Still keen on Afghanistan

“Having just come back from Afghanistan, I would like to address the point of Mr. Chibber on support of Philippine civil society to their counterparts in other countries,” I began my intervention at the Dialogue with Civil Society with Mr. Ajay Chibber, UNDP Regional Bureau Director for Asia and the Pacific. It took place on 18 March 2009 in the National Center for Public Administration and Governance, University of the Philippines. It was organized by the UN Civil Society Assembly (UNCSA), which was created 3 years ago upon the instigation of the Office of the Resident Coordinator.
Mr. Chibber, in his opening spiel, noted that Philippines civil society is known for its dynamism, and he asked if it could help other countries strengthen their civil society movements.
On this point I shared, “I learned while in Afghanistan that our National Confederation for Cooperatives, NATCO, organized the first cooperative in Afghanistan. A regional NGO based and organised in the Philippines has also trained about 150 women MPs, NGO leaders and officials in government in Afghanistan in Gender and Governance.” I was referring to the Center for Asia Pacific Women in Politics, CAPWIP, that UNIFEM has contracted in the past few years to train the members of the inter-agency commission on Violence against Women in Afghanistan. “I have not even mentioned the hundreds of Filipino UN Volunteers in our election project, which UNDP is running in Afghanistan,” I added to highlight the strong support Filipinos are giving to Afghanistan.
I admit, the last point was rather an exaggeration. There are probably less than 10 Filipinos in the UNDP Election Project. But what is accurate is that there are close to a hundred Filipinos working for the UN in Afghanistan, as UN volunteers, UNAMA personnel and UNDP technical advisers. I have also met Filipinos working with international NGOs like MEDA and DACAR, even the New York State University, as well as with the International Security Assistance Force.
The point that I wanted to make is that the Philippines is one country that has lent its men and women, many from civil society, to Afghanistan to help in its reconstruction and peace building. On this premise, I asked the civil society leaders in the Dialogue, “Will you organize a programme that will help post-conflict countries like Afghanistan to build its civil society?” I described my observation in Afghanistan, “There are local NGOs that have been working for their people even during the Taliban years, underground in Afghanistan, or in nearby cities and locations in Pakistan like Peshawar. But many more sprang – post Taliban regime – as a result of foreign funds.”
Mr. Renaud Meyer, UNDP Philippines Country Director, responded, “I like your suggestion, with UNCSA, we could facilitate exchange programmes between civil society in the Philippines and other countries.” He added, “Mr. Chibber, I believe will not disagree, that the UNDP regional centres in Colombo and Bangkok can be the platform for this initiative.”
Mr. Meyer said that the UNCSA is a good mechanism in the country that can organize this exchange of knowledge and expertise.
“I like what you said... I was inspired.” A UP NCPAG staff said to me. I need to get her name, this young woman who was documenting the proceedings, I suppose, on behalf of Alex Brillantes, Dean of NCPAG. I saw myself in her, when I was as young and as sexy.