Ongoing Project Profiles

Peace-building Through Training Maliks (Local Leaders)

WADAN, through successive grants from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) has so far conducted a robust civic education program in approximately 348 out of 364 districts in Afghanistan. These three-day trainings include topics such as national unity, peace, democracy, human rights, the rights of women and children, election, drug control and the negative consequences of extremism and terrorism. WADAN has trained over 25,000 local leaders and plans to train around 3,000 more during 2009. By the end of the current year, WADAN would have covered almost all districts and muncipal districts (nahiyas) of Afghanistan.

This project has a national coverage and WADAN has adopted a bottom-up approach targeting local leaders at the grassroots. WADAN has identified the need to promote responsible citizenship at the grassroots and this approach which entailed confidence building and self-respect proved instrumental during the presidential and parliamentary elections where local leaders who received training were very active in mobilizing their constituencies to participate in the elections, and served as liaison between the government, the international community and their constituencies. They have organized carpools for women to take them to the polling stations during these elections. WADAN has received recognition from the international community, donors, the government of Afghanistan and the target communities for its grassroots activism.

The NED grants enabled WADAN to form local chapters of the National Maliks Association in around 330 districts so far and we plan to continue with the same process in the remaining districts of Afghanistan. These local chapters of the NMA meet regularly in their districts to discuss and address the concerns of their constituencies in issues of national interest. One of the most important mandates of these local chapters is the peaceful resolution of disputes and conflicts among the citizens, with respect to human rights.

The NMA is now a registered organization with the Ministry of Justice, with national coverage and is one of the most active grassroots civil society organizations that promote effective governance, democracy, human rights, peace, and development.

Based on this successful model, WADAN has developed plans to create similar associations for groups such as teachers, students, youth, Mullahs, and professional associations, then to construct a comprehensive network that will work for the greater good.

Please note that this is the sixth project that WADAN has received funding for from NED.







Updated on: April 15, 2009