International DevelopmentWritten evidence submitted by Shapur Amini, Afghan Academy International UK

1. Background Information

Shapur Amini, Founder/Director of Afghan Academy International

I was born in Kabul, Afghanistan. Soon after I have finished high school, I was offered a scholarship to study Television and Cinema in Tehran, Iran. I arrived in the United Kingdom in August 1981. Since then, I have studied for my Degree in Photography, Television and Cinema and a Master Degree in Philosophy, Jurisprudence and Education.

Since my arrival in the United Kingdom, I was involved with the Afghan community and in 1990 I have formed Afghan Academy International as an educational, cultural and social community group with many activities and projects for Afghanistan and Afghans around the world.

I was very fortunate to have Dr Thomas Daffern, the director of International Institute for Peace and Global Philosophy as my lecturer during my studies and had the opportunity to take part in Conflict and Peace Resolution seminars that Dr. Thomas Daffern held in the Houses of Common.

This year, I am a PhD Research Candidate with Global Green University on Peace Policy for Afghanistan, under Dr Thomas Daffern supervision.

I am honoured to find this opportunity to share my thoughts for DFID’s future work in Afghanistan to which I hope I could play an active role and, as a British Afghan, appreciate and work to promote and achieve the British mission in Afghanistan.

In appendix 1, 2 and 3, I have included more detail about Afghan Academy International and our present two projects, Afghanistan Peace Television and 1 Vote Afghanistan that I believe can help Afghanistan, the British mission and the DFID’s work in Afghanistan.

2. Summary

The International Community’s efforts and the DFID’s mission in Afghanistan in particular are unique and greatly appreciated by Afghans. Yet, still, there are many obstacles that reduce the delivery of services that ultimately limit public participation in peace keeping and development in Afghanistan.

This report aims to explain some thoughts that I think are very important for the British Government and DFID work for the future of Afghanistan.

I have always thought that the Western world have enough knowledge, experience and experts that Afghans are not needed to inform and/or advice the world regarding Afghanistan. Though, I still maintain my belief, but in due course, I have learned many things that are needed in order to achieve our goals for now and for the future of Afghanistan.

Afghans have evolved and gradually have gone through changes that often stayed hidden from the eyes of the entire world.

For the last 30 years, I was befriended with many Afghans from all walks of life and different backgrounds, which for me brought lots of new knowledge and revelations.

This report is mainly about my personal realisations and learning that I would like the Committee to consider and evaluate.

I strongly believe that what is achievable from here in the United Kingdom is as important as the entire operations inside Afghanistan if not less.

We have the two projects, 1 Vote Afghanistan and Afghanistan Peace TV, designed to support the Afghans, the civil societies and state and nation building in Afghanistan that we would like to seek your support for.

3. Introduction

For the last four decades, Afghanistan has gone through many political and cultural changes and the people have been experiencing different regimes, from the Monarchy to the Republic, from the Socialist to the Islamic government, and finally, from the Taliban’s rise of power to their defeat in 2001.

For the Afghan people, the new era of hope started with the support of the International Community to the formation of the Interim Government in Afghanistan to the first general election in 2002 where Mr. Hamid Karzai was elected as president.

At that time, when the Afghans were asked who they would vote for in the election, the answer was Karzai. When they were asked why Karzai, the simple yet honest reply was that “there is no one else to vote for”.

The people of Afghanistan, after suffering in the hands of all political and Islamic groups, were happy to have someone else and no one from the previous regimes who were involved in torture, killings and the destruction of the entire country.

That was the saddest scenario that the Afghans were facing and even now, after more then ten years, it still remains the same.

Although Afghanistan has seen some changes and many systems have developed for the good of the country, yet, one cannot ignore that the situation has gone from worse to bad and/or relatively good in some areas. The questions though of what will be the future of Afghanistan after the withdrawal of the International Forces and who the next president in the country will be still hunt the minds of Afghans inside and outside the country.

This paper aims to highlights the crucial facts that will help to understand the Afghan psyche in action and how the International Community, and the British Government in particular, could have a safe return of our British service men and women, win the hearts and minds of the Afghans and gain acceptance for the work and assistance to the people of Afghanistan and their country.

4. The Afghan Elements

For the last 30 years, I have befriended with many Afghans from all walks of life and different political, cultural and religious background, which for me as an independent and impartial researcher, brought many new insights and facts to light.

The Afghan elements are something that now more then ever is needed for communication and cooperation with the British involvement in Afghanistan.

It is very much true that Afghans do not trust each other unless they are from the same political and/or ethnical background. It is also sadly true that Afghans are not always trusted by the International Community either, as many sad killings and violent events have shown in the recent years in Afghanistan.

Inside Afghanistan, unfortunately, the political and religious groups are monopolizing the political, economical, social and cultural arena. These groups have always had their own agendas and often have been influencing the affairs in the country while gaining supporters, power and wealth.

These groups are often used to protect the areas where the international forces are active and reside. Therefore, their powers and wealth grow day by day, as the security conditions require their existence, assistance and cooperation.

In the past, people from the first democracy era in Afghanistan have demonstrated knowledge that the rest of the Afghans were lacking. Then came the left wing political parties who were considered educated and capable of doing things as experts.

Now, we have different groups who are well versed in reasoning and are standing for Afghans and Afghanistan, while advocating what is right or wrong whilst preaching according to their interest and politics. Some of these activists are from previous regimes and former political parties who are well educated and often seen to be addressing the Afghan affairs with views to damage their opponents.

Yet, there are Afghans who are respected within their society and can play a very positive role in cooperating with the British Government’s tasks in Afghanistan for now and the future projects.

We need to involve Afghans who, while having good intentions and expertise, could bring benefits to Afghanistan and to the British assistance and involvement in Afghanistan. This can be the right team who could inform and guide the rest of the community towards the right path, be it here in the United Kingdom and/or Afghanistan.

5. The 100 Afghan Political Parties

It goes without saying that there are political parties in Afghanistan, which are involved in supporting the old political regimes and have links with political interests of Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries.

Nevertheless, some new modern political parties do represent some groups and have their own supporters in the country.

I believe that the British Government should cooperate and gather these political groups and give them initiatives to engage in state and nation building inside Afghanistan and actively contribute towards security, peace and development in the country rather then acting separately without supervisions.

6. The New Young Generation Afghan

The overall population of Afghanistan consists of young Afghans, who are bright, hopeful to the future and happy with the British assistance and cooperation in Afghanistan and with vision.

This new generation of Afghans is unique and willing to share everything with the world and keen to take Afghanistan forward into a new level.

The task in front of us is how to guide and entertain the new young generation of Afghans in order to voice their rights and cooperate with the British projects and assistance in the country.

These young Afghans are not corrupt and can stand for peace, cooperation and development, capable of denouncing violence in the community and support what are right and internationally acceptable norms and standards.

They are here now and will be here in the future, that is why their active role and participation are essential.

Bringing them under one umbrella is our mission and with your full support, we can achieve this important task.

They require activities including education, culture, arts, entertainment and freedom of speech.

We need to start working with them and for them in order to appreciate the present and prepare and safeguard the future. They are the new hope for Afghanistan and for the International Community that has done a lot to help Afghanistan and the Afghan people.

The unique and young generation of Afghans can make history if they are supported. With our British Government assistance and support, Afghan Academy International can build this force to bring enlightenment to the rest of the Afghan population and build a modern Afghanistan.

7. Afghan Voice for Security, Human Rights, Development and State and National Building in Afghanistan

I have always believed that reflecting on achievements in Afghanistan and the activities of the International Community needed some reflections that have been absent so far amongst Afghan population from an Afghan.

We have prepared a proposal for an Afghanistan Peace TV Channel that could proof very useful (see Appendices 8.1. to 8.3.)

Afghans need to be educated and informed, inside and outside the country, how much the country has developed and how the International Community and the British Government in particular have assisted in bringing changes and benefits to Afghanistan and to people’s lives. It is important that people realise the positive sides of things and play their role accordingly and not advocate what they hear from groups who oppose the Western values.

Afghans must get involved in educating their family, friends and local communities to cooperate and respect the British assistance as unique opportunities for the good of the country and let others to understand the good work that establishes and help many basic and advance systems either political, economical, social, agricultural and/or environmental for Afghanistan.

There are many sources of information available to Afghans that can do more damage than good. On the other hand, an Afghan television channel for Afghanistan from London can bring more positive results, which will almost be impossible to achieve the same level of respect alone on the ground through Afghan government, local projects and/or mere diplomacy.

Afghan Academy International has gained the respect of Afghan community for the last 30 years and most Afghans, as well as political and religious groups and their representatives here in the United Kingdom, have respect and good relationship with us and appreciate our work and activities.

These groups all have their head quarters and supporters in Afghanistan and can tune to our TV channel for news, information and guidance.

Afghan Academy International has a unique team of Afghan experts, academics, scholars, musicians, artists, poets, writers, businesses, as well as former army officials and generals who support us with our projects.

This is a unique opportunity to form a platform to voice our concerns and broadcast our work and activities, reflecting on many developments in Afghanistan and thus the British assistance, cooperation and involvements in the country will be portrayed effectively.

Afghan Academy International has access to many local and even remote areas in Afghanistan and can reach and communicate with people, who are active and acceptable by their tribes and local communities. These people can influence their groups and can keep peace and cooperation to its maximum level in practice.

This project can attract a huge audience in Afghanistan and around the world, capable of promoting projects for development, security and peace in Afghanistan and bringing support and respect to the British assistance and a safe return of our British military forces from Afghanistan.

Today, there are enough possibilities in Afghanistan for people to tune to radio and/or TV channels. This is the best time to prepare for such a TV channel launch by British Afghans here in the United Kingdom.

The International Community has applied many policies to the situation in Afghanistan. It is time the British Government formed a new partner, a new team of Afghans capable of bringing change and influencing and supporting the Afghan people, the Afghan Civil Society and the main process of nation and state building in Afghanistan.

The opposition groups are still engaged in bloody war and the government is struggling to maintain power and survive.

We believe that a knot that can be opened by hand does not need biting and/or the usage of daggers.

We would like to discuss these issues in more details and I pray that, together, we can have a better future in Afghanistan. We should aim for a peaceful future, where hosting the world with love, respect and cooperation will be the honour and joy for the Afghans.

July 2012