in conflict resolution, prevention of violence, and protection of vulnerable groups.</div><div align="justify"><br /><strong>Regional forums be used to stop human trafficking.<br /></strong></div>Peace with Justicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860174057707986117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780416407637387155.post-8213736898087722012010-01-28T07:54:00.000-08:002010-01-28T07:55:46.076-08:00Afghan Women Civil Society Leaders Meet with Ambassador Holbrooke’s Office to Express Concerns over Lack of Inclusion In London Conference<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM701p5eRqgQFNoRjpIMUxNK2UsIluoXKZfzk00o6YJn32H81Dl4Yghe31hA_kVg9K29n-OHtyn0W3tuYUfwkZ0IXg4HbXhguVtAc95FHN2rX2BplYoXPVR0b0H7me2sHXZ9UvcOCt05A/s1600-h/Meeting+W+Holbrooke+Rep.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431819820547430610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM701p5eRqgQFNoRjpIMUxNK2UsIluoXKZfzk00o6YJn32H81Dl4Yghe31hA_kVg9K29n-OHtyn0W3tuYUfwkZ0IXg4HbXhguVtAc95FHN2rX2BplYoXPVR0b0H7me2sHXZ9UvcOCt05A/s400/Meeting+W+Holbrooke+Rep.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">Afghan women’s human rights defenders met with Ambassador Holbrooke’s office on the morning of Wednesday, January 27th and emphasized to his office their <strong>concerns over the lack of Afghan women’s participation at the London conference</strong> itself and the importance of Government of Afghanistan and international commitment to integrating women into any and all upcoming peace negotiations. </div>Peace with Justicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860174057707986117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780416407637387155.post-84223177182596493432010-01-28T07:47:00.000-08:002010-01-28T07:53:37.286-08:00UK Minister for Foreign Office and Commonwealth Ivan Lewis Vows to Ensure that No ‘Reintegration’ Settlement Will Trade Away Afghan Women’s Rights<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48vfO7ngUqvwSHHlq-BvoXPUUA7UkBW0F7J4qMAOUuwOARLsK2rbg4eEQSVjIWRon04BW0lx6-NYwZ0NW_dGOjEMB2DFwCP2k3UchiCY0lcvmocK5VPWABies-5sVrftOlQ1TqHHs004/s1600-h/CSO+Conference+3.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431818588372921730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48vfO7ngUqvwSHHlq-BvoXPUUA7UkBW0F7J4qMAOUuwOARLsK2rbg4eEQSVjIWRon04BW0lx6-NYwZ0NW_dGOjEMB2DFwCP2k3UchiCY0lcvmocK5VPWABies-5sVrftOlQ1TqHHs004/s400/CSO+Conference+3.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Arezo Qanih joins Amb. Kai Eide, Government of Afghanistan Minister of Finance Dr Omar Zakhilwal, UK Minister of State and Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Ivan Lewis MP, UK Defense Minister Bill Rammell MP and UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development, Mike Foster MP. </span></div><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxa0yiMkTCuoyX2-6g9JQDSVeqeSzl-Ix7_FmF_zu6vowFApjrqe9Z7MQELe3peuVM_BemnArZ6m0Ki0UMTajbHyFy-MGHcfmzH18yxVzBKpqjBm4wKqTgUcXXoauRXVJYl9D-nlPBxjo/s1600-h/CSO+Conference+2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431818346603638546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxa0yiMkTCuoyX2-6g9JQDSVeqeSzl-Ix7_FmF_zu6vowFApjrqe9Z7MQELe3peuVM_BemnArZ6m0Ki0UMTajbHyFy-MGHcfmzH18yxVzBKpqjBm4wKqTgUcXXoauRXVJYl9D-nlPBxjo/s400/CSO+Conference+2.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Amongst others, Shinkai Kharohil and Arezo Qanih speaking on accountability and CSO recommendations for the future of Afghanistan respectively</span><br /></div><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGaP3YpljngqyRd-gLlLVvG7Ysb6OOsAPi9qLkSTi72Lb5q5fxVcFSidkdCZJ3h8coiwROvgYo0jhF7cR8joh47s9eUIzPJgtRoqznyJYrTYkaE03jeYT3eMxgqiNee10niqJi2JaCNYM/s1600-h/CSO+Conference.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431818135132880322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGaP3YpljngqyRd-gLlLVvG7Ysb6OOsAPi9qLkSTi72Lb5q5fxVcFSidkdCZJ3h8coiwROvgYo0jhF7cR8joh47s9eUIzPJgtRoqznyJYrTYkaE03jeYT3eMxgqiNee10niqJi2JaCNYM/s400/CSO+Conference.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"> Amongst others, Orzala Ashraf Speaks on the Importance of Women at all Levels of Governance Structures in Afghanistan</span><br /><br /><div align="justify">Tuesday, January 26th: <strong>Afghan civil society met in London</strong> for a British Agencies Afghanistan Group (BAAG) hosted conference, <em>‘An Alternative View: Afghan Perspectives on Development and Security'</em>. Throughout the day CSO actors engaged in heated and lively debate on the future of Afghanistan. Amongst those speaking were Afghan women, Shinkai Karohil (Member of Parliament, Government of Afghanistan) and Orzala Aschraf (Independent Civil Society Activist) and Arezo Qanih (Programme Manager, Education Training Centre for Poor Women and Girls of Afghanistan).<br /><br /><strong>The discussions were wide and varied:<br /> </strong><br />· The importance of national ownership over strategy and development in Afghanistan, including military sector;</div><div align="justify"><br />· The importance of the inclusion of Afghan women throughout all levels of public space – in particular in all peace negotiations (including jirgas), throughout all levels of government and within social services;</div><div align="justify"><br />· Women’s rights will not to be traded away in exchange for a politically expedient peace settlement;</div><div align="justify"><br />· The need for better coordination of aid – the delinking of aid from military objectives to ensure it is working to achieve development objectives. Aid to be needs-based rather than politically driven;</div><div align="justify"><br />· To shift away from PRT led-development projects to putting aid into local communities for expenditure. Additionally, aid funded projects to move away from short impact projects to long term impact projects;</div><div align="justify"><br />· Any solution must include an emphasis on accountability and ending violence and corruption with impunity. An inclusive and participatory transitional justice must be part of this;<br /></div><div align="justify">· Listening and participation were emphasized as the first lessons of peacebuilding;<br /></div><div align="justify">· The need to develop and invest in viable economic alternatives, such as investment in agriculture. </div></div>Peace with Justicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860174057707986117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780416407637387155.post-26919568556979291422010-01-28T07:42:00.000-08:002010-01-28T07:47:31.298-08:00Afghan Women Civil Society Leaders Meet in Dubai to Discuss Peace and Security for Afghanistan in the Context of the London Conference<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP846wmH7P_Z0aiNrUEQfiqQrGJb16TOW-1NWS1CleUm2CHFbpDVljDGhJZuO4sw-lDJ3s5w1XAywEb3EL2pkl-AzvVPB_3rqnixVRRm8NhWq2az5jTbfdt_zJeHvDL4VgpOssnDD0wnQ/s1600-h/Dubai+Conference.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431817130256635682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP846wmH7P_Z0aiNrUEQfiqQrGJb16TOW-1NWS1CleUm2CHFbpDVljDGhJZuO4sw-lDJ3s5w1XAywEb3EL2pkl-AzvVPB_3rqnixVRRm8NhWq2az5jTbfdt_zJeHvDL4VgpOssnDD0wnQ/s400/Dubai+Conference.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><strong>DUBAI WOMEN’S DIALOGUE ON THE LONDON CONFERENCE ON AFGHANISTAN</strong><br /></div><div> </div><div align="justify">AFGHAN WOMEN’S STATEMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS:<br /><br />We, the leaders and representatives of women NGOs in Afghanistan, deeply concerned about the exclusion of Afghan women in the upcoming London Conference on Afghanistan on 28 January 2010, gathered in Dubai on 23-24 January 2010 and participated in the Dubai Women’s Dialogue conducted by Afghan Women’s Network with the support of UNIFEM Afghanistan Country Office and the Institute for Inclusive Society, to consolidate the messages of Afghan women to the aforementioned Conference.<br /><br />We recognize the achievements of the past eight years in restoring women’s rights under the law, positioning gender in the national strategy, starting the removal of gender based discrimination in laws and policies, promoting women’s participation and leadership in public life, improving women’s access to education and health services, and adopting the National Action Plan for the Women of Afghanistan (NAPWA), among others. All of these should be continued and vigorously implemented throughout the country, particularly by holding all government agencies and senior officials accountable, increasing budgets for gender, and putting more women in decision making positions.<br /><br />Yet, the status of Afghan women continues to be one of the worst in the world. Despite government commitments to improve their well being, they remain underrepresented in all spheres of society and their economic and social status remain a matter of great concern. Although more men die in armed conflict, the women population continues to be lower because of very high maternal mortality rate, which is the second highest in the world. The well-being of women and their contributions are imperatives of sustainable economic growth and the furtherance of a democratic and inclusive society. All measures must be exerted to accelerate the process of bringing women to the mainstream of national life by developing their capacities, creating an enabling environment for the enjoyment of their rights and freedoms, and accelerating the delivery of basic social services nationwide.<br /><br />We expect that the London Conference will result in greater clarity of direction and priorities for the new administration, which includes renewed assurance to implement its existing commitments to Afghan women, backed with increased resources and accountability of public officials. The exclusion of gender in the agenda of the London Conference and the lack of women representatives in the GoIRA’s delegation is a reflection of the low regard that the government gives to the views and concerns of the women population. The results of the London Conference should note the recommendations of the Dubai Women’s Dialogue and the London Women’s Preparatory Conference and include them as working materials for the preparation of the Kabul International Conference on Afghanistan which will take place later in 2010.<br /><br />In regard to the main substantive agenda of the London Conference on Afghanistan, we submit the following concerns and recommendations for consideration:<br /><br /><strong>A. Security </strong><br /><br />1. Our collective experiences in the way peace is being pursued in the country have not been positive. Military presence in our communities results in increased restrictions to our mobility, which disrupts our work, participation in public life, social interactions, family harmony and access to community resources, such as water and fuel. When our men are injured or killed, we are pushed to assume responsibilities for which we have limited skills, less opportunities and very little support from government. We expect our government and the international community to listen to our vision of how peace could be promoted in our communities and incorporate them into existing peace and security approaches.<br /><br />2. While the Government of Afghanistan recognizes that civilian support is a key to the promotion of security, its concept of strengthening civilian support and how it affects women are still unclear. Women experience armed conflict differently and have a more pro-life vision of how peace must be pursued. However, the security sector does not listen and consider women’s ideas within their current frameworks. The security sector should hold a high level dialogue with women leaders to listen to their recommendations on how to strengthen civilian support to security and what they can offer to make it a meaningful reality. Toward this end, we call upon the government and the international community to support a process for women peace advocates to gather before the holding of the planned Peace Jirga after the London Conference to consolidate their positions and choose their representatives to the process. We also wish to emphasize the need to use the result of the Jirga in a way that will not undermine the authority and powers of duly established democratic institutions.<br /><br />3. In framing the national peace and reintegration framework, we stand firm by the principles of ‘no compromise on human rights’ and ‘reconciliation before reintegration’. We are concerned about the lack of consultation and consideration of the needs and views of the citizens, including the women. National healing is the foundation of sustainable peace and this will not be possible unless reintegration is preceded with reconciliation. Granting amnesty and reintegrating ex-Talibans without regard for justice will reinforce the unconstitutionally-passed Amnesty Law in condoning crimes and human rights violations in times of war. This could elicit retributions that will imperil sustainable peace. In no way will we accept a reintegration program that is not based on justice and respect for human rights, including women’s rights. We demand that government inform the citizens about the negotiation deals and the roles and stakes of regional neighbors and the international community in the process.<br /><br />4. Security is an issue that women constantly face within their own families. Their advocacies for women’s rights and gender equality elicit family discord that escalates into domestic violence. Families should be a target of advocacy on non-violence and religious institutions should serve as partners of the State in promoting a more egalitarian and non-violent domestic relations.<br /><br /><strong>B. Development and Governance<br /></strong><br />5. By ratifying the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Government of Afghanistan has an obligation to ensure that laws and policies are free from gender-based discriminatory provisions. It has been observed (with the enactment of the Shia Personal Status Law (SPSL) that the Parliament is likely to continue enacting laws that could violate the policy of equality and non discrimination under the Constitution. Women’s organizations and civil society groups should be consulted in the review and development of national laws and policies. As a matter of procedure, all laws and policies should be subjected to gender assessment before they are adopted, and the capacity of the Parliament for such purpose should be built. It should set up a mechanism to undertake a gender assessment of all legislative proposals and such mechanism should function in close consultation with MOWA and gender advocates.<br /><br />6. Despite the adoption of NAPWA in March 2009, the strategy for its implementation has not yet been clarified. MOWA and the Cluster on Governance should immediately adopt and issue a set of guidelines to accelerate the implementation of NAPWA, particularly in provinces where the needs of women are most serious. The government should also adopt gender sensitive standards for the review, design, implementation, reporting, and monitoring and evaluation of the government’s national priority programs to ensure that they will advance the status of women in accordance with the priorities set under the NAPWA. All existing national programs should also be redesigned to attain the six gender sensitive targets of Afghanistan’s MDGs.<br /><br />7. The rejection by Parliament of the two recent female candidates for the Ministries of Women and Public Health without clear justifications and blatant disregard for the advocacies of women supporters has been very disappointing. Likewise, the 2009 Presidential and Provincial Council Elections marked a decline in women’s political participation, due largely to lack of planning on the part of the government to address Afghan women’s specific challenges and opened the door for reported manipulation of women’s votes for fraudulent purposes. We urge the GoIRA to take stock of where it is now in fulfilling its commitments under the Millennium Development Goal 3 to increase female representation in elected and appointed bodies at all levels of governance to 30% by 2020. In the newly set up government, we strongly press for at least 30% representation of women as decision makers – i.e. as members of the Cabinet and Supreme Court, and as deputy ministers, governors, mayors, and advisers to the President and high level policy mechanisms of government. This is a special imperative to ensure that women are included in peace, reconciliation and security discussions.<br /><br />8. The incidence of violence against women, especially physical violence such as murder, repeated battering, and sexual abuse, continues to be pervasive. A fragile justice system that is incapable of providing effective response contributes to the perpetration of this problem. Existing policy debates around women's political participation tend to overshadow the more urgent need to protect women from violence. The UN Special Rapporteur should pay attention to this reality and systematically raise the issue at the proper level to find swift solutions, including the development of capacities among the pillars of the justice system, health, and educational institutions in order to prevent, protect and secure justice for Afghan women who experience violence.<br /><br />9. In the implementation of the Sub-national Governance Policy, the accountability and mechanism for ensuring gender responsiveness of sub-national governance should be established. It is recommended that local councils on gender equality be formed within high level bodies that make policies/decisions and coordinate actions on sub-national development. Likewise, there is a need to assess the effectiveness of national programs in promoting women’s empowerment and gender equality. We reject the practice of using women-specific resources to build infrastructures and other projects without consultation with women, and we urge that such resources be used for the development of women’s capacities.<br /><br />10. Aid effectiveness has been an issue in Afghanistan. More and more resources for peace and development in the country are being used outside of the government framework for projects that are seen as unsustainable and not in line with the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) priorities. More importantly, such projects have not been effective in promoting women’s empowerment and gender equality. The Elimination of Violence against Women Special Fund administered by UNIFEM should be used as an example of how donors could work together and more effectively around a gender issue. There is a need for an oversight body on aid effectiveness for Afghanistan to address this issue. The TOR of this body should include attention to cross cutting concerns including gender and should make provisions for voices of women to be heard in its planning and decision making activities.<br /><br />11. The quota or affirmative policies in the Constitution had shown very positive results. We urge the government to expand the implementation of quota and other affirmative action policies to promote the participation of women in all aspects of life.<br /><br />12. We are concerned about the systematic exclusion of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MOWA) from vital processes and mechanisms, including in the London Conference on Afghanistan. We recommend that MOWA be a member of the Governance Cluster. Its participation in all levels of policy making should be ensured and support should be provided to continue the strengthening of its capacity for policy advocacy on women’s empowerment and gender equality. In addition, representation of women in all government clusters must be ensured.<br /><br />14. The Terms of Reference (TORs) for international advisors to be deployed in Afghanistan should incorporate clear requirements for gender capacity. We also demand that gender balance and gender perspective be ensured in the selection of advisors to be deployed in the country.<br /><br /><strong>C. Regional Engagement<br /></strong><br />We have very positive experiences on regional cooperation around the promotion of women’s rights and gender equality within the region. However, many of our engagements with groups and counterparts in the neighboring countries continue to be outside of the national framework for regional cooperation. We urge the government to give women a space in re-thinking the focus and scope of its regional cooperation framework and consider gender as a key aspect of regional engagement on security, reintegration, and economic cooperation.<br /><br />The absence of gender perspective on regional cooperation is evident. The government should utilize the existing regional coordination and cross border agreements to promote women’s advancement, particularly on women’s trade, capacity development, education, health, leadership, participation in the regional peace processes, and strengthening of national women’s machineries. The governments in the region should involve their national women’s machineries in their regional cooperation initiatives and ensure that such cooperation fosters women’s well being across borders.<br /><br />We expect the international community and our government to consider the above statements and recommendations and pay attention to the voices of Afghan women whose perspectives, energies and potentials are essential to sustainable peace and the attainment of the goals of the ANDS.<br /><br /><strong>On our part, we commit to:<br /></strong><br />Utilize the above analysis and recommendations to mobilize nationwide engagement of Afghan women in national and local development processes, including the preparations for the Kabul Conference;<br /><br />Foster solidarity and sisterhood among Afghan women, leading to the development of a vibrant Afghan women’s movement with support base in all provinces;<br /><br />Continue to build our partnership with men in every possible opportunity and initiate a dialogue towards a shared vision to strengthen their roles and contributions to the promotion of gender equality;<br /><br />Further strengthen our partnership with international agencies working for the promotion of women’s advancement, especially in providing meaningful and organized support to the government in implementing NAPWA and other commitments on gender equality; and<br /><br />Optimize the use of media and non-traditional communication technology to accelerate sharing of information and improve communication among women, organizations and individuals working for the advancement of Afghan women.<br /><br />Adopted this 24th January 2010 in Metropolitan Dubai Hotel, City of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. </div>Peace with Justicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860174057707986117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780416407637387155.post-60730009941673541302009-07-13T06:43:00.000-07:002009-07-13T06:49:06.354-07:00Photographer Paula Lerner: "Without balance we get a very skewed picture."Photographer Paula Lerner: "Without balance, we get a very skewed picture."<br /><a href="http://www.altmuslimah.com/a/b/a/3108/">http://www.altmuslimah.com/a/b/a/3108/</a><br />By Abbas Jaffer, June 5, 2009<br /><br /><a href="http://www.altmuslimah.com/a?URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lernerphoto.com">Paula Lerner</a> has been reaching out to the women of Afghanistan ever since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2002. As a photographer and activist, she has seen the unique challenges and triumphs of women's rights activists there. I asked her about her involvement in Afghan women's development, as well as her views on the recent Sitara Achakzai murder and the dangers Afghan women face when advocating for broader rights.<br /><br />When did you begin traveling to Afghanistan and working with the Business Council for Peace?<br /><br />I have been to Afghanistan five times, beginning in 2005. The first three trips I was part of a team of volunteers working with the <a href="http://www.altmuslimah.com/a?URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bpeace.org">Business Council for Peace</a>, a non-profit organization that helps women establish and grow self-sustaining businesses. Their motto is that more jobs mean less violence. My role on the team was to document Bpeace programs with photographs, with audio interviews and sound recordings. In 2006 I collaborated with the <a href="http://www.altmuslimah.com/a?URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com">Washington Post</a> to produce an award-winning multimedia feature about this group of unusual businesswomen, which is archived <a href="http://www.altmuslimah.com/a?URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fwp-srv%2Fworld%2Finteractives%2Fafghanistanwomen%2F">online</a>. My last two trips I spent primarily in Kandahar working on a separate project about women in that city.<br /><br />Do you see Afghanistan as a culturally divided country, between northern areas like Herat and Mazar-e-Sharif and southern Kandahar and Helmand provinces? Is the coverage on Afghanistan in the U.S. painting an accurate portrayal of what's really going on there?<br /><br />I have so far only spent time in Kabul and Kandahar, and unfortunately have not yet been to Herat and Mazar-e-Sharif, so I do not feel well informed enough to answer the first part of the question. As for the media coverage of Afghanistan in the U.S., I feel that it is generally not as in-depth or well rounded as it should be, and for that reason it is also not as accurate as it should be. In general, the coverage is limited, and heavily focused on the military and on the Taliban insurgency. There is very little coverage of daily life, or stories that would give Americans a better understanding of the cultural complexities or the human side of the Afghan people. Without that balance, I feel we get a very skewed picture. And with only a steady diet of skewed, mostly negative stories, I feel our capacity for compassion - and also for real understanding - is stunted. Since I am something of an "Afghanistan watcher," I monitor news reports about Afghanistan from many sources world wide. Between that and personal reports I get from friends and contacts on the ground, I feel I can get a much more accurate picture of what is happening there than from the general coverage in the American media.<br /><br />Sitara Achikzai – the women’s rights activist recently killed by the Taliban – can you tell us a bit about her efforts and the challenges she faced?<br /><br />Sitara Achakzai was an intelligent, educated, articulate and vibrant woman who was working very hard to improve the situation of men, women and children in her home province of Kandahar. As an elected member of the Kandahar Provincial Council, she had a price on her head, as do all of the council's members. It’s very hard to be outspoken about issues of rights and justice when one is constantly under the threat of death. She was very brave to continue her efforts under such circumstances. Her murder was a cowardly and dishonorable act on the part of the perpetrators. Afghanistan needs more people like Sitara Achakzai, not fewer of them.A few weeks before her murder, I did an in-depth interview with Mrs. Achakzai, and one of the things she told me that she was most proud of was that she and the other three women on the Provincial Council are recognized as being more honest and less corrupt than some of the male members of the council. When men in the province would bring a petition to the Council, some of them would seek out her and the other women to act as their representative on the case because of this. One of them even told her that at the next election he would vote only for women because he felt the women were more honest and capable than the men. She talked at length about how she was proud to be a part of that.<br /><br />In your view, how is the situation in Kandahar unique for women’s rights work compared to the rest of Afghanistan?<br /><br />Unlike for women in some other parts of Afghanistan, when the Taliban fell in 2001, not much changed for women in Kandahar. Because Kandahar is the Taliban homeland and the city from which the Taliban sprang, the fall of the regime didn't change the culture in the region. This means that the repression of women's rights imposed by the Taliban, such as the prohibition of the education of girls, of women working outside the home, of women to even leave home without a male escort, in large part, continues today even though none of this is mandated by law anymore. This is not unique to Kandahar, but it is certainly different than the experience of women in the capital city of Kabul and some other parts of the country.<br /><br />Who else would you cite as examples of women’s rights leaders in Afghanistan?<br /><br />For security reasons I would rather not mention names right now. The women I know whom I would cite are trying to keep a low profile, and for their security I think it best not to call attention to them at this time. I hope that will change in the near future.<br /><br />What do you think the role of Western women should be in wanting to help Afghan women? How would you characterize these interactions?<br /><br />I have seen firsthand some amazing efforts on the part of Western women to reach out to Afghan women. My first contact with Afghan women was through the Business Council for Peace, which has a very hands-on and practical approach to helping Afghan businesswomen. The Western women were successful businesswomen who reached out to advise, train and, in some cases, help launch their sisters in Afghanistan. What was beautiful to see about these interactions was that this was a clear case of Western women offering a hand up, not a hand out. I think this kind of effort is exactly what we in the West should be focusing on if we wish to improve things in Afghanistan. I saw many strong friendships develop between the Bpeace members and the Afghan women in the program, which have lasted over time. I think it’s fair to say that on both sides the women’s lives were changed in a positive way. Other groups that I have seen doing similarly good work is Women for Afghan Women and Project Artemis at the Thunderbird School of Global Management, to name a few.<br /><br />What are some accomplishments that Afghan women have achieved that don't always get highlighted in the mainstream media?<br /><br />There are many women's success stories that go under reported in the mainstream media. Over the last four years I have personally interviewed Afghan women in business, the media, and in politics who are doing outstanding things in their fields but whose stories are for the most part unknown in the West. On just this last trip in March I met with women in traditional garment-making and embroidery businesses, women who are beekeepers and honey producers, and women who manufacture soccer balls. Collectively they employ hundreds of other women and have a significant impact on their communities, both financially and as role models. Part of my personal mission as a photojournalist and multimedia producer is to shine a light on these women, and to tell their stories to a larger audience in order to give a more balanced perspective on the experience of women in Afghanistan.<br /><br />Abbas Jaffer is Associate Editor of Altmuslimah.Peace with Justicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860174057707986117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780416407637387155.post-5238277054894993022009-05-08T08:15:00.001-07:002009-05-08T08:17:32.329-07:00More Women Candidates Needed for Elections, Afghanistan<div id="link"><p>http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/EGUA-7RTM29?OpenDocument<br />Source: <a href="http://www.unama-afg.org/">United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)</a><br />Date: 07 May 2009<br /><i>By Nilab Mobarez, UNAMA</i> </p></div> <div id="attachments"> <!-- START BOTTOM Attachments links --> </div> <!-- END BOTTOM Attachments links --> <div id="docBody"><p>There are concerns for the participation of women candidates in this year's elections in Afghanistan. Friday, 8 May marks the last chance for candidates to register for the 20 August presidential and provincial council elections. </p><p>So far only 177 out of the 1,575 registered candidates are women, less than nine per cent of the total number of candidates. </p><p>One hundred and twenty four seats on provincial councils are reserved for women according to Afghanistan's Election Law. </p><p>"We are really concerned because with this trend we are loosing rights that we got with a lot of difficulties," said Kabul Member of Parliament Mrs Shinkai Karokhil. "Among the many reasons for this problem are the weaknesses of the provincial councils at the local level, insecurity, lack of cooperation of male leaders in a male dominated society, the lack of political will of the Government and the poverty that women are facing." </p><p>Dr Daoud Najafi of Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission added: "Either security or economic issues are the main reasons of this trend." </p><p>According to the Election Law each provincial council candidate should present the signatures and voter registration card numbers from 200 supporters as part of the registration process (10,000 signatures are required for presidential candidates). </p><p>"A number of men do not give their voter cards for women to qualify nor give economical support to this very poor part of the population," said Mrs Karokhil. "The consequences of this situation are that we are going back toward a society controlled with only one gender. This is a failure of democracy because if women do not go to the provincial councils today, then they will not go to parliamentary election tomorrow and finally women will again be excluded from political participation." </p><p>Around 49 per cent of Afghanistan's population of approximately 24 million is female. A very low literacy rate estimated at around 16 percent for women compared to 31 per cent for men and a high mortality rate standing at around 1,600 to 1,900 deaths per 100,000 live births, or the second highest maternal mortality rate in the world, contribute to the plight of women in Afghanistan. </p><p>Following the parliamentary and provincial council elections in 2005 women held 121 out of the 420 provincial council seats; the remaining three seats had to be given to men. In parliament women gained 27 per cent of the seats with women holding 68 out of the 249 seats in the Wolesi Jirga (Lower House), and 23 out of the 102 seats in the Meshrano Jirga (Upper House). </p><p>In terms of the executive and judicial bodies in Afghanistan there is only one female cabinet minister, while almost 26 per cent of civil servants and 30 per cent of farmers are women. </p><p>So far two women have registered as presidential candidates for 2009 compared to one presidential and two vice presidential candidates in 2004. </p><p>Figures show that the number of women who registered for elections in Afghanistan increased from 41.5 per cent in 2004 to 44 per cent in 2005 but has decreased to 38 per cent for the 2009 vote. </p></div>Peace with Justicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860174057707986117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780416407637387155.post-60126202177041636942009-05-06T03:29:00.000-07:002009-05-06T03:30:20.513-07:00Taliban Murders Women's Rights Activist(Kandahar, Afghanistan) Provincial council member, women's rights activist and high school teacher Sitara Achikzai (also Achekzai) was murdered in Kandahar last weekend by four gunmen on two motorbikes.<br /><br />Sadly, Mrs. Achekzai was brutally killed as she was exiting her vehicle in front of her house.<br /><br />Officials said the attack happened in broad daylight. The Taliban have claimed responsibility. Friends said Mrs Achakzai was returning from a provincial council meeting; her assassins were lying in wait nearby.<br /><br />“This cold-blooded assassination puts in question the direction that Afghanistan is heading,” warned Wenny Kusuma, the director of the United Nations Development fund for Women in Afghanistan. “There is no respect for the rule of law.”<br /><br />Mrs. Achikzai was planning on leaving Afghanistan because of the security situation. She already had a ticket for a flight out on May 1.<br /><br />Mrs. Achekzai's death is a major loss for the women's rights movement in Afghanistan.Peace with Justicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860174057707986117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780416407637387155.post-1115056265810029832009-05-06T03:24:00.000-07:002009-05-06T03:27:58.561-07:00Taliban assassins gun down female provincial council member<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPxnvVYH0H6nvhHrjCcvFyLrOOfYumuf-KiPsg7Oe7MpV1eCn3rSv5tZ0EzUEUPBk6qItb33bMUs9Gn8bH752woLKLLBUlAOfxoBwyFStBsBW2lUIS8CNbgis9ZsgdCQSPeyb3P5lXwH4/s1600-h/Sitara-Achikzai-thumb.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332655547919387938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 255px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPxnvVYH0H6nvhHrjCcvFyLrOOfYumuf-KiPsg7Oe7MpV1eCn3rSv5tZ0EzUEUPBk6qItb33bMUs9Gn8bH752woLKLLBUlAOfxoBwyFStBsBW2lUIS8CNbgis9ZsgdCQSPeyb3P5lXwH4/s400/Sitara-Achikzai-thumb.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />(note Sitara's blue scarf)<br /><br /><div><a href="http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2009/04/taliban_assassins_gu.ph">http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2009/04/taliban_assassins_gu.ph</a></div><div>April 13, 2009 12:09 AM</div><div> </div><div>The Taliban assassinated a female member of Kandahar's provincial council in a drive-by shooting in the insurgency-plagued southern province.<br /><br />Sitara Achekzai, a female member of the Kandahar provincial council, was shot to death in broad daylight by unknown assassins in southern Kandahar province on Sunday. A spokesman for the Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack. Sitara died shortly after four men traveling on two motorbikes opened fire as she exited a vehicle in front of her house, provincial police chief Maitullah Qateh Khan told the Associated Press. Sitara, a proponent of women’s rights, had returned to Kandahar in 2004 after living in exile in Germany during the Taliban era.<br /><br />On April 1, the Taliban attacked a Kandahar provincial council meeting shortly before noon, unleashing five suicide bombers in a complex assault that left 13 people dead including provincial education minister Mohammad Anwar Khan and the deputy of the provincial public health department, Dr. Abdulhai Razmal. Sitara Achekzai, who also attended the ill-fated meeting, suffered shrapnel wounds to her face after one of the bombers succeeded in penetrating the building’s main lobby and detonated, collapsing parts of the roof. Six of the ten policemen tasked with securing the building were among those killed in the attack.<br /><br />Abdul Wali Karzai, a provincial council member and brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, told Pajhwok News that the head of the rural development department, Eng Abdul Latif Ashna; council members Bismillah Afghanmal and Haji Syed Jan Khakrizwal; and an official of UNAMA's political branch, Mujeebur Rehman, all were injured during the attack.<br /><br />Taliban officials have reportedly offered 200,000 Pakistani rupees, around $2,500, to anyone who murders a councilor.<br /><br />The Taliban have a long history of attacking both provincial council meetings and high profile female personalities in Kandahar. In November, a suicide truck bomber detonated a fuel tanker truck near a government compound hosting a provincial council meeting. The massive blast killed six people, wounded 42 others, destroyed five nearby homes, and damaged the provincial intelligence headquarters. General Rahmatullah Raufi, the governor of Kandahar province at the time, said that two of the dead were provincial intelligence officers.<br /><br />Last September, the Taliban assassinated Captain Malalai Kakar, the top female police officer for Kandahar, in a similar brazen daylight attack that included motorbike assassins shooting her point blank in the head as her son drove her to work. At the time of her death, Ms. Kakar was head of Kandahar’s department of crimes against women.<br /><br />Other Kandahari commanders and MPs have also been targeted and killed. Two Taliban suicide bombers succeeded in penetrating Kandahar’s provincial police headquarters in September and nearly assassinated the Border Police Commander Abdul Razzaq. On July 7, 2008, MP Habibullah Jan was shot dead by assassins after visiting an Army base in the Zhari district. In February 2008, a Taliban suicide bomber killed at least 55 people including a pro-government militia commander named Abdul Hakim Jan at a dog-fighting match in the Arghandab district of Kandahar. </div>Peace with Justicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860174057707986117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780416407637387155.post-86209560724311048092009-05-06T02:42:00.000-07:002009-05-06T03:33:07.959-07:00the Amazing Life of our Afghan Sister Sitara Achekzai<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvhr_LguoW9RLhS5-qctRoQn3equIXrP8RmWuJR5OOQPArvVPC_DhyVBYSYSoXeHVYr3l6WVWMNnA_cu9Q71QYBkubDegMMLDNjYJ02UvDqFWuoOw1kUjQfNRA-h-BmDfWxurjWKU5xD0/s1600-h/sitara.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332645408238694114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvhr_LguoW9RLhS5-qctRoQn3equIXrP8RmWuJR5OOQPArvVPC_DhyVBYSYSoXeHVYr3l6WVWMNnA_cu9Q71QYBkubDegMMLDNjYJ02UvDqFWuoOw1kUjQfNRA-h-BmDfWxurjWKU5xD0/s400/sitara.jpg" border="0" /></a> Photo by Paula Lerner.<br /><br /><div>The life of Sitara Achekzai (4:00)<br />April 27, 2009<br /></div><div></div><div><a href="http://www.theworld.org/node/25988">http://www.theworld.org/node/25988</a><br /><br />We hear about the remarkable life of Sitara Achekzai. She was born and raised in Kandahar -- a city known as the birthplace of the Taliban. Sitara served as a local legislator in Kandahar, where she was a vocal proponent of women's rights. Earlier this month, she was shot and killed outsider her home.<br /><br />Read the Transcript </div><div><br />This text below is a phonetic transcript of a radio story broadcast by PRI's THE WORLD. It has been created on deadline by a contractor for PRI. The transcript is included here to facilitate internet searches for audio content. Please report any transcribing errors to <a href="mailto:theworld@pri.org">theworld@pri.org</a>. This transcript may not be in its final form, and it may be updated. Please be aware that the authoritative record of material distributed by PRI's THE WORLD is the program audio.<br />LISA MULLINS: We’d like to take a couple of minutes here to tell you about a remarkable Afghan woman. Her name was Sitara Achekzai. She was born and raised in Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban. Achekzai served as a local council member in Kandahar. She used her position to advocate for women’s rights. Earlier this month, Achekzai was shot and killed outside her home. The government of Afghanistan blamed the attack on “enemies of Afghanistan,” that’s code for the Taliban. The resurgence of the Islamist movement has made Kandahar increasingly dangerous. Women rarely go out on their own anymore. It was a lot different when Sitara Achekzai was growing up in the 1960s and ‘70s. Here’s how she described it last month, just a few weeks before she was murdered. </div><div><br />SITARA ACHEKZAI: It was much easier to ask for our rights then than it is now. My family was the first family to allow its women to ride on a bicycle in Kandahar city. My sister-in-law was the first woman to come out in public unveiled, and she was also the first woman to ride a bicycle. I was a girl at that time. And I remember my father always telling his children, us kids, “rights are not given, they’re taken.” And so by buying us bicycles and riding bicycles, we were taking our rights.<br /><br />MULLINS: Sitara Achekzai went to college. She taught high school and she became a principal. Then she moved to Germany. She married an Afghan man living there. The couple didn’t have children. And Sitara Achekzai said she had mixed feelings about that.<br /></div><div>ACHEKZAI: No, I’m not bitter, because I also have to admit that I’m like a man. I’ve always been raised like a man: independent, always doing things on my own. So to be quite honest, I really didn’t have the patience to raise kids, but I wanted it because it’s the tradition of the world. You know, husband and wife have kids.</div><div><br />MULLINS: In 2003, Achekzai and her husband returned to Afghanistan to help their country. She said it wasn’t easy. </div><div><br />ACHEKZAI: I have made a sacrifice of choosing to come and work and live in Kandahar. Nobody asked me to come. I left my comfortable life in Germany, a peaceful life in Germany, to come and be here. I’m happy to be doing what I’m doing. </div><div><br />MULLINS: What Achekzai was doing was serving as one of four women on Kandahar’s Provincial Council. Local men would go to the council to air grievances and petition for relief. </div><div><br />ACHEKZAI: One pride that I’m happy to note is that after this many times, many of the people who come to bring complaints to us, they’re old men – but they will come and ask for me or the women to be their representatives for their case, because they’ve proven. they’ve seen now that the women are less corrupt and that they will truly hear the voices and requests of the people. So this is my pride. This is what I have done. I’m also happy to note that most of the people who come, they say the next elections they will vote for women, women only, because they see that women are doing a better job, and I’m part of that. </div><div><br />MULLINS: Sitara Achekzai, from a conversation with photojournalist Paula Lerner back in March. Thanks to Stoorai Ayazi for her help in the translation. Sitara Achekzai was gunned down on her way home from work on April 12th. She was 52 years old.</div>Peace with Justicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860174057707986117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780416407637387155.post-71356880252869808912009-04-13T06:11:00.001-07:002010-02-08T03:40:55.509-08:00Peace With Justice Activist Killed Outside her Home in Kandahar<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0_6iZBbHchckt02qekv3S6yBIJYU1eSi2wJ9Lh30-5fWlJrfaI5VLNIudEcssc905d7jBMn087ozCZ4jTxJNFslQSHuqFVfw6cdep_N1RR9HCil-01ELq3q0GanWiOufvKsS0VA7SFUQ/s1600-h/sitara.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435836214187922018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 294px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0_6iZBbHchckt02qekv3S6yBIJYU1eSi2wJ9Lh30-5fWlJrfaI5VLNIudEcssc905d7jBMn087ozCZ4jTxJNFslQSHuqFVfw6cdep_N1RR9HCil-01ELq3q0GanWiOufvKsS0VA7SFUQ/s400/sitara.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">Yesterday Sitara Achakzai, an Afghan woman’s human rights defender and Provincial Council member from Kandahar, Afghanistan, was killed outside her home for daring to prove that women can be leaders for peace, change and equality.<br /><br />The first time we met Sitara, who returned to Afghanistan from Germany in 2004, she discussed her country in depth. She told us that while it would be a long struggle, women and men of Afghanistan must work together to demand women’s rights, and that equal power would never be achieved without a struggle. She described peace as a calm in which the rule of law could be implemented justly, and described a true leader as a person with a vision for equality and change. Throughout our three days with Sitara in February of this year, she astounded us with her bravery, courage and strength.<br /><br />‘In other countries, day by day, human rights develop. But in Afghanistan, sometimes it feels like they move backwards.’ Despite this challenge, in 2008 and 2009 she and two friends gathered 2,000 Kandahari women in a mosque in the heart of Kandahar to call for their vision – a vision of peace with justice, and to hold those in power accountable to the voices of women.<br /><br />Her killing was a cold-blooded act of cowardice, a means of refusing to engage in debate and dialogue, of silencing a powerful majority of the country through fear and violence. Sitara symbolized what Afghan women leaders pose nationally – a vocal minority, asking for change, asking questions about the role of women in Afghanistan, and demanding inclusion in the reconstruction and development of their homeland.<br /><br />The killing of women like Sitara not only has tremendous personal ramifications for family and friends, but social repercussions that cannot be understated. Her killing silences thousands of other women and men in Afghanistan who believe that human rights are not a western imposition, but are central to their understanding of Islam, and to their beliefs and cultures.<br /><br />The remaining few people who continue to bravely speak out in defense of human rights, both men and women’s, are crucial to the future of Afghanistan. Attacks on their lives are not spontaneous. They are premeditated and forewarned. Weeks and months before Sitara’s death she was telling anyone who would listen of her fears. An attack on women and men like Sitara is an attack on all human rights defenders. Brave women and men willing to stand up and be heard on issues of human rights must be supported and they must be protected. Violence with impunity must not be allowed to continue, and the Government of Afghanistan and the international community must join in holding the perpetrators of Sitara’s murder accountable to this standard.</div>Peace with Justicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860174057707986117noreply@blogger.com0