Freedom & Economics Seminar | Bamyan
The series of Freedom & Economics Seminars organized by The Afghanistan Economic & Legal Studies Organization (AELSO) in collaboration with Bamika Higher Education Institute on the important topics such as; freedom, economic development, entrepreneurship and prosperity with the participation of university professors, experts, students and youth at Bamyan province.
In this seminar, participants exchanged their views on different issues such as; freedom, economic development, role of freedom of expression in economic development, entrepreneurial challenges & opportunities in Afghanistan and practical strategies for solving economic challenges in the country.
Mohammad Hanif Farzan; Chairman of AELSO, talked about the mission & vision of The Afghanistan Economic and Legal Studies Organization (AELSO) and said: “Bamyan Province is one of the cities that has a worldwide reputation for its antiquities. AELSO In its strategic vision, plans to organize the National Entrepreneurship Camp in all over the country. The National Entrepreneurship Camp is a symbol of transforming science and knowledge into industry. This national camp is created with the aim of economic development, job creation and entrepreneurship so that youth from across the country will have the chance to learn the commercialization and application of projects using the useful advice of experts through this program. AELSO supports your initiatives and plans for advancing ideas for a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan.”
Qudratullah Reha; Chancellor of The Bamika Higher Education Institute, talked about the role of universities in promoting the components of freedom and economic development, and added: “Universities are the fundamental provenance for the production and growth of developing ideas. The economic index has grown in the context of individual and social freedom and it’s considered as the fundamental foundation for the progress of societies. In economic growth, the variable is considered quantitatively, so we can say that; economic growth is a quantitative parameter, but in economic development variables are considered qualitatively, so development actually expresses the qualitative changes of a society. Achieving freedom and a developed economy requires applied research and results-based education within the active contribution of students and helps universities play an essential role in promoting the components of freedom and economic development.”
Ferozuddin Muradi; Academic Vice-chancellor of Bamika Institute of Higher Education, talked about the freedom of the media and the role of information in economic development: “Capacity and effort are two important basis for development. In today’s societies, the circulation of information as a fundamental factor plays an important role in creating initiatives and enhancing the knowledge of society and causes fundamental changes in the economic, social and cultural basis of countries. Media is considered as one of the most important pillars of development, one of the main jobs of the media is strengthening development ideas among societies and introducing successful models. Numerous forms of media can lead to the growth and development of societies.”
Ali Jan Fahim; Deputy director of scientific research at Bamika Institute of Higher Education, talked about social and economic challenges in Afghanistan and its solutions and added: “Society consists of four basic elements: politics, economy, culture and education. The main challenges that we face nowadays are hopelessness, poverty, unemployment and brain drain. In the current situation, 25 million of Afghans are living in poverty. In order to active economic cycle and reduce poverty and starvation in current situation it is necessary to pave the way for confidence investment & activities and to provide more ease in investments.”
Hadi Mirzaei; Dean of the Economics Faculty of Bamika Institute of Higher Education, talked about the opportunities and challenges of entrepreneurship in Afghanistan and added: “Entrepreneur is the one who develops a business model, identifies the needs of the market and provides goods and services according to the needs of the community. Entrepreneurs should take the initiative and introduce a change idea or a potential new concept that can succeed in the market. Investors usually tend to invest in ideas that feel they are generating enough returns for their capital. Hence, the entrepreneur needs a really innovative idea for a new investment. One of the most important challenges of entrepreneurship that threatens young entrepreneurs is time management. Having a marketing strategy, using the best type of marketing and creating a team are three basic factors for development of small businesses.”
In Open Mike section of the program, participants shared their views on freedom, economic development and entrepreneurship in Afghanistan and received answers to their questions from the experts of the program.
Mohammad Ali Durabi; participant of Freedom & Economics Seminar in Bamyan province, said: “Economic models based on the values of society are the basis for achieving development. Effective ways to get out of the current economic conditions are the effective use of natural resources, water management of the country, implementing efficient economic policies, connecting to countries in the region, and paying attention to the economic sector.”
Shahr Bano Javadi; another participant of Freedom & Economics Seminar in Bamyan Province said: “The law is a framework in which humans are required to move within that. Failure to enforce the law and oversee its implementation were among the fundamental challenges in the previous government. Being an entrepreneur means being able to explore and evaluate opportunities, collect the necessary resources and act in a way that exploits the opportunity. Entrepreneurship in Afghanistan is cross-sectional, but in order to achieve economic development and get out of the current situation, it needs to be sustainable.”
Abdul Qaher Beheshti; General Programs Director of AELSO, in conclusion part of the program said: “Today’s program is an introduction of our upcoming nationwide events. It is not possible to address the serious and profound economic issues of a society only through surficial improvement. Many underdeveloped or developing societies suffer from profound problems such as; unemployment, poverty, lack of economic security and food. Economic growth leads to quantitative improvement of these indicators at an inappropriate growth rate. To solve problems and improve the quality of life, we need to create new infrastructures. The Economic Development Plan is suitable for the country’s economy as a comprehensive vision of direct policy making for economic growth and identifying applicable strategies, programs and projects focusing on local, regional and international capacities. Therefore, in economic development plan we must focus on a comprehensive and competitive view at the same time with flexible use of opportunities and threats so that would be a great solution for planning economic development in the country.”
The Freedom & Economics Seminar, ended by distributing certificates for the participants and taking group photos.
Towards a free and prosperous Afghanistan
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