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USAID/OTI Afghanistan Field Report

September 2004

Program Description

USAID/OTI is increasing citizen awareness of and confidence in the process of recovery, rehabilitation and democratic political development in post-conflict Afghanistan. This is being accomplished by:

• Increasing the Afghan government’s responsiveness to citizens’ needs;
• Increasing citizen awareness of and participation in democratic processes; and,
• Increasing the capacity of the Afghan media.

OTI’s rapid support for activities in Afghanistan’s transition period helps establish credibility and space for longer-term development assistance. Working with central and provincial governments, national and international NGOs, informal community groups, and media outlets, OTI identifies and supports critical initiatives that facilitate implementation of the Bonn Agreement, which was designed to move the country further along the continuum from war to peace.

The OTI/Afghanistan program started in October 2001 and is scheduled to end in June 2005. Its funds come from various sources, including Transition Initiative Funds (TI), International Disaster Assistance Funds (IDA), Development Assistance Funds (DA), and State Department Economic Support Funds (ESF). Projects are funded in 31 provinces of the country. OTI’s current implementing partners are the International Organization for Migration-Afghanistan Transition Initiative (IOM-ATI) and Internews. IOM-ATI offices are located in Kabul, Bamyan, Gardez, Herat, Kandahar, Kunduz, Maimana, and Mazar. Previous USAID/OTI partners included the Voice of America (VOA), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and Ronco.

Country Situation

Third anniversary of September 11 attacks marked in Afghanistan:  Over the past year, the Taliban insurgency has picked up considerably, with over 1,000 people killed in militant-related violence. U.S. forces, now 18,000 strong, see no quick victory. "We have all seen that in Afghanistan the road to freedom can be a hard struggle," Major-General Eric Olson, operations commander of the U.S.-led force, told a September 11 commemoration at the Bagram base. A candlelight vigil was later held at the U.S. embassy in Kabul, where U.S. Ambassador, Zalmay Khalilzad, described terrorism and extremism as "the defining challenge of our time."

Presidential campaigning began September 7:  Campaigning for Afghanistan's first-ever presidential election on October 9 officially began September 7. Sima Samar, head of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, alleged in a BBC report September 6 that powerful forces are intimidating voters and prompting some political parties to refrain from openly discussing their platforms for fear of retaliation. President Karzai officially launched his campaign September 11.

Violence in western Afghanistan after powerful governor replaced:  President Karzai dismissed a powerful warlord from his post as provincial governor in the latest move to extend the central government's control of wayward provinces ahead of October's landmark election. Ismael Khan, a former anti-Soviet fighter who has governed Herat province since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, refused an offer of a central government post as Minister of Mines and Industry. The pro-Iran Afghan warlord has been resisting pressure from the central government to disarm his private militia.

U.S. military says al Qaida and Taliban leaders plan to derail presidential election:  The Associated Press has reported that U.S. military representatives believe al-Qaida and Taliban leaders have met in Pakistan to discuss derailing Afghanistan's elections next month. One such source, Major Scott Nelson, said intelligence shows the meetings were marked by growing alarm over efforts to root out their activities. Major Nelson also said the militants were divided over how best to thwart the election.

USAID/OTI Highlights

A. Narrative Summary

GENERAL

OTI builds public confidence in democratic governance:  In the run-up to the presidential election, OTI has stepped up the pace of its operations, approving projects valued at more than $2 million during the month. Through its implementing partners, OTI is working to build public confidence and support for the election – an important milestone in the Bonn Agreement call for transitional events that introduce democratic governance to Afghanistan.

OTI engages tribal leaders in dialogue in insecure areas:  During the month, OTI’s Program Manager traveled to Kandahar to work with Afghan tribal leaders, Provincial Reconstruction Team representatives, and NGOs on strategies for building local confidence in the central government. Specific strategies for distributing resources in insecure environments were discussed in a series of meetings. OTI plans to follow-up with grant support.

OTI monitors programs in the North:  OTI’s Monitoring and Evaluation Officer traveled to northern Afghanistan to monitor IOM-ATI activities being implemented by the Mazar-e Sharif field office. A report is being prepared describing recommended approaches to further strengthen project design and program monitoring.

OTI partner’s office destroyed:  IOM's office in Herat, along with offices of other international entities and several NGOs, were ransacked and damaged by fire September 12 by several hundred demonstrators who were protesting the departure of governor Ismael Khan. IOM's operations were suspended and international staff were temporarily relocated to Kabul. Preliminary reports indicate that most of IOM’s office equipment and several vehicles were destroyed during the violence. OTI staff went to Herat to assist IOM in responding to the situation. IOM plans to resume activities from rented quarters as soon as security conditions permit. The situation in Herat city currently remains calm.

SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM

Provincial centers extend reach of Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MOWA):  OTI is financing the construction and furnishing of 14 provincial women’s centers (PWCs) to extend the reach of MOWA to rural women. On September 27, IOM-ATI obtained the land deed that will enable work to proceed for construction of a PWC in Logar Province. On September 30, a ground-breaking ceremony took place in Ghazni Province for construction of a PWC there. Through IOM and MOWA, OTI has obtained land deeds for 11 of the 14 PWCs.

OTI helps a community reclaim its neighborhood:  Through IOM-ATI, OTI will provide support to repair a road in Kabul that was recently damaged by a car-bomb. OTI will also provide support to households and shops in the immediate vicinity of the site to repair windows, doors, and roofs damaged by the blast.

MOWA website inaugurated:   On October 3, MOWA hosted an official ceremony to launch its new website, which was developed with USAID support. USAID Deputy Director, Barry Primm, spoke on the occasion and applauded the Ministry for its advocacy and outreach efforts. The website will enable MOWA to provide information about activities being undertaken to benefit women around the country. Other ministries are also establishing websites to provide information to Afghans at home and abroad and the international community. Increasingly, Afghans have internet access through work, educational institutions, and private internet cafes.

MEDIA AND CIVIC EDUCATION

OTI establishes 22 radio stations:   To date, OTI has supported the establishment of 22 independent FM radio stations, with another four operating as repeaters. The OTI-funded Internews network has 21 stations and three repeaters to date (one of which USAID did not support). There are plans to establish another 11or 12 stations by the end of the year. It is likely that one more repeater will be operational before the October presidential election. Radio Arman FM operates one USAID-supported station in Kabul and has one repeater operational in Mazar-e Sharif. A second repeater in Herat may be operational before the election. Arman FM will eventually op-erate six repeaters to expand the broadcast of its popular programming.

Central province gets radio:   The OTI-funded Internews station in Nelli, Dai Kundi, is now fully operational, producing a significant volume of its own programming and broadcasting 10 hours a day. The station reaches 12,000 people and has four employees, including a woman announcer and presenter. The station is located more than a 24-hour drive from Kabul.

Radio station launched in insecure southeast:   On September 13, 2004, Abdel-Qayum Omari launched a new station, radio Ghaznawiyan (Radio of the People). The station broadcasts 16 hours a day. “When I was a boy, my father set up and ran the city’s only cinema,” said Omari, who operates a business supplying electricity to about 3,000 shops and homes in the city center. “Ever since then I have been interested in media and culture [and] have dreamed about this for years.” Omari and his 15-year-old son Farid set up the station with a five watt transmitter, a microphone and two CD players. Internews provided a 150 watt transmitter, 30 meter mast, full radio studio, and training for the station’s eight staff. Radio Ghaznawiyan’s signal reaches an estimated 250,000 people.

Private radio introduced in Faizabad and Wardak Province:   Radio Amu in Faizabad celebrated its official opening September 22. The station is broadcasting six hours a day, with an estimated audience of 22,000 people. The station is housed in a building donated by the community. A staff member, who also works with a university in Kabul, has set up a library at the station for the use of Radio Amu staff and the community. With OTI funding, Internews will be donating materials to this library on a regular basis. In Wardak Province, Yawli Zhogh (Voice of Unity) began broadcasting for eight hours a day to an audience of 24,000 people. This station has great political importance, as it is currently the only independent radio source in the region.

B. Grant Activity Summary

OTI/Afghanistan summary of cleared and completed activities in September and since program start-up:

Support is being provided to: promote awareness of and participation in the presidential election; increase interaction between the government and communities through reconstruction of infrastructure in areas that have recently experienced increased insecurity and poppy eradication; and, promote increased access and participation in economic opportunities for women. The table below provides a summary of the new grants:

C. Indicators of Success

OTI enables government to reach out through construction of post office in Panjwai District, Kandahar: Located about 30 kilometers west of Kandahar City, Panjwai District is considered the poorest and most volatile district in Southern Afghanistan. Although the community has felt neglected by the central government since the overthrow of the Taliban, it took the initiative, together with the provincial government, in requesting assistance from the central government to build a post office. OTI lent its support to make sure the community and provincial government-identified needs are met. Local authorities have been deeply involved in the project’s implementation by making sure the community contribution was made.

First independent news agency licensed: The license for Afghanistan’s first independent news agency, Peshwak (Pashto for reflection or echo), was obtained by OTI Grantee, the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), from the Ministry of Information and Culture. The license will enable the agency to implement its marketing plan and provide news, which up to this time has only been reported by Internews radio stations, to other Afghan and international media outlets, the development and diplomatic missions in Kabul and around the country, Afghan and international NGOs, and the Afghan Diaspora. Peshwak will now be able to officially send reporters to cover Afghanistan’s presidential election.

Internews children’s program receives UNICEF award: In a ceremony at the Internews office in Kabul, UNICEF presented an award for second place in a global competition to Sharak Aftal (Children’s City), a USAID-funded program said to be the most popular one in Afghanistan. On the occasion, USAID Deputy Director, Barry Primm, congratulated Internews for its media development activities.

D. Program Appraisal

OTI contributes to USAID bilateral agreement: USAID’s first bilateral agreement with the Government of Afghanistan, to describe and manage its DDR investments in coming years, was developed with OTI support. The agreement is expected to be signed before the end of the current fiscal year and will have a ceiling of $60 million. The agreement will enable USAID to support efforts to reintegrate ex-combatants.

Journalists cover political transition: Journalism students at the university in Herat were recently congratulated by university authorities, newly appointed government officials, and international trainers from Sayara (a media development NGO supported by USAID) for their outstanding professional coverage of the political changes in the city. Students have been broadcasting seven hours of special programming a day covering the political situation in Herat. According to Sayara staff, BBC monitors, and comments from citizens, the broadcasts have been of high quality and the reporting has been responsible, balanced, and accurate. Herat University Campus Radio will increase its daily programming to eight hours beginning September 26, putting the station at the top of the list in daily broadcasts in Herat.

Survey suggests Afghans want peace and better standard of living: A recent IWPR survey, supported by USAID and the EC, suggests that most people plan to vote in the upcoming presidential election and are looking to their government to help improve their standard of living. The survey included more than 3,000 people in 21 provinces. It was carried out independently in August by 100 journalists (75 men and 25 women), as part of a workshop organized by IWPR on civic journalism and the presidential election. The journalists were from government and independent radio stations and publications.

The goal of the survey was to help inform voters’ decisions by identifying public issues and concerns and obtaining candidates’ responses on them before the election. Of those surveyed, 50 percent were women, two-thirds lived in rural areas, five percent were Kuchis (nomads), and nine per cent were refugees. Thirty-eight percent of those surveyed were in the 18-29 age group; 26 percent were 30-39; 20 percent were 40-49; 10 percent were 50-59; and, six percent were 60 or older. The survey showed that 82 percent of respondents plan to vote in the election, saying they want to exercise their right to choose a president. Another 15 percent said they would not vote; only three per cent were not sure. While security was identified as the top problem in most regions, water shortages, economic problems, lack of health care, and education were also cited as major concerns.

NEXT STEPS/IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES

During the month of October 2004, USAID/OTI will:

• Conduct a mid-term assessment of its small grants program.
• Provide program and staff support for the presidential election.
• Complete rehabilitation of the neighborhood in Kabul damaged in the attack on the offices of DynCorp.
• Complete terms of reference for an interagency task force to respond to transitional events.
• Inaugurate a Provincial Women’s Center in Parwan Province.
• Support expansion of Arman FM to Herat.

For further information, please contact:
In Washington: Elizabeth Callender, USAID/OTI/ANE Program Manager, Tel: 202-712-4078, ecallender@usaid.gov