Peace and Love

Only two NATO members are out of the MBT after Finland joined it!

2012-01-13T16:33:00.004Z

One million more mines to be destroyed as Finland becomes 159 nation to join landmine ban

(Geneva, 12 January 2012): Finland has become the latest nation to join the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, which comprehensively bans the use, production, trade, and stockpiling of antipersonnel landmines.

Finland deposited its instrument of accession at the United Nations in New York on Monday 9 January 2012, the United Nations has announced.

“We warmly welcome Finland to join the majority of countries to have completely banished these indiscriminate weapons,” said Firoz Alizada, Campaign Manager for the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL).

“We appreciate it has fulfilled so early in the year its long-standing pledge to join the Mine Ban Treaty in 2012,” he added.

More than one million antipersonnel landmines similar to this one - each one capable of taking a life or a limb - will be destroyed in Finland now they have joined the ban. (c) Tim Grant.

Finland will now destroy its stockpile of more than one million antipersonnel mines within four years, as required by the treaty. There are no existing minefields in Finland, but it provides millions of Euros to global demining efforts each year.

Finland confirmed its intention to accede to the Mine Ban Treaty in 2012at last November’s Eleventh Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty, held in Phnom Penh. Finland first pledged to accede in 2012 in September 2004, after earlier citing a target date of 2006.

“We hope other nations will now follow Finland’s lead, particularly Poland, the only European nation not to have fully joined the ban treaty,” Alizada said.

Poland has signed the treaty, but not yet ratified—a step it has promised to take in 2012.

“We also hope this will spur the United States to conclude its landmine policy review soon, with a decision to join the treaty, as happened in Finland,” he added.

In the past, Finland claimed that antipersonnel mines played a crucial role in its defense policy so it could not ban them.

Laura Lodenius, who has been campaigning with the Finish Campaign to Ban Landmines for more than a decade, said: “We are so happy that after all these years Finland is finally part of the Treaty. It was not an easy decision for Finland and many Finns, but in the end the humanitarian impact of mines and the importance of the global Treaty beat the defense policy arguments. The persistence of the campaign was vital and we hope this gives strength to campaigners working in countries still outside the ban, and indeed the countries themselves, and proves that difficulties can be overcome to join the majority of the world in banning this awful weapon.”

For more information on Finland’s activity as part of the mine and cluster munition ban process visit the Country Profile on the Landmine and Cluster Munition monitor.

Source: www.icbl.org

Dreams came true! Afghanistan banned cluster bombs!

2011-09-20T11:10:00.016+01:00

Cluster bombs have killed and hurt thousands of civilians including children and women and ruined many livelihoods over the past decades in Afghanistan and tens of other countries around the world.

On 08 September 2011 Afghanistan ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) at UN HQ in New York. No more life will be taken away by the cluster bomb in Afghanistan, no body and no forces including NATO and ISAF will be allowed to use the cluster bombs in Afghanistan, because the CCM does not allow its states parties to do so.

Thanks to President Karzai!

I witnessed Afg delegation when signing the CCM in Oslo in 2008. Right to left: Suliaman, Susan, Soraj, Firoz, Thomas, Mehdi, Amb. Ludin, UN Rep and witness

Landmine was banned in Afghanistan as of April 2003, since then there is no evidence of usage of landmine in Afghanistan except by the illegal armed groups or insurgents.

I have to say that Afghanistan has a long way to get rid of the landmines, cluster bombs and other remnants of war that have been scattered all over Afghanistan over the past 30 years. According to demining organizations nearly 60% of these deadly weapons have been destroyed but 40% still need to be cleared which will take more than 10 years as of 2011. An average of 100 million dollars spent in clearing these weapons each year. Over 8000 civilians put their lives into risk to find and destroy the mine and cluster munitions and other remnants of war. 60000 landmines, cluster bomb and other remnants of war survivors have been recorded but it is estimated that there are many more, sadly this is the highest figure when comparing with other countries affected by these weapons throughout the world.

The place where I stepped on a landmine (Shaikhali district, Parwan province of Afghanistan) in 1996 is yet to be cleared of these deadly ammunitions.

Please join me for hoping and praying for a mine and cluster munitions free Afghanistan and mine and cluster munitions free world! The campaign (ICBL) that I have the privilege of working for is present in over 90 countries, ICBL has been working to ban landmines since 1992 and will continue until achieving its objective “mine free world”. ICBL was awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 for its work against landmines.

2011-08-21T13:30:00.002+01:00

آرم اولین بنیاد اجتماعی و فرهنگی شیخعلی، این بنیاد تازه تآسیس بخاطر بهبود وضعیت زندگی مردم شیخعلی پایگذاری شده است

2011-07-22T08:17:00.003+01:00

به یاد بودا

اثری از نجیب الله مسافر

Call on States Parties to MBT to mark the Int. Day of Persons with Disabilities, 3rd Dec

2010-12-09T13:10:00.002Z

ICBL intervention on International Day of Persons with Disabilities – 3rd Dec
10th Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty
United Nations Head Quarter – Geneva, Switzerland
Friday 3 Dec 2010
By Firoz Alizada

Today is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Since 1981, the Day aims to promote a better understanding of disability issues with a focus on the rights of persons with disabilities and gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of the political, social, economic and cultural life of their communities .

This year’s theme for the International day of Persons with Disabilities is "Keeping the promise: Mainstreaming disability in the Millennium Development Goals towards 2015 and beyond".
Yesterday the UN Secretary-General Banki Moon called on all Governments “…to do more to support people with disabilities. That means implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. And it means integrating their needs into national Millennium Development Goal agendas. In the Action Plan adopted at the [last] MDG Summit, world leaders recognized that current efforts are insufficient”.

We call on you today to mobilize long-term and adequate resources, to improve access to public services, promote survivors’ inclusion in planning, implementation and monitoring victim assistance programmes and to enhance socio-economic assistance for all landmine and cluster munition victims and persons with disabilities.

Most of you were at the Cartagena Summit last year, and you will remember the rumble rugby match organized to celebrate the 3rd December which was one of the highlights of the week. It was organized by the ICBL, CMC and Fundación Arcangeles. As you can see in the pictures, some of us here participated.

We are pleased to inform you that yesterday evening; the Rumble in Cartagena won the Sports Event for Peace Award 2010, presented by the international organization Peace and Sport, under the patronage of Prince Albert II of Monaco.

Today, the ICBL and CMC are commemorating this day through their national campaigns, youths and member organizations in over 20 countries to increase awareness about rights and needs of landmine and cluster munitions survivors and other persons with disabilities. I would like to name some of the activities that will be carried out in those countries, today:

- Broadcast commercials for TV in Thailand
- perform marathons in Sudan and Cambodia
- organize kites fights, drumming circles, street theatre in Kabul, Burundi, Georgia, Tajikistan and Mozambique,
- Organize an inclusive bicycle race by university students through the streets of Hanoi,
- Hold art competitions and exhibitions in USA and Kathmandu,
- And peace camp for high school students in Philippines.

These are just examples of what we do to do increase awareness to convince you to take action to address the daily needs of survivors and other persons with disabilities, so we count on you, please keep up the energy!

Thank you

2010-11-19T10:51:00.001Z

First Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munition
CMC Statement on Victim Assistance – Wednesday 10 November
Vientiane, Lao PDR

By Firoz Ali ALIZADA, Treaty Implementation Officer, ICBL, Geneva

On behalf of the Cluster Munition Coalition, thank you for giving us this opportunity to speak about the groundbreaking element of the Convention on Cluster Munition, namely victim assistance.

First of all, I want to pay tribute to my fellow survivors from Laos as well as other survivors who have joined us here from over 30 countries to participate and contribute to this landmark meeting. This Convention means a lot to us and we are here with lots of expectations. We hope this meeting is a point of change in our and our families’ lives.

The CMC thanks the President of the meeting as well as the friends of the president for the constructive collaboration and consultation in the drafting of the Vientiane Action Plan. We believe the action plan provides an excellent basis to translate the legal obligations of the CCM into concrete actions. The time-bound victim assistance actions 20 to 32 provide an outstanding mechanism for implementing the obligations of Article 5 of the Convention.

Actions 20 to 33 of the Vientiane Action Plan give clear guidance to States Parties with cluster munition victims (Albania, Croatia, [Montenegro] Laos), as well as for Bosnia and Herzegovina, which ratified the CCM more recently, to pursue in the course of 2011 the following elements required by Article 5:
- designate a focal point within the government to coordinate victim assistance
- collect all necessary data and asses the needs and priorities of cluster munition victims
- ensure a coordination mechanism is in place
- review national laws and policies with a view to meeting the needs and protecting the human rights of cluster munition victims
- ensure that comprehensive a national plan is in place
- identify resources to meet the obligations, including by making clear requests for international cooperation and assistance when needed.
Five of the seven actions, which need to be achieved by the Second Meeting of States Parties for current States Parties, are about structure, policy and process issues. But ultimately what is important is how states make use of these measures to respond to the daily needs of survivors and their family members. Most importantly, states should focus on economic inclusion, income generation, physical accessibility, literacy and education and skill building. To fulfil the most basic daily needs, survivors and their family members need timely and efficient access to basic services such as schools, hospitals, transportation, jobs, vocational trainings, micro-credit, quality physical rehabilitation, peer support, and so on. The Vientiane Action Plan provides guidance on concrete actions states can take in that regard as well, for example, in Action 25, 28 and 29. While these provisions do not include a time-bound element, we expect States Parties to do all they can to put them into place with an urgency that matches the survivors’ urgent needs.
Beyond these broad actions, I would like to draw your attention to a number of specific issues that need your consideration when providing assistance to cluster munition victims.

- Availability of adequate financial, technical and human resources are the most important factor in providing appropriate assistance to survivors and their family members. States Parties have the obligation to allocate resources under the CCM. Both the Convention and the action plan emphasize the importance of resource mobilization. Therefore we call on states with responsibility for cluster munition victims to immediately begin mobilizing increased national resources to meet their obligations. And all States in a position to do so, to increase financial assistance to address the rights and needs of survivors.

- The Convention defines “victims” as the individual survivors, their families and communities. So states should make sure that services they provide to survivors are also available to their family members and community as a whole. For example: By providing psychosocial support, awareness and economic support, you directly can assist family members of cluster munition victim and others in need of those services. By making a school accessible, you can make sure that all members of the affected community with disabilities have better access to education.

- It is important to consider the specific needs of cluster munition survivors. Unlike most landmine survivors, cluster munition survivors may have injuries not only to limbs, but also to many other parts of body, such as eyes and ears.. Assistance measures must therefore respond to the specific situation survivors face, and may include brail, sign language, plastic surgery services, and long-term medical, physical and psychological support.

- Survivors have a right to be involved in the development activities in their communities and to benefit from them. In order to include survivors and other persons with disabilities in development, States Parties must ensure that all phases of the development cycle, from design, to implementation, to monitoring and evaluation, include a disability dimension and that persons with disabilities participate in a meaningful way. Examples of inclusive development include designing schools so that all children, including children blinded or disabled by cluster munition, can learn. Or developing micro-credit programs in rural areas where survivors live and making sure that survivors can access credit on an equal basis with other beneficiaries. It also means including survivors within governance structures and development committees so that the design of development programs can benefit from their perspective.

- Access to available public services is one of the crucial needs of survivors and persons with disabilities. But in most of the countries with survivors, public services are not accessible, and it is due to physical barriers, long distance, unaffordable costs, lack or limited transportation and so on. For example in entire Vientiane city, only one hotel “Salana” this just being built is accessible for wheelchair users. Lack of access to public services hampers survivors and persons with disabilities’ economic and asocial inclusion and empowerment. States Parties must ensure that all survivors and persons with disabilities can access public services including schools, hospitals, banks, hotels, public markets, places of worships, public transports, information and so on. For example, ministry of health must make sure that all hospitals and clinics are accessible and affordable; ministry of transportation has to ensure that all public buses are accessible and affordable; ministry of education must make sure books and other materials are accessible. And they have to be informed and lobbied to do so. These should be guaranteed by national laws and policies.

In conclusion, we would like to call on representatives of the states present here to actively work to bridge the gap between the policy makers and service providers. Begin by disseminating the obligations of the CCM as well as its Vientiane Action Plan in accessible formats to all victim assistance and disability stakeholders upon your return to your respective countries. Make sure policy makers and service providers and practitioners are systematically coordinated.

Victim assistance is a clear legal obligation in the CCM and CMC will monitor compliance. We look forward to reviewing tangible progress when we meet next year.

2010-11-19T10:40:00.006Z

Representatives of the ICBL and Cluster Munition Coalition briefed senior officials from the European Union at a seminar organized by the European Commission's Directorate-General on External Relations.

30 September 2010
EU HQ, Brussels, Belgium

Speech delivered by Firoz Ali Alizda, ICBL Treaty Implementation Officer

Thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak on behalf of the Cluster Munition Coalition and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, and to share my personal experiences as a landmine survivor about the damaging impact of landmines and cluster munitions and the positive impact of the Mine Ban Treaty and the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Let me begin by sharing my story as a landmine victim. My life and livelihood were destroyed by a landmine when I was just 13 years old, in 1996. The landmine not only took my legs away but also injured my left hand. Not only did the landmine physically disabled me, but it also destroyed my family's livelihood. My dad had to spend all of his savings on medical care, after he had already experienced a tragedy when loosing his elder son during the civil war. The landmine isolated me from my friends, the friends that I spent 13 years of my childhood with. The landmine tragedy forced me to quit my birthplace because it was neither physically accessible nor socially possible to work or go to school for a double amputee anymore. And I and my family had to cope with tremendous amount of psychological pressure for several years after the accident, until I found my way to accept my disability and move forward. I have to thank the Mine Ban Treaty for the opportunity it offered me to overcome lots of challenges and enjoy a life with honor and dignity.

I wish the Mine Ban Treaty was adopted before I'd lost my legs. Because this treaty has been saving the lives of innocent people who have been threatened by landmines, cluster munitions and other explosive remnants of war, like me. Two months ago I went to my village in Afghanistan, where I stepped on a landmine 14 years ago. I saw deminers were cleaning the area, I was so happy to see my villagers will no longer be threaten by those inhuman weapons. Again thanks to the Mine Ban Treaty!

I won't go into details about the achievements of the Mine Ban Treaty and the new Convention on Cluster Munitions, as I am sure the next speakers will talk about them. In brief, I truly believe in the vital impact of these two conventions. I strongly believe in the significance of our tireless efforts towards universalization and implementation of these conventions. For instance: 16 countries wouldn't be free of landmines without our commitment and support, over 45 millions of stockpiled landmines wouldn't be destroyed without our dedication, over 1300km2 of contaminated land would not be cleared without our hard work. These indicators clearly demonstrate that what we, the civil society, governments and donor organizations including the European Union are doing is genuinely worth it.

It is essential that we all note that further successes towards a world free of cluster munitions and landmines, as well as full protection and promotion of rights of landmine and cluster munitions victims need further support, strong and long-term commitment and more resources by States Parties and donor organizations in particular the European Union.

Our 10 year of experience in universalizing and implementing the Mine Ban Treaty demonstrate that a long-haul commitment is essential to achieving the time-bound obligations of the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Given the very good reputation and wide representation of the EU throughout the world, there are a lot of expectations from EU to stay committed by increasing its support for affected countries to implement their obligations under the Mine Ban Treaty and the Convention on Cluster Munitions, by supporting initiatives taken by civil society organizations fighting against cluster munitions and landmines, and by increased support to victim assistance.

Over the past ten years, mine survivors, their families and communities, did not receive the services they needed. The vast majority of the survivors remained in isolation and poverty. There has not been a balance in mine action funding. For example: Afghanistan has been at the top of the world's aid agenda for the past decade. An average of 80 to 100 million USD of the world's mine action funding went to Afghanistan each year for several years, but the situation of the victims didn't change. We hope the EU and EC as well as other donors appropriately consider victim assistance when funding mine action programs as well as other development and poverty reduction projects in countries affected by landmines and cluster munitions.

In conclusion I would like to draw your attention on a number of key issues with regard to the 1st Meeting of the States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions (1MSP) that will take place in Vientiane in about six weeks from now. We urge all states to participate in the 1MSP at the highest possible level. We call on states that have not yet joined the Convention on Cluster Munition to get on board before the 1MSP or as soon as possible. We hope it would be the case for at least 15 European countries that have not yet joined the convention. We expect that states will come to the 1MSP prepared to give an update on progress made in implementing the Convention. We hope States Parties will adopt an action plan with the concrete, measurable and time-bound actions to translate the convention's legal obligations into concrete results for affected communities as soon as possible.

The Cartagena Action Plan that was adopted last year at the Second Review Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty and the Vientiane Action Plan that will be adopted at the First Meeting of the States Parties, provide a clear road map for States Parties to implement their obligations under the two conventions. There is a crucial need for the EU and EU member states to enhance their efforts in implementing these action plans in a comprehensive, effective and efficient manner.

As a landmine survivor and as a campaigner against landmines and cluster munitions, I deeply appreciate EU and EC's vital roles in all areas of mine action including victim assistance. With no doubt, without support from the EU and EC, we wouldn't have achieved what we have achieved over the past decade. Please keep up your support, because it does make a difference on the ground!
Thank you.

ابري كه روي صندلي چرخدار بود

2010-05-21T20:27:00.001+01:00

خيس از مرور خاطره هاي بهار بود
ابري كه روي صندلي چرخدار بود

ابري كه اين پياده رو او را مچاله كرد
روزي پناه خستگي اين ديار بود

آن روز ها كه پاي به هر قله مي گذاشت ،
آن روز ها به گرده طوفان سوار بود

حالا به چشم رهگذران يك غريبه است
حالا چنان كتيبه زير غبار بود

بين شلوغي جلوي دكه مكث كرد
دعوا سر محاكمه شهردار بود

آن سوي ، پشت گاري خود ژست مي گرفت
(مرد لبو فروش ، سياستمدار بود)

از«جنگ و صلح» نسخه كه پيچيد ادامه داد:
«اصرار بر ادامه جنگ انتحار بود»

اين سو يكي كه جزوه كنكور مي خريد،
در چشمهاش نفرت از او آشكار بود

مي خواست كه فرار كند از پياده رو
مي خواست و به صندلي خود دچار بود

دستي به چرخ ها زد و سمت غروب رفت
ابري فشرده در صدد انفجار بود

خاموش كرد صاعقه هاي گلوش را
بغضي كه روي صندلي چرخدار بود

سروده «حسن صادقي پناه»

30th ratification opened a new page for peace!

2010-02-18T23:56:00.007Z

Convention on Cluster Munitions reached to 30th ratification on Feb 17 2010!!!! It means that this convention will enter into force in 1st August 2010. This convention like the Mine Ban Convention will safe the lives of innocents that are threaten by the danger of cluster munitions in over 20 countries.

Peace organizations have been welcoming this great news around the world. Afghan Landmine Survivors Organization issued a press release to welcome the 30th ratification of the CCM. Taking this opportunity, once again ALSO called on the Government of Afghanistan to ensure the safety of its civilians by ratifying this convention without further delay.

This is all about peace!

For more information about cluster munitions: http://www.stopclustermunitions.org/

Victim Assistance in the Framework of Mine Ban Treaty

2010-01-27T10:26:00.008Z

In 1997, measures to assist the victims of a particular weapon were included for the
first time in a disarmament convention,the Mine Ban Treaty (MBT).

Furthermore, this convention has successfully served as a means of drawing attention
to the rights and needs of landmine survivors and persons with disabilities. Provision of assistance to the victims of landmines is mentioned in the introduction to the 1997 MBT, which states the wish of the States Parties “to do their utmost in providing assistance for the care and rehabilitation, including the social and economic reintegration of mine victims,” and becomes an obligation in Article 6.3 of the treaty, which requires “each State Party in a position to do so to provide
assistance for the care and rehabilitation, and social and economic reintegration of mine victims”.

Read more --> Click on title above

ALSO's First Provincial Branch Opened in Mazar-e Sharif!

2009-12-24T00:32:00.003Z

Mazar-e Sharif is central city of a northern province of Afghanistan. With a population of more than 300,000, Mazar-e Sharif is the 4th largest city in Afghanistan. On 21 Dec 2009 ALSO opened its provincial office in Mazar-e- Sharif. By an Opening Ceremony was o...rganized to let the local authorities, disability stakeholders and persons with disabilities about ALSO’s objective and activities.

ALSO expanded its activities to Mazar-e Sharif to provide peer supports (psychosocial supports) to hundreds of persons with disabilities who have never received psychosocial supports and other economic empowerment services they need. Many of them became isolated from society and hidden in their homes. ALSO plan to expand its service provision to provide economic income generation services, physical accessibility and will develop a referral system with employment, education and vocational training service providers to promote inclusion and empowerment of persons with disabilities in Mazar-e Sharif.

Five person are recruited (1 coordinator, 1 Administrative/logistic Officer, 2 social workers, 1 security guard) to run the activities.

We are committed to improve and sustain ALSO’s activities in Mazar-e Sharif to promote the living situation of persons with disabilities! We need your support.

Look at some photographs from the opening ceremony of ALSO in Mazar-e Sharif.

ALSO's Staff in Mazar-e-Sharif, Dec 21 2009

Now Women with Disabilities are able to access to Women Park in Kabul!

2009-12-20T21:15:00.011Z

Women, Park (Bagh-e Zanana). A park and market for women only. It was designed as a place where women could sell their own products and merchandise directly, which cannot be done in areas where men do business, because women in Afghanistan are not supposed to deal directly with men who are not relatives. This park was created as an outlet for these women to sell their goods with respect to their culture. The park is also a nice place for female travellers to enjoy the outdoors.

But women with disabilities using wheelchairs have not been able to access to this park due to physical barriers like steps, narrow walk paths...

Therefore, ALSO will construct ramps and adapt certain inaccessible areas of this park to give access to those women using wheelchair to be able to sell their own products and merchandise directly and enjoy walking in the park as other women do.
Look at some photos taken during the opening ceremony of the physical accessibility project, on November 25th.
Deputy Minister of Ministry of Women Affairs of Afghanistan speaks at the openning ceremoney of Physical Accessibility of ALSO in Women Park in Kabul. photo@ALSO-Kabul

Representatives from Embassy of Canada in Kabul and project manager of ALSO cut the ribbon and open access to a new constructed ramp in Women Park in Kabul. photo@ALSO-kabul

A young leader of Self Help Group of ALSO cut the ribbon to open access to a new constructed ramp in Women Park in Kabul. Photo@ALSO-Kabul

2009-12-17T15:48:00.001Z

A LOVE POEM FROM THE U.S. CAMPAIGN TO THE ICBL

I just want to say
On this very important day
A few words of thanks
To the ICBL ranks

Sylvie for holding us together all
Nancy and Amelie always lining up a call
Olivia connected to her emergency wires
Annette, Serena, Patrick—putting out fires

Steve speaking eloquently on behalf of us all
Tamar with her policy brain always on the ball
Katie recording every single stutter
Kasia, our rally point, sadly cut off in mid-utter

We have memories and moments to carry us through
Like watching the Rumble make Thomas black and blue
And we can count on Jody to cut right thro’it
And properly call it when it’s really just bull$#%!

All caught on film thanks to Giovanni and Mette
And don’t forget our regional coordinators who couldn’t have been bette[r],
Mary and Fred for keeping us on in fo-cose [focus],
Our Colombian members who welcomed us gringos.

It’s been a tough road to lay
In the ol’ U. S. of A.
To get them to join
Like constantly flipping a coin

They’ve been mean in the past
And it just cannot last
But with your help here this week
We have managed to speak

So thanks for your aid
A real difference we’ve made
Now they’re one step closer to accession
Because with them we keep messin’

To the USCBL, thanks of course
To the ICBL/CMC staff—you are a true force
But also to the rest
I just think you’re the best

So to Firoz much gratitude
For his great attitude
And the group of survivors he led
Who beat the U.S. on the head

And to Jackie and Justin
And the youth who like bustin’
Myths of landmine utility
Spoken with true nobility

And I give much appreciation
To those who spoke to your delegation
Urged them to approach the U.S. and ask
And to take them to task

You pushed those delegates into a delirium
Richard, Portia, Judith, Maria, and Miriam
You helped increase all those voices
Much reducing the U.S.’s choices

And lest Ema I not forget
Who I better minister from Palau I’ve never met
The American she did not chagrin
But nodded politely and took it on the chin

That’s just to name a few
But thanks to all campaigners old and new
While overwhelmed I was at the start
Now I know we speak with one heart

I’m proud to be part of the team
Together we shine like one lighthouse beam
From Cartagena we’ll march across these lands
Mission possible is in our hands!

By: Zach Hudson of USCBL

2009-12-16T14:03:00.001Z

FOR YOU!

if it wasn’t for you I would never be who I am
my only wish is just be devoted to you
your talks is the song I dream to hear
your smile is the joys of my bests
your steps is my life-courage
your fashion is with dignity
your talent is my proud
your courage is unique
your self-steam is our success
your smartness is my confidence
your hard work is our bright future
your honesty is our victory and honor
your commitment is our life-bless
your style is our shared shadow
your handmade is delicious
your care is our promotion
your beauty is matchless
your respect is mutual
your look is gorgeous
you are mine &
i am yours!

2009-11-08T20:14:00.001Z

در هوای تو

از برای تو سبز شدم، سبزه شدم
ابر شدم، باران شدم، قطره شدم
در تماشای تو
محوشدم، خاک شدم

گل شدم، ساقه شدم، ریشه شدم
درهوای تو پروانه شدم
هر سو روانه شدم
بی خانه و کاشانه شدم

رهسپار دیار بیگانه شدم
یکه و دیوانه شدم
قصهٌ هر خانه شدم

از برای تو! در هوای تو

ف.م علیزاده

مرد همت و کار

2009-11-08T20:00:00.005Z

بر تو ای مرد همت سلام
بر تو ای کوه غیرت سلام

****

کمر بستم نان آرم

آب دهم آینده ام را

راه ساختم، خانه ساختم ...ویرانه شد سرانجام

خاک شدم خاکسترم شدم

رفتم برنگشتم...آه

ف. علیزاده

عکس از ساید کابلی

Some of my statements and interveiws

2009-09-04T21:41:00.011+01:00

http://www.wilpf.int.ch/disarmament/CCW/Statements/CMC3Nov8.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sujq_UmQM9M

http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?pid=S0042 96862009000100006&script=sci_arttext&tlng=en

http://www.br-online.de/mittagsmagazin/209_Minenopfer.shtml

http://www.newstin.com/rel/us/en-010-017909671

http://www.undp.org.af/publications/KeyDocuments/2005_cdap_diagnostic_workshop_report.pdf
http://www.scribd.com/doc/15926070/Icbl-News-May-2009

http://www.radiovaticana.org/EN1/Articolo.asp?c=280221

http://genevalunch.com/tag/firoz-ali-alizada/

http://www.apminebanconvention.org/fileadmin/pdf/mbc/IWP/SC_april07/speeches-va/parallel-program/VA-PP-Alizada-27April07.pdf

http://www.acfid.asn.au/what-we-do/docs_what-we-do/docs_issues/docs_disability-and-development/afghanistan_disability_identification_survey.pdf

http://www.apminebanconvention.org/fileadmin/pdf/mbc/IWP/SC_june08/Speeches-VA/SCVA-StatusImplem-3June08-ICBL3-en.pdf

http://www.stopclustermunitions.org/take-action/campaigners-in-action/?id=1031

http://www.daylife.com/photo/0fnrbhu4LlgUk

http://lib.ohchr.org/HRBodies/UPR/Documents/Session5/AF/AFG_annexV_Afghanistan_National_Development_Strategy.pdf
http://www.minesactioncanada.org/index.cfm?fuse=learn.news-details&ID=373

http://disabilitytechnews.anhnses.com/archives/150

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/ASAZ-7E9H9Z?OpenDocument

http://www.handicap-international.org.uk/page_615.php

http://www.wmaker.net/handicapinternational_en/Landmine-Survivors-still-need-the-World-s-Support_a463.html

http://www.wilpf.int.ch/disarmament/clustermunitions/News/November2007/GlobalDayCountryList.html
http://www.dw-world.com/dw/article/0,,4621967,00.html

http://www.voanews.com/vietnamese/2009-09-02-voa33.cfm?rss=topstories

http://www.afghanemb-canada.net/en/news_bulletin/2008/august/22/index.php

http://www.reviewconference.org/regional-workshops/bangkok-workshop/programme-for-victim-assistance-experts/

http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/05/20-6

http://www.kosmix.com/topic/International_Campaign_to_Ban_Landmines

http://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=43538

http://ts.hjenglish.com/page/82354/

http://castroller.net/podcasts/vaticanradio?page=58

http://afghandevnews.wordpress.com/category/demining/

http://amnesty.org.pl/no_cache/archiwum/aktualnosci-strona-artykulu/article/6329/978/neste/6.html

Voices from the Ground- launched in Geneva

2009-09-04T21:07:00.004+01:00

http://mediathek.daserste.de/daserste/servlet/content/2932624?pageId=487890&moduleId=314636

http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-09-02-voa38.cfm

Disparity between Afghanistan and its neighboring countries from economic perspective:

2009-05-30T21:26:00.012+01:00

The Afghan government has to use its natural resources, has to create jobs for its people and indeed Afghan Government has to change its status from a user to producer, otherwise the country will remain poor and the people will be in worse situation than they are.

Look at the economic status of Afghanistan and its neighboring countries based on exports, imports, oil-consumption and production, unemployment rate and dept-external (the total public and private debt owed) situation of each country:

Afghanistan:

Exports: $327 million (2007),
Imports: $ 4.85 billion (2007),
Oil-Consumption: 5,036 barrels/day (2006 est.),
Oil-Production: 0 barrels /day (2007 est.),
Unemployment rate: 40% (2008 est.),
Dept-external: $8 billion in bilateral debt, mostly to Russia; Afghanistan has $500 million in debt to multilateral development banks too (2004)

Pakistan:

Exports: $20.62 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.),

Imports: $35.38 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.),
Oil-Production: 68,670 bbl/day (2007 est.),
Oil-Consumption: 345,000 bbl/day (2006 est),
Unemployment rate: 7.4% plus substantial underemployment (2008 est.),
Dept-external: $43.23 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

Iran :

Exports: $106.4 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.),
Imports: $67.79 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.),
Oil-Production: 4.7 million bbl/day (2007 est.),
Oil-Consumption: 1.6 million bbl/day (2007 est.),
Unemployment rate: 12.5% according to the Iranian government (2008 est.),
Dept-external: $21.77 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

Tajikistan:

Exports: $1.4 billion f.o.b. (2008),
Imports: $3.2 billion f.o.b. (2008),
Oil-Production: 503 bbl/day (2008),
Oil-Consumption: 10,600 bbl/day (2008),
Unemployment rate: 2.3% (2008 est.),
Dept-external: $1.37 billion (31 December 2008)

Turkmenistan:

Exports: $9.887 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.),
Imports: $5.291 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.),
Oil-Production: 180,400 bbl/day (2007est.),
Oil-Consumption: 107,400 bbl/day (2006 est.),
Unemployment rate: 60% (2004 est.),
Dept-external: $1.4 billion note: some estimates put this figure as high as $5 billion (2004 est.)

Uzbekistan:

Exports: $9.96 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.),
Imports: $6.5 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.),
Oil-Production: 99,260 bbl/day (2007 est.),
Oil-Consumption: 157,100 bbl/day (2006 est.),
Unemployment rate: 0.9% officially by the Ministry of Labor, plus another 20% underemployed (2008 est.),
Dept-external: $4.052 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

China:

Exports: $1.465 trillion f.o.b. (2008 est.),
Imports: $1.156 trillion f.o.b. (2008 est.),
Oil-Production: 3.725 million bbl/day (2008 est.),
Oil-Consumption: 7.88 million bbl/day (2007 est.),
Unemployment rate: 4% officially in urban areas, (2008 est.),
Dept-external: $420.8 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

* Source of Information: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of United States of America

Nobel Peace Laureate campaign denounces Taliban use of landmines in Pakistan's Swat Valley

2009-05-20T20:07:00.001+01:00

Date: 20 May 2009

Geneva, 20 May 2009 - The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) denounces recent use of antipersonnel landmines by the Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan) in Pakistan's Swat Valley.

According to reports from the area including most recently from Human Rights Watch, an ICBL member, residents of Mingora, the epicenter of the fighting, have seen Taliban militants laying antipersonnel mines in the town.

Landmines could rapidly claim casualties among the civilians fleeing the conflict zone.

"The humanitarian situation in northwest Pakistan is already extremely tense and the civilians are struggling to protect themselves and their families. We are appalled that recently laid landmines come as an additional threat in the region. Not only does landmine use pose an immediate and direct menace to civilians, but it will also have long-term consequences on these populations," said Raza Shah Khan, Director of the Sustainable Peace and Development Organization (SPADO), the Pakistani arm of the ICBL. SPADO will soon start a mine risk education program in the internally displaced people's camps so that civilians are aware of the threat when they go back to their homes. SPADO is making materials available and asking the local media to help in informing the population of the mine danger.

According to Human Rights Watch, Swat residents still in the valley and people fleeing into the towns of Swabi and Mardan have said that Pakistani Taliban laid landmines in eight places in Sohrab Khan Chowk, a square in the center of Mingora, and four places in Sharifabad, a village near the Haji Baba area about three kilometers from Mingora. Some Taliban reportedly warned residents that they would be blown up if they walked on the mines. The Pakistani army media cell in Mingora told the ICBL that the army has encountered victim-activated improvised explosive devices and factory-made antipersonnel and antivehicle mines in the Swat Valley, which it attributes to the Pakistani Taliban and "foreign elements."

Human Rights Watch said that because the area where the fighting continues is a closed military zone with journalists and human rights monitors barred from entering, it is currently not possible to verify this information independently. The area is under indefinite curfew, lifted only to allow civilians to flee.

In addition to the Pakistani Taliban, Landmine Monitor has previously reported other armed groups operating in Baluchistan, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and the Northwest Frontier Provinces to possess and use antipersonnel mines. Firoz Ali Alizada, mine survivor from Afghanistan and ICBL's Treaty Implementation Officer said: "Most governments in the world, and many non-state armed groups, have given up the use of antipersonnel mines because of the unacceptable suffering they cause to civilians during and after conflicts. We urge the Taliban in Pakistan to stop laying mines that threaten their own people."

Pakistan is not a State Party to the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, which comprehensively prohibits the use, production, stockpiling and trade of antipersonnel mines. Pakistan has previously used mines along its border with India and along the Line of Control in Kashmir.

The International Campaign to Ban Landmines is a global network of non-governmental organizations in over 80 countries, working for a world free of landmines and cluster munitions. It has received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 in recognition of its efforts to bring about the Mine Ban Treaty.

Source: ICBL

A potential president needs different types of skills, not only politics and governance!

2009-05-11T17:53:00.001+01:00

Who Supports the Candidates??? کی ها کاندیدا را حمایه میکنند؟

2009-05-08T19:43:00.002+01:00

2009-04-30T21:28:00.016+01:00

انتخابات ریاست جمهوری یا شکار قدرت؟

در همین روزها گپ های بسیار داغ و نیم داغ در باره انتخابات ریاست جمهوری افغانستان در بازار سیاست پیدا شده. مه هم مثل میلیونها افغان روز شش دفعه سایت های مختلف ره می بینوم که گپ نو چیست. دو ویب سایت که مه اکثراً میخوانم عبارت از کابل فرس و بی بی سی است. اکثراً به قصد معلومات در باره انتخابات افغانستان داخل ویب سایت میشوم اما با اخبار کشتن و انفجار و پیش روی و پس روی سر میخوروم که ایطور اخبار ره از زمانیکه دست چپ و راست ره فامیدوم یا از طریق رادیو، تلویزیون و اخبار شنیده و خوانده میروم.

بهرحال از گپ دور نرویم، سوال اینجاست که این انتخابات است و یا شکار قدرت؟ رنگ و رخ مسئله بیشتر به شکارگری میمانه، چون کاندیدای مطرح و غیر مطرح هیچ گونه پلان بخاطر نجات مردم از دام فقر و بدبختی ندارند و یا پلان های شان محرم است. و یا شاید هم به کدام قلم و لسان دیگه نوشته شده باشه که هنوز ترجمه دری و پشتویش اماده نشده. آیا بدون طرح و پلان امکان دارد که رییس جمهور شد؟ خوب طبیعیست که شکار قدرت است و از دیگه طریقه ها استفاده خواهد کردند که مردم ره فریب داده و رای بگیرند. یاد تان است که چقه وخت پیش از زمان انتخابات در امریکا کاندیدا پلانهای شانره در خدمت مردم قرار داده بودند؟ هوو راست میگه امریکا خو یک کشور مترقی است، اما آیا طرح کردن یک پلان به طیاره و پول و موتر نیاز داره یا به منطق و شناخت عمیق و دقیق از مردم افغانستان؟ یا به شفافیت و تعهد به قانون اساسی برای بهبود وضعیت زندنگی افغانها؟ شاید به گفته یگانتا، کاندیدا میفامن که اگر پلان هم

طرح کنند نصف مردم سواد نداره باز خانده نمیتانه! بناءً نیاز مبرم پنداشته نمیشود!

یک تعداد مردم نسبت به کاندیدا در حالت شک و تردید قرار دارند و تعداد دیگر به این بازی های دموکراسی عقیده ندارند و بلاخره تعداد دیگری از مردم از رأی دادن های گذشته شان خاطره خوش نداره و شاید هیچ رای نته. "رئیس جمهور از وخت تعیین شده گیست!" این گپ هزاران مردم افغانستان است و شاید هم راست باشه. چون یادم هست که در جریان انتخابات پارلمانی یکی از کاندیدان که دوست دوستم بود خروار خروار پول و مهمانی به مردم شریف و گوسفندی و غریب میداد که بریش رأی بته. در جریان انتخابات ریاست جمهوری اخر در یکی از مناطق دور دست افغانستان، میفامین چه میشود؟ شخص که منحیث کنترول و رهنما گماشته شده بود، شصت و امضاء رای دهندگان بیسواد ره به نفع یک کاندید مشخص که شاید هم به وی پول داده بود و یا کدام وظیقه چرب وعده کده بود، میگرفت، که بلاخره از طرف مردم عادی کشف و از کار بلامعطل منفک شد. و ده ها مثال زدو بند و داد و گرفت دیگر که کسانیکه در جریان انتخابات های گذشته در افغانستان بودند معلومات کافی و شافی دارند.

خو، در این انتخابات کی ضمانت جلوگری چنین موارد ره خواهند کرد؟ تا جایئکه ما و شما میفامیم هیچ کسی جرئت نداره که در سویچ های بالا بدون یک تعداد خاص، دست بزنه، جلوگیری ره خو بان.

از طرف دیگر کی ضمانت امنیت رأی دهندگان ره خواهد کرد؟ هوو، شاید عساکر گوردن نسواری ببخشید ناق ترجمه کدم منظورم از گوردن براون است ؟ و یا شاید هم افراد خاص حسین علی اوباما ، کی میفامه که کوماندهای ارباب سرکوزی هم همکاری کنه؟. کم کم شایه است که چریکهای ای اس ای از یکسال پیش بخاطر بهبود وضعیت در جریان انتخابات افغانستان بطور شبانه روزی سعی و تلاش بخرچ داده روان است! و از جانب دیگه لشکر ملا احمدی نژاد هم حاضر است که با اردو افغانستان همکاری کنه که شفافیت انتخابات زیر سوال نروه. یگان تا میگه که روسیه هم اماده است که در جریان انتخابات ناظر باشه، اما اخطار داده که هر کسی که تک تازی کنه باز از خود گیله کنه و از روسیه نه.

خوب بهرحال، یک گپگ دیگه هم بسیار سر زباناست، میگن که امدن خلیل زاد منحیث یک کاندید مطرح در افغانستان، وضعیت بسیاری از دیگه کاندیدا ره تغییر داده و حتی فشار خون دو کاندید کم نفوس یکسره بالا رفته روان است، اما دقیقاً معلوم نیست که چرا؟ بعضی ها میگه که خلیل زاد از طرف حزب خدابیامرز بوش حمایت میشه، یعنی خلیل زاد جیب پور در میدان شکار قدرت داخل افغانستان شده که گفته میشه تا حال همرای چند تا کاندید مطرح جور امد کده (هم دالر میتوم و هم یک وزارت دیگه چی میگی؟ شاید همی طور پست کنده معامله صورت گرفت میره) خو اگر همینطور جوانمرد پیدا شوه باز کدام کاندید میگه نه ... شاید اقای بشردوست که ده گپ مردم گیر امده قبول نکنه اما دیگرا خو ازخدا میخایه و به هدف خود قبل از قبل میرسند باز چرا قبول نکنه. اما اگر خلیل زاد رییس جمهور شوه خدا کنه که افغانستان ره منحیث یک ایالت امریکا معرفی نکنه!

او بیادر ای چه شد که هیچ کس بری ثبت نام نمیایه ، میگن همین جمله در سرزبان کارمندان کیمسیون انتخابات است. چون اونا بسیار ترسیده بود که در روز های اول در جریان ثبت و راجستر چطور کاندیدا ره لین کنه. و طبق اخبارآژانس اطلاعاتی کم کار کمیسیون انتخابات حتی چند هزار دالرکانادای ره رسمان خریده بود که بخاطر لین شدن کاندیدا استفاده کنه. اما بازارش خو تابالی بخی بی رنگ است.

خو خوانینده عزیز! توچی تصمیم داری؟ ایا بدون دانستن پلان، شخصیت و سابقه کاری یک کاندید، رای خواهد دادی؟ فکر کنم نه! خوب شاید پلانهای بعضی از کاندیدا چند هفته پیش از انتخابات ترجمه شوه و بدست نشر هم سپرده شود. باز کدام مسئله بریت مهم است؟ کاهش فقر بریت مهم است یا تأمین امنیت؟ مبارزه با فساد برید مهم است یا مبارزه با تروریزم؟ بلاخره از رییس جمهور جدید چی میخواهی؟ و چرا رییس جمهوری فعلی به خواسته هایت جواب نداد یا داده نتوانست؟ این سوالاتیست که که شما قبل از رای دادن پاسخ شان را دریافت کنید در غیر از آن، رای تان شاید بخاطر تباهی تان استفاده شود.

خدا مهربان است، شاید با انتخابات جدید کدام معجزه رخ بده که به خیر تمام اوفغانهای تمام شوه! و به همین امیدواری به این مطلب خاتمه میدهیم.

Band-e Amir Becomes Afghanistan National Park

2009-04-26T19:08:00.006+01:00

A cascading collection of deep-blue high-mountain lakes became Afghanistan's first national park

History
Band-e Amir was to become Afghanistan's first national park in the 1960s, but due to the instability of the Kabul government at the time, this did not happen. In 2004, Band-e Amir was submitted for recognition as a World Heritage site.In 2008, Band-e Amir was finally declared Afghanistan's first national park.

Geography

Band-e Amir is situated at approximately 75 kilometers to the north-west of the ancient city of Bamyan, close to the town of Yakawlang. Together with Bamyan, they are the heart of Afghanistan's tourism, attracting thousands of tourists every year and from every corner of the world. The six constituent lakes of Band-e Amir are:

Band-e Gholaman (slaves)
Band-e Qambar (Caliph Ali's slave)
Band-e Haibat (grandiose)
Band-e Panir (cheese)
Band-e Pudina (wild mint)
Band-e Zulfiqar (the sword of Ali)

Band-e Haibat is the biggest and the deepest of the six, with an average depth of approximately 150 meters, as estimated by the PRT diving team from New Zealand.
The white travertine dams created by fault lines, which are prevalent in the Band-e Amir Valley, form the barriers between the lakes.

Another comparable lake is Band-e Azhdar (The Dragon), located a few kilometres southeast of the town of Bamyan, which has also been created as a result of carbon dioxide rich water oozing out of the faults underground and depositing calcium carbonate precipitate to form the travertine walls of Band-e Amir.

Band-e-Amir is seen in this undated photo in Bamiyan province of Afghanistan. The cascading collection of deep-blue high-mountain lakes became Afghanistan's first provisional national park Wednesday, April 22, 2009 as the violence-plagued nation took a big first step toward protecting one of its finest natural treasures. (AP Photo)

Providing assistance to survivors is not a complex issue

2009-04-25T23:51:00.005+01:00

Meeting of experts
CCW- P V – Victim Assistance session
Geneva- UN-24 April 2009

Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen,

Providing assistance to survivors is not a complex issue, it is all about people’s livelihoods, physical and social empowerment. The decade of activities and reflections by civil society and governments on victim assistance has acted as a huge investment in the field of victim assistance. This investment of time and energy has taught us many valuable lessons for the future and paved the way for further efficient and effective assistance to the survivors and people with disabilities.

In my six years of field experience in Afghanistan, I witnessed how the lives of a survivor or a person with disability can be drastically and efficiently changed if some proper assistance is provided in the right times. From my own experience as a survivor Access to medical care rescued my life, having access to physical rehabilitation services enabled me to stand and walk again and indeed opportunity to get a job gave me confidence, dignity and prestige as other people in society. Thanks to ICRC and Handicap International for their vital supports.

The proper assistance means based on the needs of the person, adapted to the needs of the person, appropriate to the context of the living environment of the person, long term and sustainable and indeed based on the human and civil rights of the survivor.

Assistance at the right times means from very beginning of the accident until full inclusion of the person in to society and up to regaining of a normal life. As the young survivor Soraj Ghulam Habib from Afghanistan said “Today I am 17 years old. I do not want to wait years until I am an old man to receive assistance in my community or to be able to get a job. People who are injured should be able to receive emergency assistance and not be left to die in a hospital like I was until my father saved me”.

It is great to see the “plan of action on victim assistance under protocol V” adopted and ready. In Afghanistan, we found having a national disability plan of action very useful. The disability stakeholders are no longer confused about how to provide assistance for survivors because the action plan covers all the areas of assistance to people with disabilities and survivors. So now they know what to do and what are the priorities. And the plan is likely to be effective because it was developed with the participation of survivors and people with disabilities and because the plan was developed based on day to day and long term needs. But the implementation of this plan requires real commitments and adequate resources to be achieved as expected.

As you now also move to implement the Protocol V action plan on victim assistance and to develop and implement national action plans on victim assistance, I would like to urge you to follow these ten core principles developed by the Victim Assistance Working Group of the ICBL, including experts and survivors from different parts of world.

Inclusion: As I described in the case of Afghanistan, survivors should be included in all decision-making processes that affect them; including the planning, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of projects and programs.

Human rights perspective: Victim assistance is a human rights issue based on the right of all people to an equal opportunity to participate in society through political, economic, social and cultural activities.

Non-discrimination: Victim assistance programs and projects should not discriminate on the basis of any characteristic, including the origin of the injury or the person’s civilian or military status.

Gender and age considerations: Development of services for victims should take into account the gender and age of the victims, and particular efforts should be made to ensure access to and availability of services to all. The provision of services should be proportionate to the gender and age balance.

Two-track approach: While victims' rights and requirements should be ensured through programs for the general public as much as possible, special services should be provided where needed to ensure access to these services. Victim assistance should be integrated into disability program and project design; likewise, disability program and project design should be integrated into larger poverty reduction strategies and development programs and projects.

Accessibility: Victim assistance services should be made accessible to all people with disabilities. And the accessibility includes Physical accessibility, Economic accessibility and Access to information.

Comprehensiveness and integrated nature of services: Victim assistance should be provided through an integrated approach that includes all of the components of victim assistance, which are interrelated and all essential to the success of each component.

Capacity building, sustainability and ownership: Victim assistance needs to be conceived as a long-term activity since it will need to be undertaken through the lifetime of all current and future survivors and people with disabilities. Victim assistance programs should therefore emphasize from the beginning the training, recruitment and retention of local workers to be responsible for all aspects of victim assistance.

Coordination of actors and stakeholders: Planning and providing victim assistance should be coordinated among all stakeholders including the government, international agencies, civil society and the private sector, and at all levels.

Individual and tailored approach: Victim assistance should be tailored to the requirements of each specific person and the affected community, and appropriate for the country’s specific situation.

These principles can help the national decision-makers to develop and implement the most concrete plans that will really make a difference in the lives of survivors. We are counting on you to live up to the promise of Article 8.2 of Protocol V and the Victim Assistance Plan of Action.

Thank you,

Firoz ALIZADA - ICBL

Mission possible-mine-free world

2009-03-03T22:51:00.001Z

Launch of the Road to Cartagena, Colombia, for the 2009
Second Review Conference of the Convention

Place des Nations, Geneva
Monday 2 March, 13:45 to 15:౦౦

Let me begin by thanking the campaigners and advocates who have been fighting against landmines for more than a decade. They have all my admiration. They saved the lives of thousands of children, women and men. They stopped the human catastrophe caused by landmines, and they brought hope to thousands of survivors, their families and communities.
Today, the use of antipersonnel mines is the exception rather than the rule, and the trade in these weapons has virtually stopped. Thanks to the advance of mine clearance and risk education programs, the number of new landmine casualties is steadily decreasing.

You might know about a country that is highly affected by landmines and where the tragedy is still ongoing. That is Afghanistan, the country where I was born, where I grew up and where I lost my legs to a landmine. Ten years ago, in some central parts of Afghanistan, about 60 people were killed or maimed every day in explosions from landmines and explosive remnants of war. Millions of civilians were affected by landmines. Blast victims would often die due to lack of treatment and health care. Because of landmines, civilians would be displaced and even lose the use of their properties.
Now in 2009, many Afghans can clearly see the impact of Mine Ban Treaty.
- Over a billion of square meters of contaminated land are cleared from landmines., which paved the way for reconstruction, farming, and education, created a peaceful living environment and decreased the psychological pressure.
- Since 1990s over sixty percent of the population received mine risk education which helps to decrease causalities and avoid further tragedies.
- And some progress has been made in assisting the survivors, their families and communities. A national legislation has been developed to protect the rights of survivors and persons with disabilities. These steps have opened windows of hope, and have helped to create confidence and maintain dignity.
- Nearly nine thousand Afghans are employed in mine action projects. In Afghanistan normally the head of a household should work and support the rest of family members which ranges from 5 to 12 people, so mine action projects contribute to supporting around one hundred thousand people.
Despite these achievements, an average of 55 to 60 people are still killed or injured by landmines and explosive remnants of war each month. But in comparison with ten years ago, the casualty rate has significantly decreased.
As a survivor, I found the Mine Ban Treaty useful and vital. The direct and indirect impact of the Mine Ban Treaty has changed my personal and family life and those of many other survivors i know in Afghanistan.
In 1996 when I lost my legs in a landmine accident, my life was turned into disappointment, my hopes were taken away, my friends left me and I was even unhappy to survive. But today that is not the case, I live as normal a life as I used to live before the accident, I am regaining my hopes, I found best friends and I am married. These changes didn’t happen automatically. They happened because the Mine Ban Treaty guaranteed my rights, they happened because Afghanistan had a responsibility to support me or at least to avoid discriminations which could have affected my life, and it happened because the treaty provided me with several job opportunities with Handicap International, United Nation Mine Action Center for Afghanistan and currently with International Campaign to Ban Landmines, opportunities to advocate for the rights other victims, opportunities to urge and challenge the producers and users of landmines to join the treaty, and the opportunity to address you about the huge challenges and problems caused by landmines.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is not the case for hundreds of thousands of other survivors and persons with disabilities. They still suffer from inadequate health care, they still don’t have access to education because of physical barriers or discrimination, they are still discriminated against when it comes to finding a job, they still suffer from trauma, they are still denied their basic rights and they still remain among the most vulnerable people.
We all know that survivors and persons with disabilities do not claim new rights, what they all need is to be equally treated and to see their special needs taken into consideration. Responding to them is not a complex issue; but it does require a strong and lifelong commitment and adequate resources from states.
For example:
- Making a school accessible is not a complex or costly endeavor, but it can certainly help building a barrier-free society. This will definitely impact the life of a wheelchair user.
- Providing jobs to persons with disabilities neither decreases the quality of work nor slows down the work.
People from around the world, particularly landmine survivors and people affected by landmines; expect to hear about the progress made on all components of Mine Ban Treaty in the period of five years from the First to the Second Review Conference taking place late this year in Cartagena. So, the States Parties have to get ready and report on all their achievements and challenges.
The ICBL believes that the Second Review Conference should reaffirm a “mine-free world” as our ultimate goal, meaning one in which the Mine Ban Treaty is universally adhered to and implemented, with all stockpiles destroyed, all known mined areas cleared, and rights of landmine survivors ensured. The road ahead may still be long, but with the lessons learned over the past 10 years we strongly believe achieving this goal is “Mission Possible.”

In conclusion, I would like to call on all 39 countries remaining outside the treaty to join the Mine Ban Treaty without further delay and to renounce the use of landmines forever.

And once again, I would like to call on the States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty to honor their commitment to a world free of landmines and to empowering landmine survivors, their families and communities.

It is “Mission possible”!
Thank you.
Firoz ALIZADA
Treaty Implementation - ICBL

Road to Cartagena

2009-03-03T22:44:00.000Z

ICBL Statement at

the Launch of the “Road to Cartagena”
2 March 2009

The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) is pleased to join today’s launch of the Road to Cartagena. Many of you already heard my remarks earlier this afternoon on the significance of the Mine Ban Treaty for me and my country as a landmine survivor from Afghanistan. But the voices of survivors and other ICBL campaigners are also being heard around the world today as we also mark the 10th anniversary of the entry into force of the convention. In order to celebrate the anniversary and also to raise the profile of the convention in this Review Conference year, the ICBL has been holding events in over 60 countries around March 1st. From Afghanistan to Zambia, from Colombia to the United States, ICBL campaigners are holding public events, organizing roundtables, engaging with the media, sending letters and visiting embassies of states not party to the treaty.
The ICBL is also busy preparing for the treaty’s Second Review Conference, which has enormous symbolic and practical importance in the life of the convention. ICBL campaigners, including many landmine survivors, have already been participating actively in the regional conferences preparing for the Review Conference, beginning with a delegation of over 15 people in Managua. We will continue to participate in national, regional, and international meetings so that we can ensure the meeting lives up to our high expectations.
So what do we expect from this conference? First and foremost, we want it to signal to the world that the landmine problem is not at all solved and needs the continued energy of all actors until the treaty’s promise is fulfilled. There are too many large steps along the path to a mine-free world to stop our efforts any time soon: 39 states are not yet party to the treaty; millions of stockpiles still have to be destroyed and three states are currently not in compliance with their destruction deadline; thousands of square kilometers of mined land needs to be cleared and a surprisingly high 15 states had to ask for extra time to clear their land last year; hundreds of thousands of survivors are still waiting to see a real difference in their daily lives. We expect all of these issues to be addressed at the Review Conference.

We will talk more about these challenges during the discussions later this afternoon, but now I want to briefly present some of our general expectations for the Review Conference:
· We expect all States Parties to participate in the Review Conference at the highest possible level, and we encourage all States not Parties to also participate as observers. The Review Conference will provide a great opportunity to work with all such actors to ensure that landmines stay high on their agenda and that through all our combined efforts, the words of the Convention become a reality on the ground.
· We expect the Review Conference to send a clear message of continued commitment to the convention until there is universal membership and it is fully implemented. Such commitment should be stated in form of a strong, forward-looking political declaration and through country statements in a high-level segment.
· In addition to a political declaration, we also expect there to be a comprehensive review of progress over the last five years that not only lays out concrete accomplishments, but also clearly identifies continuing challenges in treaty implementation, especially the cases of non-compliance with core treaty obligations.
· We expect the Review Conference to also have a strong forward-looking component. It should draw lessons from the past to shape a “SMART” action plan that sets out concrete objectives for States Parties to achieve by the next Review Conference.
· The Review Conference should provide momentum for significant new accomplishments. For example, we expect four States Parties to make the special effort to finish their stockpile destruction, several states to announce completion of mine clearance obligations, states with a significant responsibility for landmine survivors to have a national plan of action in place by the Review Conference, all states to have turned in their initial transparency reports, and significantly larger numbers of States Parties to have complied obligations to submit annual transparency reports and adopt national implementation measures.
· ICBL would also like to see great new accomplishments in the area of universalization, especially after not having a new State Party in over a year. We will continue to pressure those states that choose to stay outside of the Mine Ban Treaty to join the treaty without further delay and to adopt interim measures in the meantime. We call upon States Parties to use every available opportunity this year to do likewise, calling on States not Parties to join by the Review Conference and publicly condemning those who continue to use antipersonnel mines.
· International cooperation and assistance must continue until these challenges are met, and so we expect all states to go to Cartagena with new commitments of cooperation and assistance, whether they are financial, technical, or in-kind support. At the same time, we expect the Review Conference to continue to emphasize the need for more Parties to take ownership of mine action and victim assistance programs if they are going to be sustainable over the long run.
· In addition, we believe that the Review Conference should explore where the treaty would benefit from building synergies with new related instruments – instruments that were built in part on the Mine Ban Convention experience – such as the Convention on Cluster Munitions, Protocol V of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, and to some extent the Convention on the Rights for Persons with Disabilities.
· Finally, we have a special opportunity for this Review Conference because of the location. Colombia – because it is a country that is experiencing first-hand the daily horror of living with antipersonnel mines, and with one of the world’s highest rates of new victims – is highly symbolic and hopefully will contribute to re-focusing attention on the ongoing challenges and redoubling efforts to address them. We hope that Colombia will contribute to the success of the Review Conference not only providing the necessary support and organization, but also, and more importantly by giving the good example on some of the key issues affecting the lives of Colombian citizens living under the constant threat of landmines, or having survived a landmine accident.
The treaty begins with a call “to put an end to the suffering and casualties caused by anti-personnel mines.” At the 2nd Review Conference this goal needs to be at the center of all our discussions on evaluating progress and setting out future work. The ICBL strongly believes that we can achieve such a goal if we all pledge to renew our commitment and energy. We remain optimistic that a “mine-free world” - meaning one in which the Mine Ban Treaty is universally adhered to and implemented – is an achievable goal. In the words of our Review Conference slogan, we believe it is “Mission Possible.” Thank you.

Firoz ALIZADA

2009-02-19T21:34:00.000Z

Don’t miss to show up and enjoy the afghan music!

Assisting the victims is investment not a cost

2009-02-19T14:43:00.000Z

Convention on Conventional Weapons Meeting
Side event on victim assistance in the context of
Convention on Cluster Munitions
Geneva- United Nations
February 18. 2009

Firoz ALIZADA - ICBL Geneva

The evolution in the field of Victim Assistance over the past decade shows an increasing awareness that the topic needs to be respected equally and to be considered as part of the States’ core plans and policies. The evolution began with the adoption of the Mine Ban Treaty and has been developed in recent years by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and most recently the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

The ten years of lessons learned through implementation of Mine Ban Treaty provided us with significant insights and gave us better ideas on how to provide efficient assistance to victims (meaning persons directly affected individuals, their families and communities) and persons with disabilities in general. But we can take nothing for granted. We need to maintain a lifetime commitment to bringing sufficient changes to the lives of victims.

I have been asked to speak about some of the lessons learned from the Mine Ban Treaty experience that can be applied to effective implementation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Many lessons were incorporated directly into the text of the convention, such as the need for a national focal point on victim assistance, a national plan of action and budget, including timeframes, mobilizing resources, and enacting effective laws and policies. In addition, I would like to make the following suggestions to help bring the treaty language into a reality:

- The Nairobi Action Plan was developed after five years of entry into force of MBT at the First Review Conference in Nairobi in 2004 which really helped to structure State’s work on victim assistance and their planning process. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a similar action plan, as soon as the Convention on Cluster Munitions enters into force, and not after five or six years.
- Consider victim assistance as part of long-term national development programs, mainstream victim assistance into national development plans and polices where possible
- Ask the victims and survivors what they need, what their priorities are and how they want to be assisted and continue to include them in all aspects of treaty implementation.
- Allocate a sufficient national budget for victim assistance, and develop the national capacity and national ownership, otherwise the assistance will not be sustainable.
- We all know victim assistance is a cross cutting issue, therefore coordination between the stakeholders is vital; it affects the chain of service delivery. Not only does coordination avoid duplications; it is also meant to fill the gaps and improve the quality of service provision.
o Let me give you an example from my country, Afghanistan, where coordination operates from grassroots to the provincial, regional and national levels.
§ Firstly at the grassroots level there is the coordination among the civil society organizations including organizations of persons with disabilities; they coordinate their services and their advocacy efforts to assist the government in improving victim assistance.
§ Secondly coordination meetings take place among disabled people’s organizations, national and international NGOs including the ICRC and the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled. This group covers all issues related to disabilities and makes suggestions to the third coordination body which is the decision making one.
§ Thirdly there is an Interministerial coordination group, where the high ranking authorities of relevant ministries attend. They are the decision makers and they focus mainly on the law and policy adaptations and developing plans. Donors and some representatives of NGOs attend these meetings too.
This example shows you that for effective victim assistance, governments should take responsibility for
- 1. assessing the needs of survivors
- 2. planning and coordinating victim assistance actions to address these needs
- 3. bringing all stakeholders together to exchange information, coordinate activities and learn from respective experiences
- 4. monitoring the coverage and quality of activities taking place
- 5 reporting on progress in-country and in relevant forums or transparency reports.

Assisting the victims and persons with disabilities is an investment in the human resources of a country and should not be seen as a cost, but rather an opportunity.

Thank you,

Lobbying the Polish politicians!

2009-01-24T20:05:00.000Z

We urged Poland to avoid human catastrophes!

I was a part of a dedicated group while lobbying the Polish politicians and authorities to convince them to ratify Mine Ban Treaty and sign the Convention on Cluster Munitions. We met deputy minister of foreign affairs, representative of ministry of defense and other authorities. We also convyed our messages through a press conference at Press House of Warsa.

Press Conference about the issues of Landmines and Cluster Munitions
Warsa, Poland
November 2008

Results of hard advocacy, so believe on what you are doing!

2009-01-24T19:04:00.001Z

AFGHANISTAN BANNED CLUSTER MUNITIONS

I was privileged when Afghan President decided at the last hours of 3rd December 2008 to Sign the Convention on Cluster Munitions! Banning the cluster munitions safe the lives and livehoods of 25 million Afghans from the horrible risks of these indiscriminate weapons forever!

Ambassador Jawed Ludin the designate representative of President Hamid Karzai signed the convention and we (UN representative, Mahdy Yarri Afghan diplomat, Thomas Nash CMC coordinator, Firoz ALIZADA ICBL representative, Susan Walker ICBL representative, Suliman Aminy ALSO's advocate and Soraj Jan Ban Advocate) witnessed him

The letter of "full power" of Afghanistan which allowed ambassador Ludin to sign the convention

Human Rights Watch interviewed me right after Afghanistan announced its decision in joining the convention

photo celebration

3rd December 2008

Oslo, Norway

______________________________________________________________________________

A brief overview of Victim Assistance

2009-01-24T18:58:00.000Z

A brief overview of Victim Assistance
In the context of P.V of CCW

UN HQ-Geneva- November 10th

Firoz ALIZADA-ICBL

The lives of persons with disabilities including ERW and Landmine survivors often go hand in hand with poverty, isolation and despair. The use of landmines, ERW and cluster munitions increasingly increase the number of survivors and persons with disabilities and the results can be devastating, both to the survivors and victims and event to national economies.
Sometimes the lack attention to survivors leads to national insecurities, for example it is reported that nearly 80 percent of suicide attackers are persons with disabilities in Afghanistan, “Dr. Yusuf Yadgari an afghan citizen says these "outcasts" may become suicide bombers because it's a way to make money for their families” (www.survivorcorps.org). Although it is not officially confirmed by the government of Afghanistan, but I personally cannot deny this tragic.
As the experts described from different angles, The Mine Ban Treaty is the first multilateral disarmament treaty to call upon states to take responsibility in assisting victims of a particular type of weapon.
Due to lack of a clear plan of action, from 1998 to 2004 it was very difficult to measure the progresses on victim assistance, but since 2004 after Nairobi Plan of Action came into force, many of the affected states have been prioritizing victim assistance as part of their national development plans.
Now if we put a glance on the progresses made on victim assistance, we can claim that 19 out of 26 countries having significant number of landmine victims have made some improvement, which may prove positive changes on the lives and livelihoods of thousands survivors and victims’ on the ground. Of course, in comparison to the needs of survivors there is a huge need to be responded, and much attention is required to improve their situation.
“Think about it: without victims, there would be no mine action. It is only because people get maimed and killed that we clear mines” Mike Boddington says.
Addressing victim assistance is a significant part of reducing poverty. Empowering survivors and persons with disabilities can lead to improvement of your national economy, and more important that you have to keep in mind that assisting the victims is an investment it is a not a cost.
The 10 years lessons learned under the Mine Ban Treaty, leading to comprehensive victim assistance article in the convention to ban cluster munitions.
As conclusion, I would like to highlight the following points to be considered in assisting the victims:
- Put national sanctions to make sure the law is fully and properly implemented
- Ask the survivors what they need, what are their priorities and how they want to be assisted as first steps
- Develop SMART objectives and try to be as much realistic as possible
- Build the national capacity and take the ownership of the programs to make sustainable
- Consider victim assistance as part of long term national development programs, mainstream victim assistance into national development plans
- Lack of accessibility can weaken all your programs, so consider accessibility as one of the core parts of your plans
- Empower the survivors and persons with disabilities and their organizations, they are as capable as you are once they are given opportunities

Thank you UNMAS for organizing this program and thank you all for listening!

My interveiws on France tvs

2008-09-30T19:56:00.000+01:00

Local broadcast:
Friday 26 September
M6 Lyon – evening (8:40pm): http://www.m6info.fr/m6info/lyon/categorie.jsp?id=awl_787631
TLM – evening (7:30pm, 9:30pm, 10:30pm): http://lyon.ville.orange.fr/direct/popup_telelyon.html?jour=vendredi
Saturday 27 September
France 3 Rhône-Alpes - Mid-day (12pm): http://jt.france3.fr/regions/popup.php?id=b69a_1214part1&video_number=3n
Evening: http://jt.france3.fr/regions/popup.php?id=b69a_1920&video_number=2

National broadcast:
Saturday 27 September
Night (11pm): http://jt.france3.fr/soir3/ then pick “Samedi 27 septembre”

2008-09-29T19:45:00.000+01:00

http://jt.france3.fr/soir3/

if you want to hear to Firoz's interveiw on France TV click the link above and select the Samedi27 watch the all program.

Conference on Landmines and Cluster munitions

2008-09-29T19:29:00.000+01:00

Conference on Landmines and Cluster munitions
Citizen Debate
France, Lyon- September. 25. 2008

Bonsoir à tous. Tout d’abord, je souhaite remercier vivement les organisateurs de cet événement. Je suis ravi d’être parmi vous.
Good evening to you all, first and foremost I would like to thank the organizers of this event. It gives me a great pleasure to be here with you this evening.
I am always delighted to talk about and against landmines and other weapons which indiscriminately target civilians, because I was personally affected by a landmine in 1996 in Afghanistan.
I am honored to share my own experience and give you a bit of information about the tragedy of landmines and their negative impact on the lives and livelihoods of Afghans.
As you might know, Afghanistan has been heavily affected by landmines. Most of the landmines were laid by Soviet and pro-Soviet Afghan government forces from 1979-1992, during the civil war by Mujahedin 1980s and lastly by Taliban. Landmines have been planted indiscriminately over most of the country. Grazing areas, agricultural land, irrigation systems, residential areas, and roads and footpaths, in both urban and rural areas, are contaminated for years. After 30 years; the horrendous tragedy by landmines is still ongoing.
In 1993 the causalities from landmines was estimated at 600 to 720 per month, in 1997 was estimated at 300 to 360, in 2000 was estimated at 150 to 300, and in 2008 is reported around 50 to 60 per month.
So, we witness a tremendous decrease in human causalities - from 700 causalities per month to 60 causalities per month. But even one death or injury from landmines is one too many.
Since Afghanistan joined the Mine Ban Treaty in April 2003, the international community, the United Nations, and non-governmental organizations have intensified mine risk education, mine clearance and stockpile destruction. Indeed Afghanistan destroyed all its known mine stockpiles in November 2007, though it finished its legal duty to destroy them 8 months after its treaty deadline. It has also to cleared 60% of the land contaminated by landmines
But 40% of land is still remained contaminated by landmines which means 2300 communities where 2.4 million people live are threatened every day by the presence of mines.
The residents of 2300 communities live in fear and dread, children continue to be maimed by landmines, refugees and Internally displaced people cannot go back to their villages, the reconstruction work is hampered and the economy of the people remains poor.
Over 8000 deminers are constantly working to remove all the landmines by 2013, which is Afghanistan’s deadline to demine all its land under the Mine Ban Treaty. But there are big concerns about the ongoing conflict which will cause planting more landmines by insurgents and Taliban and prevent/suspend the mine clearance work.
Attacks, kidnaps, shoots and warning letters have highly been threatening the de-miners; in past years many de-miners have been killed and kidnapped by Taliban groups. Currently 6 deminers that were kidnapped a month ago still are not released. (Let’s all hope for safe release of the 6 deminers in hostage!), due to ongoing conflicts often the demining works suspend for days and weeks, indeed demining is not easy job not only because of danger of landmines, because of tents of other crimes and threats.
It is estimated that around 60,000 landmine and ERW survivors are living in Afghanistan. They are living in a poor socio-economic situation. Over 70 percent of them have no access to schools, over 80 percent of them are unemployed, women with disabilities face double discrimination and so on… Sometimes the problems make the victims desperate, which gives an opportunity to the Taliban to hire the victims for suicide bombing and other insurgent activities. Many of them are marginalized and hidden at homes for months and years. They are denied jobs, considered unworthy of marriage, barred from certain social events and religious practices.
I see vast humanitarian requirements to clear the landmines and assist the victims in Afghanistan that await an urgent response by the international community. Those requirements are becoming even more pressing and acute as severe winter sweeps the mountains and valleys in the country and the conflict is growing in the different parts of the country.
In concluding my remarks, let me express my hope for peace and recovery in Afghanistan, for security for all civilians, and ultimately for a world free of landmines and cluster munitions.
Vous pouvez aider en signant le People’s Treaty contre les bombes à sous-munitions! Venez à la place Bellecour samedi! Je vais maintenant répondre à vos questions...
You can help by signing the People’s Treaty! Come to Place Bellecour on Saturday!
I will now answer your questions…
Merci.
Firoz ALIZADA
Treaty Implementation Officer
International Campaign to Ban Landmines

ICBL Urges All Countries to Join the UN Disability Rights Convention

2008-09-11T21:54:00.000+01:00

ICBL Urges All Countries to Join the UN Disability Rights Convention

GENEVA - May 2 - Landmine survivors and all people with disabilities can now count on a powerful tool to ensure their rights are respected and their needs met, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) said today, hailing the entry into force of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Disability Rights Convention).

The Convention, considered the first major human rights treaty of this century, was signed in December 2006. It will enter into force tomorrow, 30 days after the deposit of the 20th ratification (by Ecuador, on 3 April 2008).

“Like the Mine Ban Treaty just over ten years ago, the Disability Rights Convention is the result of a close partnership between governments and civil society organizations, whose contribution was crucial in achieving a strong legal instrument,” said Firoz Ali Alizada, Advisor to the Afghan Landmine Survivors’ Organization (ALSO), stressing the high levels of participation of the disability community – including landmine survivors – in the process.

“We are confident that the Disability Rights Convention will help bring about real change in the lives of landmine survivors, through the adoption of effective legislation and a shift in attitude,” Alizada added.

In mine-affected countries, the Disability Rights Convention will complement the obligations for assisting landmine victims contained in the Mine Ban Treaty and strengthen the notion that providing comprehensive assistance to landmine survivors and other people with disability is fundamentally a human rights issue.

“Unfortunately, despite repeated verbal commitments, support for landmine survivors is still lacking in many countries, and decisive action is needed to turn promises into real improvements for survivors, their families, and communities,” said ICBL Executive Director Sylvie Brigot.
Of the 24 States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty that have identified themselves as having the most pressing needs in terms of victim assistance, only four have so far ratified the Disability Rights Convention: Croatia, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Peru. The ICBL urges all countries to join the Convention and start adopting national legislation to put it into practice as soon as possible.

As the international community prepares to meet in Dublin from 19 May 2008 to negotiate a new treaty to ban cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians, the ICBL expressed the hope that the principles of equality and inclusion enshrined in the Disability Rights Convention will be fully reflected in the new treaty.

"From the experience of the Mine Ban Treaty, we have learned the importance of placing concrete requirements on states for victim assistance. We hope the new treaty will include solid implementation and reporting requirements in this area,” Brigot said.

Background
The ICBL’s Landmine Monitor Report 2007 estimates the global number of landmine survivors at 473,000 but actual numbers are likely to be higher.

During the First Review Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty, held in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2004, the following 23 countries identified themselves as having significant numbers of mine survivors and needs for assistance, but also the greatest responsibility to act: Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Burundi, Cambodia, Chad, Colombia, Croatia, Dem. Rep. of Congo, El Salvador, Eritrea, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Peru, Senegal, Serbia, Sudan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Uganda and Yemen. Ethiopia later added itself to the list.

Through the Nairobi Action Plan, adopted at the end of the First Review Conference in 2004, States Parties to the treaty pledged to enhance efforts for the care, rehabilitation and reintegration of landmine survivors during the period 2005-2009.

NO MORE VICTIMS!

2008-09-11T21:52:00.000+01:00

Statement by Firoz Ali ALIZADA on behalf of CMC to the Third Review Conference of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons Geneva, 8 November 2006

The Cluster Munition Coalition has asked me to introduce myself very briefly. My name is Firoz Ali Alizada, from Afghanistan. I was born near Bamyan province of Afghanistan and am 24 year old now. I am working for Handicap International in Afghanistan as the deputy country director.When I was a 12 year old, student in secondary school, I was taking shortcut on the last day of school and crossing a small mountain, when I stepped on an antipersonnel mine, the result was that I lost both of my legs above and below the knees and wounded my left hand.

This tragedy happened during the Taliban regime, while the lives of millions of people were in serious risk. After months of surgery and seven operations, ICRC provided me with prostheses which enabled me to walk and continue my life as a contributing member of the community as other people.I graduated from high school when I was a refugee in Pakistan, and in 2002 when the Taliban regime collapsed, I turned to Kabul.

Since that time I have been campaigning against cluster munitions, antipersonnel mines, as well as for the rights of persons with disabilities and assisting victims.Since 2003, I have been deeply involved in national and international events and campaign against mines and cluster munitions. As a mine victim, working with victims of cluster munitions in my country on a daily basis, I have witnessed the terrible effects of cluster munitions, and I definitely consider that cluster munitions have exactly the same effects on civilians than antipersonnel landmines.

The devastating humanitarian and social impact of landmines and cluster munitions are well known. They have killed thousands of innocent men, women and children around the world. But if landmines are banned by 151 countries so far, what about cluster munitions?In recent years in Afghanistan and very recently in Lebanon, the humanitarian and social impact of cluster munitions shocked the world.

Even though the campaign has been going on for years, the tragedy of cluster munitions is still increasing.How long will these tragedies continue to kill innocent people, and destroy and collapse infrastructures around the world? How long will the civilians have to suffer from these inaccurate and unreliable weapons? How long will the children remain deprived of schools because of the risk of cluster munitions and landmines? How long will the diplomatic discussions be continued without achieving the main goal which is safety of civilians?In order to solve this global humanitarian crisis, prevent future disaster and save the lives and livelihoods of millions of people, the only solution is a new treaty on cluster munitions as soon as possible.

In the closing, I have traveled all the way from Kabul full of hope that you will seize the opportunity this two weeks to make a real difference in the lives of innocent civilians like myself.

Thank you.

Taliban Recruiting Persons with Disablities to carry out suicide attacks

2008-09-11T20:48:00.001+01:00

Taliban recruiting vulnerable groups to carry out suicide attacks

Submitted by administrator on Mon, 05/07/2007 - 13:16.
international

By SONYA FATAHToronto Globe and Mail Monday, May 07, 2007

The suicide bombing at a Kabul Internet cafe drew attention for a number of reasons: It was one of the first in the Afghan capital after the fall of the Taliban; it struck a spot popular with foreigners; and a U.N. worker was among those who died along with the attacker, Qari Samiullah.
But a little-known fact about that 2005 blast offers a clue into the workings of the insurgents who recruit suicide bombers, and what, apart from religious propaganda, has motivated about 200 men to blow themselves up: In addition to being a deeply religious man, Samiullah was disabled.
His disability didn't come as a surprise. As the insurgency in Afghanistan gathers urgency, the Taliban and other forces are recruiting marginalized and vulnerable groups to carry out suicide attacks while men from their own ranks keep up the ground offensive.
The pool of the disenchanted and hopeless is large in Afghanistan _ people left on the fringes by their economic, physical or mental circumstances _ and there are few services to rehabilitate them after three decades of war.
"Almost 90 percent of (suicide bombers) are people with some form of disability," forensic expert Dr. Yusuf Yadgari said.
Every bomber's body in Kabul-based attacks passes through Yadgari's morgue. He has so far detected such disabilities as muscular dystrophy, amputated toes, blindness, skin diseases and signs of mental illness in the bodies of suicide bombers.
Although no statistics are available, anecdotal evidence increasingly backs up Yadgari's observations. Security experts argue that the Taliban seek out the disaffected, the poor and the marginalized, a group that certainly would include a majority of the disabled. And non-governmental organizations (NGOs) say reports of disabled people being trained as suicide bombers, although unproven, are common.
"One reason why people entertain the idea is there is complete loss of hope in being able to live a normal life," said Firoz Ali Alizada, who lost his legs to a land mine and now uses artificial legs and crutches.
"In a culture like ours, disability and the possibility of being out on the street are equated with great shame. A man who is married and has children is suddenly incapable of supporting and feeding his family. ... He might find it easier to die."
Disabled people are a significant portion of Afghanistan's population, but they live on the margins of its society. One NGO, Handicapped International, identifies nine dimensions of disability, including the ability to care for oneself, depression, epilepsy or seizures, and restrictions on physical movement. About 2.7 percent of the population has very severe disabilities, according to the group.
When a wider segment of disability is included, the percentage skyrockets to 58.9. Even that, observers say, excludes mental disability and disabilities among women.
"It is clear that the Taliban are using financial incentives in many cases to encourage suicide bombers," said Sam Zarifi, Asia Division research director of Human Rights Watch.
"It's not just ideological fervor. It is clear that in a place like Afghanistan where there is a very weak economy, the handicapped, whether physically disabled or mentally challenged, are going to be more vulnerable to that kind of financial incentive."
Money for suicide bombings is offered to families of the bombers, so they can live a better life, a compensation of sorts for the loss of a male breadwinner.
In the early days of Afghan suicide attacks, the Taliban offered $250, sources say. But that number has risen to as high as $10,000. A young man from Kandahar whose attack was foiled by police said he was offered $15,000.
Saifuddin Nezami, director of the Community Center for the Disabled, who is himself disabled, said he can see how recruiting disabled people would be effective:
"In Kabul we have some services for the disabled ... but in the provinces there is nothing _ no services, no vocational training. They are isolated from society and life. This situation causes people to be very disappointed in life, to be depressive and to bear a deep grudge in their hearts toward society and other people."
Suicide attacks in Afghanistan have risen dramatically in recent years, according to Human Rights Watch, which released a report on the subject last month. The tactic is relatively new in the country, which saw only two suicide bombings in 2003. But the numbers grew from six such attacks in 2004, to 21 in 2005, to 136 in 2006. In the first 10 weeks of this year, there were 28.
Many cases of mental illness, mainly depression, can be judged from the condition of the bomber at the time of the attack, Yagadari said. "Their clothes and face are dirty. You can see that they are not interested in life."
It is difficult to track people with mental disabilities because the stigma of those illnesses is worse, if possible, than that attached to physical ailments.
"If you walk down the street ... you will notice that one of every three or four people is talking to himself," Nezami said.
Security analysts say the Taliban and other groups do not recruit suicide bombers from among their elite. "It's true that the Taliban don't use their best and brightest as suicide bombers," said Philip Halton, managing director of Safer Access, which provides expertise for humanitarian aid groups.
"They do look for disaffected members of society, not only those who are disabled but those who are exceedingly poor, and they target those people."
The case of Samiullah, the Internet cafe bomber, is slightly unusual in that he was middle-class.
Hamid Barakzai, a former high-school classmate, recalls bumping into his old friend several years after the fall of the Taliban in 2001. Samiullah was still sporting the long beard advocated by the fundamentalist group.
"I asked him, 'Why haven't you cut off your beard? The Taliban are gone,' " Barakzai recalled. "He told me, 'I am al Qaeda. I will die al Qaeda. Next time, I might take some infidel with me to the other world.' I thought he was joking."
Shortly after that conversation, in May 2005, Samiullah blew himself up.
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)

نیکپا اولین مدال تاریخ افغانستان را برد

2008-08-25T16:04:00.000+01:00

Stop the tragedies

2008-08-22T17:17:00.000+01:00

Kidnapped Afghan deminers should be immediately released

Friday 22 August 2008

The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) today condemned the recent kidnapping of a group of Afghan deminers and called for the immediate release of the six men still being held captive.

Thirteen men working for the Afghan demining organization MDC (an ICBL member) – including 11 deminers and two drivers – were abducted by unidentified forces on 19 August in Gardez province. Seven of them have been since released, but the fate of the remaining six remains unknown.

“Deminers put their lives at risk every day to ensure the safety of their communities. Attacking them is a cowardly act and an assault on the entire civilian population,” said Sylvie Brigot, Executive Director of the ICBL, calling on all armed actors to halt attacks on demining personnel and to safeguard their life-saving work. The ICBL also called for the Afghan government to take urgent measures to ensure the security of deminers and to identify and bring to justice those responsible.

“Mine clearance is crucial to allow reconstruction, economic recovery, and build lasting peace. Deminers and their work should be valued and protected,” said Firoz Ali Alizada, ICBL Treaty Implementation Officer, stressing that attacks on deminers could seriously endanger the progress of vital clearance operations

.
Unfortunately, attacks on deminers are not infrequent in Afghanistan. In March 2008, in two separate incidents, seven mine clearance personnel were killed and another seven injured. In 2007, at least six deminers were killed and a further 17 were kidnapped before being released.
One of the most severely mine-affected countries, Afghanistan has the world’s largest demining programme, employing some 8,000 national staff.

For more information on the landmine situation in Afghanistan, which joined the Mine Ban Treaty in 2003, please see the Landmine Monitor Report at
http://www.icbl.org/lm/2007/afghanistan

Exclusion to Inclusion

2008-08-18T12:01:00.000+01:00

ICBL Statement on Survivor Inclusion
Standing Committee on Victim Assistance and Socio-Economic Reintegration
Geneva, 3 June 2008
Delivered by Firoz Ali Alizada, ICBL

Co-chairs, colleagues, friends,
Thank you for giving the ICBL another opportunity to speak.
[Jesus Martinez, landmine survivor and director of Survivor Corps-El Salvador] has already
asked you many important questions, but, allow me to ask another one.
Could the landmine survivors and other persons with disabilities on government delegations
please raise their hands or stand up?
…
Thank you!
Could the other landmine survivors and people with disabilities now also stand up or raise
their hands?
…
Let me tell you why I asked you this:
As we are starting to prepare for the Second Review Conference, it is the right time to look
back at the commitments we made at the Nairobi Summit in 2004.
There, we, the survivors, pledged to bring our concerns to the Meetings of States Parties and
intersessional meetings. Well, we have a concern: What are all the States Parties doing to
“ensure the effective integration of mine victims in the work of the Convention?”
Of course, this commitment means much more than having a survivor sitting next to you in
this room.
1. To implement plans and policies that will change OUR lives, YOU need to know what we
find most important. Many of you have spoken about assessments, have you involved us in
carrying out these assessments? Use the expertise from our daily life as a person with a
disability AND from the work we do. After all, we live in our affected, often rural,
communities. We know the effect of the prejudices against people like us. I will give you an
example from my own experience: [example from Firoz' experience]
2. Many of you have spoken about strategic plans, but have you included us in making these
plans? Let us offer you our expertise to be actively involved in the design, implementation
and monitoring of the efforts that are undertaken to assist us. We are NOT JUST
BENEFICIARIES. We are productive contributors to society. The reality we see can make
your objectives SMART-er. [Example from Firoz' experience]
I do not only speak for myself, all my disabled colleagues in the room run their own programs
or organizations. We might not have all the right training or diplomas, but does that mean we
do not have the right skills or cannot be trained?
Actually, we can complement your work in many ways:
• Our presence in your offices will open the door for many people like us who might
confide more in people like themselves.
• We can lead by example and inspire others like us to get involved.
• When we exchange information regularly and as equal partners we will understand
your constraints better and you will understand our demands better. So that we can
find the most effective solution together.
• We come up with practical solutions and identify issues others might overlook.
Yesterday, my colleagues and I were discussing the UN Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities where 50 percent of the government delegates were persons
with a disability. Thanks to them the concepts of peer support and of the importance of
sports and recreation were included in the treaty.
3. When you see our expertise and added value, who will be the most effective advocates to
promote the universalization and implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty at national, regional
or international meetings? We will come here as equal partners. [Example from Firoz'
experience]
I want to conclude by saying we are not asking for something extraordinary. I have already
mentioned the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. But the principle of
“nothing about us without us” has also been taken to heart by those of you negotiating the
cluster munitions treaty. 111 states have accepted to “Closely consult with and actively
involve cluster munition victims and their representative organisations” as an obligation in
this new treaty. Many of these 111 states are here.
So, why not start right here, right now?
Identify people for your delegations. Ask donors states or organizations to assist you in
getting these people in your own offices and to these meetings. Approach the people you saw
standing up at the back of this room and build partnerships.
We are ready, are you too?

2008-08-18T07:31:00.000+01:00

Firoz ALIAZADA in Japan in 2003

Photos and Memories

2008-08-18T07:21:00.001+01:00

Firoz ALIZADA during an official meeting in Washington D.C, USA in April 2008

معلولیت و افغانستان

2008-08-16T18:30:00.002+01:00

معلولیت منحیث یک پدیده اجتماعی مشکل حاد وقابل اندیشه جامعه بشری بوده که بنابر عوامل متعدداز جمله امراض مختلف ووقوع حوادث گوناگون طبعی وغیرطبعی ،در گیری های مسلحانه و هکذاعدم پالیسی های لازم صحی ،وقایوی و حفط الصحوی توأم با محدویت های معین فزیکی ،دماغی ،تنقیص حسی ،حالت مرضی وتکالیف روحی و امثال آن بخصوص در جوامع عقب مانده که دچار فقر اقتصادی ،فرهنگی ، اجتماعی و محیطی است دامنگیر تعدادا ز انسانها میگردد که الی اخرین دقایق زنده گی آنانرا در مشکلات جسمی و حرکی و پرابلمهای کثیری اجتماعی در فعالیت های روزمره شان مواجه میسازد .
به اساس تعریف سازمان صحی جهان بیشتر از %10 تمام نفوذ جهان را اشخاص دارای معلولیت تشکیل میدهد.هرگاه این رقم را اززاویه وسعیتر یعنی بعد اجتماعی واقتصادی عمیق تر مورد غوروبرسی قراردهیم ممکن به این رقم افزوده شود .بهرصورت %10 نفوذ جهان هم رقم بالائی را نشان میدهد ومهمتر از همه اینکه آسیب پذیرترین %10 درکشورهای روبه انکشاف بسرمیبرند.
افغانستان درنتیجه مشکلات عظیم ازجمله دو دهه شرایط دشوار وویران کننده جنگ ،حاکمیت سیاست ها،وپالیسی های صادرشده وبرخاسته از بیرون که هیچگونه مطابقت و همخوانی با شرایط عینی و ذهنی کشور نداشته است بخصوص طی سالهای اخیرمتأسفانه رشدقابل لمس در عرصه های حیات سیاسی و اجتماعی و بخصوص حیات اقتصادی خویش نداشته باوصف موجودیت منابع مستعد انسانی وطبعی از جمله کشور های روبه انکشاف بشمارمیرود .
به اساس سروی ملی معلولیت در افغانستان که به نماینده گی از وزارت محترم شهدا ومعلولین جمهوری اسلامی افغانستان توسط موسسه محترم بین اللملی هندیکپ در سال 2004 شروع و در سال 2005 به اتمام رسید نشان دهنده مشکلات عظیم ووضعیت وخیم برای افراد دارای معلولیت میباشد .به اساس این سروی متذکره فیصدی شیوع معلولیت درکشور از 700000 الی 900000 یعنی به تناسب نفوذ فعلی کشور 2.7 فیصد را نشان میدهد .که این رقم نشان دهنده موجودیت یکتن معلول در هرپنج خانواده َ،که 58.9 فیصد آن نزذ مردان به نسبت سهیم بودن بیشتر شان در پروسه جنگ های بیشتر از دودهه کشور و 41.1 فیصد آن نزد زنان موجود میباشد . به تناسب سن کمترین رقم را در خور سالان یعنی از یکساله تا چهارساله چون اکثریت اطفال دارای معلولیت به نسبت عدم برنامه های مؤثر حمایتی و صحی و فکتورهای متعدد اجتماعی و دیگر حین تولد و یا تا رسیدن به سن چهارسالگی تلف میگردند و بلند ترین رقم را یعنی 26.8 فیصد بزرگسالان یعنی از 35 الی 44 ساله تشکیل میدهد .
البته اگر اندازه شیوع ملی 2.7 فیصد باشد ، مسلماً تعداد افراد دارای از یک ساحه نظر به ساحه دیگر متفاوت میباشند . چنانکه دیده میشود شیوع معلولیت در سه ساحه یعنی ساحه غربی 3.7 ، ساحه شمالی 3.0فیصد و ساحه مرکزی 2.9 فیصد که به تناسب حد اوسط شیوع ملی رقم بالاتر را نشان میدهد و در ساحات شمال غربی 2.6 فیصد ، در ساحات شرقی 1.9 فیصد یعنی کمتر از حد اوسط شیوع ملی و در کندز برابر با حد اوسط شیوع ملی یعنی 2.7 فیصد میباشد.
قابل تذکر است که سطح پوشش خدمات در ساحات مختلف کشور نیز متفاوت بوده در ساحات مرکزی ، شمالی و نواحی شرقی کشور نسبتاً بلند تر بوده ، در حالیکه نواحی جنوبی و جنوبغربی از خدمات محدود مستقید میشوند.
شرایط موجوده و حالات سیاسی ، اجتماعی و اقتصادی کنونی ، بخصوص سه دهه گذشته در کشور تأثیرات ناگواری بالای زنده گی اجتماعی مردم کشور بخصوص قشر آسیب پذیر منجمله افراد دارای معلولیت بجا گذاشته ، فقر ، تنگدستی و عدم اعتماد به آینده را در زنده گی روزمره شان به یک سیر قابل تصور صعود داده است .
جامعه معلولیت و افراد دارای معلولیت با چالش ها و موانع متعدد و مختلف اجتماعی از جمله عمدتاً:
- کمبود و عدم دانش و آگاهی لازم در رابطه به عوامل ، انواع و اشکال معلولیت ، طرق پیشگیری بیشتر این پدیده همراه با بینش ضعیف اجتماع در رابطه .
- اصطلاحات و لسانهای منفی و مبتذل ارائه اشکال معلولیت معادل (دیوانه ، کر ، کور ، لنگ ...) و امثال آن بکار برده میشود .
- معلولیتهائی که از اسباب ولادی ناشی میگردد و بخصوص معلولیت های ذهنی و دماغی ، بالای خانواده ها انگیزه منفی داشته ، مخصوصاً در شرایط ازدواج برای برادران و خواهران عواقب جدی را بمیان میآورد . بناءً خانواده معلولیت را کمتر جلوه داده تا که از شرم و ترس بدنامی بعدی در اجتماع جلوگیری بعمل آورده باشند .
در جنب چالش های متذکره یکی از فکتورهای اساسی دیگر که حیات عادی اجتماعی و اقتصادی افراد دارای معلولیت را متأثر نموده و با موانع جدی مواجه ساخته است ، همانا عدم موجودیت یک چتر قوی حمایوی قانونی ، جهت حمایت از شخصیت حقوقی و اجتماعی آنان از جمله نبود قانون و پالیسی مشخص جهت رسیده گی به حل مشکلات موجوده متناسب به نیازمندیها و توقعات ایشان ، موجودیت یک سلسله موانع قانونی که مانع مشارکت کامل این افراد در روند زنده گی جامعه افغانی میگردد از جمله در عرصه های اموزش و تعلیم و تربیه ، کار و اشتغال،( به اساس سروی هندیکپ بین المللی بلند تر از %60 اشخاص دارای معلولیت بالاتر از هفت سال زمینه مناسب دسترسی به تعلیمات رسمی را ندارند . در حالیکه این حالت در اشخاص ناتوان رقت بار تر بوده %70 را نشان میدهد . ) ، عدم قابلیت های لازم دسترسی به خدمات اجتماعی از جمله
تعلیم و تربیه ، حمایت های صحی و توانبخشی ، کار و ظرفیت سازی ، ناچیز بودن خدمات موجوده اجتماعی با درنظرداشت نیازمندیهای ویژه کتگوریهای مختلف معلولیت ، عدم توجه لازم و پالیسی روشن در سطح دولت و ساختار های آن در عرصه معلولیت ، عدم کارآیی و ظرفیت لازم کاری در سازمانها و نهادهای مدنی افراد دارای معلولیت و هکذا پراگنده گی و ناهمآهنگی فعالیت های آنان ، عدم انسجام و پراگنده گی و مفید و مؤثر خود این افراد ....... و ده ها فکتور دیگر میباشد .
از نظر کارشناسان و متخصصین عرصه معلولیت راه بیرون رفت از مشکلات و حمایت از اشخاص دارای معلولیت و احقاق حقوق حقه انسانی و مدنی و اعاده شخصیت حقوقی و اجتماعی آنان همانا طرح و ایجاد یک چتر قوی حمایوی ، قانونی و حقوقی جهت حمایت از حقوق حقه انسانی و شخصیت حقوقی این افراد از طریق انفاذ قانون جامع افراد دارای معلولیت و پالیسی مربوطه که مسلماً پارلمان کشور میتواند در این عرصه نقش اساسی و تعین کننده را داشته باشد ، همچنان طرح و عملی سازی پلانهای استراتیژیک و درازمدت در سطح کشور که میتواند در چهار مرحله مختلف ، مرحله اول تشویق و تشکیل گروپ های کمک خودی ، مرحله دوم تشکیل شوراهای مشورتی ، مرحله سوم تشکیل و انکشاف انجمن ها و مرحله نهایی تشکیل و انسجام و تشکیل فدراسیون و یا اتحادیه چتر وسیع که تمام تشکیلات مربوط را تحت پوشش قرار داده و هماهنگ اعاده حقوق نماید میباشد . قابل تذکر است که با درنظرداشت طرح متذکره جامعه افراد دارای معلولیت و معلولیت افغانستان درمرحله دوم و قسماً مرحله سوم قرار داشته و مسلماً تشکیلات نوپا که تجربه خاص در این عرصه ندارند به چالش ها و مشکلات مواجه خواهد بود و جهت فایق آمدن به این مشکلات و رسیدن به مراحل بعدی مساعی دولت ، پارلمان کشور و سایر نهادهای مدنی و افراد جامعه امری است ضروری و قابل اهمیت بسزا . و از سویی جهت رسیدن به این مأمول بذل مساعی و مشارکت در ساختار و رشد تدریجی ظرفیت عاملین و یا مجریان عرصه آغاز و به آگاهی و متقاعد ساختن مخاطبین یعنی دولت ، پارلمان و عناصر مختلف جامعه میتواند انجام بپذیرد .

A BAD REMINISCENCE

2008-08-16T18:10:00.000+01:00

I am Firoz Ali ALIZADA an Afghan citizen, born on 1982 in one of the central-province (Parwan) of Afghanistan, I had been living my childhood period in my paternal village with a large 12 family members.

Whilst I had been graduating from secondary school in my birth place Shakhali district, I took a shortcut to school one day and stepped on an anti-personnel mine, the three friends whom were together with me, yelled to villagers and all together took me to main road while I was bleeding too much and getting thirsty and my lips was sticking and my mouth getting dry, the pain on my left hand was annoying me.
After almost 6 hours they could carry me to main road, while we were waiting for a transporting vehicle the helpers took me to a house and give me hot and boiled cow milk, I drank three glasses of milk and I felt the milk was rescuing me from dying, after a while a truck took me to first aid clinic and then to took regional hospital (Charikar hospital) after 13 hours during the night, but when I was arrived to regional hospital I had already lost my conscious on the way to hospital.

At this time the Taliban rebel captured Kabul and the fighting was on going in Shamali plain towards Charikar hospital, the hospital situation was very bad and poor the staff of hospital was in a emergency situation just waiting if Taliban break the frontline of Shamali plain to leave Charikar and rescue them selves to the valleys, my brother is saying: when we took you to hospital no one was ready to treat you, he says; I gave one million Afghani to a surgeon then he start to operate you.

The tomorrow of that day in the afternoon after the operation when I woke up, I suddenly began to touch my leg and set properly, but my hand touched to matters and bed, there was no legs and I understood that my both legs has been lost and my left hand was tighten with a peace of cloth, it was a shock for me and quite disappointing condition, my brother, my uncle and ant son surrounded my bed and crying in parallel encouraging me a lot.

My father who has just lost his young son a couple of years ago, was working and living in Kabul city at the time, when he become informed he came to Charikar after three days of my stay in hospital, he was known, as Firoz got a small injury he didn’t know the reality, by the time when he got to the room where I was there, he started to take out the blanket which had been covered my amputated legs, but I didn’t let him and I told him the reality, this was the second shock for me and the worst situation for my father.

The frontline of Taliban against Northern Alliance blocked the Shamali road, but because of worst situation of Charikar hospital my father decide to take me to Kabul hospital, in the morning at 3:00 o’clock the taxi picked me up and drove me from another shortcut which was very long way along rubbers’ risks, but at 1:00pm of that day we reached Kabul ICRC’s hospital in Kabul.

This hospital was providing good service, immediately they took out the cloth which I wore it one week ago, and after few hours began the operations, and asked my father to give blood however my father was around 65 with white beard but he gave 500mg blood and bought some more, my brother who was accompanying me from the first day of event, he went back to Shakhali to look after rest of family members, my father stayed with me and he was helping me during four months and half.

The day when I got out of surgery hospital, my father took me to foyer which he leased that 15 years a go, at this time my family members were still in Shakhali most of the high ways were blocked by Taliban, we had no contact with our family.

After one month of surgery hospital, I referred to ICRC orthopedic workshop they provided me prostheses in 3 months I left wheelchair and I could start to walk with pairs of crutches, and in parallel I was going to English language centre and as a apprentice to tailoring shop, I was learning very easily and quickly the English language and the same by encouragement of my father and my tailoring caliph I was very good and learning intensively the tailoring, sewing of tradition Afghan cloth.

Me and my father always were just tying to know about the rest of our family members, one day after many months of waiting, our family could reach to Kabul, I was very happy by having my family out of risk of Taliban, but my Mom until that time didn’t know that Firoz double amputated, it was a strong and unforgettable tragedy while my Mom met me with pairs of crutches, she was very upset which is impossible to describe it on paper.

In this period that Taliban was critically governing especially in Kabul, the Afghans were leaving the country each day, we also left the country to Pakistan, Peshawar, during that dire immigration situation, it was as bad as starvation situation, there was no source of living, the only way for Afghans was to weave carpets, the children who have been deprived of normal living situation, education … were only weaving carpets from early morning to mid night, we had been doing the same work, but I began again the apprenticeship with a tailor which was a source of feeding for my family.

During more than three years in Pakistan, meanwhile of working I continued and graduate from High school, learned English language in advance level, learned computer software, in parallel of tailoring apprenticeship I had been teaching English language.

While Taliban was drove out from Afghanistan, as many other Afghans we turned back to Kabul, I began tailoring apprenticeship and English language teaching in Taimani Noor Academy for few months, then I found a job as newspaper designer for almost one year with Mardum Weekly in Kabul, few months as data entry in Afghanistan Constitution Committee, few weeks as computer operator in ICRC.

One day I decided to start my university, me with two other friends of mine went to Kabul university to register for exams to study night university since I was obliged to work simultaneously during the days, but we all have been refused, because of disability and not being a civil servant I decide to work as civil servant, but there was another barrier first as I’ve heard the person who has more than sixty percentage of disability is not eligible to work as civil servant within government and secondly the wage of a civil servant was max 40$ a month.

While I was refused by university I was really upset and disability was shown as an obstacle of living in society to me.

I began to have a close relation with disabled representative of my district and with ministry of martyrs and disabled in order to find out the solutions.

On 2003, one day I was in Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled a friend of min told me, hay you know English there is an organization by the name of Handicap International France, they need a translator, me with my friend Mr. Sadiq Mohibi went to HI office and Mr. Richard interviewed us and he was very happy during interview, ultimately he asked both of us to start our work after two day for four weeks. Since it was a short contract after four weeks the contract ended, after a while again Mr. Richard called me for another mission for one month, I contract again with HI but this time I just worked three weeks because I got a trip to Japan for three months for training of prostheses by the name of self walker.

After three months which was end of 2003, when I came back to Kabul, the Japans recruited me, but since the job was not suitable for because of physical work, I was not happy to continue with them, again Mr. Richard asked me to come and work with HI and I was also keen to work with HI since I knew HI very well.

On February 2004 I employed by HI as project manager’s assistant working with Ms. Sonia Cautine, it was very great time for me, we began to start and establish a project by the name of Community Centre for Disabled (CCD), during eight months in CCD, I functioning as assistant to project manager, administrator, finance, translator and advisor to computer and English department, it seems ambitious but since I was very happy of my job and my project manager I was voluntary ready to take all above responsibilities. Then I request to work as disability advocacy advisor and advisor to FPD in HI central office.

On November 2004, represent Afghanistan in international conference which was entitled (Disability and Inclusive Development: Sharing, Learning and Building Alliances) in Washington D.C which held by World Bank.

From January 2005 I began to work as assistant to field program director, my main responsibility is to strengthen the relation with government, local organizations, conception on proposals to donors, involve in making short and long term strategy in country level and represent HI in national level.

During my working period with HI, I participate and represent HI-Afghanistan in Cluster Munitions Coalition (CMC) international conference in Paris in October 2005, I got a one month organization presentation and project model training in HI-HQ in Lyon in December 2005, I’ve participated as a part of official delegation of Afghanistan in Standing Committee on Victims Assistance and socio economic reintegration in Geneva whilst representation Afghan victims and HI-Afghanistan in June 2006, I traveled to USA Missouri, Saint Louis university in a cultural exchange in the field of disabilities for one week in June 2006.

Currently I am working as assistant to field program director as previously with HI-Afghanistan, I will continue with HI since the programs of HI is vital for our vulnerable Afghan people HI run development projects in three populated regions of Afghanistan.

Now I am 24 years old, neither married nor engaged and quite healthy except the amputation of my legs and contracture of left hand’s finger, I am capably to walk with crutches.
I drive very easily, I have not specific habit of smoking drinking …, I like to eat the spicy foods and travel and to know more about different cultures

SURVIVORS NEED EQUAL RIGHTS

2008-08-16T18:05:00.000+01:00

SURVIVORS NEED EQUAL RIGHTS
REGIONAL CONFERENCE
MINE ACTION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT
11-13-March-2007
PHNOM PENH-CAMBODIA
Firoz ALI ALIZADA

People with disabilities or victims have the same rights and dignity as others, but unfortunately due to lack of attention and inadequate available services most of the time the important and vital element which is equability of rights and opportunities has been missing and trampling along the past decades. I have been growing up in Afghanistan a country faced decades of war, violence, economic problem, poverties, drought, lack of health care and many other vast problems… You might think the mentioned problems will be targeting all the population living there, but we have to bear in mind and consider the most vulnerable suffering severely much more than others, WHO ARE THEY? They have been victims and persons with disabilities along the history of human beings, unfortunately!

Of course persons with disabilities never want the rest of population to be maimed by landmines, cluster munitions or anything which harm the civilians. But victims also want to have equal opportunity and their natural dignity safe as human beings.
In order to achieve that, each victim needs five steps of service availability to be able to integrate and lives as others in the society and function as he/she wants to do so:
It starts from providing:
Phase-1: Emergency and continuing medical care (this service can rescue a victim to survive and carry on) but to survive without parts of body or damaged body needs:
Phase-2: Physical rehabilitation (PR can able a person to walk to talk to eat ) but walking, talking and eating will not be useful and helpful in a isolated condition, in order to live in a society he/she needs:
Phase-3: Psychological support and social reintegration (once, the victim psychologically supported he/she can be able to forget the past what ever he/she could do, than victim needs to be socially reintegrated, but you need to follow some more steps to reintegrate him/her, to do so we need to:
Phase-4: Economic reintegration (this steps of service providing is very crucial and meanwhile very much vital, it can change a victim psychologically, socially and even physically) but how will you sustain this system? It is easy if you develop:
Phase-5: Laws and public policies (laws and public policies can grantee the above mentioned steps or better to say only law and polices can grantee the rights of victims or persons with disabilities).

Persons with disabilities have been dreaming and advocating for decades for having a law to grantee their rights, whom finally overcame and developed the International convention on the protection and promotion of the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities which is fortunately approved by UN-General Assembly in last December.
So, it means now we are asking the respectable states very legally to respect the persons with disabilities based on his/her rights as human beings, not based on charities and sympathies. What doest it mean to respect? It means to address and respond to their needs and requirements as soon as you can.
I HOPE SO!

A world Free of Landmines

2008-08-16T18:02:00.000+01:00

10th ANNIVERSARY OF MINE BAN TREATY
BRUSSELS - 08-MAY-2007
Firoz Ali ALIZADA

I am Firoz Ali ALIZADA from Afghanistan working for Handicap International in Kabul. I have the pleasure travelling from far away to join Belgium in order to celebrate the 10th anniversary of mine ban treaty.

As billions of people I hate the landmines too, because I am one of the hundreds of thousands survivors, as I lost both legs 11 years ago in Afghanistan.

In the past three decades of war hundreds of thousands children, women and other innocent people in Afghanistan have been maimed by landmines and cluster bombs. This tragedy is not ended yet however there is a huge decrease in causalities from 60 People per day to 60 people per month but still Afghanistan remains one of the highest affected countries by landmines in the world.

As all of you know Afghanistan is post-conflict country which needs to be reconstructed, but existence of mines in many cases prevents and even stops the work of construction and reconstruction, so landmine is not only a threat for human beings it has been a big challenge in the field of development too. For ex: Kabul airport was contaminated by landmines, which could strongly discourage the flight agencies … to fly over Kabul or tourists can not visit many parts of Afghanistan due to landmines’ risks while before of war thousands of tourists were visiting Afghanistan and it was a good income for Afghanistan.

Afghanistan joined the MBT in 2003. More than 140 square km of mine contaminated land was cleared, more than 65.000 mines of stockpiles were destroyed, 1,8 millions of people became aware of mines’ danger through the Mine risk educations programs. Afghanistan as member of MBT very strongly could refuse the mining of Afghanistan-Pakistan border which was planed by Pakistan, If Afghanistan was not a member of MBT it would be difficult to resist against Pakistan's plan, and so the regional and bilateral political impact of MBT has been very positive and constructive as well.

But still there are hundreds of new victims every year with all the others survivors do need adequate assistance, and many contaminated areas by landmines requiring clearance. Afghanistan still has a very long journey to clear the mines and meet the needs of survivors.

10 years ago Mine Ban Treaty opened the windows of hopes; Mine Ban Treaty intends to stop human suffering caused by landmines that so far millions of children, women and other innocent people’s life and livelihoods have been rescued. As Kosal said there are achievements at the result of Mine Ban Treaty but further successes are depend on commitment of states parties and international communities.

We can achieve more if we include mine action and victim assistance in our long term plans, such as national development strategy, poverty reduction strategy paper, and economic development programs. Too often some of the affected countries do not prioritize mine action or wait for full supports from international communities! Affected States must take the responsibility to make it happen!

This is not acceptable to witness human suffering even today, so I call on developed countries to consider these issues seriously and encourage the affected countries by supporting them through sustaining mine action, capacity building of national mine action authorities.

States parties specially affected states by mines must develop national legislation or adapt the existing legislation to make sure the terms of the MBT are Included In the local law, Mines are illegal weapons and using or possessing them must be sanctioned by law.

Victim assistance is one of the components of MBT, it was good to have this component in the treaty but it would be better if it was fully implemented in the field. The critical situation of Afghan victims can prove the inadequate attention of government.

Article 6 of MBT it is says that “every country in a position to do so shall provide victim assistance" for me every country is a position to do something:

So I would like to insist on the following points:
- States affected by mines must assist their own victims via providing:
- Rehabilitation
- Social and economic reintegration services
- And establishment of national coordination body to define and Implement victim assistance plan

- States that are not affected must assist the affected states through providing:
- Financial supports
- Technical supports
- Capacity building of national victim assistance actors

Victims want their rights and dignity to be protected as a human being. Fortunately the new convention for protection of rights and dignity of persons with disabilities approved by general assembly and opened for signature since March 2006 gives a strong hope to persons with disabilities but this hope will not be achieved unless the states do ratify and fully implement it.

Disability Rights Convention (DRC) is a good complement of MBT in terms of assisting victims while in MBT the VA is not a compulsory but the DRC is specifically and obligatory calling on states to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities.

A treaty is only a piece of paper unless the real needs of victims or persons with disabilities are properly addressed and the daily tragedies are ended.

Thank you!

FROM LANDMINE TREATY TO

2008-08-16T12:15:00.001+01:00

10TH ANNIVERSARY OF MINE BAN TREATY CELEBRATION
FROM LANDMINE TREATY TO
HUMAN SECURITY
Panel Discussion, Sept 17th 2007
Oslo-Norway

Firoz Ali ALIZADA

Ladies and gentlemen!

25 years ago from now my villagers along with my family members had ran a way from the main road to rescue themselves from attack of soviet invasion, the ruthless soviets without any distinguishing between civilians and militaries butcherly were killing people and burning the livelihoods of everybody, that my family was one of those affected families, who lost all their properties. I was born during that hard period when my family was living in a tiny stony cave, 60 km far from our village on the Tashbig a rocky mountain in Shaikhali District of Parwan Province of Afghanistan to safe them from the invasion storms.

It means I grow up in a country where I have been witnessing the hundreds of different disastrous problem such as: invasion, civil war, door to door conflicts, genocides, domestic violence, the terrible Taliban regime, the terrible international Terrorism, suicide bombings and other natural disasters like: droughts and opium.

In 1996 I stepped on a landmine which was planted on a shortcut way to my school, I lost my legs and wounded my left hand, since then I have been campaigning for the safety of others who have not maimed so far and for the rights of those who affected and victimized by different causes.

In my short period of experience I have learned to encourage the affected and non affected Afghans to raise their voices to stop the on going tragedies and innocent casualties and protect their inherent rights and dignities.

It has been fruitful to campaign against any single disastrous weapons, but at the same time it has been very heavy, costly and time consumer, the inaccurate ammunition banned and will be banned but unfortunately after tremendous tragedies among the civilians. Why the weapons have been testing on civilians? Why the weapons have been testing on poor and developing countries? Who respond to the past tragedies and who is responding to the ongoing one? Indeed who assist the war victims, particularly the landmine and cluster munitions victims?

You all know, Afghanistan passed the nearly 3 decades of dark period, but the consequences of war still very seriously affecting the Afghans: the landmines still maims an average of 60 people per month, the cluster bomblets still maims the people, the armed groups still threat people, the illiteracy rate is extremely high and this problem is still ongoing for example: this year 60000 students applied to study in the universities, but due to lack of capacity of universities of Afghanistan only 20000 of them accepted, the health care services can not respond to the crucial needs of Afghans, the human rights advocates are in danger, the domestic violence is increasingly increasing, discriminations against women and other minorities are existing and hundreds of other challenges which have been hampering the development and human security of afghans and Afghanistan.

Today Afghanistan is not only a post-conflict country, the enemies of Afghanistan, the Taliban and the international terrorists still fight against the government, which highly affects the people, the poppy cultivation is growing up, in one hand affect the Afghans and on the other hand create problems in international relations of Afghanistan and for the humanity.

Today when you walk in Kabul city, you will see the depression on the face and eyes of Afghans, you will see the risks of suicide bombings threaten the Afghans, you will see the poverty which obligates the children to work on the streets and beg money, you will see the hundreds of people waiting under the hot sun but no one give them work to do and so on.

While I agree with the importance of the national security, but to secure the state do not automatically mean securing people, thus I strongly believe human security or individual security is much more important than any other attempts, the individual security can be implied by paving the way for a basic and safe life through provisions of heath care, education and work in a democratic atmosphere, these are the three main elements which could be an efficient way to begin securing the individual rights, beside protecting the individual from any political violations.

I don’t see any point to wait for the next inaccurate weapons and human violations, after thousands of innocent casualties, campaign and advocacy won’t be as effective as it is before the tragedies, the famous proverb says: “prevention is better than cure”

I will not be tired at all to campaign under the slogans of:
No landmine, No cluster munitions, No nuclear, No poverty and No human violations!

Thank you,