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Afghanistan

LESSON

Lesson Learned: Citizens' Platform for Democratic Debates & Dialogues in Afghanistan

The choice of media dissemination and especially the use of radio in rural areas and remote districts in Afghanistan were very relevant. Despite weak project design, the grantee’s strategy to directly target or reach people likely to be uninformed about or actively resistant to democratic ideas due to misconceptions was sound and pertinent.
Project Partner
Saba Media Organization
Project Description
The purpose of Citizens' Platform for Democratic Debates & Dialogues in Afghanistan was to address the misunderstanding of democratic values and human rights in the Afghan context. The project planned to clarify and deepen understanding of democratic values among Afghan people, especially among women and other marginalized or vulnerable groups and in rural areas, by conducting research on five pillars of democratic values in international and Afghan contexts, disseminating awareness-raising or educational programs, and establishing a media platform for debates.
Evaluation Date
December 2011
Theme
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Citizens' Platform for Democratic Debates & Dialogues in Afghanistan

Some debate participants reported that the language used was too technical and theoretical for an ordinary person to understand. Analysis of materials confirms that in some areas of Afghanistan, Western-oriented democratic terminology and usage likely to be too abstract or insufficiently explained was used.
Project Partner
Saba Media Organization
Project Description
The purpose of Citizens' Platform for Democratic Debates & Dialogues in Afghanistan was to address the misunderstanding of democratic values and human rights in the Afghan context. The project planned to clarify and deepen understanding of democratic values among Afghan people, especially among women and other marginalized or vulnerable groups and in rural areas, by conducting research on five pillars of democratic values in international and Afghan contexts, disseminating awareness-raising or educational programs, and establishing a media platform for debates.
Evaluation Date
December 2011
Theme
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Citizens' Platform for Democratic Debates & Dialogues in Afghanistan

Afghan media airs debates every week and a significant part of the evaluation stakeholders were not familiar with this particular project. Some of those who know the grantee by name report they find their programmess unappealing compared to other options.

 
Project Partner
Saba Media Organization
Project Description
The purpose of Citizens' Platform for Democratic Debates & Dialogues in Afghanistan was to address the misunderstanding of democratic values and human rights in the Afghan context. The project planned to clarify and deepen understanding of democratic values among Afghan people, especially among women and other marginalized or vulnerable groups and in rural areas, by conducting research on five pillars of democratic values in international and Afghan contexts, disseminating awareness-raising or educational programs, and establishing a media platform for debates.
Evaluation Date
December 2011
Theme
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Citizens' Platform for Democratic Debates & Dialogues in Afghanistan

Limited evidence obtained from baseline research compromised the general objective of the project. This meant that the project design showed a poor understanding of the broad project context and political landscape which led to missed learning opportunities, and failure to map stakeholders and to allocate resources optimally. Duplication of efforts of other actors in Afghanistan wasted the grantee’s opportunity to complement other media democracy effects.
Project Partner
Saba Media Organization
Project Description
The purpose of Citizens' Platform for Democratic Debates & Dialogues in Afghanistan was to address the misunderstanding of democratic values and human rights in the Afghan context. The project planned to clarify and deepen understanding of democratic values among Afghan people, especially among women and other marginalized or vulnerable groups and in rural areas, by conducting research on five pillars of democratic values in international and Afghan contexts, disseminating awareness-raising or educational programs, and establishing a media platform for debates.
Evaluation Date
December 2011
Theme
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Citizens' Platform for Democratic Debates & Dialogues in Afghanistan

The project did not sufficiently take into account that many targeted beneficiaries had little education and exposure to ideas beyond their culture, religion, or location. Although most of the radio shows explained basic democratic issues fairly comprehensively, specialized language or reference terms limited audience impact to persons who may have had some knowledge already or perhaps an existing deep interest on democracy.
Project Partner
Saba Media Organization
Project Description
The purpose of Citizens' Platform for Democratic Debates & Dialogues in Afghanistan was to address the misunderstanding of democratic values and human rights in the Afghan context. The project planned to clarify and deepen understanding of democratic values among Afghan people, especially among women and other marginalized or vulnerable groups and in rural areas, by conducting research on five pillars of democratic values in international and Afghan contexts, disseminating awareness-raising or educational programs, and establishing a media platform for debates.
Evaluation Date
December 2011
Theme
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Enhancing the Capacity for Inclusive Local Governance through Synergies and Sustainable Linkages between Communities and Government in North Afghanistan

The grantee had offices and active projects in the three target provinces in Afghanistan, and recruited its staff from the region. Drawing on its experience, the grantee began the project with careful and thorough consultations with major stakeholders. This enabled the project to obtain strong local buy-in and support for its activities in all its target districts, as well as in the three provincial capitals.
Project Partner
ACTED
Project Description
Enhancing the Capacity for Inclusive Local Governance in Northern Afghanistan was generally effective as a training project, but its overall design was not well-aligned with the overall objectives specified. The project made a difference for the trainees who benefited from the course provided, but did not contribute much to the institutional results linked to enhancing inclusive local governance. The grantee was a well-known international NGO. This was strength in some ways, but may have been a weakness in others. The project design had a “generic” quality to it, suggesting a lack of attention to the specific needs in the project sites that were addressed. Further, the lack of engagement with the project by ACTED Kabul at a management level, along with the absence of decentralization of decision-making to the local level, undermined project effectiveness.
Evaluation Date
October 2011
Country