Building Historical Narratives: The Bamiyan Project to Convene Groundbreaking Conference Focusing on Areas Emerging From Conflict

WASHINGTON, March 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- At the invitation of The Bamiyan Project, 25 scholars, activists and media personages from Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Bosnia will meet in the inspiring setting of Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia and Washington, D.C. for a multi-day conference beginning on March 28 and running through March 31, 2011, to begin crafting a new, forward looking, democratic narrative for their respective countries, utilizing the rich material their histories provide and following a template premised on tolerance, inclusiveness and constructive social cohesion.
Invited participants include Honey Al Sayyed, Syria's most popular talk radio personality; Bosnian investigative journalist Esad Hecimovic; Iraqi blogger Karzan; and a group of Afghan and Iraqi scholars, educators, archaeologists and historians.
The Bamiyan Project, a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., is dedicated to the support and encouragement of cultural activism to prevent, restore and overcome the threats posed to civilization's achievements by war, conflict and social division.
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Williamsburg, Virginia, a sponsor of the Narratives Conference, operates the largest living history museum in the world. In Colonial Williamsburg’s 301 - acre Historic Area stand hundreds of restored, reconstructed, and historically furnished buildings. Costumed interpreters tell the stories of the men and women of Williamsburg – black, white, and Native American – during the American Revolution and the challenges they faced in creating a new nation. In this historic place, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation helps the future learn from the past.
For additional information on the conference or to arrange interviews with selected participants, please contact Dr. Cheryl Benard, the President and founder of The Bamiyan Project at (202) 670-7087 or Kristen Cordell at (202) 674-6337.

SOURCE The Bamiyan Project

NO safety guaranteed for those deported Afghan refugees! by Afghan MPs

School in Hazarajat Afghanistan

Afghans to be deported after bids rejected

• Sally Neighbour
• From: The Australian
• March 25, 2011 12:00AM

DOZENS of failed Afghan asylum-seekers are facing deportation after the federal government persuaded authorities in Kabul to agree to their forced repatriation, despite fears for their safety.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said his department was finalising plans to return a "small caseload" of about 50 people whose claims for refugee status had been rejected.
The Afghans are mostly men and are held on the mainland.
Mr Bowen said his department was "nearing the end of the process" and involuntary repatriations of Afghans would begin "over the coming months".
The move comes despite deep concerns held within the Afghan embassy in Australia about forcing asylum-seekers to return to the country, still embroiled in war and where ethnic Hazaras, who make up the bulk of those seeking asylum, still face persecution.
In January, the Gillard government signed a memorandum of understanding with the Afghan government, allowing for asylum-seekers whose claims had been rejected to be sent home.

But Kabul's envoy to Australia, Amanullah Jayhoon, insisted the deal applied only to voluntary returns. "It is very clear about voluntary readmitting. The word 'force' has not been used in any part of it," Dr Jayhoon said.
However, after further discussions with Kabul, Mr Bowen says the agreement has now been cemented and deportations will begin shortly. "The agreement very clearly allows for involuntary returns," Mr Bowen said.
Dr Jayhoon was not available to comment yesterday.
A diplomatic source said there had been "very little consultation" over the MOU and the Afghan government had been given "very, very little say" in the decision.
"I can't see any reason why the Afghan government would want them back, but they have to say it."
The source said the decision was "very unfortunate" as failed asylum-seekers, particularly Hazaras, could face retribution for having fled their homeland.
"The way they get treated back home in Afghanistan is a disgrace," the source said. "If it's found they tried to escape, they could be killed."
The plan for forced repatriations comes as the government moves to cut the number of asylum-seekers being held in overcrowded, under-staffed immigration detention centres around Australia, following last week's riots and fires at Christmas Island.
Detainee numbers are at a record high after the arrival of 207 boats carrying 10,326 people since the beginning of 2009.
Afghans have been by far the biggest single group, making up 46 per cent of "irregular maritime arrivals" in the past two years.
Until last year, Afghan asylum-seekers enjoyed a success rate as high as 96 per cent, which was one factor that prompted the government to freeze new applications from Afghans and Sri Lankans last April.
The freeze on Afghans was lifted late last year, but their claims are now being rejected at a rate of about 50 per cent because the government argues it is safe for them to return home.
The MOU was endorsed by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, but The Australian understands there is concern at high levels within the UNHCR about the agreement.
The chief executive of the Refugee Council of Australia, Paul Power, says the council has received expert advice that it is still dangerous for ethnic Hazaras to be returned to Afghanistan.
He said the council was concerned a UNHCR offer to undertake "ad hoc monitoring" of returnees would not be sufficient to guarantee their safety.

Source,
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/afghans-to-be-deported-after-bids-rejected/story-fn59niix-1226027701488

Fears foreign aid will follow troops out of Afghanistan

Julius Cavendish, Kabul

March 24 2011

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AFGHANS fear aid will dry up when foreign troops are replaced by the country's own forces later this year.
President Hamid Karzai announced on Tuesday that Afghanistan would take responsibility for security in seven areas by the middle of the year, including Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital of Helmand where British troops are operating.
''The Afghan nation doesn't want the defence of this country to be in the hands of others any more,'' he told hundreds of dignitaries, police and soldiers. ''This is our responsibility to raise our flag with honour and pride.''

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Afghan forces are also due to take charge of security in Kabul and Panjshir provinces, Herat city in the west, Mazar-e-Sharif in the north and Mehtar Lam to the east of Kabul as part of the strategy to start bringing NATO troops home.
The choice of Lashkar Gah has raised eyebrows in some quarters, with civilians in the city questioning whether their security forces are ready to take on the Taliban alone.
In Bamian, one of Afghanistan's poorest but more peaceful provinces, there were fears that the departure of foreign troops would also bring an end to aid from overseas.
''Are you sure they are leaving? That's not good. They help people, they make roads, clinics,'' said Mohammad Nazuk Mir Chakaree, a 20-year-old graduate in Bamian, where a contingent from the New Zealand armed forces is based.
Bamian is desperately poor and many people live in caves. Leprosy is not unusual.
The billions of dollars Afghanistan receives in international aid has mainly bypassed Bamian and gone to provinces where the insurgency is stronger. Its people fear the departure of foreign troops will mean even less assistance.
''The worry for all these years has been that the aid goes to the south [even though] places like Dai Kundi and Bamian are poorer,'' said activist Wajma Frogh. ''When the foreigners withdraw [we worry that] we'll get even less support for development. I have met people who have said, 'Maybe they want us to take up arms,' so they get more development money.''
While Afghan forces have grown to an estimated 159,000 troops and 118,000 police, independent analysts such as the International Crisis Group question whether they are strong enough to maintain peace.
In a November report, the group said the Afghan military and police ''remain dangerously fragmented and highly politicised''.

Source,
http://www.smh.com.au/world/fears-foreign-aid-will-follow-troops-out-of-afghanistan-20110323-1c6ov.html

Women suffer with no female doctors in Daikundi

Two years ago, the Ministry of Public Health announced that an Afghan woman dies every 20 minutes in child birth or while pregnant

By Hadi Ghafari

Many women in central Daikundi province are dying unnecessarily because there are no female doctors in any of the districts.

The provincial council has accused the nongovernmental organisation contracted for the last four years to provide health services in Daikundi of not doing its job.

PAN, Mar. 23, 2010: For the province of 380,000 people, there are 15 nurses and midwives, two hospitals, 13 basic healthcare centres, eight public healthcare centres and 15 mobile healthcare centres. There was one female doctor in the main hospital in Nily two years ago, but she is no longer there.

Tahira Muradi, a member of the provincial council, said she had heard of at least 12 women who suffered from pregnancy-related illnesses and because they could not share them with a male doctor, the illness either got worse or the women died. The most common illnesses include uterine inflammation, bleeding and a breached birth.

Five women traveled to Nily city, the provincial capital, seeking treatment, but there was no female surgeon and their families would not let them be seen by a male doctor, she said.

She said the problem existed throughout Daikundi.

For the province of 380,000 people, there are 15 nurses and midwives, two hospitals, 13 basic healthcare centres, eight public healthcare centres and 15 mobile healthcare centres. There was one female doctor in the main hospital in Nily two years ago, but she is no longer there.

The nurses and midwives are based in the district centres, but for women in the villages, this can still be too far. There is no public transport and so many people travel by donkey. Reaching a district centre can take hours, or sometimes a whole day.

Travelling to another province is out of the question as the cost is too high and many of the roads are impassable.

There are no provincial statistics for the number of women dying either in childbirth or from complications relating to their pregnancy.

However, Muradi said anecdotal evidence suggested women either died at home or on the way to the clinic.

Two years ago, the Ministry of Public Health announced that an Afghan woman dies every 20 minutes in child birth or while pregnant. However, they claim that this number has fallen due to improved health services.

Muradi asked the ministry to pay more attention to the health of women.

Hussain Ali Muntazeri, head of the provincial council, said part of the problem was that health services provided by Bakhtar Development Network (BDN), an Afghan non-governmental organisation contracted by the government, are insufficient and of low quality.

Many people say that the clinics run by BDN have no medicine and that its management is involved in corruption. BDN is supervised by the Ministry of Public Health and Muntazeri said they had contacted the ministry to alert them to the complaints of residents.

“If this organisation cannot provide health services for people, then the ministry should give the contract to another organisation,” he said.

Dr. Mohammad Amin, a member of the provincial health department, said it was true that there was a lack of female doctors in the province. Under their contract with the health ministry, BDN is responsible for employing female doctors as well as providing health services, he said.

He said there were many families who would not let their wives be seen by a male doctor due to tradition and custom.

BDN did hire a female doctor for Tajikistan two years ago, but she stayed only one year.

Qurban Ali Uruzgani, the governor of Daikundi, said he asked the ministry to cancel BDN’s contract and give it to someone who can provide health services and employ female doctors.

However, Ghulam Ali Muhibeyar, head of BDN in Daikundi, said the governor and other officials were entitled to their personal opinions. However, he insisted BDN was making efforts to solve the health problems of people in Daikundi.

Muhibeyar did not answer a question about why his company has not hired more female doctors.

Last year, BDN officials said the problem was that female doctors were not prepared to work in the remote province of Daikundi for the low salary offered to them.

Two years ago Raihana Azad, a member of the provincial council, raised the issue of the province’s health problems with Kai Eide, then the UN’s representative to Afghanistan. She said that many surgeries were taking place in rooms lit with hurricane or hand-held lights. Nothing was done about the situation.

Suraya Dalil, the acting minister of public health, has said that within the next five years 95 percent of Afghans will have access to health services, that the mortality rate of mothers and infants will decrease 50 percent and that 450 new healthcare centres will be built throughout Afghanistan.

She did not specify how Daikundi’s health services would improve.

Read more: http://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/2011/03/23/women-suffer-with-no-female-doctors-in-daikundi.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#ixzz1HX0H9MBI

Let the transition begin

The Afghan president has announced the first seven regions slated for “Inteqal” – transition to full national sovereignty. But the ride could be a bumpy one.

Jean MacKenzieMarch 23, 2011 00:00

Afghan security personnel prepare for New Year's celebrations in Mazar-e-Sharif. Mazar will be one of the first cities to be fully secured by Afghan forces. (Massoud Hossaini/AFP/Getty Images)

Afghanistan has just marked Nauroz, the ancient Zoroastrian holiday hailed as the start of the New Year, celebrated by jumping over bonfires and eating a dire combination of newly-sprouted grains called somonak. Young men planning to wed are expected to bankrupt themselves buying gifts for their fiancee’s families.
Everyone consumes a great deal of dried fruits, nuts, and cake. Schools reopen after the long winter break. This being Afghanistan, Nauroz will also signal the beginning of the year’s fighting season. Welcome to 1390.
President Hamid Karzai observed the occasion by delivering his much-anticipated speech on “Inteqal,” or transition, announcing that three provinces and four cities would be handed over to Afghan security forces. Karzai has gone on record as saying that 1390 would be a “year of challenges.” That could well be the understatement of the era – no matter which century you believe it to be. Even the most optimistic assessment of the army and police put them well behind schedule, and the population is more than a bit nervous at seeing the international forces preparing to withdraw.
But the Transition List was chosen wisely – most of the areas mentioned are already among the safest in the country: Kabul, Panjshir and Bamian provinces, as well as the provincial capitals Mazar-e-Sharif, Herat, Mehterlam and Lashkar Gah. But even here there are likely to be hiccups. Past experience has not been felicitous.
Kabul city transitioned to Afghan sovereignty in 2008; the rest of Kabul province will now follow suit – except for Surobi district, which is where the fighting is. In the three years since the Afghan security forces assumed responsibility for the capital, they have had several notable achievements. Just last year seven attackers stormed a shopping center in downtown Kabul.
The police, army and intelligence services were called out, and a prolonged gun battle ensued. All the attackers eventually died – at least three blew themselves up. But it took the combined security forces of Kabul more than five hours to subdue the other four, which they finally did by burning down the shopping center where the attackers were holed up. Hundreds of police, army and other armed troops would not take on the four remaining insurgents in a face-to-face battle. The U.S. Embassy, the United Nations, and assorted other internationals congratulated the Afghans security forces on their handling of the situation.
I suspect that the shopkeepers who lost their livelihoods might have been a bit less enthusiastic. In October, 2009, when a UN guest house popular with election workers was hit in Kabul, the police showed up just in time to make things even worse. Of the five UN staffers killed in the attack, at least one and possibly more were shot by the police, not the Taliban fighters, according to a UN report released several months after the incident.
Mazar-e-Sharif, the booming city in the north, was a brilliant choice for transition. It is the capital of Balkh province, which is headed by a governor so strong and independent that some people refer to his fiefdom, only half-jokingly, as “the Independent Republic of Balkh.” Atta Mohammad Noor, the man in question, is not a warm friend of Karzai’s. During the 2009 presidential elections Atta opposed the president for all he was worth, delivering an impressive victory in Balkh for Karzai’s main rival. Dr. Abdullah. Karzai tried for years to remove him, but later seemed to decide to keep this particular camel inside the tent.
Atta has his own forces who are perfectly capable of dealing with the Taliban. They could also repel the central government if necessary, but that is not being openly discussed. Bamian, the lovely mountain valley that used to be home to the massive 6th-century Buddhas has not been a security problem for the past ten years. Instead, the safe and sleepy province has remained obscure and under-developed, paying what is called in the development world “the Peace Penalty.”
Squeaky wheels, like Kandahar and Helmand, get the most oil – millions have flowed into insurgent-plagues areas in a (usually futile) bid to win hearts and minds. In Bamian, the population has no love for the Taliban, having been the victims of some of the worst repressions of the Taliban era. The bearded fundamentalists were even harder on the local people, mainly Shi’ite Hazaras, than they were on the Buddhas themselves.
But the Transition may not make the people of Bamian happy. One journalist from the area, upon hearing that his province was likely to be on Karzai’s New Year’s transition list, shook his head sadly. Projects funded by the New Zealand-led Provincial Reconstruction Team, he feared, would now be discontinued. “This will mean even less reconstruction money coming to us,” he sighed.
The province has almost no paved roads, little electricity, and a rudimentary economy. The tourist industry is depressed due to the absence of the Buddhas, the presence of landmines, and a dangerous road linking Bamian with the capital, terrorized by insurgents and bandits that prey on unwary travelers. Panjshir has long been a popular day-trip from Kabul – two days if you decide to hike up into the emerald mines to try your luck at hacking a priceless gemstone from the rock walls.
It was the birthplace of the legendary Ahmad Shah Massoud, scourge of the Taliban and the Soviet forces, at least in popular imagination. Panjshiris have a reputation for fierce fighting, and an almost allergic reaction to the Taliban. Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand, may seem a bit edgier. The Taliban have attacked the city directly several times.
But surrounding Lashkar Gah are thousands and thousands of U.S. Marines, who are beating back the Taliban in Nawa, Sangin, and assorted other battle zones. The Taliban would have to cut through them to reach the city. Out-gunned and out-manned, they will most likely lie low until the U.S. troops are withdrawn. Herat, the jewel of western Afghanistan, is still reaping the benefits of its prime location and the tender attentions of its erstwhile governor, Ismail Khan.
Khan collected taxes from the ample trade running across the border from Iran and Turkmenistan and used the proceeds to make Herat one of the most developed cities in the country. Herat had 24-hour electricity when Kabul was still freezing in the dark; on one trip an Afghan journalist looked at the streetlights in wonder.
“They keep them on even during the day,” he said. “I’m moving here.” The population is mostly Dari-speaking, non-Pashtun, and opposed to the Taliban on principle. Mehterlam, the capital of Laghman province, has been relatively quiet – but it lies in a volatile area, and may be the one real test of the mettle of the Afghan security forces. Happy New Year. Let’s hope we all make it to 1391.

Source,
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/news/regions/asia-pacific/afghanistan/let-the-transition-begin