In this bulletin:

• Suspected Taliban bomb kills four Afghan policemen
• Pakistani "Taliban" gain sway in tribal region
• Afghanistan didn't demand compensation for Soviet occupation
• India's panchayati raj model for Afghanistan
• Twenty Development Projects Launched in Afghan Province
• Citizens of Paktika Province welcome new road
• AFGHAN FIRM EXPORTS 40 PCT OF ITS COOKIE PRODUCE
• O&M, Delhi, bags Afghan Telecom account
• Women & Power In Central Asia: Afghan Women Rise To Top After Taliban Repression
• A special New Year for Afghan couple in Chile after long separation

Suspected Taliban bomb kills four Afghan policemen

Kandahar (AFP) - Four Afghan policemen were killed and seven others were injured when a bomb planted by suspected Taliban militants exploded near a checkpoint, an official said.

The blast happened late Thursday in the Hazar Joft district of the insurgency-prone southern province of Helmand, local police commander Bahadur Khan told AFP. "Four policemen were killed, seven others were wounded," Khan said on Friday.

Violence blamed on the Taliban regime, which was ousted by a US-led military operation in late 2001 for sheltering Osama bin Laden, has soared this year in southern and eastern Afghanistan.

A purported Taliban spokesman, Mohammad Yousuf Ahmadi, called AFP from an unknown location and said his guerrillas had planted the remotely detonated device.

"It was our work," said Ahmadi, who often calls the media to claim responsibility for attacks on Afghan and foreign troops on behalf of the hardline Islamic militia. "One of our mujahedin (holy warriors) succeeded in planting the bomb just outside the checkpost," he added.

Taliban rebels have pledged to topple the US-backed government of President Hamid Karzai and violence this year alone has claimed more than 1,500 lives, the majority of them militants. A US-led force of around 19,000 troops is trying to tame the insurgency.

Also on Thursday two US soldiers were injured by a roadside bomb in Helmand, while a similar attack in neighbouring Kunar province on Wednesday killed a US soldier and an Afghan national working with the coalition.

Pakistani "Taliban" gain sway in tribal region – Reuters 12/30/2005
By Raja Asghar

ISLAMABAD - Pakistani followers of Afghanistan's Taliban have gained sway in a sensitive border area where they have been killing their opponents with impunity despite the heavy presence of government forces.

The word of the militants, who call themselves Taliban, has virtually become law in parts of the semi-autonomous North Waziristan tribal area while the military appears loathe to intervene.

"The situation is no longer under their control," Rahimullah Yusufzai, a prominent journalist and expert on the region, said of the Pakistani army. The government had "totally abdicated" its authority in North Waziristan, he said. "It seems it's Taliban raj (rule) there."

Waziristan is part of Pakistan's tribal belt that stretches through rugged mountains and deserts along the Afghan border. Many al Qaeda and Afghan Taliban members fled to the remote region from Afghanistan after U.S.-led forces ousted the Taliban in late 2001 and were given shelter by militants from the ethnic Pashtun tribes that inhabit both sides of the border.

The army launched an offensive to clear foreign militants from the region two years ago and hundreds of people -- militants and government troops -- have been killed.

The latest violence follows a Dec. 1 blast in a house near the region's main town, Miranshah, where officials said an al Qaeda commander, Abu Hamza Rabia, and four others were killed,

Although Rabia's body was not found, authorities say he died when explosives at his hideout detonated accidentally. Villagers said the blast was caused by a missile from an aircraft, possibly a U.S. drone.

While there does not appear to be a direct link between Rabia's reported death and subsequent violence, the widespread belief that U.S. forces attacked Rabia has added to the tension, residents say.

Despite the militants' brazen killing of more than 20 rivals this month, the government says the situation is under control. Authorities were "fully cognisant" of the situation, said military spokesman Major-General Shaukat Sultan. "But at this moment, rather than taking hard military action, political developments are being allowed to take precedence."

The area's civil administrator, Zaheerul Islam, dismissed the violence as a tribal dispute. "The situation is under government control," he said. Despite such assurances, law and order seem a long way off. "Elements linked to al Qaeda rule the territory and not the Pakistan army," the Daily Times said in a recent editorial.

British colonial rulers gave the fiercely independent Pashtun tribes a large degree of autonomy, and administered the region through officials known as political agents. Pakistan stuck with the system after independence.

But the Sept. 11 attacks and Pakistan's support for the U.S.-led war on terrorism and invasion of Afghanistan threw the traditional system into question.

Vowing to bring the area under the control of the government, the army sent in 70,000 troops but some analysts blame the violence on the army's intervention. "The military has mishandled the situation," said analyst Ayaz Amir, a former army officer, diplomat and politician.

The army has made deals with some tribal leaders, while going after others seen as backing al Qaeda-linked militants. "The result has been a lack of trust and the situation has deteriorated instead of improving," Amir said.

About 50 tribal leaders who supported the campaign against the militants have been killed, while the army seems no closer to imposing authority. "In effect, the army is confined to fortified bases while the Taliban are filling the vacuum outside," Amir said. The result has been brutal gun law.

The latest violence began on Dec. 6 with a clash between the militants and rivals led by tribal leader Hakim Khan, whose men, residents said, had adopted the common practice of extorting "taxes" from motorists.

Ten of Khan's men, branded bandits by the militants, were killed in the initial clash along with five militants whose comrades mutilated and strung up several bodies of their rivals, decapitating one and putting his head on a pole.

For days the militants drove around Miranshah brandishing weapons and hunting, killing and beheading several more rivals. Emboldened, the militants have started appealing for funds they say they need to fight crime, a nervous resident said this week.

Sneering at laws against displaying weapons, the militants have been accorded authority by some people who have turned to them with complaints that should be dealt with by the administration, residents say.

Military spokesman Sultan said action would be taken if things got of hand but another officer said that wouldn't happen yet. "When two tribes are fighting we can't take sides," said the officer, who declined to be identified.

Afghanistan didn't demand compensation for Soviet occupation - diplomat - Interfax News Agency - 12/30/2005

MOSCOW - Afghanistan has never demanded financial compensation from Russia for the presence of Soviet troops in the 1980s, said Afghan Charge d'Affaires in Russia Sahi Gairat.

"Afghan presidential spokesman Karim Rahimi said at a regular press briefing that this issue is within the parliament's jurisdiction. But the parliament has never discussed anything of the sort," Gairat told Interfax in Moscow on Wednesday.

"True, the war inflicted great devastation on Afghanistan," Gairat said. "As for compensation, even if this is discussed, this will certainly be discussed not at the governmental but at the parliamentary level," he said.

A number of Russian media outlets reported earlier that the Afghan presidential press secretary claimed on Tuesday that the Afghan government demanded that Russia pay compensations for "the country's decade-long occupation by Soviet troops."

India's panchayati raj model for Afghanistan

By Gurinder Randhawa, Kabul : Afghanistan is formulating legislation for its village-level local government system that is modelled on India's panchayati raj system.

Afghanistan's rehabilitation and development ministry is making a thorough study of the salient features of the Indian model for its Community Development Shuras (Councils). It plans to introduce legislation for village-level governance system in the newly constituted parliament that is currently holding its first session.

Afghan Minister for Rural Rehabilitation and Development Mohammad Haneef Atmar said: "We want to develop a constitution for local governance. We are reviewing our own experience and that of the Indian Panchayati Raj while formulating our legislation."

The Afghans are particularly studying the functions and jurisdiction of the panchayats, or village councils, in relation to the other government departments and division of work between a panchayat and the public administration.

One of Atmar's biggest worries is opposition from warlords and drug lords who are against local democratic institutions, fearing erosion of their grip over the people.

Twelve officials of the rural rehabilitation and development ministry have lost their lives in violence in rural areas. But Atmar is determined to overcome such challenges.

Another problem is the human resources crunch due to untrained personnel. India's panchayati raj ministry has evolved a programme to provide training to Afghan officials. Indian experts are visiting Afghanistan in this regard.

Impressed by the small self-help groups in India's rural areas, Afghanistan is looking forward to replicate them in their country. It is also seeking Indian assistance in the fields of non-conventional energy, small-scale industries and the rural road sector.

Atmar had met officials from the non-conventional energy sources ministry during his visit to India in October and invited teams of technical experts and sector specialists to Afghanistan.

Afghanistan is keen to set up small hydel, solar, wind energy and biogas projects in rural areas and is looking to India's help in reviving scores of hydel projects lying in disuse.

Twenty Development Projects Launched in Afghan Province - Asia Pulse
12/30/2005

MAHMOODRAQI - The National Solidarity Programme (NSP) Wednesday launched work on 20 different uplift projects in the northern Kapisa province.
In charge of the NSP Saifur Rahman Haris told Pajhwok Afghan News the projects would be completed at the cost of nine million afghanis, which would address numerous problems, including scarcity of clean drinking water.

These projects included construction of water tanks, establishment of a diesel-powered flourmills, river embankments, digging of wells and launching of literacy and tailoring courses for people of the area, he explained.

The official said provincial NSP would provide amount for those projects, which would benefit 3,728 families in Kohistan, Mahmoodraqi and Nijrab districts. Aga Gul, 54, resident of the provincial capital said: "We are faced with several problems like scarcity of clean drinking water and hope the NSP will address our demands." (Pajhwok Afghan News)

Citizens of Paktika Province welcome new road - December 29, 2005 COMBINED FORCES COMMAND – AFGHANISTAN COALITION PRESS INFORMATION CENTER

SHARANA, Afghanistan – About 200 people, including Gov. Ghulab Mangal of Paktika Province and many local elders, gathered here Dec. 20 to mark the opening of a 55-kilometer road between Sharana and Orgun-E.

The government of Afghanistan and Coalition forces built the $2 million road to increase security in the province and provide opportunities for commerce.

“Afghans dedicated themselves to this work to improve conditions for their countrymen,” said Col. Michael Flanagan, commander of the Coalition’s engineering brigade, Task Force Sword.

Other speakers at the ceremony included the governor, and Marine Col. Patrick Donahue, who commands Task Force Devil, the Coalition troops that carry out combat operations in eastern Afghanistan .

AFGHAN FIRM EXPORTS 40 PCT OF ITS COOKIE PRODUCE

HERAT CITY, Dec 30 Asia Pulse - A biscuit company in western Herat that manufactures quality produce has exported 40 per cent of its commodity to foreign countries this year. The none-governmental food manufacturing company (Mujtam-e-Ghizaie-e-Sadaf) gained US$240,000 by exporting its produce to the neighbouring Pakistan this year. Likewise, Pakistani and Iranian biscuits are also affluently imported in the country.

President of the private company Abdul Zahir Bahadiry told Pajhwok Afghan News they produced 300 tons of five different types of Anatab biscuits a month, while they decreased the number to 100 tons last year to upbeat the quality. Mohmud, 36, said: "I use this biscuits for a long time, and it is one of the best products of our country."

Mohammad Anwar (45), a shopkeeper said: "I have different Iranian biscuits in my shop, but people are buying Anatab, however it was three rupees more expensive than other biscuits."

By the same token, deputy director of provincial Mines and Industries Department Gul Ahmad Ghori also appreciated Anatab biscuit for high quality. This was the first factory in the province that exported its commodity abroad, he added.

He also urged the owners of other factories to enhance the quality of their products for meeting the requirements of the country that would help in cutting reliance on foreign import. Director of provincial Mines and Industries Department Ghulam Mohammad Mudabir said there were 41 different factories and more than hundred were passing through registration process.

However, owners of factories facing different problems and had warned of closing their mills if their problems were not addressed by the government. Earlier, a motorcycle company was also closed as government gave only a short shrift to their hurdles. (Pajhwok Afghan News)

O&M, Delhi, bags Afghan Telecom account - agencyfaqs! NEW DELHI, Dec. 30

Following a multi-agency pitch, O&M Delhi has bagged the creative duties for Afghan Telecom. According to industry estimates, the account is pegged to be worth Rs 6-7 crore.

Anurag Borkar, chief marketing officer, Afghan Telecom, says: “There were several reasons why we chose O&M, Delhi, as our creative agency, the chief one being that we could not find the same talent or infrastructure in Afghanistan.”

He adds, “O&M’s pedigree in brand building in India is unquestionable, but most importantly, we wanted an agency that was sensitive to the local idiom and still executed it well creatively.”

Sanjay Thapar, president, O&M, says, “In their first meeting, the client made it clear that in spite of being a part of the Ministry of Communications, Afghanistan, they wanted to project Afghan Telecom as an independent company; they wanted to create an image that would stand for the new progressive Afghanistan.”

Sunil Varma, vice-president, brand, O&M, Delhi, talks of the communication strategy that O&M will adopt. He says, “We are looking at a complete 360-degree exercise. The focus will be on delivering a wholesome package that will include print, television, outdoor and even below-the-line activities.”

Varma reveals that the creatives that they presented during the pitch will also be released. He says, “We developed a concept that is based on our interaction (and research) with Afghanis in India. We even interacted with a cross-section of the society in Kabul with the creative solution that we had conceived. We realised that the creatives managed to strike a chord and touch the hearts of the people there.”

For now, O&M will depute some employees from the Delhi office to handle the business in Afghanistan. However, the agency is open to the idea of tying up with a local agency or hiring local professionals to service the account.

Women & Power In Central Asia (Part 3): Afghan Women Rise To Top After Taliban Repression – RFE-RL

Since the fall of the Taliban and the establishment of the government of President Hamid Karzai, Afghan women have become a significant presence on the country's political and social stages. That was made evident in December, when 68 women took their seats as deputies in the lower house of Afghanistan's new parliament. Seventeen women will also sit in the upper house. Women still have trouble participating as equals in all spheres of the country's social and political life, but progress is being made. RFE/RL spoke with a number of Afghan women in positions of influence.

Kabul, 28 December 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Habiba Sorabi was the minister of women's affairs in Afghanistan before becoming the first-ever female governor of Bamiyan Province. She says her political activities started when she was a university student, and that it has been a struggle.
 
"In a traditional and patriarchal society like Afghanistan, where men have always had the first word, made the decisions, given orders, and treated women as second-rate citizens who should obey them 100 percent like slaves, it is not easy for women to be in politics," Sorabi says.
 
Decades Of Obstacles - Afghan women have experienced various forms of oppression throughout the country's history, but it was especially intense during the Taliban era. The Taliban regime denied women all rights to education and employment and severely restricted their activities in public, including making them wear the all-covering burqa.
 
Some Afghan women continued their political activities in the neighboring countries of Iran and Pakistan and occasionally returned to Afghanistan under the cover of the burqa to meet with people.
 
Sima Samar was the first minister of the newly established Ministry of Women's Affairs in the transitional government of Hamid Karzai after the fall of Taliban. She is now the head of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission and a UN special rapporteur for human rights in Sudan.
 
In a recent interview, Samar shared with RFE/RL's Afghan Service one of her experiences during the time of communist rule.
 
"I think if I talk about all the problems I would feel the pressure now," Samar says. "During Khalq Party rule, they arrested my husband, along with his three brothers, who I never saw after that. Sixty-four people from my family were arrested. I spent Fridays, when I should have been studying, behind Pol-e Charkhi [prison] doors [visiting my relatives]."
 
Perseverance Pays - Afghan women say cultural and social constraints could not prevent them from assuming leadership positions.
 
"Afghan women proved in a short time that, not only on a national level but internationally, too, that they can take part in political activities," says Zahida Ansari, who is Afghanistan's new ambassador to Bulgaria. "In diplomacy, too, there is no problem [for women to handle the jobs]. You know that an ambassador's job, as the representative of the president, is to defend government policy and the rights of citizens in a foreign country within international law. It is a very important job and a big responsibility."
 
Mas'uda Jalal, Afghanistan's first female presidential candidate, says she persevered and didn't let cultural restrictions get in her way.
 
"My work, and what I did for the presidential campaign, didn't seem very difficult to me," Jalal says. "Other than long hours of work -- and I have worked more than 18 hours a day for several years -- there was no problem."
 
There are many Afghan women who say they would like to work in the social and political spheres but who believe they cannot do so because of family and social concerns. The Afghan women who are already involved in the nation's political activities say their families fully support them.
 
"Fortunately, I have not faced problems from my family," Bamiyan Governor Sorabi says. "They have been supportive. But in some cases, other relatives other than my husband have spread gossip and passed along negative remarks. But in Afghan society, there will be such talk."
 
Jalal, who is currently Afghanistan's minister of women's affairs, also says she has the full support of her family.
 
"My husband is optimistic about my goals. He has confidence in me," Jalal says. "Inside, at home, I never feel that I am a minister. I am a mother and wife for my husband. And at work, I work in that position."

Women & Power in Central Asia (Part 4): Roundtable On The Tajik, Afghan, and Iranian Experiences

RFE/RL's Tajik Service hosted a roundtable discussion in December about "women and power" in Tajikistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. Participants included Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi; prominent Afghan women's rights activist and parliamentarian Shukria Barakzai; and Oynihol Bobanazarova, a veteran Tajik rights advocate and director of the Open Society Institute in Tajikistan. RFE/RL correspondent Golnaz Esfandiari reports on the roundtable in the fourth and final part of our series on "Women & Power In Central Asia."

Prague, 28 December 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Shirin Ebadi, Shukria Barakzai, and Oynihol Bobanazarova all live in patriarchal societies where men enjoy more rights and women face limitations. But despite battling discrimination, conservative traditions and intimidation, all three women have managed to push for their rights -- and achieve success.
 
Iranian Nobel Laureate - In 2004, Ebadi became the first Iranian or Muslim woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. The lawyer and rights activist says that despite threats, she refuses to be silenced.
 
"Fear is an instinct like hunger, whether you want it or not, it will come to you," Ebadi says. "I have twice escaped attacks miraculously and have always been threatened and have been imprisoned, so it's natural that I'm worried about this dangerous situation. But my years of experience has taught me not to let fear overwhelm my work."
 
Ebadi says that as a result of the struggle of freedom-loving Iranian women and men, Iranian society is gradually changing.
 
"In the beginning of the revolution, when they wanted to insult me they would call me 'feminist, liberal, defender of human rights,'" Ebadi says. "In Iran, 23 or 24 years ago, these words were used as insults. Fortunately, now as a result of the struggle of Iranian women -- but also men -- human rights protection has become valued."
 
Mirroring Afghan Society - Shukria Barakzai is a member of Afghanistan's newly elected parliament and the founder of "Aina-e Zan" (Women's Mirror), a weekly publication that focuses on women's issues. During the rule of the hard-line Taliban, Barakzai helped run underground schools for women in Afghanistan.
 
Barakzai says she has tried hard to give a public voice to the concerns of Afghan women.
 
"Our patriarchal society does not like to hear this voice, it's a voice that even Afghan politicians want to silence," Barakzai says. "But despite these problems, I and millions of other Afghan women have been successful through our tireless efforts to open a small glimpse of hope, for the future generations and for the children of Afghanistan."
 
Barakzai says discriminatory, pre-Islamic traditions are the worst problems facing women in Afghanistan.
 
"Unfortunately, these traditions are so deeply rooted among people that in some cases they are placed before the religion," Barakzai says. "People believe and practice traditions that [destroy] women; they consider women as elements whose only duty is to give birth to children. And the other problem is the patriarchal view that is prevalent in the society."
 
Obstacles In Tajikistan - Oynihol Bobanazarova, an outspoken rights defender, has played a key role in helping to reform the legal system in Tajikistan and in spurring the country to sign international covenants on human rights. This, in turn, has led to the complete abolition of the death penalty in Tajikistan.
 
In 1992, Bobanazarova was a founding member of the Democrat Party of Tajikistan. But she was later forced to leave the party when she was accused of "antigovernment activity" and criminal proceedings were started against her.
 
Bobanazarova says discriminatory traditions are among the main factors that prevent women from having an active role in Tajik society.
 
"In Tajikistan, for example in the families, they educate girls and tell them that before anything else they are women. For example, they keep girls away from discussions at home," Bobanazarova says. "To a certain degree there is also the people's mentality; we women also sometimes don't speak as experts and we consider ourselves helpless. I think if we do not start to talk as experts, as qualified individuals, as humans -- until that day, men will not take us seriously."
 
Areas Of Agreement - All three roundtable participants agreed that women activists and women in power should coordinate their efforts to tackle ignorance, discrimination, and economic hardship.
 
"The lines through which they separate secular women from Muslim women or elite and intellectual women from traditional ones, these dividing lines are harming us," Ebadi says. "The day that we forget these lines and focus only on equal rights for women like men, is the day of victory for the women of Iran and the world."
 
Bobanazarova says that for many Tajik women who live in poverty, economic empowerment is very important. She says women in power can play a key role.
 
"Women who consider themselves intelligent or women in the parliament should do their best to defend the right of Tajik women, because for 70 percent of the population, particularly women in villages, there are no possibilities for them to increase their knowledge," Bobanazarova says. "And I think one issue that is today very important for the women of Tajikistan is that their financial situation needs to be improved."
 
Like Ebadi, Barakzai emphasizes the importance of unity among women. But she says men also have a role to play.
 
"I think on the one hand, women should believe in their own rights as being equal under law to men, but men should also commit themselves to accepting women as equal partners in society," Barakzai says. "It's going to take time, but it can be done through long-term educational programs in Afghanistan and positive campaign by the press and also with the help of clerics. It requires a long-term struggle with the support of the international community. We women can overcome our problems and the [negative] view of society."
 
A special New Year for Afghan couple in Chile after long separation - 30 Dec 2005 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

SANTIAGO, 30 December (UNHCR) – Hassan and Marzia are getting ready to spend a very special New Year's Eve – their first together after a ten-year separation. For this young Afghan couple, reunited in Chile in August, the New Year arrives in the midst of their second honeymoon.

The two got married in Afghanistan when Hassan was 18 and Marzia 14. It was only a few months, however, before Hassan had to flee to Azerbaijan to escape persecution in his homeland. The plan was that the couple would soon meet again, but this was not to be. The situation in Afghanistan worsened, and Hassan lost touch with Marzia and her family.

In Azerbaijan, Hassan continued to experience very serious problems and when he found out through the UN refugee agency that resettlement to Chile was an option he took this opportunity for a new start. He arrived in Santiago in March 2003 with three other Afghans, an Iraqi, and an Iranian refugee.

Hassan never gave up on finding his wife, but often despaired of his chances of tracking her down from South America. He is still moved today when he remembers the first lead he got in Santiago.

"For years I had no news of her, although she too was looking for me," he says. "One day, somebody told me of a family in Pakistan who was looking for a person with my name. It was Marzia's family."

A phone call confirmed what seemed too good to be true. From then on, time seemed to stretch endlessly until they could meet again. While UNHCR carried out the couple's reunification procedure, Hassan used his time doing all he could to settle into Chilean society. He learnt Spanish, which he now speaks fluently, made Chilean friends and worked in a carpet store owned by two other Afghans – one of them a refugee.

Well aware of the changes time might have wrought, Hassan found his enthusiasm mixing with anxiety as the hour of reunion got nearer. On the day of his "bride's" long-awaited arrival, his nerves almost got the better of him. Would she like the rented home they were to live in? Would she adapt to life in such a different society? Would she be happy? A two-hour delay did not help, nor, after finally arriving in Santiago did finding her luggage had been lost.

The first few weeks were difficult and very emotional. Marzia missed her family, cried often and ate little. Yet Hassan's optimism was not misplaced. Marzia soon began adapting to life in Chile. She now regularly attends Spanish classes and is speaking her first sentences in the language. Her story has been covered by a major television channel and she receives a warm welcome wherever she goes. "I still can't believe we're together again," she says. "I feel a little more comfortable every day and am happy to be here."

Like Hassan and Marzia, over 100 refugees have found a new home and a second chance in Chile in the past six years. The earlier arrivals were from the former Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan, then in recent years the majority have come from Colombia. All had first fled to other countries where they continued to experience threats to their safety or encountered serious obstacles to their integration.

The Chilean resettlement programme – the first in South America – started in 1999, when 27 refugees from the Former Yugoslavia arrived in the country following an agreement signed between the government of Chile and UNHCR. This first experiment was not without its share of problems, mainly because the refugees were not sufficiently prepared for the economic challenges they faced in Chile.

The discouragement felt by the refugees in their first few months in Chile also spread to those who had worked to bring them over – the Chilean government, the UN refugee agency and its local partner the Vicaria de Pastoral Social. The lessons that were learnt from this experience have since been integrated into the resettlement programme, the most crucial of them being the importance of providing refugees with as much information as possible about Chile prior to their arrival in the country.

"The programme has grown in different ways," says Marta Gonzalez, who co-ordinates the Vicaria's refugee programme. "Together with the government and UNHCR we have produced a short video showing life in Chile, with first-hand accounts from other refugees already here. This has definitely helped newcomers. It's important for them to understand that it will not be easy, especially in the first few months."

New arrivals now receive orientation on the job market, support in looking for work and, depending on their needs, job training and small loans provided by UNHCR and by the Vicaria. Gonzalez believes that this approach has sped up the entry of refugees into the job market. Eighty percent of resettled refugees are currently working in areas as varied as retail, insurance sales and truck-driving. Some have even set up a cyber-café.

The Chilean government has recently taken several additional steps that further demonstrate its commitment to resettlement – a priority under the Mexico Plan of Action agreed last year between Latin American countries and UNHCR. Amongst these steps was the creation in April of a section on asylum and resettlement at the Interior ministry, headed by Gabriela Saavedra.

Saavedra explains that the resettlement programme is a tangible outcome of Chile's commitment to expanding its responsibilities towards refugees beyond the 1951 Convention, which it ratified in 1972.

"Refugees who could not rebuild their lives in their first place of asylum can now live in peace in our country," she says. "They have access to identification documents and to a visa that allows them to apply for citizenship. Just like Chileans, they can look for work and for a place to live, and they can send their children to school."

The government has just approved the resettlement of a new group of 18 Colombian refugees, who are due to arrive in Chile at the beginning of 2006. In the meantime, Hassan and Marzia will be celebrating the New Year in their adopted country, looking forward to the future with confidence.

By Fabiola Aburto in Santiago and Nazli Zaki in Buenos Aires

[Disclaimer: The content of this news bulletin does not necessarily reflect the view or policy of the Afghan Government, unless specifically stated as such. The collection of articles and commentaries from Afghan and international news sources is provided for informational purposes, and accuracy of the news is the responsibility of the original source.]