18.12.2019
Mediothek Afghanistan successfully organized a two-day conference titled “Strengthening the Role of Mediation in Peace-Building” on 16th and 17th of December, 2019 in Kabul.
The second and main day of the conference, Kick-started by a welcoming remark by Farah Mustafavi, coordinator of cultural affairs and Mediothek Youth Network, she elaborated on the core objectives of the project “Anchoring Conflict Mediation in Afghan Communities” and the current conference as the main part and the concluding event of the project for 2019.
“With the help and support of the German Government, Mediothek Afghanistan has been able to conduct a series of very effective events in the framework of the this initiative during 2019, including a series of advanced training of trainers, follow-up local training workshops, mediation retreat programs bringing young trainers from across the country to Kabul to share their experiences with each other and finally the ongoing two-day conferences,” she added in her opening remarks.
Mr. Peter Prüge, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in Kabul hailed Mediothek for organizing such a “timely” event and emphasized that mediation has an important and special place the foreign policy of Germany because the role it plays in conflict resolution and its effectiveness as a tool for peace building.
“The German Government is a close partner and sponsor of Mediothek Afghanistan’s broad range activities for many years now, and the mediation programs are of particular importance to us,” added Mr. Ambassador, “in the German foreign policy mediation in peace processes is regarded as a preferred foreign policy tool in intra and inter- state conflicts and it is an integral part of conflict prevention and stabilization efforts of the Federal Foreign Office.”
Ambassador also highlighted the challenges of mediation and the fact that mediation is not working for all cases of conflict, mediation requires the acceptance of all sides of a conflict and this must be known to mediators.
The Ambassador underscored the crucial role of mediation in peace building and added that in addition to enabling the peace and negotiation process itself, mediation can help to restore broken relationships and reestablish contacts and trust between the conflicting parties, it can keep channels of communication open and improve understanding between conflicting parties.
Mr. Ambassador underlined that mediation is of particular importance in the sustainability and implementation of a peace agreement in Afghanistan and the German government is dedicated to supporting peace mediation initiatives in Afghanistan such the one today.
On the first day of the conference, participants with diverse educational and social backgrounds had a unique chance to discuss among themselves the importance of mediation in peace building and analyze the role of youth in promoting mediation. The introductory day brought peace and mediation experts together to share their knowledge and experiences with the young participants from more than a dozen provinces of Afghanistan. Similarly the initial day of the event helped set the stage for the second and main day of the conference, attended by more than one hundred and fifty participants representing national and international institutions and organizations.
The conference marked the culmination of a series of advanced training and trainers workshops on mediation and local trainings for communities across Afghanistan 2019. It also provided a chance for the participants to evaluate the numerous mediation trainings and seminars conducted during this year.
Mr. Mohammad Ajmal Shahpoor, Deputy Ministry of Youth Affairs at the MOIC talked about youth and institutionalization of mediation in Peace-building. The Deputy Ministry emphasized that youth don’t have any reason to excuse themselves and not work for peace-building in the country, they have a responsibility to work peace and such events provide good opportunities for youth mobilization.
Mr. Ehsan Zia, former cabinet minister and head of the American Institute of Peace spoke about the challenges and opportunities of mediation for the Government and People of Afghanistan and mediation in peace processes. Mr. Zia talked about the challenges of mediation in the Afghan conflict with a retrospective view, emphasizing the role of international communities and countries such as Germany in the ongoing peace talks.
Mr. Fahim Hakim, a distinguished expert and Head of Golden Gate Counseling shared his thoughts and knowledge with participants of the conference and talked about “Me and Responsibility as a Mediator”.
The conference, aimed at strengthening the role of mediation in peace-building and provided an opportunity for sharing of experiences among experts and activists, and served as a unique opportunity for the presentation of several years of works on mediation by Mediothek Afghanistan and other institutions dedicated promoting peace building and mediation. The conferences also provided a chance for experts and practitioners to discus and analyze important issues in promoting mediation in peace-building in Afghanistan and beyond.
The two-day conference is part of a project “Anchoring Conflict Mediation in Afghan Communities,” which initialed a series of mediation training workshops, advanced training of trainers, development of a mediation manual, local training workshops, creation of a mediators’ network and more.
The conference “Strengthening the Role of Mediation in Peace Building” 16-17 December, 2019 and the preceding mediation trainings, seminars and discourse events implemented throughout 2019 are funded by the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany.
