84th Goftegu Public Debate:‌ The Message of the People of Afghanistan to BONN II نسخه فارسی

To mark International day of Elimination of violence against women and Human Rights and Victims of human rights violations days,

Armanshahr Foundation/OPEN ASIA* in collaboration with the French Institute of Afghanistan and 14 civil and Human rights organisations is pleased to invite you to its 84th (year VI)  public debate GOFTEGU.

First screening of: EYE (I) WITNESS, documentary by Rafi Behrooziyan and Alka Sadat, produced by Armanshahr Foundation/OPEN ASIA and FIDH

Presentation of A Hand book of Transitional Justice A to Z, Armanshahr publishing (the first bilingual glossary of its kind)

The Message of the People of Afghanistan to BONN II

Speakers: WazirAhmad Khorrami (head of PR of Civil Society and Human Rights Network and member of Civil Society Working Committee), Parlemantarian Shahgol Rezayi, Selay  Ghaffar (elected civil society participant at Bonn II), Professor Davoud Moradian (American University), Bary Salam and Zia Mobalegh (elected civil society participants at Bonn II)

Discussant: Ajmal Balouchzada

*Member of the International Federation for Human Rights –FIDH

People’s message to Bonn Conference

The 84th (6^th year) Goftegu, a bridge between the elite and the citizens, of Armanshahr Foundation, was held at the French Cultural Institute in Kabul on 24^th November 2011 with the title of “People’s message to Bonn Conference.”[1] The meeting marked the approaching Human Rights Day, the National Day of Victims in Afghanistan and the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and it was organised in cooperation with the working group.[2] About 120 members of the civil society, students and human rights activists took part in the meeting.

A Handbook of Transitional Justice – A-Z, the first bilingual Persian-English dictionary of transitional justice terms in the world, newly published by Armanshahr, was made available to human rights activists and students at this meeting.

First, “Eyewitness” was screened. This is a documentary film made by Rafii Behroozian and Elka Sadat that mainly deals with the stories of the wartime and the suffering of the people of Afghanistan, and it was applauded by the participants.

Ms Shahgol Rezaei (Member of Parliament), and Messrs Wazir Ahmad Khorrami (public relations director of Civil Society and Human Rights Network), Davood Moradian (professor of American University in Afghanistan), Barry Salaam (member of Civil Society delegation in Bonn Conference) and Zia Moballegh (member of Civil Society delegation in Bonn conference) were speakers of the meeting.

Mr Khorrami:
The German Embassy organised the meeting with the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) and the German FES, KAS and Heinrich Boell Foundation on 4^th July 2011 where it was suggested that theAIHRC should assume coordination of the civil society institutions and Ms Sima Samar accepted the responsibility.

They civil society institutions met atAIHRC an 11th of July, when the message of the German Embassy was communicated to the participants. The German Embassy expected the civil society to play a prominent role in the Bonn Conference and bring a unified message there. The participants decided to establish a working committee, which later organised a consultation conference in Kabul on 20^th September, where 80 delegates took part. Subsequently other conferences were organised in various provinces and finally 34 people were elected from among whom Ms Saly Ghaffar and Mr Barry Salaam were picked to take the message of civil society institutions to the conference on 5 ^Th December in Germany.

Ms Shahgol Rezaei:
The conference provides a good opportunity for Afghanistan if we take part in it with complete readiness.

The government of Afghanistan must pay more attention to the rule of law, establishment of justice and development of infrastructures. On the other hand, the process of transition must be compatible with the objective conditions and realities of the society. The government has a duty to explain why the peace process failed. Giving in to the blackmail of extremist groups caused that failure. There was not a clear definition of the enemy and the government’s prerequisites for the process were not effective. We stand for peace combined with justice in our country. The Parliament of Afghanistan does not play a role in the Bonn conference and the government has arranged its agenda.

Mr Barry Salaam:
The civil society institutions tried to take a message to the Bonn conference that would be based on the realities of the society. Under the present conditions, there is no rule of law, lawbreaking and law evading have been rooted and corruption is the order of the day in government departments. Our neighbours have consistently interfered in our affairs and have challenged the progress of Afghanistan. The international community can help reduce such interferences by exerting pressures.

Justice must never be subject of deals. The basic rights of the citizens and women as well as the demands of the war victims must be taken into account in the peace and reconciliation process.

Mr Moradian:
The Bonn conference was expected to engage in discussion of major issues of the country and provide a good opportunity for the future of Afghanistan. However, it seems that it will be a show to some extent. We need three pacts in Afghanistan: 1) a pact among Afghans; 2) a pact with the region; 3) a pact between Afghanistan and the international communities.

The most important of all is the one among the Afghans. That will lead to a solution within the country through the people of this land. There are deep divisions in our society, including ethnic, religious, political, economic and racial divisions, which should be recognised.

The inefficiency of government departments, the extensive problem of structural corruption and poverty are some of the problems. Regional cooperation can be achieved through preventing of the interferences of neighbouring countries.

Mr Zia Moballegh:
At present, everybody favours slogans for change. We have left behind the period of transition and we must now concentrate on stability. There are many obstacles ahead of an enduring peace in the country. One of the major obstacles is the absence of implementation of laws. The government has failed to take positive measures to bring about a democratic society. The government’s self-rule, power concentration, disruption of the balance of power and, above all, the conflict of tradition and modernism have made the bureaucratic structures vulnerable. There is concern that the peace process may fail to fulfil the demands of the victims and establish justice.