Newsletter. Historic Ceremony Ushers in New Era for Afghanistan. September Breaking News. Contents

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1 September 2014 Newsletter Contents -Latest News Breaking News Historic Ceremony Ushers in New Era for Afghanistan -Ambassador s Message -Ambassador s Activities -Afghanistan s News -Culture -Interview Project Inside this issue Breaking News Ambassador s massage Ambassador s activities Afghanistan s News Culture 8 Interview 9 In a historic day for Afghanistan, H.E. Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, the new President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, was sworn in on Monday the 29th of September in a grand inauguration ceremony. In what was a day of pride and celebration for the people of Afghanistan, H.E. President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai humbly and eloquently said, O people, now I have been elected your leader, although I am no better than anyone of you. If I do something the proper way, support me but If I do something wrong, guide me, truth is honesty and untruth is dishonesty. The weak among you are powerful in my eyes, as long as I do not get them their due and the powerful among you are weak in my eyes, as long as I do not take away from them what is due to others. The grand ceremony was watched live by millions of Afghans who felt a great sense of hope for both their family s and their country s future. 1

2 Breaking News H.E. Former President Karzai: A Great Leader Who Will be Dearly Missed After thirteen years of honorable service to the people of Afghanistan, H.E. Former President Hamid Karzai stepped down as President on the 29th of September. The former president leaves behind a strong legacy in what U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan James Cunningham described as, one of the most difficult jobs in the world." Despite the difficulties, substantial social, political and economic advances were achieved during the former President s leadership. H.E. Former President Karzai will be fondly remembered as the leader who oversaw the country s development into a young democracy in which millions of Afghans have enjoyed transformational development and increased freedoms and prosperity. 2

3 Breaking News A Great Leap Forward for Afghan Democracy The strength, stability and resiliency of democracy in Afghanistan was highlighted by H.E. President Ahmadzai s first presidential decree which signed into effect the creation of the post of the Chief Executive for H.E. Dr. Abdullah. H.E. Dr. Abdullah was announced as the runner-up in the second round of voting for the country s new president and the creation of such a position is a great example of the country s unity and strong desire for a peaceful future. Such an outcome for the governance of the country comes after millions of voters participated in the country s democratic process and ensures that the broad spectrum of the population will be represented in the leadership of their young democracy. The peaceful transfer of power, clearly demonstrates how far Afghanistan has come over the last decade and a half. The brave Afghan nation has shown tolerance and patience which has ensured that our Constitution has been respected. The recent months of political maturity and wisdom will ensure that Afghanistan s young democracy will further develop and flourish for the benefit of many future generations Ambassador Dr. Sayed Mohammad Amin Fatimie and all Diplomatic and local staff at the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Tokyo, offer our sincerest congratulations to H.E. President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and H.E. Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah on this historic inauguration. 3

4 New Message from the Ambassador Dr. Sayed M. Amin Fatimie Dear Friends, On behalf of my country, I am delighted to share with you the joy and hope that I and my Afghan brothers and sisters are experiencing. Our country s Presidential Election has now been completed and Afghans anticipate that H.E. President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and his leadership will further the development of democracy and progress for peace under a united government and a united country. During H.E. President Ahmadzai s grand inauguration on Monday the 29th of September, the President specifically mentioned Japan, stating that the new government strongly desires to develop our already robust relations even further. I look forward to working with our new government in Kabul to facilitate even greater levels of friendship with the honorable people of Japan. Afghanistan has experienced decades of turmoil. Now, however, we are a young democracy that is being defined by its increasing freedom and participation in civil society, the increasing standards of living enjoyed by our communities and the rapid advances in education and health services for our people. This was particularly possible due to the strong contributions of Japan, for which we will be forever grateful. Here in Japan and in Afghanistan it is the season of Autumn. However, due to the great success of our democratic elections, it is actually springtime in the hearts of the Afghan people. My Japanese friends, it has been both an honor and a joy to share this great news with you. Although it is indeed Autumn, let us walk hand-in-hand, as if it were spring, and celebrate together the fruits of democracy in Afghanistan. 4

5 Ambassador s Activities World Assembly for Women September, 12. H.E. Ambassador Dr. Sayed M. Amin Fatimie attended the World Assembly for Women 2014 in Tokyo. At the event, a variety of issues including economic benefits achievable by promoting active roles of women, diversity in working styles and the development of society were discussed. H.E. Ambassador Dr. Fatimie attended with Dr. Sima Samar, the chairperson of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission and met with H.E. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Fumio Kishida, and President of Komeito H.E. Mr. Natsuo Yamaguchi. Ceremony for Martyr Week and Reception for JICA PEACE Invitation Program September, 17. H.E. Ambassador Dr. Sayed M. Amin Fatimie hosted a ceremony in recognition of Martyr Week and a reception for the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) PEACE invitation program. In a ceremony of Martyr Week, participants mourned and honored people who fought for Afghanistan throughout history. H.E. then gave remarks, expressing great gratitude for JICA and the Japanese government s support to Afghanistan. This was followed by an inspirational speech by Mr. Ahmad Kamal Qasemyar, the human resources director from Kabul Municipality, who spoke about Afghanistan s future. Participants enjoyed traditional Afghan cuisines over fruitful discussions following the ceremony. Afghanistan s News Germany Helps Afghanistan s Public Administration Training 390 Afghan civil servants from various municipal offices of Kunduz region successfully completed a year-long training in public administration course run by the Independent Administrative Reform & Civil Service Commission (IARCSC). The courses were offered in administrative management, human resources management, financial management, procurement, in English language and computer skills. The courses were funded by the German Government while technical support came from Afghan-German Cooperation. The project aims to educate staff of the government with essential administration skills for more efficient governance, ultimately contributing to increasing Afghan ownership of the state. 5

6 Afghanistan s News Health Call Center in Kabul Ministry of Public Health inaugurated a health information center for mobile access in Kabul. By dialing number 166, citizens will be able to access professional health consultation regarding topics such as reproductive health, vaccines, nutrition, sanitary habits and first aid care. The center is capable of receiving nearly 300 to 350 calls on work days. The service will help prevent diseases and improve the general public awareness towards health and sanitation, especially among women and children as well as residents of remote areas. Increase in the Number of Girls in Khost Schools The number of girls attending school in eastern Khost province has increased to 115,000 as awareness for education rises among local residents. The province has witnessed a positive change in the education sector and attendance of aspiring young girls. Deputy Head of the Education Department of Khost, Bakht Noor Bakhtyar, said that the number of girls attending school increases every day. Khost Governor Abdul Jabar Naeemi has also expressed optimism over the recent developments in the education sector, especially for girls. Afghanistan Launches Digitization Afghanistan entered a new era of development by launching the digital broadcasting system for the first time in the country. Development and achievements in telecommunication and information technology have been remarkable in the past decade, and all have contributed to the improvement of media, civil and political freedom and government accountability. The Ministry of Telecommunication and Information Technology said that digitization will take place at 60 TV stations in Kabul first, then spread to other provinces in the near future. 28 Km Road Construction Inaugurated In Balkh 28km of road will be constructed in Balkh to connect Mazar-e-Sharif city to 30 Shulgara villages. Deputy Minister for Ministry of Public Works, Ahmad Shah Wahid indicated that although the cost will be 10 million dollars, this project will have worthwhile results, facilitating local residents and travelers. 6

7 Afghanistan s News Masoudi Honored Roman Magsaysay Award Director of National Musem of Afghanistan, Omara Khan Masoudi, was honoured Ramon Magsaysay Award in Manila on 31 st August. This award has been bestowed by the Ramon Magsaysay Foundation in the Philippines, which was first founded in 1957 to honour services of the Philippine s third president. It is granted annually to leading figures and remarkable organizations in various fields to honour the great sprit of their selfless service to the people of Asia. He won this award for his outstanding service related to protection and preservation of the National Museum s artefacts and its renovation. Table Tennis Contest Table tennis athletes around the country will partake in a national competition in Kabul, which will filter talented players to select the potential National Table Tennis Team. The numbers of participants have increased as well, to 60 male and 30 female players, compared to the past years. The athletes hail from various provinces such as Kabul, Herat, Helmland, Ghazni, Sar-e-Pul, Jowzjan, Wardak and Badakhshan. Top players will be selected and trained as the National Team. Afghan Carpets Secure 1st Position in Tibetan Carpets Int 1 Exhibition Afghan carpet industrialists were awarded the first position for Afghan carpet s excellence in design and quality at the Tibetan Carpets International Exhibition held in China. The winners were Haji Hamid Rauf from Qadir Rauf Ltd and Mohammad Rasoul Kazimi from Kazimi Allahdad Ltd, on behalf of 15 Afghan carpet companies that had participated in the exhibition. As a result, the traders landed one million USD contracts with Chinese counterparts to export carpets. The Tibetan Carpets International Exhibition has been held every year since 2004 as the only international handmade carpet exhibition in China. It has provided a strong connection between domestic and overseas handmade carpet industry for Afghanistan. 7

8 Embassy of Afghanistan in Tokyo Address: Azabudai, Minato ward, Tokyo, Tel: / Fax: Website: Cultural Discovery Project ~No.1~ History When we talk of carpets, involuntarily, the name of Afghanistan comes to mind. For hundreds of years, carpets have been the most important and best-known handcraft items from Afghanistan and a major export article. Afghan carpets are thick, heavy floor covering hand-woven rugs decorated with a myriad of colors and ravish patterns. The art of carpet weaving in Afghanistan is deeply connected with the culture and customs of the people throughout history. It is a reminder and artifact of the ancient, nomadic lifestyle as carpets were used to decorate and design tents. Characteristics Afghan carpets are made of handspun Afghan wool and colored from vegetable and natural dyes. It features geometric patterns as the principles of Islam forbid the depiction of human and animal forms. The most prevalent is the Afghan Bokhara, a large quartered octagon shape, which is also called elephant s foot. The principal colors are red and blue, with white and yellow ochre as secondary tones. NEXT IS. Interview Project 8

9 Afghan Newsletter, News, September November The Embassy of Afghanistan Presents INTERVIEW PROJECT ~No.1~ Why did you become a public relations officer of Tokyo Afghanistan Embassy? - Actually, I didn't know much about Afghanistan in the past. But, I remember very well when 9/11 happened. I was in Japan and I was very angry and reactionary. I wanted to work on this issue as an American. In fact, I was a bit nervous when I applied at the Embassy because this was Afghanistan, which was mistakenly believed by me to have attack my country. But I was so impressed by the good people I met there. What is the most interesting point of Afghanistan? - Afghanistan's hospitality is its most interesting point. I was able to attend weddings of people I had never met and shared tea every night with my hotel's security guards. Children practiced their English with me. I always feel welcomed and like a friend to everyone there. Afghanistan loves peace. It is beautiful. by Jason Pratt We interviewed Mr. Jason Pratt who worked at the Embassy of Afghanistan in Tokyo as the Public Relations officer. He worked through social media and by hosting events to help people realize that Afghanistan is a great place with a great culture. in the country. Just because you only see one aspect of the country, that does not define the entire nation. Afghanistan loves peace. What do you want to do after this job? - I am going to teach at a university in Japan. But I will never be far from Afghanistan. I knew too little about this wonderful country, but now Afghanistan and I are connected forever. I love Afghanistan and my Afghan brothers and sisters. He always introduced Afghanistan s beautiful places and wonderful cultures through social media in Japanese like this. His contribution was really popular. What do you want to tell others about Afghanistan? - I want to make people see that Afghanistan is not a scary place but a wonderful place with a great culture. I didn't want anyone else to feel that way as I had done before. It is easy to define a nation based on a certain period. Some people do not like food in Japan just because of the nuclear plant accident in Fukushima, but we know that all of Japan is not Fukushima. We know that time has passed and things are better. I therefore hope that people know that Afghanistan will not always be difficult - and it was difficult for decades but it is better now - also it may have some rough places, but not everywhere Thank you so much for all your work and support, Mr. Pratt. 9