OVERVIEW

The Strengthening Peace Building, Conflict Resolution, and Governance in Afghanistan Activity was established to support peacebuilding efforts in Afghanistan through policy research, provision of grants to Afghan civil society organizations, and technical assistance to strengthen the legitimacy of Afghan government institutions. The Activity’s three goals include: 1) preparing civil society organizations (CSOs) to advocate for conflict resolution, peacebuilding and good governance; 2) informing U.S., Afghan, and international policies and programming through research and fellowships; and 3) helping public officials to govern effectively and legitimately.

ACTIVITIES

• Institutionalize education, training, and curriculum development on peacebuilding and conflict resolution at universities and CSOs
• Counter extremist narratives through multi-media messages to Afghan citizens and by involving youth in sports clinics
• Convene high-level policy meetings and public events on priority issues related to peace and stability in Afghanistan
• Build on lessons learned from the 2014 elections to carry out initiatives to encourage peaceful voter turnout and to create a more informed electorate for forthcoming parliamentary elections
• Work with ARAZI (Afghanistan Independent Land Management Authority) to develop a land registration process and support Afghan government institutions to build dispute resolution mechanisms
• Support efforts to strengthen linkages between formal and informal justice sector actors

EXPECTED RESULTS

• Conduct research on the drivers of conflict, as well as development, governance and peace building priorities
• Support Afghan fellows in-residence to conduct research on relevant policy issues
• Support Afghan journalists involved in investigative/ anti-corruption reporting through training and the development of a journalists network
• Train Afghan government officials and CSOs on use of technologies to improve government transparency and citizen participation
• Provide grants to CSOs to identify new conflict-related problems and develop scalable pilot solutions
• Endorse the pilot curriculum in peace building by the Ministry of Higher Education and its use in other public and private institutions of higher learning
• Shape and influence public policy through high-quality research and policy dialogue
• Test models for linking formal and informal justice bodies and publish key lessons learned