Voices for Creative Nonviolence – Written evidence (AFG0016) Submission to the Inquiry on The UK and Afghanistan Summary Afghan Peace Volunteers say no to war and “Enough” to military intervention in their country. Grassroots peacebuilding is a vibrant part of Afghan culture. Peacebuilders should be heard in the peace process. Women and youth must also be part of the national and international peace process. Violence, insecurity and the resulting traumas continue in 2020 unabated. The UK and other nations have contributed to insecurity and suffering for Afghans, and should now undertake reparations channelled through non-state actors that are Afghan led or willing to submit to Afghan leadership UK deportation of Afghan refugees and asylum seekers are unsafe and must be suspended. Covid-19 has compounded the vulnerabilities experienced by Afghans About Afghan Peace Volunteers This report is a collation of views and statements from the Afghan Peace Volunteers, young people dedicated to justice and nonviolence. The information has been collated by Voices for Creative Nonviolence UK, which provides solidarity support. Afghan Peace Volunteers (APV) is a civil society organisation based in Kabul, but its members are active elsewhere, especially Bamiyan. APV run a number of projects based on nonviolence, equality and the environment. Page 1 of 25 Afghan Peace Volunteers work in partnership with Voices for Creative Nonviolence, a civil society peace group working in the United Kingdom and United States of America. Page 2 of 25 Page 3 of 25 A recommendation for the committee’s enquiries: Afghan Peace Volunteers have been educating people from other nations about life and peace work in Afghanistan for years through the “Global Days of listening programme,” providing translation and facilitated discussion. We recommend the committee arrange an online discussion with the members of the APV to hear directly from them. Committee members could then ask direct questions. Even if the committee cannot schedule this, individual members may wish to hear more from Afghan young people. Contact VCNV for more information. [email protected] Book a slot on Global Days of Listening: [email protected] Geopolitical environment In December 2019, the Afghan Peace Volunteers released this statement: To the elite of Afghanistan and the world, we’ve had #Enough! of being much less than the human beings we can be. “The Afghanistan Papers,” published by the Washington Post, are further evidence that 99% of Afghans and all human beings face an unjust and corrupt you. We detest your corruption, lies, deceptions, theft, the killing and the war as revealed by “The Afghanistan Papers”. Five hundred and seventeen thousand human beings, more than 90% of them Afghans, shouldn’t have been victims at all, much less pawns for money and power which you’ve not been held accountable for. Page 4 of 25 We oppose all forms of corruption, including corrupt elections. We want to state clearly that the Afghan Peace Volunteers is a non-political group, and that we do not support Ashraf Ghani, Abdullah Abdullah, or any of the current Afghan Presidential candidates. We respect you as human beings, but we do not respect what you do. We don’t want your neglect of the air, food, water, shelter, environment, or the earth. We don’t want your type of economy. We don’t want your brand of elitist democracy. We don’t want you as our representatives. We want life, and insist on love, but we cannot find these values in you. You do not heed our voices because that’s who you have become, non- responders, like non-living things. 2. What are the prospects for the implementation of the peace agreement between the US and the Taliban signed in February? To what extent have its provisions been implemented, and what are the principal challenges? National peace processes should not sideline the voices of Afghans working for peace in their own context. Many Afghans are active in peace work, albeit sometimes unnoticed by the UK state. This peacebuilding from the grassroots, rather than peacekeeping from above, should not be ignored. For example, in August 2018, members of the People’s Peace Movement ( PPM ) walked barefoot to the Northern areas of Afghanistan to persuade fellow Afghans, whether they’re with ‘insurgent groups’ or with the U.S./NATO/Afghan forces, to stop fighting. Page 5 of 25 Afghan Peace Volunteers have voiced frustration about the exclusion of youth from the peace process Tahera, age 21 “Young people should be considered in the process, they should be able to send representatives to the Loya Jirga so they can talk about their problems directly – in the last 18 years there is a new generation of Afghan, our conditions have totally changed, we have a different mindset and identity. The older generation do not represent us.” Habib, age 16 “The youth need to make their wishes known. If necessary, they should protest, though that is dangerous as in the past there have been bomb attacks on such protests and people have been hurt. “Young people are also disunited, especially along ethnic lines. Social media isn’t being used well, 90% of news posted is fake, the Facebook network in Afghanistan is corrupt.” Norina, age 20 “Young people should participate, but when we say we want to participate they say no – they just want to talk with the elders and nothing else. If we say something, they will not accept it. I think involvement in the Governmental structure is important, but young people are not taken seriously – there was one young parliamentarian who gave his views and was told “ask your elders to come and see us.” Page 6 of 25 Khalid, age 21 “I wish the young people could protest but they are useless in this situation, it’s had no effect, for example in Wardak there was a bombing which killed more than 30 civilians, we’re not sure who did the bombing, maybe NATO/US or the Afghan National Forces. I don’t think youth can play a role in protest, no one is going to listen.” Marzia, age 21 “Young Afghans need to use online platforms to give their opinions, they need to form their own small Jirgas in communities, universities and mosques, and then make their opinions known.” Abdullah, age 20 “We can’t sit around wanting our rights, we need to go and get our rights.” Jawed, age 20 “The majority of the Afghan population is young so we should be invited to the conference, but as we haven’t been invited, we should go to the streets and raise our voices to the media so we are heard. One day the young people will take power of this country.” Hakim, age 24 “The only possibility young people have of participation is to enter government. Even the elders who went to Moscow, they are not part of the Government so their opinions do not count. If youth want to be included, they have to enter politics.” 4. Which non-state actors are most active in Afghanistan, and how significant a role are they playing? What is their relationship with foreign and domestic political actors? These organisations are noteworthy because they have built trust and done effective work by trusting Afghan-led work. Afghan Peace Volunteers The APV are themselves an effective non-state actor, with an amazing range of projects including developing permaculture, gender solidarity education, a school for street children, training in conflict resolution, tree planting, relief for refugees, renewable technology, and disarmament drives. Afghanistan Analysts Network (AAN) An independent non-profit policy research organisation. It aims to bring together the knowledge, experience and drive of a researchers, analysts and experts to better inform policy and to increase the understanding of Afghan realities | afghanistan-analysts.org Page 7 of 25 The ICRC The International Committee of the Red Cross also has gained the trust and appreciation of Afghans for their work in health care delivery and rehabilitation services for people who've been maimed and wounded. Emergency We have been consistently impressed by the work of Emergency, an Italian NGO and humanitarian organisation founded to help civilian victims of war and poverty. The Emergency Surgical Centers for Victims of War and the 41 first aid clinics and stations they maintain have provided critical care, but also worked hard to turn their institutions over to Afghan health care professionals. en.emergency.it/what-we-do/afghanistan/ AMASO Afghanistan Migrants Advice and Support Organization was established in 2014 to address the need of an increasing number of people being deported from various European countries and Australia. The objectives of AMASO are: a ) The collection of accurate data, impartial and up-to-date information on the laws, policies and practices of various states with regard to migration. b ) Advocating effectively on behalf of actual potential migrants and deportees c ) Providing advice and Support to deportees returned from various European countries and Australia amasosite.wordpress.com/ Jesuit Refugee Services, In Kabul this is coordinated by an Afghan man who does excellent work in organising education inside refugee camps. JRS work elsewhere in the country is also greatly respected. JRS is an international Catholic organisation, at work in over 50 countries around the world with a mission to accompany, serve and advocate for the rights of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons. www.jrsuk.net/about 5. What is your assessment of NATO’s Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan? In 2017, at the outset of Resolute Support, medics on the ground with the Emergency NGO told VCNV that things were worse than they had been at any time since 2001, speaking to the insecurity military intervention has sown in Afghanistan.