Spotlights: Partnering with Governments

AKDN is working in remote parts of Bamiyan province, Afghanistan, assisting villages to elect leaders, prioritise their needs and implement development plans.
Photo: AKDN/Gary OtteIn Afghanistan, AKDN is a facilitating partner of the Government’s National Solidarity Programme (NSP). Under the NSP, AKDN assists villages in establishing village-based Community Development Councils, electing an accountable and transparent Council leadership, formulating village development plans, and prioritising village needs. A 2004 World Bank-commissioned external evaluation of AKDN’s community development approach found that it is both innovative and effective in forming credible, responsive and self-reliant community institutions and is making a significant contribution to democratic governance and civil society in the country.

“I believe there are three essential preconditions for the successful transition of the poorest areas of the world into modern, peaceful societies. They are: first, stable and competent democratic governance; second, an environment that respects and encourages pluralism; and third, a diverse and engaged civil society.”
Speech by His Highness the Aga Khan, at the Annual Conference of German Ambassadors, Berlin, Germany, 6 September 2004Building on its work with Community Development Councils, AKDN is engaged in a number of other activities to enhance rural livelihoods, including business development services, vocational training, adult literacy classes, and training in watershed management. By the end of 2006, AKDN was working with more than 1,000 Community Development Councils in the country.

AKDN partners with governments in areas where it has expertise, including health care, education and the creation of an enabling environment for the private sector. It has also formed public-private partnerships for implementing development programmes ranging from early childhood development to cultural restoration.

ALSO SEE:
Civil Society
Afghanistan

AKDN brochure (2008)
Language: English
Size: 3.67 MB