Overview

The Justice and Governance in Regional Command-East (JGRE) project supports The Liaison Office’s (TLO) efforts to facilitate the formal integration of communities and their traditional governance structures within Afghanistan’s newly emerging peace, governance, and reconstruction framework.  More specifically, TLO will establish five Commissions on Conflict Management (CCM’s), which will be formal-informal justice bodies dedicated to resolving resource-based conflicts in Khost, Paktika, and Logar provinces.  The CCMs will work closely with female elders and wise women (spinsari) to help diffuse potentially destabilizing conflict and will contribute to good governance by helping the Afghan Government serve its citizens by promoting peace, dialogue and improving human security.  This will be accomplished by:

• Improving the access of rural communities to local and central government;
• Contributing to conflict prevention and stabilization by facilitating non-violent conflict resolution mechanisms; and,
• Facilitating peaceful co-existence among traditional, religious, and other key community leaders.

Activities

• Establishment of five Commissions on Conflict Management (CCMs)
• Mapping of disputes in Khost, Paktika, and Logar provinces
• Provide dispute resolution training to male and female elders
• Resolve resource-based conflicts in target provinces
• Work closely with women leaders, especially female elders and wise women (spinsari), to help diffuse potentially destabilizing conflicts
• Create communication channels between CCMs and local government authorities

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with provincial authorities to support CCMs
• Established CCMs with clear working procedures
• Conducted initial dispute assessments
• Resolution of two longstanding land disputes: one a 61-year dispute in Khost and the other a 100-year dispute in Paktika