Autore: Patrizia Fabbri

It is one of the most active and successful independent Afghan women’s organizations in the social field both in Afghanistan and Pakistan among Afghan refugees.

RAWA is also very active in the political sphere with its fight against fundamentalism and religious obscurantism, publicly denouncing the warlords who are still in high government positions and the responsibilities of the USA and the West in having built, financed and legitimized regimes based on the violation of women’s rights, ignoring and suppressing any democratic opposition movement.

Since its inception, CISDA has supported the political and social work of the association by organizing delegations to Afghanistan, meetings to raise awareness and knowledge of the Afghan reality with RAWA representatives throughout Italy and fundraisers.

It is one of the most accredited Afghan non-governmental organizations.

It encourages the active participation of women and young people in reconstruction processes and works in collaboration with institutions and organizations that work for the country’s development. The Association aspires to a safe society in which all Afghans (men, women, children, elderly), regardless of their race, ethnicity, tribe, language and religion, receive equal benefit from development processes and collective work aimed at a better world.

Hambastagi is today the only secular, democratic, inter-ethnic and independent party existing in Afghanistan. It has 30,000 members from different ethnic groups present in the country, of which 10,000 are women. The party is also represented by provincial committees in 22 out of 34 provinces, each with three leaders, one woman and two men. Hambastagi has offices in major cities, but in some places its members, unable to have an office, meet in homes.

The party does not receive public funds, but is self-financed through members and supporters. The countries from which he receives political support are Italy, Germany with Die Linke and Sweden with the Left Party.

There is also a “Hambastagi Committee” based in Germany, founded by Afghan people residing in the country.

How and when the organization was born

The party, of secular and democratic inspiration, was founded in 2003 in view of the presidential elections (2004).

However, its founders come from far away and precisely from the fight against the Soviet invasion, fought largely within a coalition formed by the religious area of ​​the moderate Islamists and the secular area of ​​the mujahideen, both united against the common enemy . The secular area was made up of both men and several women who recognized themselves in democratic and left-wing ideals (“people’s mujahideen”: secular partisans of the resistance who had nothing to do with the jihadis, Islamic fundamentalists who fought in the name of Allah).

Party work

Hambastagi members fight against all forms of Islamic fundamentalism, against foreign occupation and for a secular democracy that guarantees rights for all, especially women. They fight for an independent, democratic and indivisible Afghanistan in which they can live without any ethnic, racial, religious, linguistic discrimination, belonging to clans or specific areas and where they can live in unity and security.

They believe extremely deeply in democracy, they are secular, they absolutely do not want Islamic dictates to influence political discourse, they fight for the conquest of women’s rights and promote human rights. All this work is done by organizing meetings with the population in cities and villages, literacy courses and events

The party is trying to build strong international solidarity and participated in a Conference in Lahore with Pakistani left-wing parties. He is also currently in contact with the parties of the Indian left.

One of its main objectives is to create a single democratic force, capable of intercepting and integrating the different expressions of dissent, an alternative party with a strong social base and capable of impacting Afghan politics.

CISDA and HAMBASTAGI

The main support that CISDA offers to the party is political

• • In February 2011 he organized meetings of Hambastagi activists with Italian parties, local authorities and associations.
• • In October 2011, a meeting was held at the Chamber of Deputies with the president of the PD parliamentarians in the foreign commission, Hon. Tempestini, and with the Hon. Delia Murer, organizer of the meeting.
• • In June 2012 he issued a statement denouncing Hambastagi’s suspension from parliament.
• • In 2013 he issued a further statement denouncing attacks by Afghan security forces during a party rally in Kabul.
• • In May 2014 in the province of Badakhshan a huge landslide killed at least 350 people with over 2 thousand missing. In this desperate situation, Hambastagi immediately took action, bringing medical teams to the site who were able to reach this area, one of the most remote in the country, in the north-east, between the Hindu Kush and the Pamir mountains which has not seen no one’s help. CISDA financially supported this population support operation.

Association made up of relatives of the victims of the massacres committed in Afghanistan during the civil war of 1992-1996. After the fall of Afghan President Najibullah in the first months of 1992, all the factions of the mujahideen who had fought against the Soviet occupation forces in the years of the invasion (1978-1987) and then against the pro-Soviet regime began a violent war for control of the capital and the provinces. Between 1992 and 1996 Kabul was the scene of bloody fighting, which caused the death of thousands of civilians and the destruction of much of the city.

Most of the commanders in chief during this factional war are responsible for crimes against humanity. Despite the numerous testimonies and clear evidence of this reality, many of the leaders of the armed factions have subsequently held political and institutional positions in the governments that have followed one another from the fall of the Taliban regime (2001) to the present day.

The SAAJS fights for criminals to be brought to justice and a memorial to be built in memory of the victims.

Goals

The main objectives of SAAJS are:

• • The establishment of an international tribunal for crimes perpetrated in the country
• • The removal of all criminals from their government positions
• • The search for all the “mass graves” not yet discovered and their culprits
• • The construction of a memorial in memory of all the victims.

How and when the organization was born

The organization was born in 2007 within civil society, following the discovery of mass graves. Its main purpose is to seek the truth about war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in recent years forty years.

The first SAAJS demonstration takes place in front of the UNAMA headquarters in Kabul to put pressure on the United Nations and other institutions: the creation of a court competent to judge those responsible for the massacres is requested.

SAAJS projects

Transitional justice project “truth and justice”: the project was activated in 2008 in collaboration with the ICS Association and CISDA and European funding. The second phase of the project was refinanced by a European tender. The SAAJS Association has become the leader and the continuation of the activities is carried out in complete autonomy.

The objective of the project is the collection of testimonies on the crimes against humanity that were perpetrated from 1992 to 1996 to bring to the attention of the international community a truth as frightening as it is constantly and deliberately ignored by Western governments: the political class currently at government in Afghanistan is directly involved in crimes against humanity for which no one is being held accountable.

CISDA and SAAJS

In 2008, Cisda partnered with the ICS Consortium of Alessandria in the project to support Saajs of transitional justice “Truth and Justice” financed by the European Union.
He is currently collaborating on the construction of the memorial in memory of all the victims.

Association made up of relatives of the victims of the massacres committed in Afghanistan during the civil war of 1992-1996.

After the fall of Afghan President Najibullah in the first months of 1992, all the factions of the mujahideen who had fought against the Soviet occupation forces in the years of the invasion (1978-1987) and then against the pro-Soviet regime began a violent war for control of the capital and the provinces.

Between 1992 and 1996 Kabul was the scene of bloody fighting, which caused the death of thousands of civilians and the destruction of much of the city. Most of the commanders in chief during this factional war are responsible for crimes against humanity.

Despite the numerous testimonies and clear evidence of this reality, many of the leaders of the armed factions have subsequently held political and institutional positions in the governments that have followed one another from the fall of the Taliban regime (2001) to the present day.

The aim of OPAWC is to make women aware of their rights and their role within society. The organization provides the population with entirely free services with a view to promoting rights, democracy and support for civil society without distinction of ethnic origin. The three main sectors in which OPAWC operates are: health, education and income generating projects

Goals

OPAWC continues to seek creative and diverse ways for Afghan women to build a future through the three-pronged approach of education, economic opportunity and health.

The aims of the organization are: to restore peace and harmony in Afghanistan, improve the cultural, social and economic level of women by offering literacy and crafts courses, which allow them to acquire awareness of their rights and develop working potential and skills.

How and when the organization was born

In 2003, a group of women volunteers began working to create sustainable opportunities for Afghan women: the aim was to help them escape the vicious cycle of dependence and victimisation.

Literacy courses are thus organized throughout the country, which take place in back rooms or classrooms. Here women can let their search for knowledge emerge, safe from forces that could hinder them.

CISDA and OPAWC

Cisda has always collaborated with Opawc, seeking funding to contribute to the continuity of their projects:

Since 2010 it has been a partner of the Hamoon Health Center project in Farah financed by Opera San Francesco (OSF).

Also since 2010, it has been a partner with the Insieme Si Pu Association of Belluno in the project which involves the distribution of goats to widows and needy families.

Since 2007 it has been a partner with the Cospe and No-Mad Associations of the project for the Vocational Training Center in Kabul financed for three years by the Tuscany Region. She contributed to the purchase of an ambulance for the Hamoon Health Center in Farah.