Peace Direct’s newest partner is the Coalition for Peace and Unity in Afghanistan (CPAU). For the last few years they have supported the Farza Peace Council which amid almost daily reports of death and destruction, deals with the ordinary day to day disputes. The council has resolved local conflicts from marital problems to unpaid debts which could so easily escalate into violence in this volatile country.
CPAU’s Story
Peace Direct is continuing its support of CPAU in Afghanistan by providing core funding for the Farza Peace Council. Farza is a district outside of Kabul and in 2005 was declared the most peaceful district in Afghanistan. Originally, the council was supported by the Centre for Peace and Afghan Unity (CPAU) and CPAU continues to be closely involved with the councils and Peace Direct.
Traditionally, the council has acted as a local resource for resolving disputes, from marital problems to issues of unpaid debts. Whilst these disputes may appear small in comparison to what is reported in the news from Afghanistan, the absence of such high levels of violence is partly due to the council not allowing smaller disputes to escalate to blood feuds. This stability is important to resist the encroachment of armed militias into areas nearer Kabul.
The future
Peace Direct will fund the council with £9,000 to help prepare local communities for the August elections peacefully. With the support of CPAU trainers, 6 workshops will be held for the peace council and local people focusing on conflict resolution and advocacy training.
Research project
Peace Direct is supporting CPAU to conduct research for DfID to investigate why young men are joining armed groups and what kind of support they receive from their communities. The findings of this study due in 2009, will provide CPAU, DfID and Peace Direct with a greater understanding of the situation in Afghanistan and shed more light on the role of the peace councils.
This project is currently fully funded until 2011 by a group of Scottish philanthropists.
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