The Asia Foundation

Skills and needs assessment to determine training needs of Independent Election Commission (IEC) staff. This assessment informed the implementation of capacity-building activities.

Discussion groups in Jalalabad province for 200 community leaders in Pashto and Dari on 10 topics related to women’s rights within an Islamic perspective.

Discussion groups in Samangan province for 150 community leaders in Dari on 10 topics related to women’s rights within an Islamic perspective.

Three-month preparatory course for the National College entrance examination for 50 girls in Kandahar city; Discussion groups in Kandahar province for 200 community leaders in Pashto on 10 topics related to women’s rights within an Islamic perspective.

Discussion groups in Baghlan province for 150 community leaders in Dari on 10 topics related to women’s rights within an Islamic perspective.

Production of seven video quiz shows related to increasing citizens’ awareness about political processes. The shows were recorded in seven different regions across Afghanistan and were telecast nationally on the national Television of Afghanistan.

Acquisition and distribution of more than 40,000 books valued at nearly $1.6 million to 159 schools, universities, and libraries across Afghanistan.

Analytical write-up on “Contemporary Challenges to Human Security in Afghanistan” using data from the Foundation’s 2006 public opinion poll, Afghanistan in 2006, A Survey of Afghan People.  Developed as part of a companion set of analytical papers on the survey for publication in December 2006; Participation in negotiating a National Peace and Unity Forum.

Participation in three modules of Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections (BRIDGE) training by 52 master trainers representing FEFA in all provinces, with staff of the Independent Election Commission; Participation by FEFA core staff in management skills trainings conducted by BRAC; Participation by member organizations of the FEFA network in financial training; Core FEFA staff continued English-language courses.

Awareness-raising through banners, posters, and poetry on the National Assembly and provincial councils was included as part of the annual Apple Flower Festival in Wardak province. This one-day event gathered more than 2,000 community participants from civil society groups, government, and academia.

Production of five editions of the interactive comic magazine, Roshani, targeting young high school students on information related to government structures, the constitution, and the National Assembly. Each edition of the magazine was printed in 7,000 copies and distributed in eight provinces.

Three-month preparatory course for the National College entrance examination for 50 girls in Kapisa province.

Production of eight television dramas to inform citizens about political rights of citizens, the new parliament, and role of provincial councils. These video dramas were broadcast in both Badakhshan province and Takhar province television stations; the audio version of these dramas was aired on local radio stations.

Posted 50 articles and five commentaries on women and Islam in the Afghan context in Dari and Pashto on the Women and Islam Afghanistan page of the website, www.womenandislam.net.

One-day conference on awareness-raising on the elimination of violence against women; Development of brochures and posters for International Women’s Day events hosted by the Ministry.

Production of two educational posters, a booklet, and brochure on governance and rule of law for the members of the Community Development Councils in four provinces.

Participation in the planning and rapid assessment for the Ministry of Women’s Affairs Initiative to Strengthen Policy and Advocacy through Communications and Institution Building.

Two study tours facilitated for Independent Election Commission (IEC) commissioners, the chief electoral officer, and heads of departments to India and Australia to exchange with the respective election commissions. Through the tour, IEC gained fruitful experiences regarding elections in more developed democracies and exchanged with them the situation prevailing during elections in Afghanistan.

Participation of five religious officials from the Ministry of Hajj and Awqaaf in a four-day study tour to Bangladesh to observe and learn from the successful USAID-funded Leaders Outreach Initiative program; Reciprocal exchange visit from three religious officials from Bangladesh to Afghanistan for a four-day visit.

Technical assistance through five international consultants and three national consultants to support the Ministry of Women’s Affairs in the following areas: improve policy development through effective information collection systems; strengthen capacity of ministry provincial offices; establish a Media and Communications  Directorate and Office of the MoWA spokesperson.

Editorial board to develop and approve content for 50 articles in Dari and Pashto to post on the on the Women and Islam Afghanistan page of the website at www.womenandislam.net. Content included the spiritual role of women in Afghan society, women and social and political participation, Gender Equality in Islam, legal rights of women in Islam, violence against women, Islamic Perspective of Hijab, and Qur’anic References to Women.

Short documentary film on the Afghan Institute of Learning’s Mirbachakot Health Clinic for presentation to the donor; documentation of the 2006 survey process.

A public release of findings from Afghanistan in 2010: A Survey of the Afghan People.

A breakfast discussion with the program manager in The Asia Foundation's Afghanistan office, sharing insights on the current situation facing Afghan women and how engaging men can improve social justice for women.

Promoting gender equity and women's rights within an Islamic framework in South Asia, as part of a regional program across Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan through: developing a training curriculum for Muslim leaders on women's human rights; fostering an exchange of ideas and discourse in South Asia on the relationship of Islam, human rights, and women's rights; creating a locally appropriate training curriculum for religious leaders in South Asia to advance social justice for women; and expanding and strengthening regional networks of Muslim scholars and leaders working to advance women's rights in the context of Islam.

Local Partner:

Research and Cultural Center of Imam Shaibani in Afghanistan

Promoting gender equity and women's rights within an Islamic framework in South Asia, as part of a regional program across Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan through: developing a training curriculum for Muslim leaders on women's human rights; fostering an exchange of ideas and discourse in South Asia on the relationship of Islam, human rights, and women's rights; creating a locally appropriate training curriculum for religious leaders in South Asia to advance social justice for women; and expanding and strengthening regional networks of Muslim scholars and leaders working to advance women's rights in the context of Islam.

Providing continuous technical assistance and training for a variety of Afghan government counterparts at the Government Media Information Center.

Providing technical assistance of an American videographer, who has also conducted training for a variety of Afghan government counterparts and media representatives.

A delegation including Afghanistan's minister of education, to visit Washington and Charlottesville, Virginia, as part of a series of high-level meetings to observe the functioning of the American public education system and to meet with American educators to exchange ideas and best practices.

Supporting the Washington State University e-Learning and English Support Project, which promotes e-learning and computer-assisted English-language capabilities at seven universities in Afghanistan.

Providing Afghan university English majors and recent graduates with the opportunity to gain intensive professional English-language teaching training in India, and prepare them for future careers as university English instructors in Afghanistan.

Local Partners:

English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad, India; Regional Institute of English, Chandigarh, India

Increasing the range and quality of services available in the Bamiyan and Kunduz provinces by providing financial support and capacity building to civil society organizations delivering educational, programmatic, and economic services in these provinces.

Local Partners:

Cooperation for Peace and Unity; Human Dignity Society; Marwa Cultural Development Organization; Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Services for Afghanistan; Solidarite Afghan Belgique

Acquisition and distribution of 30,000 books, 245 journals, and 882 educational CDs to 173 schools, universities, public libraries, and other institutions in Afghanistan. In addition, distribution of 64,600 Hoopoe books to 323 schools.

Improving communication and coordination between governmental and non-governmental peace workers to increase the local sense of ownership, addressing legitimacy of efforts, and nurturing long-term sustainability. Restoring relationships between community members by operating on the ground-level and making recommendations to more effectively execute peacebuilding efforts from the ground to the national-level.

Regional partnership with the Department for International Development (U.K.), including 7 countries (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Timor-Leste, Thailand, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka), that is working to improve state-society relations in conflict-affected areas throughout the region. Helping to reduce mistrust and alienation between conflict-affected communities and state authorities. Strengthening and expanding locally driven efforts to improve governance and resolve disputes. Contributing to improved understanding of aid effectiveness in conflict-affected and fragile states.

Contributing to the quality of English-language education in Afghanistan through placement of English Language Fellows in Afghan universities. Enhancing the English-language capabilities of Afghan faculty and students at Kabul University, Kabul Educational University, Herat University, and Herat Educational University through improved curricula, teacher training, and teaching methods imparted by the English Language Fellows.

A discussion held at the National Geographic Society addressing the successes and challenges of working to advance the rights of women in Afghanistan.

A delegation from Ghazni, Afghanistan visiting the Washington, DC area to promote goodwill and friendship and highlight the city's selection as the 2013 Capital of Islamic Culture. The delegation of Afghan government officials, including the governor of Ghazni as well as Afghan journalists, visited the nation's capital for a series of meetings before traveling to Hayward, California, the Sister City of Ghazni.

Coordination of U.S. Embassy-funded exchanges between the Sister Cities of Hayward, California, and the historic city and province of Ghazni, Afghanistan, with the dual focus on exploring good governance and promoting awareness of Ghazni designation as a "Capital of Islamic Culture" in 2013.

Building broad-based support for women’s rights in Afghanistan and increasing the capacity of the Department of Women’s Affairs (DoWA) to effectively advocate for, represent, and counsel women; and working in close partnership with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, the Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs, the Office of the State Minister for Parliamentarian Affairs, relevant government bodies and officials, key religious leaders, and local partners to implement the program. Striving to set a stage for the mainstreaming of women’s rights in Afghanistan by working with religious leaders and key government officials toward the dissemination of women’s rights information to local communities.

Local Partners:

Opinion Research Center of Afghanistan; Research and Cultural Center of Imam Shaibani

Facilitating training and exchange programs for other Asia Foundation offices, including: participation by three Indian experts in the Asian Approaches to Development Cooperation Dialogue; visits to New Delhi by four senior facilitators of the Nepal Transition to Peace project; participation by two Indians in a Leaders of Influence study program in Bangladesh; participation of 50 Afghan students in English-language training programs in Chandigarh and Hyderabad; and placement and monitoring of two Luce Scholars in India.

Contributing to the establishment of an effective ministry, one that is capable of contributing to sustained improvements in the rural economy of Afghanistan through provision of technical assistance, training, and institutional support.

Enhancing MoWA's capacity to be a credible, visible, and effective advocate for women's rights within the government and within Afghan society.

Local Partner:

Sayara Media and Communications

Providing training and support for key staff in the Office of Administrative Affairs and Council of Ministers Secretariat to improve the effectiveness of their operations and coordination with other ministries.

Assisting the Afghan government in addressing the multi-faceted weaknesses and problems of subnational governance at the provincial levels. Providing additional operational and community resources to provincial government entities to further strengthen the effectiveness and responsiveness of subnational governance in Afghanistan.

Local Partners:

Governors' Offices through the Independent Directorate of Local Governance

Increasing understanding and awareness of the Afghan labor law and international labor standards within the ministry, other government institutions at the national and provincial levels, civil society organizations, and Afghan society.

Increasing the quality of educational opportunities for students and educational institutions through capacity building, technical support, and a flexible small grants program. Providing assessments that allows partners, as well as the government, to assess certain activities for possible replication or as a model for the country.

Local Partners:

Afghan Center at Kabul University; Afghan Child Education and Care Organization; Aid Afghanistan for Education; Ministry of Education (Human Resource Development Board and National Science Center); Ministry of Higher Education

Building the skills of civil society organizations (CSOs), government bodies, and political parties involved in civic education and elections processes by providing learning-by-doing training sessions in communications, finance, monitoring and evaluation, and democracy, elections, and governance. Supporting the goals and objectives of the Independent Election Commission, political parties, and various members of Afghan civil society.

Local Partners:

Afghan Institute of Business Management; Afghanistan Association of Electoral Officials; Afghanistan Financial Services; Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan; Members of the Afghan BRIDGE Community; Peace & Humanitarian Organization

Supporting improvements at Bibi Mahro School, Kabul, and contributing to a positive learning environment.

Local Partner:

Bibi Mahro Girls' Primary School

Supporting upgrades to the Lama-e-Shaheed Girls' High School and contributing to a positive learning environment.

Local Partner:

Lama-e-Shaheed Girls' High School

Strengthening and expanding ties between the United States and Afghanistan through a cultural exchange program between Americans and governmental and civil society leaders in Ghazni province. Providing administrative and logistical support for a delegation of Americans to Afghanistan (Kabul and Ghazni) and of Afghans to the United States.

Gathering first-hand opinions from a broad and nationally representative sample of Afghan citizens on a variety of contemporary governance and development-related issues. Providing policymakers in government, the international community, and the broader Afghan public with reliable data as they make decisions and craft future policy.

Local Partner:

Afghanistan Center for Socio-Economic Research

Increasing the engagement and knowledge of male and female religious and tribal leaders with the wider Islamic world through a series of exchange visits to other Muslim countries. Contributing to a broader understanding of how scholars and community leaders of other Muslim nations are able to accommodate and negotiate with contemporary issues of human rights, women's rights, democracy, minority rights, ethics, tolerance and social development, and transitional justice.

Responding to the heavy impact, from many years of disruption and conflict, on government and civil institutions in Faryab province to promote social stability and civic engagement. Promoting both through the recognition of religion in Afghan society. Working with both governmental and nongovernmental institutions, religious leaders and institutions, and community leaders, to reduce the gap between government and people and to engage them in social development and strengthen local governance.

Local Partner:

Masjid and Madrasa Rehabilitation Foundation

Improving access to justice for women in Kunduz province through increasing understanding and support of women's rights among local women and key provincial actors by working with both male and female Community Dialogue Groups, female Madrasas, community leaders, provincial Ulama council and Khateebs of Masjids. Establishing mechanisms between formal and informal justice systems to resolve cases in favor of women including DoWA and Ending Violence Against Women (EVAW) committees. Developing a training curriculum for community and government stakeholders after religious leaders and scholars have reviewed the EVAW law.

Local Partners:

Afghanistan Youth & Cultural Foundation; Educational Center for Women

Technical and institutional support for the ACKU research facility and for the Afghanistan Box Library Extension (ABLE) program.

Civic education for homebound women in Kandahar and Paktiya provinces; Broadcasting civic education materials on local radio in 19 provinces (Badghis, Dai Kundi, Farah, Ghazni, Ghor, Helmand, Jowzjan, Kandahar, Khost, Kunar, Laghman, Nangarhar, Nimroz, Paktia, Paktika, Samangan, Takhar, Uruzgan, and Zabul).

Training of female secondary science teachers in Nangarhar province to strengthen the quality of teaching and increase the availability of professional teachers in this discipline.

Training program in Kabul and Uruzgan provinces.

Developing economic profiles of Balkh, Bamiyan, Herat, and Nangarhar provinces. 

Promoting and expanding knowledge relating to women's rights in Afghanistan.

Civic education program of mock elections in provinces of Baghlan, Balkh, Ghazni, Helmand, Herat, Kabul, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khost, Kunar, Laghman, Logar, Maidan, Parwan, Samangan, Uruzgan, and Wardak; Training program in Helmand and Jawzjan provinces; Youth and election workshops in Balkh and Bamiyan provinces.

Survey research for the 2010 Afghan Public Opinion Survey.

Support for participation of two staff members in the Nature Action Forum, which brought together teams from around the world to share their experiences and learn new skills for connecting children with nature.

Workshops on civic education for religious leaders in 34 provinces; Youth and election workshops in the provinces of Herat and Nangarhar.

Developing, translating, and disseminating a research paper on university student politics.

Translation of training modules on strategic planning and voter information into Dari and Pashto.

The U.S. release of The Asia Foundation's findings from its sixth public opinion poll in Afghanistan, Afghanistan in 2010: A Survey of the Afghan People.

Providing remedial education for female students in three districts of Kabul and eight provinces.

Roundtable discussion featuring Ambassador Gautam Mukhopadhaya, a senior diplomat in India's Ministry of External Affairs, and an Asia Foundation regional security studies fellow. The ambassador conducted research at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace focusing on U.S. policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan and its implications for India and the region.

Supporting the ANFREL international election mission team to observe the 2010 national elections; Training for domestic election observers in the Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA).

Painting murals for civic and voter education.

Youth and election workshops in provinces of Farah, Helmand, Kandahar, Kunar, Laghman, Paktya, Parwan, and Uruzgan.

Acquisition and distribution of more than 42,715 books, CDs, and journals to 236 schools, universities, civil society organizations, governmental institutions, and other institutions across Afghanistan.

Conducting a peacebuilding education program in Kunduz province.

Strengthening the capacity of the Directorate of Women's Affairs of Nangarhar province.

Civic education through mobile theater in Badghis, Baghlan, Kandahar, Khost, Kunduz, Laghman, Nangarhar, and Wardak provinces; Civic education information desks in governmental institutions in 34 provinces.

Female election observers deployment training to strengthen the role of female observers in Badakhshan, Baghlan, Farah, Ghor, Kapisa, Kunar, Logar, Maidan, Nimroz, Parwan, Panjshir, Samangan, Sarpol, and Takhan provinces.

Technical and institutional support.

Strategic support to the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan including anti-corruption initiatives; Advisory support to the OAA and Council of Ministers Secretariat on center of government functions; Information and Communications Technology support to the OSMPA; Advisory support to the OSMPA on executive-legislative relations and harmonious working relationships within the Three Pillars system of the Constitution.

Promoting and expanding knowledge relating to women’s rights in Afghanistan; Increasing protection of women’s rights within Islam and women’s access to justice in Kunduz province.

Performance-based operational funding for 34 provincial governor’s offices; Technical assistance to provincial administrations in planning, budgeting, and auditing; Support to the IDLG at the central level; Technical support to governor’s offices in Helmand and Uruzgan provinces.

Support for the Public Outreach Department’s publication of Youth and Democracy books and IEC quarterly magazine; Institutional support for the IEC Resource Center; Participation in a librarianship study tour with the Library of Congress, Islamabad, Pakistan; Training for the External Relations Department; Translation of training modules on electoral training, civic education, voter information, and strategic planning; Training for political parties.

International conference that brought together senior government officials and development specialists from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Korea to identify and discuss some of their key development and security challenges.

Improvements in classrooms and educational facilities.

Supporting a poultry production and training program in Kunduz province.

Strategic support to MAIL including preparation of an organizational assessment to determine the longer-term organizational structure, functions, and required capacities of MAIL; Improving basic MAIL operations and identifying “quick impact” organizational improvements; Providing staff support to MAIL departments.

Technical assistance from Geopolicity, Inc. for conduct of education sector analysis.

Fellowship for a foreign service officer at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace to conduct research and engage in discussions with policy specialists on challenges on the Pakistan/Afghanistan border and the implications for U.S.-India relations; Participation of four foreign service officers in a two-week course on U.S. Foreign Policy at George Washington University's Elliot School of International Affairs, followed by a study tour to promote greater understanding of U.S. foreign policy and domestic issues that may influence U.S.-India relations.

Participation of 20 officials in a program on regional cooperation.

Supporting the Centre for Regional Cooperation; Support for the Kabul Conference; English-language training program for diplomats and staff.

Supporting the operations and programs of the Women’s Dormitory, Kabul University.

Technical assistance and training to strengthen implementation of the labor law and labor administration; Public awareness of the new labor law.

Participation of 12 officials in an exposure visit to India.

Strengthening MoWA’s institutional capacity to advocate for women in Afghanistan; Participation in visits to ministries of women’s affairs in India and Malaysia.

Panel discussion featuring The Asia Foundation's country representatives in Nepal and the Philippines, Dr. George Varughese and Dr. Steven Rood respectively; Dr. William S. Cole, the Foundation's senior director for Governance, Law, and Civil Society Programs; Letitia Butler, director of policy at USAID; and moderated by Tom Carothers, vice president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The panel focused on the effectiveness of political economy approaches to economic and political development programs in both conflict and non-conflict environments.

A roundtable on the findings of the nationwide public opinion poll, “Afghanistan in 2009: A Survey of the Afghan People”; Internship program related to survey research for the 2010 Afghan Public Opinion Survey.

Support for the National Consultative Peace Jirga.

Strengthening the capacity of the Directorate of Women’s Affairs and the Women’s Job Readiness Initiative in Kandahar province.

Study of current and prospective initiatives to promote Pak-Afghan trade and other track-two initiatives as a means to facilitate the Pak-Afghan peace process.

Community agricultural training and women’s rural enterprise development in the Bamiyan Family Park; Incorporating psychosocial training curriculum for Afghan school girls into the Kabul University’s Psychology Department’s professional training program.

Institutional support for the school’s computer lab.

Promoting and expanding knowledge of women's rights within an Islamic framework with religious leaders in Afghanistan.

Youth and election workshops in Ghazni, Kabul, Kapisa, Khost, Kunduz, Logar, Maidan, and Panjshir provinces.

Strengthening the capacity of the Directorate of Women’s Affairs and the Women’s Job Readiness Initiative in Kabul province.

Training and strengthening production of an orchard in Bamiyan province.

Civic and voter education for women by women.

Training of women on elections in Kapisa, Laghman, Panjshir, and Parwan provinces.

Washington D.C. launch of "Afghanistan in 2009: A Survey of the Afghan People" featuring The Asia Foundation's technical advisor & program officer and deputy country representative in Kabul. The speakers discussed the fifth comprehensive public opinion survey conducted in all 34 of Afghanistan's provinces, and was moderated by the director for Afghanistan and Pakistan at the United States Institute of Peace.

Assisting the School for the Blind in Kabul and the Faizabad Girls' High School in Badakshan province to improve their educational facilities.

Upgrading the teaching skills and subject knowledge of secondary school teachers in mathematics and science subjects in Kabul and Parwan province.

Survey research for the nationwide public opinion poll, "Afghanistan in 2009: A Survey of the Afghan People" and other capacity-building projects.

Facilitating consultation on sub-national governance policy in 17 provinces; the implementation of the training for teachers of the college preparatory course in 33 provinces.

Raising awareness about the democratic process and women’s participation for the 2009 Afghan presidential election.

Developing skills and capacities for teachers in Nangarhar Province.

Support to the Afghan Government Media Center.

Promoting and expanding knowledge relating to women's rights in Afghanistan.

Providing a series of training workshops to the Policy Staff of the Office of Administrative Affairs.

Conducting a Peace Jirga in Uruzgan province.

Implementation of Gender and Election trainings in three provinces (Uruzgan, Paktika, and Khost).

Research for a briefing paper on mapping of student politics from an organizational point of view and how political parties recruit students on campus which will be distributed in three languages to government officials, NGOs, Afghan universities, and international stakeholders.

Providing remedial education programs for female students in three districts of Kabul and four provinces.

Providing media and journalism training for Ministry of Women's Affairs staff.

Assisting the establishment of a Model United Nations Club at American University of Afghanistan (AUAf) and participation of an eight-member delegation to attend a Model UN conference in Germany.

Supporting the ANFREL international election observation team to observe the 2009 Afghan presidential and provincial council elections.

Producing seven Public Service Announcements in Dari and Pashto languages on the promotion of girls' education and on women’s successful struggles to promote their rights.

Acquisition and distribution of more than 43,000 books, CDs, and journals to 279 schools, universities, civil society organizations, and other institutions across Afghanistan.

Provincial profiling of Ghazni province.

Encouraging women to increase their participation in elections as a basic element of democracy.

Developing skills and capacities for peace within Afghanistan.

Producing public service announcements in Dari and Pashto on the promotion of women's participation in the political process through radio and television.

Strengthening the role of female election observers in the Afghan democratic process.

Strategic support to the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan including anti-corruption initiatives; English-language training program for diplomats and staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA); Support to OSMPA for a program providing technical support to the Office of State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs to nurture harmonious working of the Three Pillars system of the Constitution; Support to raise awareness of civil society about the Constitution.

Support to the Independent Directorate for Local Governance at the central level, as well as the Strategic Coordination Unit of IDLG; Technical support to governors' offices in Helmand and Uruzgan provinces.

Broadening awareness of democracy through support for public outreach and civic education; Study tours for IEC officials to observe international electoral processes.

Coordinating with Rabia-e Balkhi High School Resource Center to provide IT training for 1,200 female students; Operating costs for Rabia-e Balkhi High School Resource Center.

Supporting Kabul University and the Pashto Language department.

Supporting the American University of Afghanistan; Technical assistance and small grants to support emerging educational needs.

Promoting social justice for women.

Donation of books to educational institutions across Afghanistan through the Books for Asia program.

Review and streamlining of Afghan labor laws.

Technical assistance to strengthen MoWA's institutional capacity to advocate for women of Afghanistan.

Promoting peacebuilding activities at Afghan universities; Establishing a Peace Studies Network.

Developing a psychosocial training for Afghan school girls in Kabul and incorporating the resulting curriculum into Kabul University's Psychology Department's training program for professionals; Educating children at orphanages and formal schools through the "Healthy Afghan Girls Program" in Kabul.

Improvements to the National Women's Dormitory at Kabul University.

Facilitation for 26 officials of the Afghanistan Labor Ministry to participate in a training program on "International Labor Law: Code and Conduct" held in New Delhi.

Increasing the quality of education in five girls' schools.

Support to the Afghan Social Outreach Program pilot project in Wardak Province; Facilitating consultation on sub-national governance policy in 17 provinces.

Promoting women's fundamental rights to dignity, respect, and decisionmaking in Afghanistan.

Training for local girls’ school teachers in hands-on science education methodologies in the Dowlat Yar district.

Design, layout, and printing of an electronic camera ready copy of “Afghanistan in 2008: A Survey of Afghan People.”

Installation of equipment at the Office of Presidential Spokesperson, Government Media Center, training to media technicians, and design of the Presidential Office Website; Development and broadcasting of public service announcements for Ministry of Education Preparatory Course program.

Two rounds of exposure visits for staff of the Afghan President’s Office of Chief of Staff and Office of Administrative Affairs.

Facilitation of regional consultations on sub-national governance policy; Monitored training provided by focal points in 34 provinces in connection with the Ministry of Education Preparatory Course program.

Collection and purchase of books from organizations, and publishers, and preparation of mobile libraries for 10 provinces.

Series of training workshops for the policy staff of key government institutions on policy-related processes.

Implementation of a long-term measurement of public opinion on political processes, government performance, and hope/concern for the future across Afghanistan through nationwide survey: “Afghanistan in 2008: A Survey of the Afghan People.” The survey reached over 6,500 respondents in 34 provinces.

Logistics management and facilitation of Regional Peace Jirga in Urugzan Province.

Nine-member delegation from Afghanistan Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development to meet with counterparts at the Ministry of Panchayati Raj in India for their First Meeting of the India-Afghanistan Joint Working Group on Local Governance.

Eight-member delegation of government officials from the Afghanistan Office of Administrative Affairs to attend a Rai Foundation-sponsored South Asia Regional Forum, “Global Network of Government Innovators,” at the Ash Institute in New Delhi.

Training for Afghan ministry officials and members of the president’s staff with government institutions in India; Support to attend regional conferences in India on government innovations, and learning exchanges on administrative reforms.

Operational and logistical support for participation in an NGO network.

Remedial education programs for 801 female students in three districts of Kabul province and three other
provinces of Afghanistan.

Financial and administrative support and oversight.

Support for foreign policy experts from Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka to attend a regional conference in New Delhi to discuss America’s Role in Asia.

Establishment of computer class center for a minority group in Baluch district.

Acquisition and distribution of more than 35,000 books, CDs, and journals to 171 schools, universities, civil society organizations, and other institutions across Afghanistan.

Recruitment and training of highly qualified and professional Afghans for research purposes; Data collection and profile creation of provinces, districts, and villages to find active political personalities; Daily and weekly collection and analysis of political and security developments for the newly decreed Independent Directorate for Local Governance.

Developing skills and capacities for peace within Afghanistan through research.

Initial operational and logistical support for newly established IDLG; Pilot implementation of Afghan Social Outreach Program; Establishment and operations of Strategic Coordination Unit.

Information technology support for the Chief of Staff’s Office, Office of Administrative Affairs, Council of Ministers, Afghan Government Media Center, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Independent Directorate for Local Governance, Peace Jirga Secretariat, Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan, Presidential Protection Services, Office of the Vice President, and Ministry of Women’s Affairs which included planning, deployment, and support of enterprise level network and systems infrastructures and applications; Information technology training and strategic planning assistance.

Oversight and financial management for Rabia-e Balki Girls High School Resource Center.

Technical assistance and logistical support.

Nationwide implementation of the National College Entrance Examination Preparatory Course for 120,000 students.

Development of a strategic reform policy document for MOFA and implementation of key recommendations; English and IT training for MOFA staff; Arrangement of regional study visits.

Building the policy advocacy capacity of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and its 34 provincial departments across the country.

Provision of long-term technical advisors in monitoring and evaluation; Capacity building for staff of OAA; Logistic and infrastructural support.

Provision of a long-term technical advisor; Development of a code of conduct for the Three Pillars (executive, legislative, and judicial); Capacity building for staff of the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs.

Support for high-level technical advisors for the Office of the President.

Provision of a short-term technical advisor; Establishment and operation of Afghan Government Media Center (AGMC); Staff capacity building support of AGMC.

Capacity building for staff of the Peace Jirga Secretariat; Logistic and infrastructural support.

Implementation of Healthy Afghan Girls Program through a Psychosocial Training, serving 150 girls and 15 teachers.

Continued support for educational programs at Rabia-e Balkhi Girls high school, including more books and educational materials for their library, additional computers, a projector for their computer center, and an increased number of workshops and conferences undertaken in their conference facilities.

Rehabilitation and improvement to the computer room, TV room, the clinic, resource rooms and cosmetic improvements to the women’s dormitory of Kabul University.

Participation of three staff of Ministry of Women’s Affairs to participate in the global conference on Violence Against Women.

Study visit for five high-level staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to conduct an assessment of Afghan Embassies in four different countries in the central Asia region: Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan; Support to three high-ranking Afghan Government officials to participate in the conference, “Effective Capacity Building for Senior Public Officials,” conducted by the International Institute of Public Policy and Management at the University of Malaya; Facilitation of a study tour for four staff from the Independent Election Commission to exchange with the respective election commission staff in Australia and Nepal; Facilitation of a study visit for 11 officials from counterparts in the Indian Government, the Independent Directorate for Local Governance and Ministry for Rehabilitation and Rural Development; Study tour for 21 Afghan Government officials representing various ministries and departments to visit Malaysia for IMPUMA 2008 training; Study tour to facilitate the Deputy Chief of Staff to participate in “Leaders in Development” conference; Support to Member of Parliament, Ms. Shinkai Zahine Karokhail, to participate in the “International Leaders Forum” in Denver, Colorado; Support to three ranking Afghan Government officials to participate in training on “Senior Management Program” conducted by Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in the National University of Singapore.

Nationwide training of 5,400 teachers involved in the Ministry of Education Preparatory Exam Course.

Support to the Afghan Independent Election Commission on capacity building through one international consultant, one national consultant, and six seconded staff (four translators and two public outreach officers); Secondment of 23 staff to the Ministry of State for Parliamentary Affairs; Secondment of nine staff and one international consultant to the Office of Administrative Affairs (Monitoring and Evaluation Department); Secondment of five staff to Peace Jirga Secretariat; Secondment of eight staff and one international consultant to the Independent Directorate for Local Governance; Secondment of 11 staff and two international consultants to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Secondment of nine staff and one international consultant to the Afghan Government Media Centre; Support to strengthen the Center of Government through Insight Solutions, and more than 15 international and national technical consultants; Technical assistance provided for facilities, information technology, training, administrative work processes, policy processes, and human resource management.

Technical assistance through three international consultants and six national consultants to support the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWa) in the following areas: improving policy development through effective information collection systems; strengthening the capacity of ministry provincial offices; establishing a Media and Communications Directorate and Office of MoWA spokesperson.

English course for staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Research to strengthen government institutions at the sub-national level and the implementation of the Afghan Social Outreach Program in Wardak Province; Facilitation of regional consultation on sub-national governance policy.

Analyzed the nationwide public opinion survey, Afghanistan in 2006, A Survey of Afghan People.

Design, layout, and printing of Afghanistan in 2006, A Survey of Afghan People.

Civic Education Resource Center; Monthly civic education coordination meetings; Development of a database of the Afghan civil society; Development of civic education training manuals.

Field assessment of National College Entrance Examination preparatory course in seven provinces.

Production of 23 radio programs related to the formation of a new parliament and citizen participation in political processes. Materials included a 15-minute drama and a 15-minute interactive dialogue broadcast across Afghanistan through a network of independent radio stations.

Conducted five-day intensive library catalog training in three provinces for 52 librarians.  Distributed cataloging materials to eight regional libraries.

Conducted twelve discussion groups in Jalalabad province for 300 community leaders in Pashto and Dari on ten topics related to women’s rights within an Islamic perspective.

Conducted nine Dari-language discussion groups in Samangan province for 225 community leaders and women on topics related to women’s rights within an Islamic perspective.

Nationwide public opinion survey, Afghanistan in 2006, A Survey of Afghan People, which reached 6,000 respondents in 32 provinces.

Conducted a women’s leadership course for 38 girls from five prominent high schools in
Kabul.

Conducted ten Pashto-language discussion groups in Kandahar province for 250 community
leaders on topics related to women’s rights within an Islamic perspective.

Participation in an NGO network; Operational costs.

Financial and administrative support and oversight.

Luncheon featuring The Asia Foundation’s Afghanistan Deputy Country Representative, Dr. George Varughese and then-Pakistan Country Representative, Mr. Hamid Sharif. The event was moderated by Ms. Ellen Laipson, President and CEO of the Henry L. Stimson Center and an Asia Foundation trustee.  Dr. Varughese and Mr. Sharif provided an insight into the political developments in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.  Additionally, the luncheon included a presentation of the findings of The Asia Foundation survey, Afghanistan in 2006, the largest public opinion poll ever administered in Afghanistan. 

Internet facilities for the students and lecturers of Bamiyan University.  More than 80% of the students and lecturers use these facilities.

Acquisition and distribution of more than 45,796 books to 185 schools, universities, civil
society and other institutions across Afghanistan.

Content analysis of Pazhwak and Killid magazines by professional reporters; One-week training of trainers on investigative journalism conducted by three international trainers for CIJ trainers; Two provincial workshops conducted for 40 reporters from different provinces; Two-week workshop on the basics of journalism with 20 journalists in attendance; 40 investigative reports on different topics written for publication from different parts of the country; Assessment of CIJ internal management and financial systems.

Sponsored the Negotiating National Unity project; travel for a participant coming from Singapore to Kabul.

Recruitment and training of Afghan researchers; data collection; profiling of provinces, districts and villages; political and security analysis for the newly-decreed Independent Directorate for Local Governance (IDLG).

Analysis of survey data in seven regions of Afghanistan and dissemination of survey findings through presentations and roundtables.

Set up a reading room with shelves, tables and chairs for the 600 students at the Ministry
of Education-supported Darul-Ulum Boys Madrassa in Kabul.

Breakfast discussion featuring The Asia Foundation’s Country Representative in Afghanistan, Dr. George Varughese.  The discussion focused on the findings contained within The Asia Foundation’s publication: State Building, Political Progress, and Human Security in Afghanistan: Reflections on a Survey of the Afghan People, a compendium of Afghanistan in
2006.

Capacity building for FEFA secretariat; participation in a BRAC-Afghanistan training in public relations and presentation skills; training in Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections (BRIDGE); and organization and monitoring of civil voter registration in three districts.

 Communicating Afghan government and democracy processes in Wardak province.

Celebration of International Women’s Day in Kabul province through awareness-raising on basic legal documents for 250 women.

Production of seven editions of an interactive comic magazine, Roshani, targeting young women, students, and teachers with information about market research, content and creative development. HDCAW engaged writers, designers, and artists; and received assistance from the Afghan Civil Society Forum, the Center for International Journalism, and the Independent Election Commission.

Operational and logistical support for the newly established directorate.

Celebration of International Women’s Day in Kabul province through awareness-raising on basic legal documents for 100 women; oversight of Rabia-e Balkhi resource center and master’s degree program in the Department of Language and Literature at Kabul University.

Support for the first year one of a two-year’s master’s program for 22 master’s degree students; Establishment of a new post-graduate department within the Faculty of Language and Literature at Kabul University.

Provision of audio visual equipment.

Celebration of International Women’s Day in Logar province through awareness-raising on basic legal documents for 400 women and conducted three Dari-language discussion groups in Kabul province for 100 teachers on topics related to women’s rights within an Islamic perspective.

Supported the participation of Minister of Women’s Affairs H.E. Hussn Banu Ghazanfar in a ministerial round-table at the Global Summit of Women in Berlin, Germany. The focus of the summit was on public/private sector partnership to advance economic opportunities for girls and women.

Week-long facilitation workshop for 35 high school teachers to carry out a preparatory course for the National College entrance examination. The course was conducted for 607 boys and 69 girls in Badghis, Helmand, Paktika, Uruzgan, Farah, Saripul, and Samangan provinces.

Development of a strategic reform policy document and implementation of key recommendations.

Technical assistance through five international consultants and three national consultants to: improve policy development through effective information collection systems; strengthen capacity of ministry provincial offices; establish a Public Relations and Information Directorate.

Set up a reading room with shelves, tables and chairs for the 450 students at the Nangarhar
University Law Faculty and furnishings for a mock courtroom.

Twelve-week intensive internship program on research at Kabul University. Twelve students participated.

Provision of a long-term technical advisor; development of a Three-Pillars code of conduct; and staff capacity building.

Support for technical advisors in various institutions and on a variety of issues, including  governance, law and civil society development.

Set up several reading rooms with shelves, tables and chairs for the 2000 inmates at the
Puli-e Charki Detention Center in Kabul.

Continued support for educational programs at Rabia-e Balkhi Girls high school including increased book and educational materials for their library, additional computers and a projector for their computer center, and increased number of workshop and conferences undertaken in their conference facilities.

Support for operational and logistical costs.

Conducted a comprehensive assessment on sub-national governance to identify gaps and inform Foundation programming.

Technical assistance for the Ministry of Women’s Affairs Initiative to Strengthen Policy and Advocacy through Communications and Institution Building.

Facilitated a study tour for four staff from the Independent Election Commission (IEC) to exchange with counterparts in Armenia. Facilitated a visit for ten officials from the Office of Administrative Affairs, the upper and lower houses of Parliament, and the Supreme Court to study the Three Pillars of the Indian Government. Facilitated observer mission to Australia for the November 2007 parliamentary elections.

Capacity building for the Independent Election Commission through five international consultants,  one national consultant, and four seconded translators; Establishment of a resource center at the Independent Election Commission; Secondment of six staff to the Ministry of State for Parliamentary Affairs; Secondment of two staff to the Office of Administrative Affairs, and support to strengthen the Center of Government through Insight Solutions, and more than15 international and national technical consultants; Technical assistance provided for facilities, information technology, training, administrative work processes, policy processes and human resource management.

Support for the March 2007 international conference “Media is Development”, aimed at assessing the effectiveness of Afghanistan’s media and strengthening links with actors both inside and outside the country.