COOPERATION for PEACE and DEVELOPMENT *CPD* Advocacy | COOPERATION for PEACE and DEVELOPMENT *CPD*

May 07, 2012

 Preamble

The 25^th NATO Summit in Chicago this month is unusual compared to previous summits as it will not reaffirm the allocation of more resources to its mission in Afghanistan, but the alliance will seek how to withdraw from a leading combat role in an increasingly unpopular decade-long war. It is for the Afghans to take the necessary precautions and ownership to fill the void as NATO draws down from Afghanistan.

The Afghan Young Leaders Initiative understands that Chicago will introduce a different narrative as no world leader is expected to announce an increase in its military and economic footprint in Afghanistan.

Political and economic circumstances in the West, the US in particular, do not provide winning cards to NATO leaders to maintain the costly war for an unsustainable period. However, an accelerated drawdown will not only guarantee the failure of the mission for “winning hearts and minds”, but it could leave behind a country at risk of descending into another civil war as a possible post-2014 scenario. This, in turn, could translate into an increased regional rivalry for domination of Afghan politics by neighbours near and far.

 Concerns and Recommendations

There is an increasing perception that the Chicago Summit will determine the endgame for Afghanistan, which paves the way for internal and external actors to chart their short to long-term strategic interests in this country. It is for the Afghan government and the international community to provide a clear vision for both the Afghan people and their domestic constituencies for the post-2014 period in Afghanistan.

The Afghan Young Leaders Initiative believes that success in Afghanistan could be ensured primarily through safeguarding our common achievements made in the past ten years, which has come through tremendous sacrifices of blood and treasure. In order to prevent Afghanistan from becoming once against a hub for international terrorism and regional rivalry, we recommend the Chicago Summit address the following:

• Sustainability of a properly equipped Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) is a crucial element for lasting security, which is also an essential precondition for economic development. Given that we live in unstable region, Afghanistan requires a military of an appropriate size, throughout the “transformation decade” (2015-2024). It should also be noted that a remarkable and sudden reduction in ANSF would leave a huge number of trained soldiers unemployed, which adds to our vulnerability to further ethnic and political tensions.
• The growth of ANSF should be balanced between army and law enforcement agencies. Fighting an insurgency requires a stronger capability in the police and intelligence services; therefore, a greater emphasis is needed on police, as they would ultimately take on the role of ensuring the rule of law rather than fighting terrorists.
• The NATO forces should continue their counter-terrorism mission in parallel to counter-insurgency efforts throughout the transformation decade. The counter-terrorism operations should not be limited to Afghan boundaries alone. The mandate of post-ISAF engagement should state that its counter-terrorism aspect is not limited to the Afghan boundaries. However, the issue of sanctuaries has to be handled before the US combat role is ended in Afghanistan in 2014. Targeting the leadership of Al Qaeda and the Taliban in their safe havens regardless of its geographical location through intelligence-driven operations has to be maintained with high momentum.
• The upcoming 2014 Presidential election requires security arrangements, which in the immediate term seems beyond the capabilities of the ANSF unless the insurgency is quelled through a political settlement. Therefore, to ensure a free, fair and transparent election and also as a test case for the ANSF’s capabilities, the presence of international forces is essential to safeguard the election process. The impartiality and professionalism of the Afghan security forces should be ensured to avoid politicisation in the ranks of ANSF for the upcoming Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
• The transition to a new Afghan administration after the 2014 Presidential elections should be considered as a key milestone to measure the success towards stability and political maturity beyond 2014.

 Conclusion

The Afghan war is a war of perceptions for the most part. It is a multi-dimensional, complex, and regional conflict that requires a comprehensive, multi-pronged, and long-term commitment. It is of utmost urgency for both the Afghan government and the international community to ensure a successful outcome in Afghanistan, or we will continue to face the threat of terrorism and regional instability with grave consequences for world security and peace.

Afghanistan Young Leaders Initiative is a non-partisan and non-political group of young Afghans who share common values and beliefs to address the social, economic and political issues in Afghanistan. Our aim is to mobilize the youth for taking part in critical nation-building initiatives and advocate for positive changes in building a secure, safe and equitable Afghan society.

We condemn 15 April terrorist attacks

 17 April 2012

 The terrorist attacks on 15 April 2012 in Kabul, Nangarhar, Lugar and Paktia provinces, which led to the killing and wounding of civilians, soldiers and police, display the fragility of the national security conditions and the determination of the Taliban and their supporters to continue the war against the people of Afghanistan.

The attacks pointed out the incorrectness of the actions and the strategy of the Afghanistan government and its international supporters under the pretext of reconciliation and demonstrated once again that “Peace without Justice” will be fragile and not last. The innocent people of Afghanistan, however, pay the price of this mistaken strategy. Our statesmen have opened the gates to the belligerent opposition groups with the slogan of “peace and reconciliation”; without being able to provide security, justice and the rule of law and to create proper and systematic institutional processes to examine the reasons for three decades of war; to establish national reconciliation; and provide justice for victims of war. The policy of the current government and its international supporters has in fact received no response other than explosions and terror every time. The principal victims are always the children of this land. After 10 years, the government and its international supporters have not been able to extinguish the flames of war through channels of law and justice; they have failed to remove the actors of war.

This is only one side of the story. The other side is the increasing number of cases of human rights violations, violence against women, , injustice, lawlessness and killing of civilians. By promoting negotiations at any cost and reconciliation with the terrorists, leaving them free hand like a shadow government in various parts of the country and planning to give them a share in government without consideration for justice, the basic rights of the people are and will be sacrificed in practice.

Do not ignore the positive achievements of the last 10 years!

The people of Afghanistan have voiced their views and wishes in several elections in the past 10 years. Their strong presence in the first Presidential Election signified an outright rejection of the Taleban “governance” once and for all.

The Transitional Justice Coordination Group and other human rights, women’s rights and civil society groups have repeatedly voiced their concerns about the unsoundness of “peace without justice” strategy to the government and the international community and have consistently advocated a strategy of “peace with justice”, demanding development and enhancement of the country’s justice system. These voices have remained unheard and neither the government nor the international community has responded to them yet. The Afghanistan government and the international community have so far failed to take practical preventive measures against terrorist attacks and to protect the civilians.

On the other hand, the escape of Taleban prisoners from prisons in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the premature release of inmates of armed opposition groups before prosecuting them, and failure to investigate reports on torture in prisons have promoted the culture of impunity and undermined the rule of law.

The government of Afghanistan and the international community give assurances that the Taleban have grown weaker and incapable of fighting. However, events such as the recent terrorist attacks, the summary “customary courts” set up in the provinces  that issue death sentences; the cases of stoning, acid throwing, poisoning the drinking water of girls’ schools and other incidents prove this claim wrong. The climate of fear and terror among the citizens of Afghanistan is expanding the people’s distrust of the international community and the government. Violence and cruelty against women are on the rise. The rise in civilian casualties and disregard for them are cause for concern of the Human rights and civil society communities. The civil society institutions have offered specific mechanisms for the peace process in Afghanistan. We have access to the experience of a large number of countries that have achieved peace after conflict. The failure to attend to these demands and proposals has restricted the scope of democracy, human rights and justice. The government’s silence on and the disregard of justice mechanisms for prosecution of terrorist attackers are questionable.

The terrorist attacks in Kandahar, Baghlan, Herat, Helmand, the killing of several women by their family members, the death sentences issued by “customary courts” in various parts of the country, acid throwing on two children (an 8-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl) in Ghazni province, poisoning of scores of female students in Takhar Province as well as numerous other incidents have occurred since the beginning of the new solar year in March 2012. Absence of security has put a halt on the fulfilment of basic and infrastructure works and impeded investigations of widespread violations of human and women’s rights.

The signatories of this Statement call on the government of Afghanistan to comply with international conventions and covenants, as required by Article 7 of the Constitution, and to deal firmly with the terrorists.

We warn the government of Afghanistan and its international supporters that the “peace without justice” process shall have bloody consequences for the people.

To the attention of the Government of Afghanistan:

The Government

•  is required to deal under Law with commanders and perpetrators of the terrorist attacks to protect justice and end impunity;
• must not enforce on the people the current peace process, which is based on injustice;
• must revise the inefficient methods and mechanisms adopted in the peace process, to listen to victims and respond to their demands for justice;

• is required to prevent violence against women and the rising human rights abuses, and deal with commitment  with perpetrators and human rights violators;

The Government of Afghanistan is committed to the Geneva Conventions and is obliged to abide by them. The Judiciary must investigate the perpetrators of domestic violence and human rights violations.

To the attention of the international community:

• The international community has been constantly talking about democracy, security, human rights, women’s rights and provision of justice. This has remained pure talk and the international community has not taken effective action in this regard. It is required to abide by its obligations to create a stable, democratic society free of violence and human rights abuses in Afghanistan;
• The current peace process in this country contravenes all the international treaties and the promises of the international community to the people of Afghanistan and international public opinion;
• Encouraging the Taleban and other terrorist groups and inviting them to join the peace process without being accountable paves the way for human rights violators, prevents reforms of the Administration and establishment of democratic and accountable institutions in the country;
• The increased violence, insecurity and instability in the country are in part due to incorrect and uncalled for policies in Afghanistan. Ignoring the people, extra-legal actions and absence of accountability undermine obligations to human rights and justice, deepen the crisis and make it more difficult to reach solutions.

Transitional Justice Coordination Group; Women’s Political Participation Committee; Afghan Civil Society Forum Organization; Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission; Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organization; Armanshahr Foundation; Cooperation Center for Afghanistan (CCA); Cooperation for Peace and Development(CPD); Fadayi Herawi Publishing House; Human Rights Focus Organisation; Rawan Online; Foundation of Solidarity for Justice; People’s Radio; Nai Institute; Civil Society & Human Rights Network (CSHRN); Women’s 50% Campaign; All Afghan Women Union; Civil Society Development Center; National Movement of Young People of Afghanistan; Sobhan Foundation; Camera Magazine; New thinkers Cultural and Social Association; Family and Citizen Rights Development Forum; 8 Sobh Daily

Cooperation for Peace and Development (CPD) works to contribute in enhancing peace and development in Afghanistan in linkage to the regional and global changes. Since 2009, a coalition of Afghan civil society and media organizations has organized advocacy campaigns around the World Peace Day. The aim of 2011 campaign was to send a clear message to the Afghan government and international community that “peace cannot be attained without justice”. The past decade has showed all too clearly that trying to make peace in Afghanistan with no attention to justice does not work, and that moving forward the appeasement of a few cannot be done by sacrificing the rights of all.
In 2011, the coalition decided to organize a week long campaign under the slogan “Peace for Justice”. Key messages of the week were “implement peace, because God has invited you for peace”, “a nation’s happiness and eminence is in peace and justice implementation”, “human Rights implementation is the main step for peace”, “peace decreases poverty, violence and disability” and “peace is complete with justice”.

CPD as a key partner of campaign has joined Peace One Day in calling for a Global Truce on Peace Day 2012. To celebrate Peace Day 2011, and to help launch the 365-day countdown, there were a variety of events including Peace Concert, Sports Tournaments, Awareness Raising Sessions at Schools, Article Writing and Drawing Contests, Broadcasting Peace Messages through radio and TV channels and others throughout Afghanistan including Kabul and provinces. CPD was leading the Sports Tournaments and Article Writing and Drawing Contests in the 2011 Afghan Campaign for Promoting Peace. Please visit:
http://www.peaceoneday.org/en/truce-2012/gt2012-partners (under the NGO & INGO tab) for more information.

21^st September is the World PEACE Day. Every year it is globally celebrated and variety of messages is disseminated from different people and communities throughout the world. PEACE IS LOVELY & WAR IS HATEFUL makes the similarity among thousands of messages given out.

Since a couple of years, Afghanistan is also part of the global coalition mobilized to promote PEACE. This campaign has been regularly organized since 2009 by the coalition of same-minded organizations established by Saba Media Organization (SMO). The coalition is comprised of implementing and media partners that have been getting further strengthened year by year. From beginning of 2011, Watch on Basic Rights Afghanistan Organization (WBRAO) has taken over the secretariat of PEACE Campaign coalition.

This year, the PEACE for All campaign in Afghanistan will be held from 17 to 23 September 2011 as the action week with a focus on celebration of the World PEACE Day September 21^st with variety of events and performances (media, artistic and sports events, gatherings etc). The theme for campaign would be “PEACE for Justice” that will be organized by a coalition of NGO, CSO and media partners throughout Afghanistan.

The CPD (Cooperation for Peace and Development) is an active partner of campaign that has undertaken the lead for sports competitions on PEACE in coordination with National Olympics Committee, the Ministry of Education of Afghan Government and other coalition members. We, the Afghans, have joined hands to raise our voice for PEACE targeting the conflict sides, international community and neighboring countries in special to consider this very needy desire of war-affected Afghan communities for ensuring PEACE and STABILITY.