Institute for Public Affairs organized first from all-in-all three study trips for young Afghan leaders in Slovakia. During their stay in Slovakia (September 10 – September 20), the guests from Afghanistan have met with representatives of the public institutions – National Council of the SR, Parliamentary Institute, local government in town Šamorín, District Court in Banská Bystrica as well as with the representatives of NGOs, among them: Via Juris, Alliance of Women in Slovakia, Citizen and Democracy, Community Foundation Revia and Institute for Public Affairs.

Workshops and lectures were focused on issues like democratic institutions building and sustainability, civil society, human rights, role of independent media, civic campaigns and peaceful conflict management. During the stay of the Afghan group Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic organized a conference “Slovakia to Afghanistan. Assisting in Building Democracy in a New State“. Participants of this event have had a unique opportunity to know more about the social and political situation in Afghanistan from the Afghans themselves. We are expecting two more groups coming October 29 thru November 11, 2006 and November 19 thru November 29.




Conference at Slovak Foreign Affaires Ministry, 12.9.2006. From the left Jozef Badžuch – head of  Slovak Official Development Aid Department, Oľga Algayerová, State Secretary MFA SR, Zuzana Fialová, Project Manager „Slovakia to Afghanistan: Assisting in Democracy Building in a New State“.

Meeting with Mr. Lazslo Nagy, Head of Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights, minorities and the Status of Women.



Visit at NGO Citizen and Democracy.

After final “diploma ceremony”.