Afghan Peoples Deserve to Live in Safety, Security and Dignity
South Asian CSOs give full solidarity to Afghan People
Statement
21 August 2021
We have been witnessing about the changing political landscape in our neighboring country Afghanistan after takeover of power by Taliban group. We understand, political changes of Afghanistan really matter in South Asia and to the whole world since it is interlinked to the global peace and order.
We know Afghanistan is continuously suffering from violent conflict. Afghan peoples have been already living with very difficult situation. They have been suffering by multiple ways such as violence, insecurity, poverty, hunger, poor public services and environmental catastrophes.
We understand, Afghan people are sovereign and they have rights to take decisions of their country. However, we are worry about the peoples of Afghanistan. We are worry about the situation of marginalized people particularly women and girls, children, war victims, Persons with disabilities, poor people, workers, indigenous peoples etc. Further, we are concerned about the journalists, human rights activists, civil society activists, women rights activists, teachers, and humanitarian aid workers.
There are political uncertainties in Afghanistan. It is not that simple to predict what political course will take place in the country. Our current concern and worry are suffering and pain of people in Afghanistan due to the present crisis.
The crisis management in Afghanistan is very urgent. In this humanitarian crisis of Afghanistan, there is high risk in the increase of violations against women, child rights, and elderly people. Future generations of Afghanistan are mostly likely to live at a risky state.
Therefore, we civil society organizations of South Asia release this joint statement for taking possible robust actions, find sustainable solutions, and to express our deep solidarity to Afghan people.
We publicly call for taking following actions and to draw attention of the Taliban Authority, United Nations, international communities, and civil society organizations:
Call on to the Taliban Authority
- Respect universal human rights and humanitarian principles and to take immediate actions to protect the lives of the Afghan people, particularly of women and girls, children, persons with disability, elderly people, displaced peoples, minorities, poor and working-class peoples, and migrant workers on minimum humanitarian grounds.
- Immediately suspend all deportations and forced returns to Afghanistan.
- Immediately stop bloodshed and violation of human rights.
- Ensure safety of all Afghan citizens including internally displaced persons and internal refugees. Also, we look forward a stable democratic process that deliver to the Afghan people.
- Create enabling environment for Human Rights, freedom and liberty of people and also to open space for Media and CSOs to freely run their activities.
- Ensure access to education for women and girls without any discrimination.
- Enhance public health services to protect the lives of people form COVID 19 pandemic and other diseases.
Call on to the Neighboring Countries
- Publicly recognize that Afghan peoples fleeing their country and give them meaningful opportunities to seek asylum. However, keep maintain law and order and integrity in recipient country.
- Open border for Afghan peoples who want to leave their country.
Neighboring countries should not interfere in internal affairs of Afghanistan whether it is positive or negative. Leave it to Afghans to decide for themselves unless they ask for support.
Call on to the United Nations and International Communities
- · Increase support for emergency evacuation, relocation, and resettlement operations for Afghans, particularly vulnerable and deserving peoples.
- · Give asylum to those who are at high risk and living in Afghanistan and this process should speed up.
- Mobilize their agencies and mechanisms to relief work for people in distress.
- Provide adequate humanitarian assistance and basic necessities along with psycho-social support the most vulnerable as emergency supports.
- Continue international cooperation particularly in health, education, social security and sustainable livelihood.
- All donors and aid agencies to adhere to the Grand Bargain commitment in promoting localization and transparency in humanitarian aid.
- Increase humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan and its neighboring countries to which Afghans are fleeing.
- Pledge new support for civil society groups inside and outside of Afghanistan for humanitarian support and to protect rights of Afghan peoples
- Give special considerations for women, children and other vulnerable minority groups.
- Create an independent and gender-sensitive investigative and accountability mechanism at the United Nations Human Rights Council.
- We urge the UN Security Council to pass a resolution to protect Afghan women, girls and minorities.
- Make all efforts to find the connection with Taliban authority and initiate dialogue to ensure the safety of people, protect them.
- We urge SAARC to be more active and vibrant in order to address the Afghanistan crisis.
Call on to the CSOs
- We urge CSOs of Afghanistan to come forward, be visible, keep serving for Afghan peoples and build their hopes.
- We urge CSOs South Asian countries work together to restore peace, justice and human rights in Afghanistan.
- We rest of South Asian CSOs urge strong collaboration with Afghan CSOs and INGOs for better understanding of Afghanistan.
Endorsed By
Aathpahairiya Kirat Samaj
Abdul Momen Khan Memorial Foundation (Khan Foundation)
Abdul Sattar Chachar
Action Works Nepal
ActionAid Nepal
Active Help Organization
Adahas
Adivasi Navjeewan Gathan Navjyoti Agua
Adivasi Women’s Network
Advocacy, Research, Training and Services Foundation
Afghanistan National Education Coalition
Afghanistan Translation and Research Center
Ageing Nepal
Ain o Salish Kendra
All India Forum of Peoples Movement
All India Women’s Conference
Alliance Against Trafficking in Women and Children in Nepal
Andhra Pradesh Vyavasaya Vruthidarula Union
ANEKA
Angalo
AP Vyavasaya Vruthidarula Union
Arpan poverty Alleviation
Asia Academy for Peace, Research and Development
Asia Dalit Rights Forum
Asia Development Alliance
Asia Indigenous International Network
Asia Pacific Women with Disabilities
Asia Pacific Women’s Watch
Asia Safe Abortion Partnership
Association for Dalit Women’s Advancement of Nepal
Association for Promotion Sustainable Development. Hisar. India
Association for Social Development
Association of Collaborative Forest Users Nepal
Association of Community Radio Broadcasters’ (ACORAB) Nepal
Association of District Coordination Committees Nepal (ADCCN)
Association of Youth Organizations Nepal (AYON)
AWARE GIRLS
AWAZ Foundation Pakistan: Centre for Development Services
Badhan Hijra Sangha
Badin Development & Research Organization
Bandhu Social Welfare Society (BSWS)
Bangladesh Adivasi Forum
Bangladesh Apparels Workers Federation
Bangladesh Centre for Human Rights and Development (BCHRD)
Bangladesh Indigenous Women’s Network
Bangladesh Krishok Federation
Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication
Bangladesh Women’s Health Coalition
Beyond Beijing Committee
Bikaner Medical Relief Society
Bikashka Lagi Sajha Abhiyan Siraha
Blue Diamond Society
Borok Peoples’ Human Rights Organization
BRAC
Business and Welfare Initiatives Ltd.
BYND2015 Nepal Hub
Campaign for Human Rights and Social Transformation (CAHURAST)
Campaign for Popular Education
CARE International in Nepal
Caritas Nepal
Centre for Community Economics and Development Consultants Society (CECOEDECON)
Center for Conservation, Education and Research
Center for Indigenous Peoples Research and Development
Center for Participatory Research and Development
Center for Research and Advocacy, Manipur
Central Department of Environmental Science, TU
Centre for Advancement of Public Understanding of Science & Technology
Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability
Centre for Community Economics and Development Consultants Society
Centre for Dispute Resolution and Policy Research
Centre for Environment and Development
Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development India
Centre for Environmental Justice
Centre for Health, Education, Training and Nutrition Awareness
Centre for Poverty Analysis
Centre for Social Change
Centre for Sustainable Development and Environment
Citizen News Service - CNS
Clean Bhutan
Clean Energy Nepal
Coalition for Education Development
Coastal Development Partnership
Collective Campaign for Peace Nepal
Commonwealth Youth Council
Community Based Inclusive Development Network Pakistan
Community Building for Sustainable Development
Community Development Services
Community Health & Educational Organization
Community Healthy Advocacy Network at Nation (CHANAN)
Community Initiatives for Development in Pakistan
Concern for Environmental Development and Research
Conservation Organization for Afghan Mountain Areas
Consortium of Humanitarian Agency Sri Lanka
Cooperation for Peace and Development
Coordinating Secretariat for Science, Technology and Innovation
CWEI
CWIN Nepal
Dak Diye Jai
Dalit NGO Federation of Nepal
Dalit Welfare Organization
Dalit Youth Alliance
Deepti Bhuban
Development Exchange Center Nepal
Development Project Service Centre (DEPROSC-Nepal)
Dhaka Ahsania Mission
Dhimal Jatiya Bikas Kendra Nepal
Dhimal Women Forum
Dignity Nepal
Digo Bikas Institute
DiMaNN
Disabled Persons’ Association of Bhutan
Disability Rights Alliance India
Durjoy Nari Shangha
Earth Day Network
Earth Environment Protect Organization
Earthlanka
EMPOWER INDIA
EMPOWER PEOPLE
Enable Lanka Foundation
ENRUDEC
EquityBD/COAST Trust
ESCR Network Nepal
Family Planning Association of India
Federation for good governance Nepal
Federation of Community Forestry Users Nepal (FECOFUN)
Federation of Private Forest Stakeholders, Nepal
Feminist Dalit organization (FEDO)
Films 4 Peace Foundation
Forest Environment Workers Union Nepal
Forum for Consumer Rights Protection Nepal
Forum for Community Upliftment System Nepal (FOCUS-NEPAL)
Forum for Women’s Rights and Development
Forum for Women, Law and Development
Forum of Environmental Journalists of Bangladesh (FEJB)
FREEDOM FORUM
FRESHWATER ACTION NETWORK SOUTH ASIA
Friends for Peacebuilding and Development
Garjan Nepal
Gender Advocacy Working Group
Gender and Water Alliance
Global Call to Action Against Poverty
Global Call to Action against Poverty-Sri Lanka
Global Advocacy Nepal
Global Sustainability Solutions (GLOSS)
Centre for Environment Education
GoGo Foundation
Gopal Kiran Samaj Sevi Sanstha, India
Grace T. Shaikh
Gram Bharati Samiti
Green Organization - GO
Green Watch Dhaka
Hami DajuVai
HAMI YUWA
Heart to Heart Lanka
Hindara Educational and Social Development Organization
HomeNet Nepal
HomeNet Pakistan
Hope and Transformation against Poverty
Housing Recovery and Reconstruction Platform (HRRP)
Human Rights Focus Pakistan
Human Touch
Human Wing International
Huvadhoo Aid
ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability, South Asia
Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA)
India HIV/AIDS Alliance
Indian Dreams Foundation
Indigenous Peoples Forum Odisha
Indigenous Women and Children Foundation
Institute for Youth and Development
Integrated Regional Support Programme
International Centre for Climate Change and Development
International Institute for Human Rights, Environment and Development (INHURED International)
International Planned Parenthood Federation
IRDC
IT for Change
Jagaran Media center
Jagriti Child and Youth Concern Nepal (JCYCN)
Jeunes Volontaires pour l’Environment Nepal
Joint Efforts for Relief, Guidance and Awareness
Justice and Rights Institute Nepal (JuRI-Nepal)
Kalyan Regional Community Science Centre
Kamana Foundation Nepal
Kapaeeng Foundation
Karbi Human Rights Watch
Karnali Integrated Development Centre
Karnali Integrated Rural Development And Research Centre
Kawish Resource Center
Khpal Kore Organization
Kiran Nepal
KOTHOWAIN (Vulnerable Peoples Development Organization)
Krisoker Sor (Farmers’ Voice))
KRITIKA women’s campaign for social cultural transformation
Krityanand UNESCO Club Jamshedpur
Landesa, India
KUSAL Nepal
Larr Humanitarian & Development Programme
Light for the World NL
Light House
Local Environment Development and Agricultural Research Society
Local Road Bridge Programme (LRBP)
Lokenatya O Sanskritik Unnayan Kendro
Lumanti Support Group for Shelter
Mahila Atma Nirvarta Kendra (MANK)
Mahila Dakshata Samiti
Mahila Shakti Bikash Kendra Nepal
Maldives Association of Persons with Disabilities
Maldivian Network for Empowering Women
Manuski
Micro Enterprise Development Programme
Motivation Sri Lanka (MSL)
Mugal Indigenouw Women Upliftment Institute
Muktangan Mitra
Naga Women Union
Narigrantha Prabartana
National Action and Coordinating Group
National Association of Community Electricity Users’ Nepal, NACEUN
National Association of Intellectual Disabled and Parents
National Campaign For Education Nepal
National Campaign for Sustainable Development
National Coalition for Education, India
National Disability & Development Forum
National Election Observation Committee (NEOC)
National Farmers’ Group Federation
National Federation of the Disabled Nepal
National Federation of Women Living with HIV and AIDS
National Federation of Youth NGO Nepal
National Fisheries Solidarity Movement
National Forum for Advocacy, Nepal
National Forum of Women with Disabilities
National Human Rights Foundation (HURFON)
National Indigenous Disabled Women Association Nepal
National Indigenous Women Forum Nepal
National Indigenous Women’s Federation (NIWF)
National Integrated Development Association
National Land Rights Forum Nepal
National Trade Union Coordination Committee
National Union of Workers
National Youth Federation Nepal
Nava Kiran Plus
Navrachna Samaj Sevi Sanstha
Naz Male Health Alliance
Nepal Disabled Women Association (NDWA)
Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities
Association of Nepal Kirat Kulung Language and Cultural Development
Nepal Majhi Women Upliftment Association
Nepal Policy Institute
Nepal Climate Change Federation
Nepal Transportation and Development Research Centre
Nepalese Youth for Climate Action
Network for Development of Indigenous Peoples -NDIP
NGO Federation of Nepal
NGO-Federation of Nepalese Indigenous Nationalities
Nirmanee Development Foundation
NISARGA
North-East Affected Area Development Society
Norwegian Refugee Council
One to watch
OPTION NEPAL
Pakistan Fisher Folk Forum
Pakistan Institute of Labor Education and Research
Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek
Pakistan Rural Workers Social Welfare Organization
Pakistan Youth Parliament For Water (PYPW)
Participatory Research Action Network- PRAN
Paryavaran Mitra
PEACE HOPE, PAKISTAN
Peoples Action for Social Service
Peoples Development Community
PLAN International Bangladesh
Poor and Dalit Upliftment Service Committee-PUSEC Dolpa
Poor Rural Development Society
Prayatna Samiti
Professional Development and Research Center
Programme on Women’s Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
Public Advocacy Initiatives for Rights & Values in India
Rapid Response
REFAD Nepal
Resource Centre for Primary Health Care (RECPHEC)
Restructuring Nepal
Roots for Equity
RUDAS Nepal
Rural Area Development Programme, RADP
Rural Development Organization
Rural Initiatives in Sustainability & Empowerment
RURAL VOLUNTEERS CENTRE
Russ Foundation
Rutgers WPF
SABARAMATI SAMITI
Safai Karmachari Andolan
SAHANIVASA
Sahara Nepal
SAMATA Foundation
Sambriddi Nepal
Sanayee Development Organization
Sankalpa Nepal
Sathi All for Partnerships
Savisthri District Women’s Collective
SAVISTHRI Women’s Movement
Saviya Development Foundation
SDGs National Network Nepal
SDGs Studio
Self Help Environment Awareness Camp (SHEAC)/Institute of Forestry, Pokhara
Sevalanka Foundation
Shakti Milan Samaj
Shakti Samuha
Shelter Participatory Organization
Shirkat Gah women’s Resource Centre
Shobujer Ovijan Foundation
SICOMBEO
Sightsavers International
Sindh Community Foundation
Sindh Graduates Association (SGA)
Sindhica Reforms Society
Society for Appraisal & Women Empowerment in Rural Areas
Society for International Law and Public Policy
Society for Rural education and Development
Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child
Socio-Economic-Educational-Development-Service-India
South Asia Dialogues on Ecological Democracy (SADED-Nepal)
South Asia Partnership Nepal
South Asian Dialogues on Ecological Democracy
South Indian Harm Reduction Network
Special Talent Exchange Program/APWWDU
SPIRAL FARM HOUSE
Sramabikash Kendra
Sri Lanka United Nations Friendship Organisation
SUNITA FOUNDATION
Support Nepal
Swabhiman - State Disability Information and Resource Centre
Sylhet Jubo Academy
Tanneri Chaso Surkhet
Tarayana Foundation
The Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka
The Freedom Foundation Trust
THE RESOURCE NEPAL
The Small Earth Nepal
The YP Foundation
Toni Hagen Foundation Nepal
Transformation Nepal
Trinamul Unnayan Sangstha
TSD Socioeconomic Research Center
UDAAN TRUST
UDYAMA
UN Women - United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
Unification Nepal
United Mission to Nepal
United Rural Development Organization
Universal Versatile Society
Vikalp
Visible Impact
Dalit Rights Society Parsa Nepal
Voluntary Action Network India
Voluntary Association for Agriculture, General Development, Health & Reconstruction Alliance
Ujjyalo Foundation
Volunteers Initiative Nepal
Wada Na Todo Abhiyan
We Women Lanka
Women |Employees Welfare Association
Women Acting for Transformative Change
Women and Media Collective
Women And Youth Foundation
Women Development Program
Women Development Society
Women For Human Rights Single Women Group
Women Forum for Women in Nepal
Women with Disabilities Development Foundation
Women Youth Empowerment in Social Service and Human Right
Women’s Center
WOMEN’S INITIATIVES
Women’s Rehabilitation Centre
Women’s Welfare Center
World Vision International Nepal
Young Women For Change
Youth Action Nepal
Youth Advocacy Nepal (YAN)
Youth Advocacy Network (YAN), Pakistan
Youth Advocacy Network Sri Lanka
Youth Association for Development
Youth Federation of Indigenous Nationalities, Nepal
Youth for Change and Development Organization
Youth for Environment, Education and Development Foundation
Youth for Human Rights Nepal
Youth forum for human rights
Youth network for peace and development (YNPD)
YUWA
Zo Indigenous Forum