Afghanistan Activities

JCCP has carried out the following three projects in Afghanistan: 1) DDR Project (disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of combatants), 2) Landmine Removal Humanitarian Project and 3) Support for Women’s Empowerment Project.

JCCP began its activities in Afghanistan in 2002, with its project for reintegration of ex-combatants through vocational training. JCCP then established a policy of “improving the international contribution of Japan in humanitarian landmine removal field as a means for conflict prevention”, and launched a project for landmine removal in Afghanistan, following a similar project executed in Sri Lanka.

In 2002, the information gathering process for the landmine removal project began, and in the next year JCCP started working on the training of Japanese technical advisors and experience-building activities. Finally, in 2005, JCCP launched its full-fledged landmine removal project. Also, after the collapsed of the Taliban regime, realizing that women were placed in the most vulnerable position, JCCP broadened its scope to include a project for the promotion of female social status and for increasing Afghan women’s income.

Through the projects above, JCCP has played an active role in Afghanistan’s reconstruction and peace-building process.

In 2002, JCCP launched a project for vocational training of Afghan ex-soldiers, as part of the reintegration process of the undergoing DDR Programme (Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration of combatants) in Afghanistan.

Used to carrying firearms since childhood and having experienced long years of violent conflict, many Afghan soldiers were never given the opportunity of long-term education or work. Pursuing a job anywhere other than the army and reintegrate in society represented a great challenge to these ex-soldiers, who could not read or write, nor had any other specific labor skills.

JCCP was concerned about the soldiers’ difficult circumstances, and it developed a project to include not only vocational training on metal and wood processing, but also basic educational skills such as literacy education and arithmetic, in addition to promoting group discussions and dialogues with guest speakers. Furthermore, it executed regional activities for the repair of local schools and houses, contributing for the mutual understanding between the ex-combatants and the local population. Through comprehensive projects such as these, JCCP was successful in raising the ex-combatants awareness on vocational training and in motivating each one of them to master new labor skills, thus enabling a smooth reintegration of ex-combatants,

After JCCP work in Afghanistan was concluded, in 2006, the trainees from JCCP projects were hired to build the fence, the desks and chairs of a school facility that another NGO had built, receiving a high appreciation from the community.

After considering the twenty-three years of civil war and subsequent peace-building process in Afghanistan, JCCP has found out that the key for reconstruction is the establishment of “safe ground”. Aiming the creation of “safe ground” and as part of the Japanese assistance to Afghan reconstruction, JCCP decided to execute de removal of landmine and Unexploded Ordinances (UXO), and dispatched to Japanese Technical Advisors on landmine removal and bomb disposal to Afghanistan on March 30th, 2005.

JCCP undertook a project for landmine removal in Bagram District, Parwan Province, located North of the capital Kabul. Manual clearing was the method used for landmine because it remains the most effective method to ensure the detection of every landmine. Each demining team was composed by two team leaders, eight section leaders, 41 manual landmine removal personnel, one emergency doctor, three emergency nurses, and two emergency drivers.

The landmine removal process begins with the execution of Battle Area Clearance (BAC). Team members form a row, and proceed to finding and handling ammunition and unexploded ordinances on the surface. For this operation, firstly a safety zone is ensured, emergency cars and demining equipment are placed, then ammunition and scrap metal collection sites are settled, and toilets, escape routes, medical stations etc. are set up. Only after this preparation is the demining team finally ready to commence landmine removal operations.

The accurate number of landmines in Afghanistan remains unknown. It has been said there are ten million mines, but according to UNOCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) there are around five to seven million mines. According to researches conducted by NGOs, however, Afghan mines must not surpass one million devices.

The Landmine Monitor Report 2007 found that 463,807 landmines were destroyed in Afghanistan in the year 2006, demining was executed in area of 25.93km2, and Battle Area Clearance operations were executed in an area of 107.7km2.

The existence of landmines represents not only a great obstacle to the return of refugees and internally-displaced persons, but also exerts a great deal of negative influence on the development of the region. That is why the objectives of JCCP activities were the following three goals: 1)demine and create residential or farming land to promote the return of refugees and IDPs; 2)create an environment proper for economic reconstruction activities; 3)employ ex-soldiers and unemployed youngsters as landmine removal staff, in order to foster their social reintegration. Thus, JCCP aspired to diminish the number of victims of landmine and unexploded devices, as well as to support regional reconstruction.

JCCP was responsible for demining in landmine field no. 113 (22,958m2) and no. 114 (9,163m2), located in Karai Ahmadjan Village in Bagram District, Parwan Province. It executed BAC in an area of 2,121m2 and demining in an area of 7.000m2. Bagram district had been assigned as a refugee/IDP return and relocation area, and demining had to be executed as early as possible. From that aspect too, JCCP landmine removal projects were of great significance.

Due to the long period of conflict, the number of Afghanis who did not have the opportunity to receive education is very large, and it is extremely difficult for many to find a job and be able to earn income. Among these, women who lost their husbands in war are in the most vulnerable position in society, since they have no means to earn money and are forced to live in dire poverty. Also, because during the Taliban regime period women were not allowed to receive education, literacy among women is very small, and most of them did not possess any special labor skills. JCCP carried on activities to support the empowerment and independence of these women.

In order to elevate women’s status and promote their economic profit, JCCP executed a project for the provision of vocational training and basic literacy education for Afghan women. Also, it instructed them on marketing so they could sell their own needlecraft works, and executed follow-up researches to monitor them after the training.

Starting in November, 2005, in Mushwaran Village, located in Kalakan District, Kabul Province, JCCP has implemented a project for the support of the empowerment of women, and local women have not only learned how to sew, but also to sell their finished articles and thus improve their income. Also, because villagers could observe the enthusiasm of the women towards both housework and vocational training, there has been a positive change in the way women are seen, this way contributing for the elevation of women’s social status. .But above it all, the greatest change induced by this project has taken place in the women’s hearts and minds, for if they once had a feeling of impotence and despair, after participating of our project they are now able to freely speak of their dreams and hopes for the future.

Surrounded by Pakistan Iran, China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, Afghanistan has a history of long years of suffering at the mercy of external pressure, including from ex-Soviet Union and the United States. From the time it was invaded by the USSR, in 1979, the many Afghan military cliques started fighting a civil war that lasted over twenty years. Then, in 2001, the country became the main focus of international attention, when it was invaded by the USA and its Taliban regime collapsed.

Following the demise of Taliban, in June 2002 the Emergency Loya Jirga (tribal leaders’ commission) started the regime transition, in January 2004 the new Constitution was proclaimed, and then in 2005 parliamentary democratic elections were held, and Afghanistan finally gave its first step towards a peace process.

As a measure of ensuring domestic security, Security Sector Reform (SSR) began in the form of international support for the new Afghan government. The United States became responsible for the reconstruction of a formal Afghan army, Germany for the reconstruction of a police force, Italy for legislative reform, the United Kingdom for counternarcotics operations and Japan, along with UNAMA, took responsibility for DDR (Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration of ex-combatants).

At the same time, a grand-scale reconstruction programme led by international society has been undergoing throughout the country, and once ruined townscapes are now being rebuilt. However, DDR and the reconstruction of army and police security forces have not been successful, and Taliban, after seizing back some of its forces, has been increasingly attacking terrorizing the southern areas of the country in the past years. As matters now stand, foreign forces such as the coalition offensive Operation Moshtarak, or the Provincial Reconstruction Team led by ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) are being placed in Afghanistan and seeking a solution for the country’s stability.

It is crucial that Afghanistan shall establish a self-sustainable security sector and create a framework for its peace process, as well as work towards stabilization focused on social-economic reconstruction, and give continuation to the medium and long-term political reform processes.