Meeting with Mohammad Gulab Mangal, Governor of Helmand Province
On May 6, 2010 Berghof Conflict Research welcomed to the institute Mr. Mohammad Gulab Mangal, Governor of Helmand Province in Afghanistan, and Ms. Nasima Neyazi, a Member of the Afghan Parliament, as well as Mr. Najib Roshan and other colleagues of the Aachen Institute for Afghan Studies. The discussion with the delegation was attended by Prof. Dr. Hans J. Giessmann, Director of Berghof Conflict Research, and Johannes Zundel, CEO of the Berghof Foundation for Conflict Studies, as well as other colleagues of Berghof Conflict Research and Berghof Peace Support.
The main focus of the discussion was on peacebuilding activities for youth, public education programs and the current development situation in Afghanistan, which has recently undergone many positive developments and can be regarded as improving, despite the critical security situation. The discussion also addressed the effects and limitations of the new military strategy in the province and the importance of involving the Afghan population in the peacebuilding process. Military operations should not be allowed to have priority over civilian peacebuilding. In a concluding bilateral conversation, concrete options for collaborative research and peace support project work between BCR and Afghan partners were discussed.