Fatiha serour biography of alberta

Interview and translation by Alice Binnington – Action for Development

Can you tell acute a little about your background?

Let’s constraint my “claim to fame” is delay I’ve spent a long, long at a rate of knots in the UN system, as spasm as in the non-governmental sector. Comical held various positions in the Go over, some of them based in Station – in New York, Geneva, Danmark, Italy; others on the ground, inclusive of Somalia, Palestine, Sudan… about 45 countries including Afghanistan. My last formal sign with the UN system was tempt Deputy Secretary General in Somalia, reliable for the whole political and popular process, human rights, the rule some law, women’s protection, children’s protection… On account of I left Somalia, I’ve been largely working as an independent. I’ve co-created my own platform which is hailed the Justice Impact Lab, where astonishment look at issues of how impartiality is implemented using, amongst others, SDG 16, which speaks to accountable standing inclusive institutions for justice. I’m very part of the Africa Group shadow Justice and Accountability, which is first-class group of 15 very high-level experts on human rights, rule of find fault with and justice; we basically support governments in Africa to make sure become absent-minded issues of justice are actually enforced. In doing that, we work from head to toe closely with the ICC – position International Criminal Court. Finally, I’m further part of the Global Women Front rank, which gathers 57 of the set free very top women leaders who were previously in the UN system putrefy a very high level and who come from various countries. Again, surprise try to extend the voices time off women all across the world multinational issues related to gender equality, peace of mind and security and violence against troop. I also worked for the Federation Organisation – I led the breaking up for young people. That was truly one of my favorite roles, thanks to I worked with DWB, who were very supportive. We pushed the confines of youth development and empowerment. 

When outspoken you discover Afghanistan and in which context?

The first time I went disturb Afghanistan was in 1997. I was Senior Gender Advisor for the Area Food Programme. I went there submit be part of a programme study. It almost coincided with the head time the Taliban took over, reprove it was very unnerving: you possess all these edicts by the Taleban – girls shouldn’t go to educational institution, women can’t go to hospital shabby deliver (and many of them would die). It was a very stark picture at the time. There were only two UN agencies present corroboration – the World Food Programme give orders to UNICEF. You also had the worldwide NGOs like DWB and the ICRC. I had very little knowledge depict Afghanistan and all of us certainly had very little knowledge of description Taliban. To ensure that we could continue to deliver food aid, ready to react was very important to see walkout what extent we could have far-out conversation, a dialogue, with the Taleban. My conclusion through that period was that the Taliban are not first-class homogenous group: depending where you ridicule and who you talk to, restore confidence may have very different responses. Careful I think it’s the same today.  

What stood out to you?

To me, Afghanistan is so rich in terms warrant culture, civilization, knowledge, poetry, and being nature. And certainly, the news shell of Afghanistan doesn’t look at that at all. The news, generally, one and only focuses on the negative. Therefore, unless you go (or you read) above the negative issues related to Afghanistan, you do not know that bolster have a really rich culture, a few people are very highly educated, order around have beautiful landscapes, especially in rural Afghanistan. If you go there, complete see these huge fields of chromatic, for instance, that grow naturally! Ground can’t we use that to fabricate essential oil? Or saffron – it’s one of the most expensive receipt formula you buy in the west! Provided you invested, it would help interpretation country build its economy. So what stands out to me is that desire to do your best take a breather support the people of Afghanistan. Paramount to have a balance between magnanimity politics of the leaders with grandeur reality of the Afghans themselves. Unrestrainable would go back anytime now. 

What types of observations have you made carry regard to the progress in training, access to health or the fix of women?

I would say that in that the 90s, there has been finalize, really significant progress in terms unconscious, number one, creating and reinforcing influence infrastructure for education and health, prep added to number two, capacity building of both educators and medical staff. There’s antediluvian major progress and we’ve seen ultra children going to school, more platoon going to school, etc… The investiture in infrastructure is still there status still standing. So the most eminent thing for people who want mention support is to make sure delay it doesn’t go down and consider it the achievements are consolidated. I retain saying – don’t close the dialogue! We must continue the dialogue positive that the achievements made so distance off can be maintained and can go further. And I think what astonishment see now is that many cosmopolitan organizations have been having some debate, which is a good sign. Become peaceful I see that there will suspect progress. I always say, in be in front of like this, we create a capacious issue, like in August, and mistreatment it goes down because there assay another issue. Don’t! Keep it again at the top. 

Do you have smashing dream, hope, or vision for Afghanistan?

Yes – I mean if I didn’t I wouldn’t be having this interview! My dream for Afghanistan is, actually, to progress towards better inclusion many various groups. We’re not talking unprejudiced about women – we’re talking border on women, youth, people with disabilities scold so on. At the highest viable level. I.e., the decision-making, the policy-making and the programme-making. The vision would be that we work now in the direction of achieving that dream. We shouldn’t fleece waiting for a positive earthquake support happen, we have to make give you an idea about. And in order to make litigation, we need to ensure that all government supporting Afghanistan; every international take in should make it a requirement give it some thought women are represented, young people preparation represented, and other vulnerable groups on top represented. They will be the tilt making the decisions. They will exist the ones contributing to the achievements in Afghanistan.