ICARDA Caravan, Issue No. 22

News from the Drylands

Afghanistan Minister of Agriculture Launches "Healing Wounds"

H.E. Mr Obaidullah Ramin (center), Afghanistan Minister of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food, along with Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy (right), ICARDA Director General, and Dr Serge Verniau (left), FAO Representative in Afghanistan, launched "Healing Wounds" in Kabul on 24 February 2005.

.E. Mr Obaidullah Ramin, Afghanistan Minister of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food, launched "Healing Wounds" on 24 February 2005 in Kabul.

Healing Wounds is the product of a study of the role of the CGIAR centers in rebuilding agriculture across Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA), Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Pacific, led by Dr S. Varma, Head of Communication, ICARDA, on behalf of the Marketing Group of the CGIAR. The report was produced at ICARDA and published by the CGIAR.

"The Government of Afghanistan is happy that the CGIAR and Future Harvest Consortium to Rebuild Agriculture in Afghanistan (FHCRAA) chose Kabul for the main launch of Healing Wounds," said Minister Ramin. "I will personally present a copy of Healing Wounds to President Hamid Karzai, who is currently on a diplomatic mission to India."

The Minister said that more than 80% of the population in Afghanistan derives its livelihood from agriculture. Therefore, improvements in agriculture from seed production to infrastructure to markets can greatly contribute to the economy, stability and prosperity of the country. "We are happy to see the active involvement of the CGIAR centers in agricultural research and development in Afghanistan," he said.

On behalf of the 15 CGIAR centers, Prof. Dr Adel El-Beltagy, Director General of ICARDA, thanked President Karzai and Minister Ramin for their support to the work of ICARDA and other CGIAR centers in Afghanistan. He explained the genesis and significance of Healing Wounds and presented examples of the work of the CGIAR Centers in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, and other countries affected by conflict and natural disasters elsewhere in the world. "Healing Wounds consolidates the information from the CGIAR centers on rebuilding agriculture. The case studies covered in the report were analyzed to draw lessons that could be used to make the partnerships between research and aid organizations more efficient," he said.

"The on-going events of destruction demand a global alliance to improve the lives of people by bringing them justice, equality, food security and long-term peace. The scientific community has a great responsibility to work in a unified way so that the physical, biological, behavioral, and social sciences can address these profound and pervasive problems. Healing Wounds presents examples of such efforts," said Prof. El-Beltagy.

H.E. Mohamed Sharif, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Afghanistan, also attended the launch ceremony and addressed the media. Those who were interviewed by the media included Minister Ramin; Deputy Minister Sharif; ICARDA DG Prof. El-Beltagy; senior author of the report Dr S. Varma; Vice Chancellor of Texas A&M University Dr Price; and CIP, CIMMYT and IPGRI representatives.

Aid organizations and development partners including the Department for International Development of the United Kingdom (DFID); the United States Agency for International Development (USAID); Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA); the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); Texas A&M University; DACAAR; IFDC; Ministry of Agriculture, Afghanistan; Mercy Corps; as well as representatives from ICARDA, CIMMYT, CIP, IPGRI, and AVRDC attended the launch ceremony.

Media representatives present on the occasion included those from BBC Radio; BBC Uzbeki; Free Radio Europe (Azadi Radio); Al-Jazeera, TV; Radio Tehran; Chinese News Agency; Internews, Afghanistan; Voice of America; Pazwak News Agency; Afghan Voice Agency; Hewad Daily; Radio and TV Afghanistan; Youth Voice TV; Feefa News Agency; Hindokush News Agency; Pukhlayna Magazine; Women TV and Radio; Sobat Weekly; Kabul Times; Mashhad Radio and TV; Omaid Magazine; Abu Dhabi TV; Bakhtar News Agency; and Good Morning Afghanistan Radio.

Contents | About ICARDA and the CGIAR | From the Director General
Table of Issues | ICARDA Publications | ICARDA Home