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Afghan Government Officials Participating in a Study Tour on Promoting Alternative... |
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Written by Helena Raijas-Walch, IMA International
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Afghan Government Officials Participating in a Study Tour on
Promoting Alternative and Sustainable Livelihood Strategies in Chiang
Mai, Thailand
IMA International, a training organisation based in Hurstpierpoint,
coordinated a recent study tour on Promoting Alternative and
Sustainable Livelihood Strategies in Chiang Mai, Thailand for senior
Afghan government officials. The study tour was related to the UK
Department for International Development (DFID) Funded Project ‘Support
to Strategic Planning for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods in Afghanistan’.
The participants were from three different ministries in Afghanistan
namely the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation & Rural Development
(MRRD), the Ministry of Agriculture & Animal Husbandry & Food
(MAAHF) and the recently established Ministry of Anti-Narcotics (MAN).
MRRD and MAAHF are in the process of considerable organisational change
in order to respond to the broader development process occurring
throughout the country. Long term strategic planning processes in
both ministries are underway in order to ensure that the two
organisations can effectively promote and support nation wide
sustainable livelihood strategies.
An emerging threat to these livelihoods is the burgeoning growth in
illicit poppy production, with the opium business now accounting for
one third of all economic activity ¹. As an illegal activity the
trade in poppy undermines good governance and promotes corruption
within the country. A new Ministry of Anti-Narcotics leads the
campaign against the poppy trade but it is clear that it is the
responsibility of all development organisations, both public and
private sector, to engage actively in the search for alternative
livelihood strategies.
The objective of the 11 days study tour was to expose the Afghan
officials to approaches and practices in community development,
programme/policy development and public sector reform aimed at
promoting alternative and sustainable livelihood strategies in Thailand
and in turn reflect and consider this knowledge in the Afghan context.
The group with their national and international course director visited
some twelve Thai organisations and institutions in the districts of
Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in Northern Thailand. The tour included
visiting the Royal Projects initiated by Her Royal Highness the
Princess Mother such as the Hilltribe Crop Replacement Centre in Chiang
Doa and the Royal Post Harvest Centre and Royal Food Processing Project
in Chiang Mai. The group also visited projects in the ‘Golden Triangle’
Chiang Rai district in the Laos-Myanmar-Thailand border area notorious
for its poppy cultivation and illicit opium trade history.
During the study tour the participants could examine the role and
functions of public sector development agencies in supporting
alternative livelihood strategies They got new insight in rural
business development covering marketing, transport and cooperatives and
could see public-private partnership in action. After individual
visits, discussion sessions were held with participants to identify key
learning points and to decide appropriate actions/follow-up activities
on their return to Afghanistan.
The exposure of Afghan government officials to the approaches developed
in Thailand, will greatly assist Afghanistan as it develops new
strategies, programmes and activities to promote alternative and
sustainable livelihoods aiming to reduce and ultimately finish the
poppy cultivation. The visit has also been a good ground for
discussions on future co-operation between Thai and Afghan institutions.
For comments or further information contact IMA International
post@imainternational.com
Helena@imainternational.com
Tel. +44 (0) 1273 833 030
¹ DFID “A Changing Nation. DFID Support To Afghanistan”
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