Deputy Ambassador Oliver Owcza handing over a sports donation provided by German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) to the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) (© German Embassy/Paaksimaa)

In the scope of the international sports promotion Programme of the German foreign Office, Deputy Ambassador Oliver Owcza handed over on 16^th April 2013 a sports donation provided by German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) to the Afghanistan Football Federation. Since 2003 the Afghanistan Football Federation has continuously enjoyed support under this programme with a number of projects aiming at strengthening and professionalizing structures in Afghanistan.

Ali Askar Lali, project manager of the high level course for football coaches, Klaus Stärk football coach of the German football association (DFB) and Afghanistan Football Federations’s 22-year-old general secretary Ali Reza Aghazada hosted the ceremony.

Deputy Ambassador Oliver Owcza talking to the members of the Afghan Women’s National Football Team (© German Embassy/Paaksimaa)

During a talk with the Afghan National Women’s Team and federation officials, the progress that the Afghan Football Federation and Afghan football as a whole have made through the long-standing so-operation with Germany was universally applauded. Furthermore the participants of the advanced trainer workshop were honoured in a ceremony where they received certificates and were congratulated for their successful participation.

Ali Reza Aghazada expressed the Afghanistan Football Federation’s gratitude for empowering Afghan football and praised the co-operation with the German Embassy, the Federal Foreign Office and the German sport organisations as very trustful and fruitful.

Source: German Embassy Kabul

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The Civil Society Natural Resources Monitoring Network is calling for more engagement between the government, civil society and local communitites.
Photo: © Afghanistan Watch

May 29, 2013

Kabul – In recognition of growing importance of the natural resources, in particular the extractive sector, in future economy of Afghanistan, the Civil Society Natural Resources Monitoring Network (CSNRMN) calls upon the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan for more meaningful and constructive engagement between the government and the civil society and local communities.

The network was formed in January 2013 after a series of deliberations and discussions between Afghan and international civil society organizations. The network consists of more than 20 Afghan civil society organizations and pursues the goal of promoting effective, transparent, balanced, sustainable, peaceful utilization of natural resources for economic and social development of Afghanistan.

As a follow-up of the 9 December 2012 letter of Afghan and international civil society organizations to his Excellency Mr. Shahrani, the Minister of Mines, once again we draw attention to the following priorities in the sector.

The network appreciates and welcomes the recognition by the Ministry of Mines of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan of the importance of civil society and the role it can play in peaceful, sustainable and equitable utilization of Afghan’s extractive resources. In this respect, the network calls for constructive dialogue with the relevant officials on the following key issues:

(1)   Consultation on the draft mining legislation: The network members have been following the process of preparation of a new mining legislation but as of now have not able to access its draft. The network calls upon the Government of Afghanistan to make the draft available for wider consultation with the Afghan civil society. The network also expresses its interest in facilitating a broad and transparent consultation over the draft legislation;

(2)   More specifically, the network urges the draft legislation to ensure that a percentage of the revenues of mines are allocated for the socio-economic development of the local communities;

(3)   The network also highlights the need for assessment of implications of natural resources extraction on peace and stability in the country. This is concern is based on studies by network members and others that natural resources have the potential to cause new or reinforce existing conflicts at different levels;

(4)   The network also calls upon the Ministry of Mines to consider revising its National Mining Policy in consultation with civil society organizations;

(5)   The network appreciates the publication of most of the country’s mining contracts but urges the Ministry of Mines to publish the Aynak copper contract, Afghanistan’s biggest investment agreement;

(6)   The network also calls upon the Ministry of Mines to publicly release details of companies and individuals that awarded contracts in the extractive sector;

(7)   The network calls upon the Ministry of Mines and other relevant authorities to take effective measures to stop illegal extraction of natural resources and expand its control over the mining sites across the country.

(8)   Finally the network highlights the importance of sustainable use of natural resources in a manner that the next generations have sustainable revenue streams when the reserves are depleted.

Civil Society Natural Resources Monitoring Network (CSNRMN) Members:

1. Integrity Watch Afghanistan (IWA)
2. Afghanistan Watch (AW)
3. The Liaison Office (TLO)
4. Afghanistan Civil Society Forum organization (ACSFO)
5. Afghanistan Development Association (ADA)
6. Afghanistan Research and Social Change Organization (ARSCO)
7. Human Rights Eradication of Violence Organization (HREVO)
8. Hajigak Local Community Council
9. 8 Subh Daily
10. Logar Civil Society Association
11. Afghan Youth and Women Capacity Building Organization – Logar (AYWCBO)
12. Social Services Committee – Logar
13. Women Business Association of Logar
14. Green Wave
15. Equal Access
16. Sun Organization

Observer Organizations:

1. Heinrich Böll Stiftung (hbs)
2. Aqha Khan Foundation (AKF)
3. Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN)

Individuals:

1. Mohammad Afzal Habib Safi
2. Hasebullah Alokozai
3. Hashim Mayar – Civil Society Activist

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Download the Press Release in Dari (2 pages, 115 Kb)
Download the Press Release in English (2 pages, 91Kb)
Download the Press Release in Pashto (2 pages, 83 Kb)

Source: Heinrich Böll Stiftung

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Cartoonist Charles Schulz wrote, “Life is like a ten speed bicycle.  Most of us have gears we never use.”
A group of women in the mountains of Afghanistan, who likely never read his strip, don’t agree.

Bike riding is taboo for Afghan women, considered a marker of promiscuity and ranking on the cultural offenses index somewhere between driving and being spotted with an unrelated man. That belief eliminates a sustainable means of travel and undermines women’s mobility, creating another obstacle to accessing education. Watch a new generation of cyclists race away from the ban.

Read more and view photos on Green Prophet com

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German Afghan Dialogue on Peace and Islam

Discussions with Federal President Gauck © Bundesregierung/Sandra Steins

At the invitation of the Federal Foreign Office, a high ranking delegation of the Afghan Ulema Council and representatives of the Afghan High Peace Council visited Berlin from 3 to 7 June. The delegation was headed by Qiamuddin Kashaf, Chairman of the Ulema Council and Ataullah Lodin, the second deputy of the High Peace Council.

The motto of the visit was German Afghan dialogue on peace and Islam.

The highlight of the programme was a reception given by Federal President Gauck, which provided an opportunity to continue the dialogue started in December 2012 in Kabul between the President and the Ulema Council. During their one and a half hour talks, the members of the delegation had an exchange of views with the Federal President on current and future challenges in Afghanistan, not shying away from issues such as human and women’s rights.

Talks with representatives of the Afghan Ulema Council and the Afghan High Peace Council © Bundesregierung/Sandra Steins

In addition, the delegation held political talks with members of the Bundestag Committees on Human Rights and Foreign Affairs as well as representatives of the Federal Foreign Office, focusing amongst other things on the Afghan peace and reconciliation process as well as the development of democracy, human rights and stability in Afghanistan.

The members of the delegation met representatives of various civil society organizations to discuss German experience with reconciliation, the role of the civil society in Germany as well the situation of Muslims in this country.

Group photo with Federal President Gauck in front of Schloss Bellevue © Bundesregierung/Sandra Steins

In addition to this, the Berghof Foundation organized an academic seminar on experiences with the peace and reconciliation processes in South Africa and the Middle East, which enabled the participants to learn lessons and recognize parallels with regard to challenges in Afghanistan.

Last updated 17.06.2013

Source: Federal Foreign Office of Germany

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A group of Afghan female lawmakers and activists are eyeing an alliance with the country’s religious leaders, hoping to promote and enhance women’s rights through Islam in a joint campaign.

Member of Afghanistan parliament, Fawzia Koofi

Though Afghan women have made hard-fought gains in education and work since the collapse of the austere Taliban regime in 2001, fears are growing these could suffer a reversal when most foreign forces leave by the end of next year.

In the deeply conservative, male-dominated country where religion often holds more sway than legal authority, religious leaders have often been a major barrier to women obtaining the rights granted to them under the constitution.

Role of mullahs is crucial

“The role of the mullahs is crucial because we’re an Islamic nation and the mosques are being used against women. Why not use them for women?” said member of parliament Fawzia Koofi, an outspoken campaigner for women’s rights.

Koofi, from the largely rural Badakhshan province, is in talks with the country’s male, religious elite to promote pro-female sermons during important Friday prayers in mosques where the government pays clerics’ salaries.

The hope is that the sermons will help address the problem of violence against women in a country where many men are suspicious of women’s rights and see them as imported from the West.

The campaign will start in Kabul and then be implemented in the provinces but only in 3,500 government-funded mosques. There are 160,000 mosques in the country of 30 million people.

Read more on A Safe World for Women Org

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I was heartened to see the July 12 front-page article on Afghanistan’s Wakhan district [“ ‘The world has left us behind’ ”]. Certainly many points about the country’s marginalized groups and remote populations are valid. Still, the larger context is that the U.S. government is working with partners, including the Aga Khan Development Network, in Wakhan on better governance and services in health and education.

The Post pointed to an incomplete, decades-old dirt road as evidence that not much has changed in the region. In fact, you can’t drive across Wakhan without traversing nine big bridges and passing 10 schools and seven irrigation canals built and supported by us. We work on more than 70 infrastructure projects and support more than a dozen early childhood centers. We and others are creating capacity for services that address health, education and livelihoods ranging from savings groups to ecotourism. Things are changing. Efforts include our partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development on Multi-Input Area Development, which engages public and private investment for integrated development in northern Afghanistan for the next five years.

Read more on Washington Post com

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At the annual conference of the Society for International Development’s Washington chapter, Dr. Mirza Jahani, CEO of Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A., was invited to say a few words on governance issues in development. Here are his reflections on that experience:

Women in Gujarat use a well dug by a community-led initiative supported by the Aga Khan Rural Support Program in India. (Photo: AKF/Amit Pasricha)

This year, various reviews of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) allow all of us involved in the pursuit of those goals a chance for reflection. Great strides have been made in poverty alleviation, especially involving access to health and education. This young century has already seen the fastest decline in poverty in history. Compared to 2000, child death rates have fallen by over 30 percent. These are remarkable gains.

Still, in many places around the world, we in the global development community fall short in many ways. The report goes on to urge good governance and stronger partnerships as ways to make our next ascent in global poverty eradication.

So many leaders of the past have aspired to make poverty history. In his 1961 inaugural speech, President John F. Kennedy said that in modern times “man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty…” Now it seems, in this very connected world, that it just might be possible.

As we look to climb new summits for overcoming poverty, two things strike me. First, I find encouragement in recent discussions of good governance as an area where gains lie ahead. This desire to see development for the people and with the people has been at the heart of the work of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), beginning with its pioneering work on rural development in the 1980s. The field work undertaken by the Rural Support Programs in India and Pakistan has been documented and studied by development scholars since Robert Chambers.

Parallel to this work at the rural grassroots, His Highness the Aga Khan advanced the discourse on development policy when he used the term enabling environment in 1983 in Kenya, starting a dialogue that led to a first Africa-wide Enabling Environment Conference in 1986, with support from the World Bank and the United Kingdom, among others. That dialogue has continued, for example, through the 2006 Enabling Environment Conference in Afghanistan, which explored the private sector’s contribution to development there.

We at the Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. continue to push for good governance globally: greater participation in decision making by our community partners, greater accountability of state officials to their constituents, and open and peaceful pluralist societies. But we should also remember that there are two sides to the good governance coin: there is the demand side – non-governmental groups need to be capable of analysis and dialogue (see our efforts tracking the sustainability of civil society organizations and their environments) – and there is the supply side: Governments that supply services need to be better at what they do, with better recruitment practices, better HR policies and better pay. The ability of governments to be more responsive and capable needs attention. Generally (because this does not always come naturally to civil society actors) we have not often focused on that supply side. I often say that we spend so much time giving people a voice that we forget to give governments an ear. In other words, we must support systems that help officials listen better and act more responsively.

My second impression at this stage is that in fragile states, sorting out governance is a long-term affair. That is the evidence from our experience in AKDN, and from many other credible practitioners too. AKDN has worked in some fragile environments for decades and still we feel our efforts are works-in-progress.

I applaud the current calls to place partnerships at the heart of our work going forward, and hope that we can all summon the ambition to tackle poverty in the most deserving cases. Perhaps international donors could engage in ten-year partnerships, underpinned by a commitment to provide the needed level of resources. Twenty partnerships for 20 most-deserving countries, by 2020. Now there is a slogan worth championing.

Source: Partnership in Action Org

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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry listens as Sartaj Aziz (R), Pakistan’s foreign policy chief, speaks during a joint news conference in Islamabad August 1, 2013.

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s new government is reaching out to the United States, India and Afghanistan to try to improve long tense relations. A week after Washington and Islamabad announced plans to resume high-level security talks, Pakistan’s foreign policy chief Sartaj Aziz said Islamabad welcomes more Indian investment in Afghanistan.
Pakistan has long been accused of thwarting Indian diplomacy and investment in Afghanistan as part of a strategy to limit New Delhi’s influence there. Officials in India have alleged militant attacks on their diplomatic missions in the country are plotted across the border in Pakistan.

(…)

“Obviously, you see [the] Taliban have been saying that this government, this constitution is imposed by foreign powers and is not indigenous. But I think many of them realize that once they are part of the negotiating process, then they will be able to make changes if they require. So in that sense, there are some [insurgent] groups which want to talk and take part, others of course do not believe in that,” said Pakistan’s foreign policy chief.

Read full article on Voice of America news com

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At the end of June, while a bunch of people were losing their minds listening to music and stomping around Chicago, I too was surrounded by good vibes and thousands of revelers glued to a sound system somewhere. Only, that somewhere happened to be the Silk Road Festival in the soaring Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan’s Bamyan province, far from the drug-induced spirituality of Union Park. Thousands of Afghans, having arrived throughout the day in a stream of aging pickups and Iranian motorbikes, had filled a meadow surrounded on all sides by soaring golden mountains. Their peaks formed a convenient natural amphitheater for the day’s performances.

(…)

Now in its fifth year, the three-day festival was started by the Bamyan Tourist Development Board with support from the Aga Khan Foundation. The aim of the festival is to celebrate and showcase the rich culture of the region following centuries of repression. As recently as 2001, some 6,000 Hazara were massacred by the Taliban after the occupiers had already outlawed much of their expressive music and dance.

Read full article and view many photos on Vice com

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Afghanistan VS Pakistan Friendship Football Match on 20th August 2013 at AFF Stadium, Kabul, Afghanistan.
مسابقه دوستانه فوتبال میان افغانستان و پاکستان به تاریخ ۲۹ اسد ۱۳۹۲ در استدیوم فدراسیون فوتبال افغانستان – کابل

Source:

afghanpremierleague·

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Afghanistan enjoys a unique tradition of music dating back centuries. This was nearly destroyed by the Taliban regime’s ban on all forms of music, yet some traditional Afghan master musicians have managed to preserve their knowledge. The Franz Liszt School of Music in Weimar is supporting an exchange between these traditional masters and German musicians. After a very successful joint concert tour in Germany last year, it’s now time for the return visit to Afghanistan.

Afghan master musicians and young musicians © Georg Anton Stipek Michienzi  

Since 2008 some of Afghanistan’s traditional master musicians have been working to keep the country’s musical tradition alive. At the Afghan National Institute of Music (ANIM) they are passing their knowledge on to the next generation. ANIM, which was opened in 2010 with the support of the German Embassy, is currently the only music school in Kabul.

SAFAR, a Dari word that can be translated as “journey”, is a project seeking to strengthen cultural understanding between Afghanistan and Germany. The project, which is run in collaboration with the Franz Liszt School of Music in Weimar, supports a musical exchange project between Afghanistan and Germany. The cooperation between four traditional Afghan musicians and three young German jazz and pop musicians has given rise to a musical journey and lively exchange which sees language barriers fade into insignificance. In the summer of 2012 a concert tour in which the musicians performed traditional Afghan music together in Weimar, Rudolstadt, Bonn and Berlin was a resounding public success. The tour was covered intensively in the media and several concerts were broadcast on the radio. Moreover a recording studio in Weimar made valuable recordings of their traditional Afghan music, an art form which faces the threat of dying out.

Afghan and German musicians rehearsing together in Afghanistan © Johannes Theurer   

Now this summer sees the return trip of German musicians to Afghanistan. Together with their Afghan partners they will run workshops and concerts with a traditional Afghan repertoire. Once more the programme includes a concert: on Tuesday 27 August from 4.30 p.m. to 6.00 p.m. (German time) the musicians will again appear on stage together, this time in front of an Afghan audience. The concert will be broadcast live on RBB-Kulturradio and video streamed live on the project website.

• external link, opens in new windowConcert Live Stream on August 27 from 4:30pm onwards
• “Safar” project website
• external link, opens in new windowLive-blog on “Safar” in Afghanistan (RBB-Kulturradio)

Last updated 27.08.2013

Source: Federal Foreign Office

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“Safar” – A journey of Afghan and German musicians — Safar Musik de

*****

Five Afghan master musicians and their students, three jazz and pop musicians from Germany, one project: “Safar” connects audiences and performers across national and cultural boundaries.

The image of Afghanistan today is heavily influenced by war, conflict and terrorism, despite the fact that the country was long known for it’s cultural richness, especially in the field of music. This music, however, was forbidden under Taliban rule. Luckily the music lives on today with the survival of older musicians.

These master musicians at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM) and at the Aga Khan Music Initiative (AKMI) in Kabul have worked to pass on these rich musical traditions to younger generations.

Through the “Safar” project, the University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar (HfM Weimar) intends to supports these Afghan musicians in their mission to save, protect and transmit this extensive musical knowledge.

A further goal of the project, for both the HfM Weimar and ANIM alike, is the strengthening of mutual cultural understanding between Afghanistan and Germany as well as the development of the cultural self-perception of each individual country. In this way, the existing cultural relationship between the two countries will be stimulated and further cultivated. The involvement of three renowned young German jazz and pop musicians makes possible a lively musical exchange that transcends all language barriers.

In the summer of 2012 Afghan and German musicians met for an extraordinary artistic exchange in Germany. They went on tour together, performing in Weimar, Rudolstadt, Bonn and Berlin. “Safar” continues in summer 2013 – but this time in Afghanistan.

The musicians from these two cultural and musical traditions will give workshops with students and concerts of traditional Afghan repertoire. One concert will be transmitted for listeners worldwide. A radio broadcast will be available on RBB-Kulturradio and a live video stream can be seen through the official “Safar” website (www.safar-musik.de) as well as through the many website of the European Broadcasting Union.

Partners and Sponsors

Source: Safar Musik de

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Midwives are an integral and inseparable component of the health care delivery system. They play a vital role in improving maternal and neonatal health worldwide. Midwife is the first point of contact for most of the women during pregnancy and also the first one to lay a hand on a child as soon as it is delivered.

(…)

In order to support and complement Basic Package of Health Services (BPHS) and Essential Package of Hospital Services (EPHS) projects in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Public Health in collaboration with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and other donor agencies established community midwifery schools in almost all provinces of Afghanistan. Badakhshan -a province with no road access, harsh and long winters, low level of literacy and above all high rates of maternal deaths, was the most challenging place in Afghanistan to implement this ingenious project. Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in partnership with Ministry of Public Health Afghanistan, Jhpiego and local community took up the challenge with gusto and kicked off the community midwifery education (CME) project in Faizabad in early 2005.(…)

Read full article on Huffington Post com

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A new building for a school in Warsaj district of Takhar has been established to provide better learning environment for the students.

Previously, the students of this school were taught under tents.

“The new two-story building consists of 8 classrooms and other facilities to meet the requirements of the students,” said Gul Agha Nazari, Head of Communications in Education Department of Takhar.

Costing USD 340,000, the building is funded by Aga Khan Foundation.

There are about 30 schools in Warsaj district of Takhar, 70% of which have proper buildings.

Source: Wadsam com Afghanistan

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Afghanistan’s national football team celebrating their win

Afghanistan made history tonight by defeating India 2-0 in the final match of the (SAFF) South Asian Football Federation Cup in Kathmandu, Nepal. It was the first time in history that Afghanistan has won this tournament. The first goal came from Mustafa Azadzoy in the 8th minute, and the second was scored by Sandjar Ahmadi close to the 62nd minute. In the meantime, Afghan goalkeeper Mansur Faqiryar did a phenomenal job of preventing opposition goals – not just in this game, but the tournament as a whole.

Read more on Good Afghan News com

Video: FINAL: Afghanistan vs India (Highlights) – SAFF Championship 2013

Published on 11 Sep 2013

Afghanistan 2-0 India: Afghanistan win their first International title by beating India 2-0. India failed to complete a hattrick of South Asian titles as they were beaten 2-0 by Afghanistan in the SAFF Championship 2013 final in Kathmandu

Source:

SAFF Championship

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By Rajat Madhok

International Day of the Girl Child is 11 October 2013. This year’s Day focuses on innovating for girls’ education. Smart and creative use of technology, policies, partnerships and, most of all, the engagement of young people, themselves, are important for overcoming barriers to girls’ learning and achievement.

Support for girls’ education in one village in western Afghanistan illustrates the enormous changes that have taken place in the country – and the challenges that remain.

HERAT, Afghanistan, 8 October 2013 – When the elders in Sangbast, a village in western Afghanistan close to the Iranian border, noticed that many of the local girls were not going to school, they set out to find a solution. What they came up with was simple, but it brought about a dramatic change: They built a school.

The nearest school was far away – too far for many girls to walk. So the villagers got together and built an all-girls school in the heart of Sangbast. Today nearly all girls from the village attend school.

© UNICEF/Afghanistan/2013/Madhok

17-year-old Farzana had to fight for her right to education because her parents didn’t see the point of sending her to school.

Leading the way was a 76-year-old village elder, Hajimir Ahmad, who donated his land to build the school. Hajimir says that he could not educate his daughters, but it’s not too late for his granddaughters.

“Before the school opened, the situation in the village was bad,” Hajimir says. “In my generation, people were illiterate, and illiterate people like me are blind. Our kids now learn many things. Most nights they come home and teach us about different issues.”

Today, all his granddaughters attend school.

A star pupil

So successful was the initiative that shortly after the school was finished, the villagers realized there were too many students and too little space in the existing school. More villagers donated their land, and more classrooms were constructed for the girls of the village.

Today, one of the star pupils at the village school is Farzana Tanha. She fought with her parents for many years before they would let her go to school, as they simply did not see the value in giving her an education. Her father is a day labourer, and her mother is illiterate. It took the intervention of Hajimir and other community elders to convince Farzana’s parents to allow her to attend school.

© UNICEF/Afghanistan/2013/Madhok

Seventy-six-year-old village elder Hajimir Ahmad donated his own land to build a school for girls in Sangbast. He says he could not educate his daughters, but it’s not too late for his granddaughters.

“I feel so happy about coming to school,” says the shy 17-year-old. “It’s giving me courage, power and hope for the future. For example, I can do this interview now. Before, I wouldn’t have been able to do it.”

Farzana says she would like to become a doctor one day.

More schools, more students

In the past decade, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of children – especially girls – attending school in Afghanistan. In 2001, less than 1 million children were in school, almost all them boys. Today, more than 8 million children are enrolled in school, with girls’ gross enrolment at 79 per cent. More schools have been constructed, female teachers have been trained, recruited and deployed, and schools have been constructed in a child-friendly way.

Despite these remarkable gains, there are many girls like Farzana in Afghanistan who want to study but cannot – because of the lack of nearby schools, female teachers or something as small as the existence of girls’ toilets in schools.

“We know that many Afghan children, particularly girls, cannot walk long distances to attend school; moreover, there are large numbers of over-aged, out-of-school children,” says Pawan Kucita, Chief of Education for UNICEF Afghanistan. “UNICEF, along with the Government of Afghanistan and other partners, is providing such children with community-based schools, accelerated learning courses or mosque-based schools that are closer to home. Therefore, more children can attend school. Also, there is a push to make schools child-friendly so that more out-of-school children, particularly girls, not only enroll in school, but also stay there until they graduate from high school.”

Back in Sangbast village, the sound of the bell marks the end of the school day, and the students dash out of their classrooms and run towards home. Hajimir and other village elders sit under a nearby tree and return the greetings of the students as they run past. They know that what they have built has changed the fate of many of the daughters of Sangbast village.

Source: UNISEF Org

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The University of Central Asia’s School of Professional and Continuing Education (UCA-SPCE) held a series of social entrepreneurship seminars for youth across the Kyrgyz Republic and Kazakhstan from 4 to 21 November 2013.

The seminars launched the second phase of the Change the World Around You! competition, a UCA initiative implemented with funding from the Coca-Cola Foundation and Company.

Change the World Around You! encourages young people to submit proposals for social entrepreneurial projects to address challenges in their communities. Qualifying participants receive training in social entrepreneurship and winning proposals receive seed funding to implement their project.

Facilitated by UCA instructors, the seminars enabled participants to understand social entrepreneurship and appreciate successful social entrepreneurship experiences in Central Asia and globally.

Students in Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan explore ideas on social entrepreneurship

Participants discussed the key social issues within their communities, proposed solutions and then developed applications for the Change the World Around You! competition. Throughout November, seminars were held in Karakol, Naryn, Batken, Osh, Jalal Abad, Talas and Bishkek in the Kyrgyz Republic. In Kazakhstan, seminars were held in Almaty, in cooperation with the International Academy of Business, and in Taldykorgan.
Youth with the best social entrepreneurship proposals will be selected to attend social entrepreneurship training at UCA in Bishkek. Twenty participants from the Kyrgyz Republic and fifteen from Kazakhstan will be chosen.
Following the training, participants will present their proposals to a panel of judges who will choose the winning business plans. There will be six proposals selected from the Kyrgyz Republic and five from  Kazakhstan. Winners will receive grants of between $2,000 to 2,500 to implement their projects.

Students brainstorm social entrepreneurship ideas in Talas, Kyrgyz Republic

Last year, winners of the inaugural Change the World Around You! competition implemented ideas ranging from creating employment opportunities for rural students to building wheelchair accessible ramps at public buildings.
“UCA is pleased to build on the success of Change the World Around You! to further involve Kyrgyz youth and now to extend our reach to Kazakhstan. Last year’s winners set a high standard and are making a huge difference in their communities. We await exciting innovative ideas from youth in this second phase,” said Gulnara Djunushalieva, Director, SPCE.
The application deadline for the Change the World Around You! competition is 18 December 2013. Kyrgyz and Kazakh nationals, aged 19-28, with innovative ideas to solve problems in their communities are encouraged to apply. Application forms are available at: http://www.ucentralasia.org/news.asp?Nid=606
For more information, please visit www.uca.kg.

The ‘Change the World!’ Contest

The ‘Change the World!’ contest is implemented by the University of Central Asia with support from the Aga Khan Foundation, Kyrgyzstan. The social entrepreneurship contest and projects are funded by The Coca-Cola Foundation and The Coca-Cola Company under the “Empowering Youth for Socioeconomic Development in the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, and Afghanistan” project. Phase I was launched in July 2012 in the Kyrgyz Republic with nine winners receiving grants of up to $3,000 to implement social entrepreneurship projects in their communities. Phase II is currently underway in the Kyrgyz Republic and Kazakhstan.

Related Stories

• Young Social Entrepreneurs Implement Award-winning Projects http://www.ucentralasia.org/news.asp?Nid=542

• Youth Receive Seed Funding for Social Entrepreneurship Projects: http://www.ucentralasia.org/news.asp?Nid=425

Source: University of Central Asia (UCA) org

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News from 2014-02-10 / KfW Development Bank

Close cooperation with the Development Network

His Highness Prince Aga Khan IV (right) visited KfW in Berlin, where he also met Dr Norbert Kloppenburg, Member of the KfW Group’s Executive Board. The discussions focused on the long-standing collaboration between the institutions. Source: DAVIDS / Gregor Fischer.

He is not only an expert on development issues, but also the spiritual leader of the Nizari Ismailis: His Highness Prince Aga Khan IV, founder of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), recently visited KfW in Berlin. He met Dr Norbert Kloppenburg, Member of the KfW Group’s Executive Board, and Bruno Wenn, CEO of DEG. The meetings, which lasted about two hours, focused on the long-standing cooperation between KfW Development Bank, DEG and the AKDN.

Cooperation particularly in “fragile states”

KfW and DEG have been cooperating with the AKDN, the world’s largest private development network, for many years now, particularly in so-called “fragile states” affected by crises and conflicts. The Aga Kahn Development Network has outstanding local knowledge, especially in Afghanistan and other countries in Central Asia. The employees know the socio-cultural conditions, are familiar with circumstances on the ground and maintain good contacts with the local communities and non-governmental organisations.

KfW is therefore working together with the Aga Khan Network and the Afghan authorities to implement (among other initiatives) the “Northern Afghanistan Stabilisation Programme”. The aim is to improve the infrastructure in the crisis-ridden country on the Hindu Kush. With the assistance of KfW and the Aga Khan, funds from the Federal Foreign Office are being used to build new schools, administrative buildings, roads and water pipelines. Moreover, the two institutions are striving to promote trade and the exchange of goods in the region.

Aga Khan employees know the local conditions

The “PATRIP Foundation”, which KfW and the Federal Foreign Office established around three years ago, wants to help strengthen networking between Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. New markets, bridges and roads are being built, making it easier for people to transport their products and offer them for sale in neighbouring countries. This is creating fresh economic momentum and jobs. Jens Clausen, KfW Head of Division, is repeatedly impressed by the “rapid implementation” of the projects. “It is the result of the professional, pragmatic and largely unbureaucratic work of the Aga Khan employees,” he says in praise of the organisation.

Central Asia is not the only region in which KfW cooperates with the Aga Khan Network. In East Africa, they jointly support the training and further training of experts in the health care sector. Indeed, the range of training that the private Aga Khan University has to offer working professionals and those preparing for their careers is being expanded and improved. The project includes a new university building in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, improved further training courses, new degrees and offers in state partner hospitals in poor areas. Over the coming years, thousands more nursing staff will thus be trained to alleviate the crisis in East Africa’s health care sector.

In total, the cooperation between KfW, DEG and the Aga Khan Development Network currently comprises 22 projects in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa with a financing volume of around EUR 240 million.

Source: kfw-entwicklungsbank.de

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In German language

Prinz Aga Khan IV. besucht die KfW

Enge Zusammenarbeit mit dem Entwicklungsnetzwerk

Er ist nicht nur ein Experte für Entwicklungsfragen, sondern auch das geistige Oberhaupt der ismaelitischen Nizariten: His Highness Prinz Aga Khan IV., Gründer des “Aga Khan Development Networks” (AKDN), hat kürzlich die KfW in Berlin besucht. Er traf mit Dr. Norbert Kloppenburg, Mitglied des Vorstandes der KfW Bankengruppe, und Bruno Wenn, Geschäftsführer der DEG, zusammen. Im Mittelpunkt der rund zweistündigen Gespräche stand die langjährige Zusammenarbeit zwischen KfW Entwicklungsbank, DEG und dem AKDN.

Kooperation insbesondere in “fragilen Staaten”

KfW und DEG kooperieren seit vielen Jahren mit dem AKDN, dem weltweit größten privaten Entwicklungsnetzwerk, insbesondere in von Krisen und Konflikten betroffenen so genannten “fragilen Staaten”. Das Aga-Khan-Entwicklungsnetzwerk verfügt besonders in Afghanistan und weiteren zentralasiatischen Staaten über sehr gute Landeskenntnisse. Die Mitarbeiter kennen die sozio-kulturellen Verhältnisse, sind mit lokalen Gegebenheiten vertraut und pflegen gute Kontakte zur Bevölkerung und zu lokalen Nicht-Regierungsorganisationen.

Die KfW setzt daher zusammen mit dem Aga-Khan-Netzwerk und afghanischen Behörden unter anderem das “Stabilisierungsprogramm Nordafghanistan” um. Dabei geht es darum, die Infrastruktur in dem krisengeschüttelten Land am Hindukusch zu verbessern: Mit Hilfe von KfW und Aga Khan entstehen mit Mitteln des Auswärtigen Amtes neue Schulen, Verwaltungsgebäude, Straßen und Wasserleitungen. Darüber hinaus bemühen sich beide Institutionen, den Handel und den Warenaustausch in der Region voranzutreiben.

Aga Khan-Mitarbeiter kennen die lokalen Verhältnisse

Die “PATRIP-Stiftung”, die die KfW und das Auswärtige Amt vor rund drei Jahren gegründet haben, will dazu beitragen, die Länder Pakistan, Afghanistan und Tadschikistan stärker zu vernetzen. Neue Märkte, Brücken und Straßen werden gebaut, die es den Menschen erleichtern, ihre Produkte zu transportieren und in den Nachbarländern anzubieten. So entstehen neue wirtschaftlichen Impulse und Arbeitsplätze. Jens Clausen, KfW-Teamleiter, ist immer wieder von der “schnellen Umsetzung” der Projekte beeindruckt. “Das liegt an der professionellen, pragmatischen und wenig bürokratischen Arbeit der Aga-Khan-Mitarbeiter”, lobt er die Organisation.

Die KfW kooperiert nicht nur in Zentralasien mit dem Aga-Khan-Netzwerk. In Ostafrika wird gemeinsam die Aus- und Fortbildung von Fachkräften im Gesundheitsbereich unterstützt. Das berufsbegleitende und -vorbereitende Ausbildungsangebot der privaten Aga- Khan-Universität wird ausgeweitet und verbessert. Zum Vorhaben gehören ein neues Universitätsgebäude in Kenias Hauptstadt Nairobi, verbesserte Weiterbildungskurse, neue Abschlüsse und Angebote in staatlichen Partnerhospitälern in armen Gebieten. So sollen in den nächsten Jahren Tausende von Krankenschwestern und -pflegern zusätzlich ausgebildet werden, um den Notstand im Gesundheitssektor Ostafrikas zu mildern.

Insgesamt umfasst die Zusammenarbeit zwischen KfW, DEG und dem “Aga Khan Development Network” derzeit 22 Vorhaben in Asien und Subsahara-Afrika mit einem Finanzierungsvolumen von rund 240 Mio. EUR.

Quelle: KfW entwicklungsbank de

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Bishkek, March 11 / Kabar/. Building a democratic state governed by the rule of law requires training the next generation of public and local self-government authorities. This was the focus of a national round table on Local Economic Development: Potential and Prospects organised by the University of Central Asia (UCA) and the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic on 11 March 2014 in Bishkek.

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“The University of Central Asia is assisting to build capacity of civil servants by providing targeted training. Our Local Economic and Community Development certificate programme has reached over 1,350 civil servants in Kyrgyzstan since 2010,” said Dr Bohdan Krawchenko, Director General of UCA, in his opening address. “Intensive efforts by UCA’s School of Professional and Continuing Education have created a better understanding of the training needs of civil servants in Kyrgyzstan. We are now adapting the programme for officials in Tajikistan and Afghanistan.”

Read full on Kabar Kyrgyzstan

See also:

The University of Central Asia (UCA)

One University, Three Campuses:Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Kazakhstan

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OTTAWA, April 16, 2014 /CNW/ – The Canadian Association of Journalists is pleased to partner with Aga Khan Foundation Canada to present CBC journalist Mellissa Fung as a keynote speaker at #CAJ14, which runs May 9-10 at the Holiday Inn and Suites Downtown Vancouver.

Fung will discuss what role Canada should play in Afghanistan as the fledgling nation develops its own institutions during a protracted struggle for political stability. Fung returned to the fragile country last year, five years after she was kidnapped while on assignment in at a refugee camp on the outskirts of Kabul. Fung detailed her journey in a 2012 memoir, “Under an Afghan Sky”.

She is scheduled to speak to delegates on Saturday, May 10, starting at 1 p.m. PT. Fung’s keynote address is one of three at #CAJ14, which also include addresses from Assembly of First Nations National Chief Shawn At-in-chut Atleo and Bergen Record reporter Shawn Boburg. Liveblogs of all #CAJ14 sessions will be available through the CAJ website.

In session related to Fung’s address later in the afternoon, The Ottawa Citizen‘s David Pugliese will also reflect on the Canadian experience in Afghanistan. Pugliese’s session examines the intricacies of reporting from conflict zones, including embedded vs. un-embedded reporting, medical needs and insurance, transportation, safety, working with translators and dealing with military forces.

Read more on Canadian Association of Journalists,Canada

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CA-NEWS (CA) -  The University of Central Asia (UCA) and Aga Khan Foundation, Afghanistan, which are both part of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), on April 19 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Badakhshan University (BU) in Afghanistan to establish a continuing education unit at BU.

Read full on Central Asian News org

Also see:

Continuing Education Unit to be established through partnership between Badakhshan University, University of Central Asia and Aga Khan Foundation, Afghanistan

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