Qur’an burnings indicate need for mission overhaul

February 28, 2012

Qur’an Burnings Indicate Need for Mission Overhaul

Click here to read a Common Ground News Source article written  by Lisa Schirch and Karim Merchant regarding news of US troops burning copies of the Qur'an in Afghanistan.  This current crisis signals the need for more significant changes to the international forces' mission, as well as the preparation that members of the military receive. Such change must go beyond the current plans for a US drawdown.

Event: Congressional Briefing - Afghan Civil Society

Afghan Civil Society Perspectives: Congressional Briefing

Wednesday February 29, 2012 2pm - 4 pm
B-338 Rayburn – House Office Building

Rep. James McGovern and Rep. John Garamendi for Afghan Civil Society Perspectives with Afghan-made documentary short films, a live video conference with Afghans and expert testimony and roundtable discussion with Michael Sheridan, Director and Founder of Community Supported Film; Peter Lems, Program Director for Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran at American Friends Service Committee and Lisa Schirch, Director of 3P Human Security. 

Please join us at today, Wednesday February 29 at 2pm for an open Congressional Briefing about Afghan Civil Society perspectives on future stability and humanitarian concerns in Afghanistan. The event will feature a live video conference with Afghan NGO directors and filmmakers, a screening of a selection of the Afghan–made documentary shorts The Fruit of Our Labor, and a roundtable discussion with CommunitySupported Film, 3P Human Security, and the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). 

The briefing coincides with the DC opening of AFSC’s Windows and Mirrors Afghan mural exhibit organized with religious members from the Faith Roundtable on Afghanistan.

The Fruit of Our Labor films allow viewers to witness reality through Afghan eyes, offering a deeper understanding of Afghanistan that is crucial for mapping a peaceful and stable path forward and avoiding another humanitarian crisis as US and NATO troops withdraw. The films are a collection of documentary shorts made by Afghans in a training provided by Community Supported Film in Kabul. The films convey the realities and challenges of daily life in Afghanistan and also highlight Afghan-led development initiatives. The Fruit of Our Labor identifies critical areas that need sustained technical and financial support from US and international organizations – such as maternal healthcare, and access to clean water, education, and employment.

Presenter Lisa Schirch will discuss her study:
“Designing a Comprehensive Peace Process for Afghanistan,” which provides evidence of the importance of including Afghan Civil Society in building a stable and peaceful Afghanistan.

Event: Implementation and Procurement Reform

February 21, 2012

As part of the USAID Forward reform agenda, USAID is changing its business processes - seeking to contract with and provide grants to more and varied local partners.

3P attended a presentation on February 21, hosted by InterAction, an alliance of U.S.-based NGO organizations focused on the world’s most poor and vulnerable populations.  More than fifty organizations were represented at the event.  USAID’s General Counsel Lisa Gomer discussed the agency’s recent developments in implementation and procurement reform (IPR).  

Most notably, USAID’s IPR initiative includes revisions to Regulation 22 CFR 228 Source and Nationality Policy which establishes USAID’s source and nationality procurement requirements. The new regulation, published on January 10, 2012, is intended to both simplify and streamline USAID’s procurements by::

1. Authorizing procurements in the recipient and other developing countries along with the United States, as Congress directed in the Foreign Assistance Act, via a new default Geographic Code of 937.
2. Eliminating the requirement to determine the “origin” of a commodity -- a difficult task in today’s globalized economy -- and simplifying and clarifying source and nationality requirements to restrict procurements from foreign government controlled vendors.
3. Streamlining procedures, including those necessary to obtain a waiver in the event goods or services are needed from any other country or region. 

Examples of how the objectives of IPR are being implemented can be viewed here in a September 2011 USAID newsletter.

A Comprehensive Peace Process in Afghanistan

February 20, 2012 

Lisa Schirch presented her research on the design of a comprehensive peace process in Afghanistan with researchers Bart Klem and Jonathan Goodhand on 20 February at London's Chatham House. The Chatham House Presentation was titled "Ptifalls of Peace: Negotiating Settlements in Sri Lanka and Afghanistan", London.  

Click here for a link to the event.

 While in London, Lisa also participated in a panel at the the London School of Economics. This event was titled "Designing a Comprehensive Peace Process in Afghanistan" and focused on the importance of including Afghan civil society in a comprehensive peace process. Lisa presented alongside the US State Department adviser to the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Rina Amiri, Conciliation Resources Director Andy Carl and Open Society Institute staff Fatima Ayub in a discussion on the importance of including Afghan civil society in a comprehensive peace process.  

Iraq delegation in Washington

February 3 - 10, 2012

3P hosted a delegation of four Iraqi civil society leaders in Washington to speak with various offices across the government, policy organizations and NGOs, as well as faith communities and other public audiences about what is happening in Iraq now following the withdrawal of US troops.

To read Delegate Profiles, click here. 

To read a Policy Brief on the role of Iraqi civil society in the post-US era, click here.

Institute For Policy Studies, meeting with Peace Action Group

Widespread insecurity, fear, lack of basic services and jobs continue to weigh heavily on Iraqi families. Meanwhile, Iraq struggles to establish a government that is legitimate, capable, and accountable to the needs of Iraqi people.With the US military presence ended, it is up to Iraqis themselves to ensure the

Open Society Foundation luncheon

government does not return to authoritarian rule. After losing so many Iraqi and American lives over the last 9 years, it is critical for the US to articulate clear and unequivocal support for genuine, democratic process in Iraq that ensures accountable governance, protection of human rights, and a robust civil society sector that allows citizens to directly shape the affairs that affect their lives.

Mennonite Central Committee conducted a survey of over 100 Iraqi NGO leaders that identifies the most pressing priorities of Iraqi civil society.

Click here to read the summary.

Iraqi Delegates with Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach, Director of Mennonite Central Committee Washington Office and John Filson, Program Manager of 3P Human Security.

DC-based peacebuilding and human rights organizations met for a conversation about Iraq's civil society sector and the key factors needed for lasting development and human security.

Camp Atterbury: Afghan Governance & Civil Society

February 2, 2012

Provincial Reconstruction Teams, Camp Atterbury, Indiana

Lisa traveled to Camp Atterbury, a training base and simulated Afghan village in southern Indiana where she was invited to give a keynote dinner talk on Afghan governance and civil society to a group of senior commanders going to Afghanistan.  This presentation focused on the importance of humanitarian space for the safety and contributions of Afghan civil society and international NGOs, highlighting the contributions civil society makes to governance and development throughout the country.