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The General Assembly of (ANCB)

The Elections for the Chairman and Members of Board of Directors:

Sayed Fazlullah Wahidi elected as the Chairman for the 5th term without any competition.
Amanullah, Nasrat, Qazi Merzia Babakar Kheil, Eng. Sayed Rahim Satar, Abdul Wali Babakar Khil, Sayed Qasem Tahiri, Malaka Qani, Eng. Immam Jan, Eng. Hidayatullah Eng. Ghani and Eng. Baryalai Omerzai elected as Board Members of ANCB


Mr. S. F. Wahidi, who has been elected as Chairman for the 5th consecutive term
Reported by R. M. Fidai:

(Kabul, May 22, 2006) According to the CHARTER of ANCB the General Assembly is being held on quarterly basis. But this General Assembly to be held in the beginning of the first month of the Afghan year(1385) is different with the rest of the general assemblies. In this general assembly the election process for the chairman and Board of Directors is being executed. It should have been taken place on the first of Hamal( Afghan Month) but due to the re-registration process of the NGOs with the Ministry of Economy and some other management constraints were the reasons that it was delayed.
The number of the participants was 91 NGOs, two members from the national assembly Miss Shinkai Karukhil and Mohammed Hashem Fulad .Sayed Hashem Basirat Director General of the NGOs Department in the Ministry of Economy, Qazi Zar Shah Momand the Advisor to the Minister of Parliamentarian Affairs, Director General of the Custom from Jalalabad.

The important agenda of the general assembly was:

  1. Recitation of a few verses from the Holy Quraan

  2. The inauguration speech and presentation of the quarterly activities report by Mr. S. F. Wahidi

  3. The quarterly Financial Report presented by Mr. A. W. Babakarkhil

  4. The speech delivered by Miss Tilly Reed the Country Director of Counter Part International.

  5. Speech and Information Sharing by Mr. Aziz Rafi Director of ACSF.

  6. The speech delivered by the representative of the Ministry of Economy

  7. A poem read by Mr. Amanullah Nasrat, Board member of ANCB

  8. Registration Process of the New NGOs with ANCB for membership.

  9. The last process of the Elections for the Chairman and Board Members of ANCB.

Sayed Fazlullah Wahidi asked the participants of the General Assembly to remain quiet for a moment for the departed souls of those of our colleagues who lost their sweet lives for the rebuilding, reconstruction and development of our war-ravaged country.
Welcoming the participants warmly he started to present three-monthly activities report of ANCB. He said that this general assembly is different from the others. It is very important assembly in which decision is being made for electing the Chairman and Board Members of ANCB. He commended the role of the Board Members and said that they were much cooperative and coordinating, especially, Amanullah Nasrat and Babakarkhil who are always helping and advising ANCB liaison office in Peshawar.

He reported that it is pride for ANCB that it is now the Member of the International Council of Volunteer Agencies (ICVA) of which Main Office is in Geneva, Switzerland and Board Member of its Executive Committee. He said that ANCB is now very well known among the NGO Community, UN Agencies, Donors, ISAF, and all other stakeholders and actors engaged in the rehabilitation, reconstruction and development of Afghanistan. ANCB has strong Coordination and cooperation with government, UN Agencies and Donors. ANCB is the main Focal point for information-sharing, coordination and cooperation between the NGO community, government and all other stakeholders and actors. Mutual understanding is existing between the government and the NGO community.

Praise is to God that much coordination, cooperation and information-sharing process exists among the four Coordination Bodies i.e. ANCB, ACBAR, AWN & SAWABAC.
We attend all coordination and information -sharing meetings regularly but we have only a problem with SAWABAC that it cannot attend the meetings in Kabul on punctual basis because their Main Office is in Kandahar and it is far away from Kabul.

Mr. Wahidi went on in detail about all events and activities in the past and present and he elaborated that Alhamdullillahi now every thing has been completed. We have elected president, we have constitution, we have national and provincial assemblies elected through democratic votes but one thing is uncompleted that is the completeness, flourishing and growth of democracy in the country.
For advocating and image of the NOG Community we had round table conference and presentation which proved very beneficial. Counter Part International has to be commended and praised a lot for making the ground fertile for the table round conference and the NGOs Image Presentation.

One problem that we have is PRT, Wahidi said. The International NGOs are careful with PRTs but our National NGOs have some partnership with PRTs. PRTs and International NGOs cannot reach themselves to the far-flung and security wise dangerous areas but our National NGOs are determined to reach themselves to those areas. Therefore, PRTs are supporting some national NGOs to implement the projects in the inaccessible areas.

The Chairman of ANCB said that we support private sectors. We are eager to have coordination with any one. Those NGOs who want to change themselves into private sector, they must first clear their accounts and all property with the government. They must give such accounts to the government to be based on transparency and accountability.

NGOs as part of the Civil Society:
The Chairman of ANCB emphasized that the NGO Community is a part but a pillar of the civil society. We have been with the communities and the governments since our establishment. The NGOs helped the government in civic education, elections awareness process and structuring the constitution.
He said that four-five ministers in the cabinet are from the NGO community. In the most sensitive positions of the government are those who have flourished their capacities in the NGO community. At the end of his speech, Mr. S. F. Wahidi said and promised that we will go side by side with the Government and civil society activist. We assure you that we wave take you all in confidence and will inform you from all our day to day activities.
The second speaker was Abdul Wali Babakarkhil who read the financial report to the participants. No question was raised from the floor as regards the financial income and expenditure.

Miss Shinkai Karukhil Member of the National Assembly (Woolsey Jirga) was the third one who spoke in detail. In the beginning of her speech she congratulated ANCB the holding of the General Assembly and thanking for inviting her to such grand gathering.


Ms. Sshinkai Karukhil, member of Afghanistan National Assembly

She said that it is admitted by all of us that the NGOs have done a lot. Their activities should not be ignored. They have provided many services to the war-torn Afghanistan, the poor and the most vulnerable and marginalized people and communities. They have provided aid and help to the Afghan people in the most difficult conditions whether during the war or peace. NGOs have provided help and aid to the people in different sectors.
In her exciting speech she said that it is regretted that the concept and image that the NGOs are having is not reflecting among the people. I do not know what trick it is, she said. The former minister of the ministry of planning accused the NGOs too much.

The present civil society is due to the activities and efforts of the NGO community. It is the NGO community based on transparency and accountability.

As member of the National Assembly, I suppose and advice to you that you mush has strong advocacy body to advocate your identity and rights. You must be united and coordinated .She emphasized that you must have strong relations and access to the members of parliament for better understanding and coordination with the Goverbment.
I assure you that I will advocate you on all occasions.
She said that NGOs have done so much that the private sectors and even the government have not done it and neither have I believed that they will do in the future.

Mr. Tilly Reed, Chief of Party of Counterpart International-Afghanistan who has initiated I-PAC, Initiative to Promote Afghan Civil Society also addressed the flour. She said that she is pleased to see all the civil society actors under one roof, and that Counterpart International-Afghanistan will support them to promote and strengthen a democratic and vibrant Afghan Civil Society.


Ms. Tilly Reed, Chief of Party, Counterpart International-Afghanistan

The Deputy Director of ACBAR, Muhammad Hashem Mayar in his speech thanked ANCB for inviting him to this grand gathering. He supported the words Miss Shinkai Karukhil expressed and said that it is true that we should be united otherwise we will be vulnerable.


Front row from L to R: Mr. M. H. Mayar, Mr. Eng. Imam Jan, Mr. Masood Khalil, Mr. Eng. Raz M. Raz and Ms. Roshan Sirran

Mayar said that due to joint, united and consolidated work of the coordination bodies we could prepare and launch the Code of Conduct which is based on well-established norms and standards for NGOs. He emphasized that this is our ethical duty and responsibility to act upon those norms and standards set up in the Code of Conduct for NGOs. He added that our joint work gave good result and we were encouraged. He said that in a meeting one person from the Civil Society objected that the NGO Community is not the member of the Civil Society while, as Shinkai Jan said, we proved that the civil society itself was established by NGOs and the NGO Community is its powerful and integral member. He emphasized that we must work side by side. We should be united, coordinated and cooperative. And the result of our joint work was that now we are counted as an integral component of the CIVI SOCIETY.

Mr. Momand was given a chance to announce to the participants of the General Assembly that the 30th of Jawza (June 30-2006) will be celebrated as the PEACE DAY throughout the country and will be celebrated every year.
He requested to all ANCB and ACBAR members to take great part in these celebrations.

Miss Shukria Jan the representative of Afghan Women Network (AWN) while expressing her gratitude to ANCB for inviting AWN to this grand meeting, she said( ACBAR and ANCB has helped us very much. Even when we did not have place for office, they provided us with place. I must emphasize that we are coordinating all our efforts to advocate and defend from the rights of Women as they have been the most vulnerable creatures of the world. They have been oppressed and depressed in different times and in different situations. We want to convey the voice of the Afghan Women to all people of the world. Shukria made reservations about the least number of the women in the cabinet.

Aziz Rafi the Director of ACSF before starting his speech read a poem of Iqbal-e- Lahori (Allama Mohammad Iqbal) in Persian language and then said:
The most important and complicated issue in our country is the implementation and enforcement of Democracy without which Civil Society cannot flourish and grow. He said that without peace social justice is impossible and strengthening of Constitution is impossible without social justice. Without social justice we cannot reach peace. It is the Social Justice that provides you with the expectation and opportunity to consider all people as yourself. He added that without Social Justice Life is very complicated. Now we are in the step of promotion and development. We have passed the steps of emergency.
The obligation and responsibility of the Civil Society is to strengthen and implement the peace in Afghanistan. He said that the Civil Society is the complementary of the government. It should pinpoint to the government if it practices against the law.

Muhammad Hashem Basirat from the Ministry of the Economy backed up the role of the NGOs in different times especially during the emergency situation and now in development and peace situation. He appreciated the role of the NGOs during the different situation of our country. He mentioned that the role of the NGO community will not be ignored as it has helped and contributed to the Afghan people a lot. Mr. Basirat emphasized on coordination between the government and the NGOs and emphasized the NGOs have to keep informed the government from time to time from their activities and send their reports on due date.
He assured the NGOs that the Government will be cooperative and helpful with them in all times. We will not create any constraints and obstacles on the way for their activities. He also asked all NGOs that for information-sharing, coordination and cooperation sharing they have to be a member of one of the coordination bodies. Because the coordinating bodied are the focal points for linking the government departments and the NGOs. The coordinating bodies can keep them informed from the government’s decisions and demand from time to time and vice-versa the Coordinating Bodies can keep the government informed from the voice and demands of NGOs.
In his speech Mr. Basirat added that the increase in the number of NGOs has no problem but it is useful and beneficial.

Amanullah Nasrat the Board Member of ANCB and Director of HEWAD read one interesting poem in Pashto which was applauded by the participants of the General Assembly and this is why he won the majority of votes for the Membership of the Board of Directors of ANCB.

Ihsanullah Kamawal the Director General of Jalalabad Custom Office was another speaker who told a joke on the occasion and made laugh the audience of the General Assembly. He promised the NGOs that he will help cooperate with them if they have any problem and assured them of his responsibility and job with transparency and accountability.

Qazi Zar Shah Momand was another official (Advisor to the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs) who also appreciated the activities of NGOs a lot. Mr. Qazi said that he would like to mention three important points as regards the NGOs:

1. That the NGOs constitute the backbone of the civil society and are an important member of the civil society.
2. The nation has much confidence in NGOs this is why many members in the parliament have been chosen and elected by the people.
3. The NGOs were able to employ thousands of Afghan cadre and professional thus addressed major employment many important and high-ranking even by the level of minister positions in the government have been given to the personalities who have long working experience in the NGOs community. This helped too much the country stop brain drain.

The last item of the agenda was the process of casting votes for electing the Chairman and 10 Board Members. The election process was conducted by a three-person commission from the member NGOs.
Following counting the votes, the election result was announced by the election commission: Sayed Fazlullah Wahidi as the Chairman without any competition and Amanullah, Nasrat, Qazi Merzia Babakar Kheil, Eng. Sayed Rahim Satar, Abdul Wali Babakar Kheil, Sayed Qasem Tahiri, Malaka Qani, Eng. Immam Jan, Eng. Hidayatullah Eng. Ghani and Eng. Baryalai Omerzai elected as Board Members of ANCB.

The General Assembly was concluded with serving lunch to the participants.

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