The Hindu : Aga Khan to launch welfare programmes in Afghanistan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 26, 2002

International

International

Aga Khan to launch welfare programmes in Afghanistan

KABUL, MARCH 25. The Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and Hamid Karzai, Interim Prime Minister of Afghanistan, signed an Agreement of Cooperation for Development that establishes an operating framework for the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in Afghanistan.

The agreement, the first of its kind signed by the Interim Authority, enables the network to move from the provision of humanitarian assistance to the establishment of long-term development programmes similar to those implemented in India, Pakistan, Tajikistan and other countries in Asia and Africa. The Aga Khan also announced a grant of $2 millions to enable the commission to complete its work.

In meetings with Mr. Karzai, members of his Cabinet, special representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Lakhdar Brahimi, and the Loya Jirga Commission, the Aga Khan reiterated the following features of this collaboration:

The urgency of restoring peace and domestic security and facilitating the re-integration into civil society of former combatants; the imperative of putting in place permanent, competent, transparent and accountable institutions that will build confidence, foster development and strengthen democracy; the importance of ensuring that the demography of the country is re-established through repatriation of the millions of refugees outside Afghanistan in a way that recognises and respects their ethnic and religious diversity and enables them to claim back lost assets; the need to ensure stability in the region through careful investment in countries around Afghanistan afflicted by poverty, isolation and lack of opportunity.

In outlining specific initiatives, the Aga Khan indicated that rural development designed to promote food security and begin the revitalisation of Afghan agriculture was a top priority. The establishment of village organisations to undertake and manage local infrastructure projects such as irrigation works, village roads, schools and clinics will be central to the long-term sustainability of these efforts. The AKDN's programmes will be expanded and technical missions sent to the provinces of Takhar, Kunduz and Parvan/Kapisa to initiate similar programmes.

The Aga Khan also discussed plans to establish a centre for continuing education in Kabul concentrating on English language, computer skills, development management and training in business skills. In his various meetings, the Aga Khan pointed out that the health of the population was both an immediate and a longer term concern. He described the Network's plan to establish a comprehensive educational resource centre at the Intermediate Medical Institute in Kabul to strengthen training for nurses from across the country giving them the benefit of the skills, expertise and experience.

that the Network has built up through the Aga Khan University's School of Nursing.

The Network will also establish medical centres in Bamyan and Baghlan.

During his visit to Kabul, the Aga Khan also saw some of the destruction of the past two decades. ``The AKDN,'' he said, ``also proposes to use the resources and experience of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in improving urban environments around sites of historic interest through specific restoration projects.''

Referring to ``exploratory work for investments in telecommunications and in tourism,'' the Aga Khan saw these as ``stimulating a multiplicity of ancillary industries at the same time as serving an urgent need in the hospitality industry.''

A major national initiative in microcredit to promote entrepreneurship and build capital is under consideration with the possible involvement of the International Finance Corporation.

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