Real Messages & Real Campaigns
REAL MESSAGES
A group of Afghan and international aid agencies, including Afghanaid, recently published Health and Education in Afghanistan: An Empty Gift (Oct 2011) suggesting that despite the influx of $57bn in foreign aid over the last ten years, progress in health, education and security has been patchy and tenuous. In addition, many NGOs suggest that aid strategies have been distorted by military objectives, producing few sustainable results. Read the full report at www.acbar.org
In late November and early December four delegates representing Afghanistan’s civil society will visit key decision-makers in London, Brussels, Berlin and Paris to deliver in-person the messages and recommendations outlined in this report.
These Afghan delegates include a well-know human rights activist, Jamila Omar from Human Rights Research and Advocacy Consortium, Fazel Rabi Haqbeen from the Asia Foundation, who is an expert on peace and reconciliation, and two development and humanitarian specialists: Engineer Mohammad Wakil from Care International and Abdul Rahman from Afghanaid.
Abdul Rahman has been working with Afghanaid for more than eight years and recently assumed the role of Deputy Programmes Director. Born in Logar Province, Abdul Rahman and his family sought refuge in Pakistan during the Russian invasion. Abdul Rahman attended university in Pakistan where he studied horticulture and business administration. In 2002, after the toppling of the Taliban regime and the establishment of a recognised government and constitution, Abdul Rahman returned to Afghanistan and joined Afghanaid in 2003. His expertise is in community mobilisation, capacity building and security management and for the past three years he has been Afghanaid’s Provincial Programme Manager in Ghor Province, one of the poorest in the country and a very challenging security environment.
 "Since I returned to Afghanistan it has been my ambition to work alongside my fellow countrymen and women towards Afghanistan’s development. I am honoured to be a part of this delegation and to present a case for the ordinary Afghan people. I hope that through our discussions with key individuals in the European and British governments, we can positively influence discussions and decisions at BONN and in the future.” -Abdul Rahman, Afghanaid Deputy Programmes Director |
REAL CAMPAIGNS
The Green Scarves for Solidarity and Together Afghanistan campaigns challenge governments to ensure their commitment to strengthening the needs of ordinary Afghans and women’s rights in Afghanistan.
Together Afghanistan is a partnership of ten organisations demanding that the international community takes a new approach towards Afghanistan. The organisations involved are: Afghanaid, CARE International UK, Christian Aid, CIVIC, Mercy Corps, Oxfam, Oxford Research Group, Save the Children UK, Tearfund and War Child UK.
Together Afghanistan calls for a fresh approach towards Afghanistan by placing the focus squarely on what Afghans require in order to build a better future – and what the international community needs to do to support them. This includes:
- An approach that ensures aid is maintained for the long-term in order to benefit of the Afghan people for lasting change
- An approach that focuses on protecting civilians and individual dignity
- An approach that safeguards human rights, particularly those of women and children
On the 7th October demonstrators from the Together Afghanistan partners marked the 10th anniversary of the conflict in Afghanistan, by protesting outside the British parliament with “Afghanistan 10 Years: Time To Get It Right” banners and flags.
Afghanaid is also encouraging our supporters to sign the Green Scarves for Solidarity petition http://ch16.org/afghanwomen which calls upon the UK government to ensure that the voices of Afghan women are heard at the Bonn Conference and that any agreements made at Bonn explicitly call for women’s rights in Afghanistan to be protected. 
Join actress Dame Helen Mirren, singer and TV presenter Alesha Dixon, Samangan’s Provincial Head of Ministry of Women’s Affairs Khadija Hosaini and many others by submitting your photo in a green scarf to show your solidarity with Afghan women.
Do not wait to see what happens after the 5th of December. Go green, stand together and act for real Afghans.
Read more about this campaigns at www.togetherafghanistan.org & http://ch16.org/afghanwomen