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Events >> The Democracy Award >> 2005 Democracy Award
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On July 13, the National Endowment for Democracy presented its annual Democracy Award to three democratic activists from Afghanistan. Ms. Sakena Yacoobi, Mr. Mohammad Nasib and Mr. Sarwar Hussaini are leaders of civil society organizations who have worked diligently to educate citizens and local leaders about the basic values and principles of democracy, the rights of women and ethnic minorities, strategies for peace-building and conflict resolution and the importance of broad political participation. The event, which also included a panel discussion with regional experts, featured remarks from Global Affairs Under Secretary Paula Dobriansky, Afghan Ambassador Said Tayeb Jawad and Senators Hillary R. Clinton (D-NY); John McCain (R-AZ) and Paul Sarbanes (D-MD).
"Education is the key for democracy, and we are changing the lives of Afghan women," asserted Ms. Yocoobi, the founder and president of the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL). The AIL is a leading Afghan women's organization dedicated to providing more than 350,000 Afghan women and children with education, health care and human rights training, both inside Afghanistan and in refugee camps in Pakistan.  Mr. Nasib is the director of the Welfare Association for Development of Afghanistan, an NGO working to advance the spread of democratic principles and strengthen local governance by training a network of more than 1,000 maliks, or key local power brokers, in the concepts and practices of human rights and democracy. Mr. Hussaini is the chairman and director of the Cooperation Center for Afghanistan, a well established NGO working to promote citizen participation and democratic institutions in Afghanistan by empowering women and strengthening democratic practices in traditional institutions.
 "The decisive contribution to Afghanistan's rebirth must come from the people themselves, working through organizations of civil society devoted to the education and empowerment of all Afghans," stated NED President Carl Gershman in his tribute to the honorees. "Working with countless other Afghans committed to building a democratic and tolerant society, these three individuals have demonstrated unusual courage, determination and vision to the democratic rebirth of Afghanistan."
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