Mr Rooholamin Amini (Deputy director of Armanshahr Foundation), moderator of Armanshahr’s 118th Goftegu public debate that was held on 3 July 2013, presented a report on the activities of Armanshahr in the past seven years as follows.
This is the story of 16 years of experience, with seven years of it in Afghanistan, and lots of ups and downs. In the past seven years, a small group by the name of Armanshahr has produced more than 100,000 copies of books and 118 Goftegu public debates as well as engaged in national and international advocacies to fulfil human rights; to achieve freedom of humans.
The title of this Goftegu is “discussion of a cultural policy” because our policy in the past seven years has consisted of perseverance in listening to the elite and telling the citizens to institutionalise the culture of dialogue and offering it as an alternative to war, spreading knowledge at the service of humans.
118 invitation letters of Armanshahr bear the phrase “Goftegu, a bridge between the elite and the citizens.” This indicates our emphasis on using the reserves of the elite of the society to solve the crisis. The citizens play a fundamental role. They are neither subjects nor people but dedicated actors who are conscious of their rights and respect the rights of others. If they vote, they will vote consciously; if they do not vote, that will also be a conscious act.
We are living in a society where, despite the symbolic existence of democracy, there are people who talk of Subjects. However, in all these years, we have worked for citizens – a concept far beyond subject and people.
We managed to address more than 20,000 people and listen to more than 200 speakers in the past seven years. We sought a long-term programme that led to cultural policy-making; publication of more than 100,000 copies of books; 32 issues of Armanshahr periodical; more than 700 films in our YouTube channel; 118 Goftegu public debates; scores of reports and statements; several cultural-artistic festivals and plays; production of several documentaries as well as national and international interventions.
Publications
Armanshahr has provided more than 100,000 copies of books to the citizens for free. Besides, it has contributed to supply of information to justice activists by disseminating knowledge through publications, website and social networks. Most books of Armanshahr are available online through Armanshahr’s website.
Throughout these years, we have dispatched caravans of books to various corners of this lingual geography: Badakhshan, Balkh, Bamiyan, Daikandi and Kandahar. We also sent a caravan of books to the city of Dushanbe in Tajikistan and held the final ceremonies of the first and second Simorgh international peace Festival in the National Library of Tajikistan.
Armanshahr books are published in the following series: Let’s break the silence; Goftegu; Simorgh; Women; Children and Young People; and Politis Asia.
“Let’s break the silence” series includes books on human rights and narratives of the war victims. The series includes such titles as A Practical Guide for Victims to the International Criminal Court, Against Oblivion, the Past Enlightens the Future, Afghanistan in Search of Truth and Justice, A Review of War Ruins.
The “Simorgh” series includes leading works of writers from Afghanistan and other parts of the world: Flames of Love, Calligraphy of Master Najibullah Anwari; The end of the three invulnerable, articles by Ranavard Zaryab; Simorgh’s Feather (Selected poems of Simorgh Peace Prize); 1984 and Animal Farm by George Orwell; Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Douglas Bradbury.
The “Women” series includes such titles as Justice for Women in War and Peace; Nothing can be said in fifty years (collection of poems) by Homeira Nekhat; A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf.
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry; the illustrated Universal Declaration of Human Rights for Children and Adolescents; The Emperor’s New Clothes and 44 other stories by Hans Christian Andersen have been published in the Children and Young People’s series.
Politis asia periodical is one of the important aspects of Armanshahr publications, which deals with the most important strategic issues in Afghanistan and worldwide. The series has included such titles as Violations of Human Rights and US Policy, NATO, Exceptions to Democracy and Decline of Empires, Discrimination and Political Participation of Women-Role of Education, War and City, and Federalism and Democracy.
32 issues of the bilingual “Armanshahr – human rights and civil society periodical” have been published so far. It is also available online.
On the other hand, four separate weekly human rights news bulletins (“7-day human rights newsletter”) are published about Afghanistan, Iran, International Issues and Women. They are disseminated by e-mail to 20,000 recipients.
The Armanshahr website aims to create the most comprehensive source of human rights instruments and establish an international women’s network.
Goftegu public debates
Armanshahr Goftegu public debates have been held in the cities of Kabul, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif and Badakhshan in the past seven years. The first Goftegu meeting was concerned with an appraisal of Ahmad Shamlu, poet of humanity and freedom, it Kabul. Over the past seven years, the public debates have dealt with different political, social, human rights and women’s issues, such as “a decade of international presence in Afghanistan”, “Afghanistan women’s movement, national and transnational experiences”, “In search of truth and justice in Afghanistan” and film shows and concerts, as well as plays such as Two Women, Two Poets; Simorgh at Mount Qaf; Simorgh Peace Caravan (with famous theatre actors of Tajikistan).
In this framework, special face-to-face meetings were held in the context of the presidential and parliamentary elections, where candidates met the people to report their programs and to answer their questions.
In addition, our activities have included weekly book reading and critique meetings, statements on different occasions in defence of human rights and justice, national and international interventions, cooperation with other civil, human rights and cultural institutions.
Throughout these years we have tried to cooperate with progressive, civil, cultural, and academic institutions, an example of which is our consistent cooperation with the French Institute Afghanistan during the past seven years. Armanshahr’s first Goftegu was held in this hall and today we are eyewitness to its 118th session. About 70% of the Goftegu meetings have been held in this hall.
Our activities have never been accidental. We publish books, hold dialogues, award a peace prize, organise film festivals, and all these activities serve to achieve a progressive society. Those activities cover a much bigger scope than the present political borders.
We have cooperated with various groups and campaigns, e.g. Transitional Justice Coordination Group or Women’s 50% Campaign, out of respect for collective action to achieve a common social goal. We have consistently supported progressive institutions, groups and individuals and have asked for their support.
We believe that it is impossible to achieve freedom and progress without women’s participation. Indeed, without their active participation in all political, social, economic and cultural domains, one cannot talk of any achievement.
We express our gratitude to all those who have worked with us and help us; all those who have addressed or been moderators in our meetings; all those who have participated in our programmes and all institutions that have cooperated with us. Let’s hope to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Armanshahr together.
