Afghanistan

The statutes of 4th Simorgh International Peace Prize were awarded on Human Rights Day (10th December 2015) in the context of the Human Rights Week and simultaneously with the 19th anniversary of Armanshahr’s establishment.

Armanshahr Foundation/OPEN ASIA organised educational workshops during the Human Rights Week (7-10 December 2015) on CEDAW, and UN Resolutions 1325 and 1820 concerning women, conflict and war.

The 154th Goftegu – Dialogue – meeting of Armanshahr Foundation/OPEN ASIA was held at the European Union Delegation premises in Kabul on 10 December 2015

Armanshahr – “Human Rights Week” in pictures

The second day of Human Rights Week started on 8 December 2015 at the EU Delegation premises. The topic of discussion was “What does transitional justice mean to people of Afghanistan? From good will to will power and action to build peace on national level.

The 152nd Goftegu – Dialogue – meeting of Armanshahr Foundation/OPEN ASIA was held at the European Union Delegation premises in Kabul on 7 December 2015, in collaboration with and with the support of the EU, the French Embassy, the French Institute Afghanistan, UN Women in Afghanistan, and the Swiss Cooperation Office Afghanistan.

After the fall of the Taliban and the establishment of the current government, it was expected that there would be no more war crimes and, with the start of the transitional justice process, the culture of impunity for atrocities would also end. This expectation was strengthened particularly after Afghanistan became a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2003. However, since then, war crimes continued to be committed and transitional justice was neglected under the pretense of maintaining peace.

Armanshahr Foundation/OPEN ASIA announced the recipients of the 4th International Simorgh Peace Prize awards on the 57th Human Rights Day during the “Human Rights Week” (7-10 December 2015) in Kabul.

This 4th round, women who are true protectors of peace in three countries located at the heart of Asia – Afghanistan, Iran and Tajikistan – were recipients of the awards; women who despise war-mongering and stand up to it by their civic and sustained initiatives; innovative women who resist the despotic and war-afflicted world and give us hope to continue the struggle to change the unjust relations and serve equality.

It’s been 15 years since the UN passed UNSCR 1325. How has Women, Peace, and Security policy changed in Afghanistan and the Congo since then?
Oct. 31, 2000, was a landmark day in the fight for women’s rights. The United Nations Security Council adopted UNSCR 1325 recognizing the disproportionate impact that war and conflicts have on women and children. It was soon followed by six additional resolutions (1820, 1888, 1889, 1960, 2106, and 2122) ensuring full and equal participation of women in post-conflict reconstruction, peace, and security. But ironically, as this landmark resolution celebrates its 15th anniversary this year, experts say that it is far from achieving its goals and has failed in adequate implementation.