On June 21, 2007, USIP convened a panel of experts to discuss the status and prospects of the development of civil society in Afghanistan. The panelists were George Devendorf, the director of Public Affairs for Mercy Corps; and Tilly Reed, the chief of party in Afghanistan for Counterpart International. Scott Worden, a program officer with the Rule of Law program at the Institute, moderated the discussion. The following is a summary of the views expressed by the panelists. It does not represent the opinion of the Institute, which does not take policy positions.

Signs of Fragile Progress...

The development of civil society in Afghanistan is showing several signs of progress. With assistance from Counterpart International, the Afghan government and local organizations drafted a new NGO law, which was ratified in 2004. Placing NGOs within a clear legal framework marks a significant stride forward for enhancing the legitimacy and operating environment for local NGOs. Since the new law took effect, the number of registered domestic NGOs has increased by five hundred, making Afghanistan now home to nearly one thousand NGOs.

In addition to their work developing legal codes for NGOs, Counterpart International has also recently completed a landmark survey of the entire spectrum of civil society organizations in Afghanistan. Beyond Kabul, Afghan civil society is comprised largely of traditional community structures, such as shuras and jirgas (councils of elders), as well as religious communities organized around the mosques. Counterpart International’s work is based on roundtables, conferences, and educational programs undertaken with a variety of civil society groups around the country.

During meetings with prominent shuras in Kabul and various provinces to discuss the role of civil society, Tilly Reed noted that "once the participants understand the concepts we are teaching them, they latch onto the ideas." In fact, Reed also stated that many councils and mullahs support the strengthening of civil society, as it complements their religious beliefs. After participating in dialogues and roundtables, many of the mullahs have begun discussing the benefits of developing an active and engaged civil society with their communities. The engagement of the local population, particularly religious leaders, has greatly increased the effectiveness of Counterpart International’s educational campaigns.

Counterpart International is also working specifically on public education campaigns to improve the image of NGOs in Afghanistan, which years of corruption and poor performance has seriously degraded. Given the high illiteracy rates in Afghanistan, Counterpart International often needed to use creative measures to educate the population. One that has proven especially effective is the performance of skits to communicate various civil society concepts and processes. Counterpart International has also successfully used radio campaigns to educate remote and rural communities. Reed estimates that their radio broadcasts are reaching nearly seven million people.

With the ratification of the new legal codes protecting NGOs and the extensive public education campaigns, support for civil society in Afghanistan is blossoming. George Devendorf noted that the growing interest in public expression is an optimistic sign for the future. While progress is apparent, both Reed and Devendorf stressed that significant challenges threaten the prospects of further improvement and may undermine the fragile successes that have already been achieved.

...with Formidable Security Obstacles...

Despite positive signs, challenges for the continuing development of civil society in Afghanistan abound. Devendorf and Reed both agree that the deteriorating security environment across the country is the most prominent threat to sustained success. Devendorf stated that security this year is shaping up to be the worst since 2001. Not only are the Taliban relying more on direct attacks against civilian targets and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), but they are also increasingly using civilians as human shields. He said that although Mercy Corps has worked in Afghanistan for twenty years, their ability to operate in certain areas, particularly in provinces such as Helmand, is becoming increasingly limited due to security concerns. Moreover, while Mercy Corps once relied on their strong relationships with local Afghans to ensure their safety, the presence of Taliban fighters have made such security assurances nearly impossible to uphold in many districts.

Security conditions are not only threatening the opportunities for international NGOs to assist in developing Afghan civil society, but are also diminishing the ability of local NGOs to enhance their own capacity and legitimacy. Last year 24 NGO personnel were killed. This year, although the number of fatalities is currently less, the number of attacks on NGO staff has dramatically increased. Moreover, attacks are no longer contained to the southern and eastern regions, but are now occurring across the country. The rise in the attacks in the northern and western areas of the country mirror the rampant rise in criminality, local power struggles, and the general lack of the rule of law these areas are experiencing.

Devendorf also observed that local perceptions about association with internationals, particularly the Provisional Reconstruction Teams (PRTs), are impacting the security of NGOs. Armed men recently raided an Afghan NGO in Nuristan and interrogated the staff about their relationship with the local PRT. Once the armed men determined the NGO was not associated with the PRT, they left. The NGO staff members were convinced they would have been killed had the men found evidence of a relationship with the PRT. Given this experience, many other NGOs in conflict areas are wary of cooperating with the PRTs. The dependence on PRTs for resources, however, strongly tempers the demand for strict neutrality for the majority of Afghan NGOs. Nonetheless, it is important that the PRTs and NGOs maintain visible degrees of separation and that the PRT commanders recognize that Afghans who associate with them may be jeopardizing their safety.

...and Considerable Capacity Deficits

Reed also stressed that the lack of capacity of local NGOs in Afghanistan presents a serious obstacle to rapid progress or development. Because in many areas Afghanistan’s capacity is "below zero," Reed said, "projects that we thought might take six months actually take a year." While there are about twelve large Afghan NGOs that have developed significant capacity, most are in need of technical assistance, resources, and partnerships. In all, helping the Afghans to develop local NGOs and other civil society organizations in a country wrecked by years of war is proving to be a very long and arduous process.

Along with the lack of capacity, NGOs in Afghanistan suffer from a substantial lack of legitimacy. Devendorf claimed that, given how NGOs operated in the past, "the term ‘NGO’ is worse than meaningless; it is a catch all for everything that is corrupt and wasteful." While the revised legal code for NGOs and public education campaigns have helped begin to rebuild the image of NGOs, much work remains to be done. Devendorf said that the government and media are continuing to disparage the work of NGOs. While the NGOs may not be flawless, Devendorf finds this mischaracterization worrisome. He stressed that because the government and media play a key role in shaping public opinion, they must work to enhance the legitimacy of NGOs, not to degrade it. It is particularly important for the government and media to recognize successes achieved by local NGOs. Improving strategic communication between NGOs and the government will help in this goal.

Finally, the development of civil society is further impeded by the inability of international NGOs to access many rural communities and by the strong patriarchal structure still present across the country. Reed stressed that because of the difficult geography and the general lack of roads, Counterpart International has a very difficult time accessing all the districts in each region of Afghanistan. Although Counterpart International currently has ten local partners, they are considering increasing to fifteen or twenty in order to ensure widespread access.

The patriarchal structure of society, particularly strong in the more remote and rural regions, also impedes efforts to discuss civil society with female members of communities. The challenge, Reed said, is to ensure that the village leader allows everyone to participate. Yet, in some areas, particularly in the southern and western regions where the patriarchal structure is deeply embedded, asking the village leader to invite other villagers to participate is akin to questioning his honor—and can make a group unwelcome. This greatly enhances the challenge of ensuring community involvement in discussion and debate on civil society. Counterpart International has had success at bringing communities together, but Reed stressed that the process is slow and requires a great deal of patience.

Future Prospects: Rebuilding Civil Society Requires Ensuring Effective Governance

According to Devendorf, civil society serves a number of functions, but is primarily created to help citizens communicate with and monitor their government. The ability to fulfill this function depends in large part on the capability of the government. With a top-heavy government and a lack of local government capacity and representation, the ability of civil society to function is compromised. Pervasive government corruption further damages the ability of the civil society to interact effectively with the government. "When you look at the upper levels of government, salaries are about one hundred and fifty dollars a month, while the average salary at an NGO is four times more. Government officials must have a livable wage in order to reduce corruption," Reed said. But corruption is a two-way street, and some NGOs are equally guilty. Greater efforts to monitor the finances of both the government and NGOs must be developed, as the longer corruption continues, the more culturally acceptable it becomes.

Along with being top-heavy and suffering from corruption, the government is not effectively providing services to the local population; nor is it successfully managing expectations. Devendorf stated that many of the ministries are having a difficult time spending their development budgets due to a lack of capacity. The Community Development Councils (CDCs) and the National Solidarity Program (NSP), in which the government and NGOs are partnering to fill the pronounced service delivery gap, is helping in the short-term. Yet, programs like the CDCs and the NSP must also be coupled with efforts to better manage expectations about the rate of change if they are to make a positive impact. Ultimately, long-term progress will fundamentally require that the government increase its ability to provide the bulk of essential services, thereby reliving NGOs of this substantial task. The inability to do so, according to Devendorf, "represents a potentially mortal threat to the nation-building project."

Committing to Civil Society: Not a Luxury, but a Requirement for Success

Although the obstacles to developing civil society are numerous and formidable, it is neither a Mission Impossible nor is it a task that can be ignored. Working against significant challenges, both Counterpart International and Mercy Corps have made substantial progress. But, in an insecure environment, all progress is fragile. For continued success, efforts must be made to ensure the security of international and local NGOs, as well as the safety of citizens engaging in public expression.

So far, only nine percent of the international money flowing into Afghanistan has gone to rebuilding the NGO community. Yet, the assistance local NGOs provide to the reconstruction and stabilization operation is invaluable. With increased capacity, NGOs can provide a crucial partner to help build local capacity and deliver services, particularly in areas that are inaccessible to internationals. Moreover, providing assistance and support to bolster domestic NGOs and civil society organizations is fundamental for creating a free and stable country. Efforts to increase the capacity and legitimacy of civil society in Afghanistan are therefore not a luxury; they are a requirement for success.

This USIPeace Briefing was written by Christina Caan, a research assistant in the Center for Post-Conflict Peace and Stability Operations, and Scott Worden, a program officer in the Rule of Law program.The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the Institute, which does not advocate specific policies.

The United States Institute of Peace is an independent, nonpartisan institution established and funded by Congress. Its goals are to help prevent and resolve violent international conflicts, promote post-conflict stability and development, and increase conflict management capacity, tools, and intellectual capital worldwide. The Institute does this by empowering others with knowledge, skills, and resources, as well as by directly engaging in peacebuilding efforts around the globe