Author: Sayed Hussain Hussainy

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The Second Analytical Symposium on Access to Information and its role in the promotion of democracy and human rights in Afghanistan was conducted by CSHRN

28-June- 2010- Kabul- Afghanistan By: Seyar Lalee The second analytical symposium on access to information and its role in the promotion of democracy and human rights in Afghanistan organized on 28-June-2010 by Civil Society and Human Rights Network. The goal of the symposium was to create a constructive dialogue for common understanding on access to information with some members of parliaments, civil society and media organizations. The symposium was divided into tow parts. The first part of the program allocated for official speeches on the importance of access to information in Afghanistan. The representatives of Afghan government, parliament, board of Civil Society and Human Rights Network, Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, UNAMA and Civil Society and Human Rights Network secretariat delivered official supportive speeches on access to information program in Afghanistan. The second part of the Symposium was conducted to discuss three key articles by Afghan members of the parliament; The first article was presented by Mr. Abas Noyan member of National Assembly of Afghanistan. The article (access to information role on good governance) dealt with access to information as a useful tool for fostering good governance culture in Afghanistan . Mr. Abas main argument were the followings; Access to information strengthens the organic relationship between citizens and states, both citizens and state understand each other by having information about state's source and abilities. Access to information is a civil rights of citizens. By having access to information, the citizens exercise its civil rights to decide properly about his or her daily life and future. Access to information is a responsibility of public administration. By disseminating of information public administration creates transparency and accountability for its mechanisms. At the end of Mr. Noyan presentation the participants debated his article. Generally the participants of symposium supported the arguments which…

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A statement from the Civil Society and Human Rights Organization, CSHRO (The Network) on the occasion of the 8th of March International Women’s Day (IWD)

In the name of Almighty Allah A statement from the Civil Society and Human Rights Organization, CSHRO (The Network) on the occasion of the 8th of March International Women's Day (IWD) Kabul 7th March 2012 The eighth of March is celebrated all over the world as an important day for all to express their respect for women. Particularly, the celebration of such a valuable day is the indication of the commitment of the international community towards the role of women - who are inevitably an indispensable part of the societies of the world. The women of Afghanistan , as an essential element of our society, play a magnificent role in the peace-, security- and the development processes of the country. The Afghan civil society would like to celebrate the value based event of the IWD with meetings, the release of statements, as well as messages to the Afghan state and the international community. During the past year, the women of Afghanistan have experienced a difficult time. The Afghan women suffered from the lack of social, economic, cultural and political security. Many specific cases from the regions indicate that Afghan women are the victims of inhuman practices, such as humiliating sexual abuse. Regretfully, the culture of disrespect and degradation of women's role in the field of economic and social development is steadily increasing. However, the Islamic state of Afghanistan has developed programs to support the role of women in the society. In addition to this, there are on-going projects and programs conducted by the international community to support and promote a culture of respect towards women's role in the society. But these endeavours do not fully respond to the prevailing negative attitudes toward Afghan women. According to national and international statistics, Afghan women are among the poorest and most…

Continue ReadingA statement from the Civil Society and Human Rights Organization, CSHRO (The Network) on the occasion of the 8th of March International Women’s Day (IWD)

The statement of CSHRN concerning the new government of Afghanistan and the involvement of civil society

28th of December 2009 Kabul Afghanistan The Civil Society and Human Rights Network (CSHRN) released a statement about the new government of Afghanistan. The statement was released during a press conference in Kabul organised by CSHRN. The press conference was steered by the Statement Committee of CSRHN. In the beginning of the press conference Mr. Naim Nazari, CSHRN Executive Coordinator welcomed the national and international media, representatives of Afghan civil society and some afghan intellectuals for their participation in the conference. During the conference Mr. Khan Ali Radmand member of CSHRN Statement Committee presented the statement. Followed by presentation Mr. Barry Salaam, Mr. Jawed Shekiab, Mr. Yonos Akhtar respondent to many questions of the national and international media. CSHRN statement was broadly covered by the national and international media. Below please read the statement of CSHRN: On December 19, the spokesperson of the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan announced during a press conference that the president had designated the members of his cabinet which got introduced to the National Assembly, in close consultation with civil society. This statement came as a great surprise for civil society. Before the members of the new cabinet were announced, CSHRN had sent an open analytical letter to the president of Afghanistan providing an analysis as well as recommendation with regard to the current human rights situation and civil society. CSHRN did its best to contact the office of the present in order to organise a meeting between the president and representatives of civil society for the submission of the letter and the discussion about the concerns of civil society. Unfortunately however, CSHRN had not received any response from the president. The open analytical letter was then released during a press conference broadly covered by national and international media. The civil…

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Statement of the Afghan Civil Society and Human Rights Organizations

The Civil Society and Human Rights Organizations in 29-December-2011 organized a press conference on the occasion of their demands from State regarding the extension of tenure and appointment of AIHRC commissioners in Kabul Safi landmark conference hall. In this press conference the representative of Civil Society Organizations and Media participated. Right now we post the statement of civil society and human rights organizations that presented by Mr. Naim Nazari the coordinator of CSHRO. In the name of Almighty Allah Statement of the Afghan Civil Society and Human Rights Organizations December 29th, 2011 Kabul-Afghanistan Members of the Afghan Civil Society participated in a consultative meeting on the dismissal of three Commissioners of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), with President, Hamid Karzai, on December 27 th , 2011. Unfortunately, the press release from the Government Media and Information Center (GMIC) suggests that the Civil Society organizations demanded the dismissal of all nine Commissioners of AIHRC. While the Afghan Civil Society and Human Rights activists appreciate and praise the tireless efforts of AIHRC, they strongly urge the Government Media and Information Center of President's Office to correct the misleading information in the press release. We, the Afghan Civil Society and Human Rights activists firmly believe that the dismissal of all Commissioners will result in loss of institutional memory and the disruption as well as discontinuity of AIHRC's work. The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission is a special body and we fear that substantial restructuring of AIHRC personnel (Commissioners) will create an opportunity for irresponsible individuals to dominate this independent body: Violators of human rights, their supporters, individuals with no believe in human rights values or with no relevant qualification. In the in view of the current administrative, political, realities, security issues and the prevailing culture of impunity, injustice and…

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CSHRN launches domestic violence campaign in Herat

The Civil Society and Human Right Network (CSHRN) launched a campaign on December 14, 2009, in Herat, to reduce family violence. Along with the start of the campaign, CSHRN also launched a handbook “Perspectives on Domestic Violence” by Heart intellectuals on family violence shared with several civil society actors, police, and regional office of AIHRC in Herat and written by four authors from Herat intellectuals (Mr. Daud Moneer, Professor at the Literature Faculty of Herat University; Miss Wasima Badghisi, Professor of the Law Faculty of Herat University; Mr Abdul Kabir Salehi, scholar in the fields of religion; and Mr. Ali Ahmad Kawa, researcher and professor of Sociology of Herat University)and published by CSHRN. It was reckoned as a good tool to be used for the campaign against family violence. The strategy of campaign was designed during a gathering of civil society, AIHRC and some state institutions in CSHRN office in Heart. Strategy to decrease violence in families in Herat Background Violence in families is a widespread problem in Afghanistan , which is however still not widely recognized as a violation of human rights. CSHRN has started a campaign to decrease the violence in families in Herat , a province strongly affected by these human rights violations. Herat has been chosen to carry out a pilot project on tackling this problem because CSHRN has a very good network in Herat with civil society organizations, state institutions as well as Islamic scholars and because the state institutions function rather well and a general interest in improving the situation exists. The aim of the project is to develop and implement a joint strategy with all relevant stakeholders to fight violence in families as a pilot project. If the pilot project is successful, similar projects will be carried out in other regions.…

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An analysis concerning family violence in Herat province of Afghanistan: the reasons, challenges and problems

By Civil Society and Human Rights Organisation in Herat Women in Afghanistan continue to face social, political and cultural difficulties. These difficulties appear at home as well in the society as such. The Civil Society and Human Rights Organization (CSHRO), feels responsible to work with other stakeholders and partners to reduce domestic violence in Herat province. The goal of the program is to promote human rights values in families in order to reduce any inhuman behavior in this sphere. From January 2009, the CSHRO Office in Herat City has been organizing a campaign to reduce family violence in Herat city. CSHRO organized together with its member organizations debates and capacity building programs for its member organizations, some state institutions, religious leaders, the police, the justice sector and for the Ministry of Women Affaires about challenges related to family violence in Herat. During the campaign, CSHRO faced the following challenges: Religious fundamentalism: There are some institutions and individuals in Herat who are based on religious fundamentalism. They have a fanatical understanding of the role of religion in the society. They are the main challenge for reducing domestic violence in Herat . Spreading their message from mosques and larger gatherings, they propagandize against freedom of women in the society. Recently the Counsel of Religious Leaders released a statement, where it was announced that families should not allow girls and women to study outside of the country. According to this decree, women should furthermore always be accompanied by a close family member. The statement was published by the national regional TV and many other national media in the Herat province. We believe that such kind of statements limit the role of women in the society and retreat women freedoms and their social life. We believe that the governor of Herat must…

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A brief report about an advocacy workshop on transitional justice in Afghanistan

The three days “advocacy workshop for transitional justice in Afghanistan” was organized and conducted by the Civil Society and Human Rights Network (CSHRN) in close cooperation with the UNAMA Transitional Justice Section, the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), the Foundation Open Society Institute Afghanistan (FOSIA) and the United State Institute of Peace (USPI) in the Capital INN Hotel in Kabul from 25th to 27th October 2009. 18 representatives of civil society organizations from Kabul and 13 representatives of civil society organizations from different provinces such as Herat, Kandahar, Balkh, Kondoz, Takhar, Faryab, Ningarhar and Bamyan were invited to participate in this workshop. The workshop was opened by a recitation of some verses of Holy Quran by Mr. Ismail Zaki, thereafter Mr. Mohammad Naim Nazari, the executive coordinator of CSHRN, welcomed the participants and introduced the strategy and the structure of CSHRN to the participants. Subsequently, Mrs. Morena Mori, the person in charge of the Transitional Justice Section of UNAMA in Afghanistan , Mrs. Karen Williams, the Senior Program's Fellow in Afghanistan of ICTJ, Mrs. Nilofar Sakhi, the Director of the Foundation Open Society Institute in Afghanistan FOSIA and Mr. John Dempsey, member of the United State Institute for Peace in Afghanistan introduced their organizations. Ms. Morena Mori explained the concept and need for transitional justice in Afghanistan according to the instructions and the agenda of the workshop. Following, Ms. Morena asked the participants to watch a documentary film about transitional justice and the role of truth finding commissions in different countries such as Peru, South Africa , Almaghreb (Maroco) and Chile . The producer of this documentary film emphasized the effective role of truth finding commissions and a correct realization of the transitional justice concept. During the discussions after the movie, the participants concluded that transitional justice…

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CSHRO statement on the occasion of dismissing of AIHRC commissioners

In the name of Almighty Allah CSHRO statement on the occasion of dismissing of AIHRC commissioners Kabul, Afghanistan, 24- December 2011 Recently the president of Afghanistan Mr. Hamed Karzai has issued a decree on dismissing of three commissioners of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commissioners (AIHRC). Mr. Fahim Hakim and Mr. Nader Naderi two well-known human rights defenders are amongst them. However the working period of all the commissioners officially is terminated but the question and concern of civil society organizations is, why two main human rights active commissioners could not get the legitimacy to continue working as human rights commissioners. According to the Paris principles the National Human Rights Institutions are appointing by the state members but the states are not interfering in to their working independency. The national human rights institutions monitor human rights situation and promote human rights in the states territory. According to the Paris principles the states consider and respect the following elements while appointing the national human rights commissioners. •  The state considers the human rights knowledge and professionalism of commissioners; •  The state considers impartiality of the commissioners and ensures that the commissioners should not have any affiliation to political parties; •  The state considers good background and well fame of commissioners in the society. According to the Paris principles the states organize a constructive dialogue with the civil society institutions, human rights activists and defenders during the process of appointing the commissioners. Some states have employed a mechanism so called advisory board for appointing human rights commissioners. Regretfully there is not a transparent and accountable mechanism for appointing the Afghan Human Rights commissioners in Afghanistan . This will damage the independency of national human rights institution in Afghanistan. The Civil Society and Human Rights Organization (CSHRO) as a human rights…

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The active participation of the Afghan civil society at the conference in the Netherlands shows the coordination among Afghan civil society in addressing the current situation in Afghanistan

April 2009 This report has been written by Naim Nazari, the executive coordinator of the Civil Society and Human Rights Network (CSHRN) (Translation of the Dari text) Afghan civil society organizations such as ASCF, OSI, CSHRN, AHIRC, AWN, and FCCS conducted many meetings with the coordination of ACBAR. As a result of these meetings, a delegation of representatives of civil society was elected to participate in the conference about Afghanistan in The Hague. This delegation had the responsibility to convey the view and the message of the Afghan civil society to the participants of the conference. It had also the task to raise the interest of the international community for supporting the Afghan civil society. The Afghan civil society delegation consisted of the following members: Mr. Ingenieur Javez, Mr. Nahim Salimi, Ms. Palvasha, Mr. Pascale from ACBAR, Mr. Orzala Asharaf from the Afghan Women Network, and Mr. Malek Sitez from CSHRN collaborating with ACSF and AIHRC. On Monday 30. of March 2009, the delegation of the Afghan civil society participated in a program in The Hague , organized by the Center for Strategic Studies of Netherlands. In this program, the Afghan delegation discussed the situation in Afghanistan with representatives of civil society of the Netherlands, the parliament, and the government. In this meeting, the Afghan civil society delegation played a very active role besides the international experts. This became evident by the broadcastings of national and international media. Mr. Nahim Salimi focused on the role of civil society and social services, Mrs. Orzala Asharaf on the role of women and Mr. Malek Sitez on human rights and humanitarian law. The presentation of Afghan civil society was warmly accepted. The message of the Afghan delegation was discussed by international experts, among them Alexander Their from the Peace Institute of…

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Dialogue on the occasion of the second anniversary of the work of CSHRN in the northern part of Afghanistan

By Sourosh Kazimi, CSHRN Coordinator in the northern and northeastern region Translation of an article by Ms. Nasima Askia On the occasion of the second anniversary of CSHRN's activities in the northern and north eastern parts of Afghanistan, a dialogue was organized by the CSHRN office in Mazar-e-Sharif city. Representatives of the Independent Human Rights Commission, local NGOs, intellectuals, media, and students from Balkh University participated in this dialogue. The goal of the dialogue was to discuss the role of CSHRN in the promotion of human rights and in strengthening human rights organizations in the northern provinces of Afghanistan with a special focus on the province of Mazar-e-Sharif. At the beginning of the meeting, Soruosh Kazemi, the coordinator of CSHRN in the north, welcomed the participants and appreciated their cooperation with CSHRN in the northern part of Afghanistan. During his speech, he emphasized the role of CSHRN in the field of capacity building, dialogue and coordination as well as collaboration amongst human rights activists in the region. He told the participants that during these two years CSHRN had worked with nine provinces in the northern and northeastern parts of Afghanistan. He also expressed his gratitude to the Afghan Human Rights Commission, the human and women rights NGOs, teachers and professors of Balkh University, and the local state authorities for their cooperation during the past two years. Mr. Sohrab Zamanian, the chief editor of PADIDAR magazine, spoke about the role of CSHRN in Mazar city. Appreciatively, he supported the role of CSHRN in providing opportunities for human rights activists especially in the field of freedom of speech in Mazar-e-Sharif. He mentioned that since the establishments of CSHRN in Mazar, a series of useful dialogues were organized in the CSHRN conference hall, what represented a magnificent achievement for all human…

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