SAF Afghanistan Chapter's Introduction

Founder's prologue

The history and culture of Afghanistan are profoundly interwoven with South Asia. When the Taliban regime destroyed the colossal fifth-century Bamiyan Buddhas and other priceless works of Afghanistan art, the South Asia Foundation pledged a contribution of US$ 1 million at the First Plenary Session of the International Committee for the Safeguarding of Afghanistan’s Cultural Heritage.

This meeting, held in Paris on 16^th June 2003, was attended by Afghanistan’s Minister of Information and Culture, Sayed Makhdoum Raheen. On his return to Kabul, he conveyed the decision of President Hamid Karzai for Afghanistan to accept membership of the SAF.

Furthermore, Afghanistan would establish a UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Institute for Afghanistan’s Cultural Heritage in Kabul to be used for the training of specialists in South Asian heritage.

Accordingly, a tripartite agreement was signed in Paris on 22^nd March 2004 between the UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura, the Government of Afghanistan and the SAF.

The institute was inaugurated on 13^th July 2006 and UNESCO assigned two experts, Dr. Tej Singh, retired Director of the National Research Laboratory for Conservation of Cultural Property (NRLC), Lucknow, India and Mr. Robert Knox of the British Museum, London, to visit Kabul and submit a report on the Institute’s administration.

These agreements were the sequel to a resolution adopted by the SAF Governing Council at their Annual Meeting at Beaulieu-sur-Mer in 2002: to locate ways to improve Afghanistan’s participation in both ongoing SAF projects in the field of education and joint programmes on regional cooperation. Subsequently, the Government of Afghanistan applied for membership of SAARC, a request accepted during the Dhaka Summit in 2002.

The South Asia Foundation has decided to establish similar Institutions of Excellence in other SAARC countries in cooperation with UNESCO. The SAF was admitted into a special relationship with UNESCO during its 175^th session in Paris.

Madanjeet Singh
SAF Founder