Event: Afghanistan's National Solidarity Program

Afghanistan's National Solidarity Program:
Lessons Learned on NGOs and Government Partnerships in Development

 May 9, 2012

2:30 to 4:00pm

InterAction

 1400 16th Street, NW, Suite 210

Washington, DC 20036

 Speakers:

Clare Lockhart, Institute for State Effectiveness

Karim Merchant, former National Solidarity Program Operational Director

Topic: The National Solidarity Program provides a model for coordinating and aligning efforts of the Afghan government, international assistance, international NGOs, Afghan civil society organizations and local Afghan communities in governance and development. In light of the upcoming Tokyo Conference on International Assistance in Afghanistan in July, as well as broader discussions about Aid Effectiveness in Washington and through the Busan Process, this discussion will examine lessons learned about how to coordinate diverse stakeholders to support both governance and development.

RSVP: Lisa Schirch, 3P Human Security at schirchl@emu.edu

Co-sponsored by the Institute for State Effectiveness, 3P Human Security and InterAction

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.

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.  

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. 

Formal & Informal Governance in Afghanistan

January 23, 2011

Linking Formal and Informal Governance in Afghanistan

Lisa Schirch presented on a panel at the Center for Naval Analysis, Arlington, Virginia, examining cultural approaches to governance and stabilization along with former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Rosa Brooks.  3P's presentation on "Linking Formal and Informal Governance in Afghanistan" was  co-written with Karim Merchant and has been submitted in chapter form for publication in a forthcoming book.

Bonn Civil Society Forum Afghanistan

Dec 2 - 3, 2011 

3P attended the Bonn, Germany Civil Society Forum on Afghanistan

Also read our Common Ground News Service Article: Afghan Civil Society Calls for Just Peace.

Watch our 5 minute YouTube video to hear about Afghan civil society and their messages to the international community: Civil Society Forum Afghanistan - Bonn 2011

Afghan Peace Process in Comparative Perspective

November 29, 2011

Designing a Comprehensive Peace Process for Afghanistan
3P presented research at the US Institute of Peace (USIP) and at private briefings at the Pentagon and State Department.  The panel discussion event at USIP focused on a recent USIP PeaceWorks report, “Designing a Comprehensive Peace Process for Afghanistan.”  Presenters included Lisa Schirch from 3P, Nilofar Sakhi who also contributed to the same paper.  Other panelists included Hamish Nixon, Project Coordinator USIP, Peace Research Institute Oslo and Caroline Hartzell, USIP Jennings Randolph Fellow.
 

Research on this topic was undertaken by 3P during five trips to Kabul, Afghanistan, and one trip to Pakistan between 2009 and 2011. This report, sponsored by the Center for Conflict Management at the U.S. Institute of Peace, draws on comparative research literature on peace processes to identify lessons applicable to Afghanistan and makes recommendations to the international community, the Afghan government, and Afghan civil society for ensuring a more comprehensive, successful, and sustainable peace process.

Afghanistan: Corruption Monitoring

July 5 - 8, 2011 

Integrity Watch Afghanistan Visits Congress

3P hosted the Afghan NGO Integrity Watch Afghanistan visit to Washington DC, setting up meetings for their Director of Policy and Communications Karolina Olofsson.

 The U.S. has an important role in supporting community-based corruption monitoring by requiring contractors to share information with local communities who can hold them to account for reconstruction projects.  Corruption is a central issue in Afghanistan; one that needs to be addressed so the country can move from war to peace. 

Click here to visit Integrity Watch Afghanistan (IWA) website.

Policy and Communications Director Karolina Olofsson of Integrity Watch Afghanistan speaks to professional staff of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on Capitol Hill about citizen-led participatory methods of combating corruption in Afghanistan.

 

Watch a short YouTube interview with Ms. Olofsson as she explains the problem of corruption in Afghanistan and how community-based corruption monitoring can help.

Director of Policy and Communications, Integrity Watch Afghanistan with Program Director John Filson of 3P Human Security