Peace Building:

Conflict Transformation Training:

Since 1999, SDO’s peace building teams have been facilitating intensive workshops in conflict transformation for both men and women from all walks of society, including government officials, UN and NGO staff, commanders, journalists, mullahs and community elders, as well as teachers, students, and repatriating refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs).
These highly participatory workshops help participants to identify and understand the roots of conflicts that occur in their daily lives, and to recognize how personal and group prejudices contribute to conflict. Participants acquire knowledge in active listening, empathy, negotiation and mediation. After a typical 8-day workshop, interested participants establish a local peace council or “Peace Shura,” which initiates conflict transformation and implements peace awareness activities in the communities covered. Sometimes the peace post members are also former enemies. In this case special support and mentoring is provided by SDO facilitators to ensure that the fragile trust-building process does not collapse after the initial momentum for change has waned. Peace Shura members and their constituent communities are also encouraged to undertake small-scale joint projects that would help generate income or benefit for all community members.

The following are some of the workshops offered by SDO to community members and project partners, and peace workers from other organizations:

>>   Introduction to Peace Building
>>   Mediation and Problem Solving
>>   Community Mobilisation
>>   Do No Harm
>>   Training of Trainers
>>   Community Mobilization
>>   Do NO Harm
>>   Refreshment workshop
>>   Hardware project selection

All training materials are designed and adapted respecting the precepts of the Holy Quran, and values of the Afghan traditions and culture.

Strengthening Local Capacities for Peace:

SDO recognises that there are many social institutions in Afghanistan that can also promote peace. SDO also understands the value of strengthening the interest and capacity of these groups to use their resources and authority for community peace and welfare. Part of this involves helping local social institutions such as traditional village shuras (councils) to revive and improve indigenous dispute resolution mechanisms. SDO staff work with key opinion leaders and civil society groups to develop their own peace building abilities. For instance, one workshop for provincial leaders in northern Balkh province of Afghanistan was telecasted live throughout the entire province. In nearby Jowzjan, a peace film was produced and aired by the director of Jowzjan TV after he attended the workshop, in order to reflect the consequences of violence through the media.
Other influential community members include mullahs, teachers and village and district shura members, who are encouraged to incorporate messages of non-violence and conflict sensitivity into their sermon lessons and decision-making practices. Peace workers also coordinate with community mobilizers in the National Solidarity Program (NSP) to integrate principles of peace and social justice into NSP development work.

Changing Children’s Attitude and Behaviors:

Through its peace building program SDO aims to target the grassroots, not only schoolteachers, government employees, Mullahs but also children and youth, who are considered essential actors for peace and reconstruction of Afghanistan. Therefore, SDO has published ten versions of children illustrated storybooks each has messages of peace, cooperation and justice.
On top of these, SDO has produced two educational films (“Angel and Devil” and “Auntie Palmist”) for children with messages of peace, good moral and environment protection.
SDO is the first Afghan organisation to create movies for children stressing the subject of peace. The two movies (2004) Devan Pari (“Angel and Devil”) and Khala Falbinak (“Auntie Palmist”) have been broadcasted several times by Afghan national TV and are in the hearts of Afghan children. The movies have been watched by more than 70,000 children and are highly appreciated by the Afghan community.

Integrating Peacebuilding into “Mainstream” Development Projects:

Finally, SDO peace teams work extensively with project planners and field implementing staff from other sectors to understand how project design and implementation processes can adversely or positively affect existing peace and conflict dynamics in a given project site. Using principles of Do No Harm and Peace and Conflict Impact Assessment (PCIA), Methods of project implementation are designed in such a way that will be effective and beneficial for all stakeholders, not just a privileged few.
For information, you can contact our Peace Building Department at: Peace Building Department

Peace Building Projects
Peace Journal