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Lessons

LESSON

Lesson Learned: Citizens' Platform for Democratic Debates & Dialogues in Afghanistan

Limited evidence obtained from baseline research compromised the general objective of the project. This meant that the project design showed a poor understanding of the broad project context and political landscape which led to missed learning opportunities, and failure to map stakeholders and to allocate resources optimally. Duplication of efforts of other actors in Afghanistan wasted the grantee’s opportunity to complement other media democracy effects.
Project Partner
Saba Media Organization
Project Description
The purpose of Citizens' Platform for Democratic Debates & Dialogues in Afghanistan was to address the misunderstanding of democratic values and human rights in the Afghan context. The project planned to clarify and deepen understanding of democratic values among Afghan people, especially among women and other marginalized or vulnerable groups and in rural areas, by conducting research on five pillars of democratic values in international and Afghan contexts, disseminating awareness-raising or educational programs, and establishing a media platform for debates.
Evaluation Date
December 2011
Theme
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Citizens' Platform for Democratic Debates & Dialogues in Afghanistan

Limited evidence obtained from baseline research compromised the general objective of the project. This meant that the project design showed a poor understanding of the broad project context and political landscape which led to missed learning opportunities, and failure to map stakeholders and to allocate resources optimally. Duplication of efforts of other actors in Afghanistan wasted the grantee’s opportunity to complement other media democracy effects.
Project Partner
Saba Media Organization
Project Description
The purpose of Citizens' Platform for Democratic Debates & Dialogues in Afghanistan was to address the misunderstanding of democratic values and human rights in the Afghan context. The project planned to clarify and deepen understanding of democratic values among Afghan people, especially among women and other marginalized or vulnerable groups and in rural areas, by conducting research on five pillars of democratic values in international and Afghan contexts, disseminating awareness-raising or educational programs, and establishing a media platform for debates.
Evaluation Date
December 2011
Theme
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Citizens' Platform for Democratic Debates & Dialogues in Afghanistan

Some debate participants reported that the language used was too technical and theoretical for an ordinary person to understand. Analysis of materials confirms that in some areas of Afghanistan, Western-oriented democratic terminology and usage likely to be too abstract or insufficiently explained was used.
Project Partner
Saba Media Organization
Project Description
The purpose of Citizens' Platform for Democratic Debates & Dialogues in Afghanistan was to address the misunderstanding of democratic values and human rights in the Afghan context. The project planned to clarify and deepen understanding of democratic values among Afghan people, especially among women and other marginalized or vulnerable groups and in rural areas, by conducting research on five pillars of democratic values in international and Afghan contexts, disseminating awareness-raising or educational programs, and establishing a media platform for debates.
Evaluation Date
December 2011
Theme
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Citizens' Platform for Democratic Debates & Dialogues in Afghanistan

The project did not sufficiently take into account that many targeted beneficiaries had little education and exposure to ideas beyond their culture, religion, or location. Although most of the radio shows explained basic democratic issues fairly comprehensively, specialized language or reference terms limited audience impact to persons who may have had some knowledge already or perhaps an existing deep interest on democracy.
Project Partner
Saba Media Organization
Project Description
The purpose of Citizens' Platform for Democratic Debates & Dialogues in Afghanistan was to address the misunderstanding of democratic values and human rights in the Afghan context. The project planned to clarify and deepen understanding of democratic values among Afghan people, especially among women and other marginalized or vulnerable groups and in rural areas, by conducting research on five pillars of democratic values in international and Afghan contexts, disseminating awareness-raising or educational programs, and establishing a media platform for debates.
Evaluation Date
December 2011
Theme
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Citizens' Platform for Democratic Debates & Dialogues in Afghanistan

Staff departures once the project in Afghanistan ended drained away some of the capacity developed through the project cycle. Mistakes or gaps were not corrected in the review step and gave evidence of poor organizational arrangements. Research materials of low quality were approved and therefore shaped all shows and debates, leading to suboptimal performance by moderators and participants, which reduced the efficiency and impact of the democratic debates in Afghanistan. The grantee had no internal control or assessment mechanisms to measure progress or impact on desired social change. Although the project used emails and phone calls from the audience, including suggestions for show material, these were not analyzed or incorporated into review of the program's effectiveness with respect to organizational or project objectives.
Project Partner
Saba Media Organization
Project Description
The purpose of Citizens' Platform for Democratic Debates & Dialogues in Afghanistan was to address the misunderstanding of democratic values and human rights in the Afghan context. The project planned to clarify and deepen understanding of democratic values among Afghan people, especially among women and other marginalized or vulnerable groups and in rural areas, by conducting research on five pillars of democratic values in international and Afghan contexts, disseminating awareness-raising or educational programs, and establishing a media platform for debates.
Evaluation Date
December 2011
Theme
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Citizens' Platform for Democratic Debates & Dialogues in Afghanistan

Afghan media airs debates every week and a significant part of the evaluation stakeholders were not familiar with this particular project. Some of those who know the grantee by name report they find their programmess unappealing compared to other options.

 
Project Partner
Saba Media Organization
Project Description
The purpose of Citizens' Platform for Democratic Debates & Dialogues in Afghanistan was to address the misunderstanding of democratic values and human rights in the Afghan context. The project planned to clarify and deepen understanding of democratic values among Afghan people, especially among women and other marginalized or vulnerable groups and in rural areas, by conducting research on five pillars of democratic values in international and Afghan contexts, disseminating awareness-raising or educational programs, and establishing a media platform for debates.
Evaluation Date
December 2011
Theme
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Prévention de la violence durant la période électorale de 2010

The media coverage of the project helped remind stakeholders of the importance of maintaining peace in order to hold free, peaceful and reassuring elections. Media coverage on the concerns of citizens regarding security issues and on whether or not their aspirations and hopes regarding the electoral programmes would be taken into account, allowed the grantee to bring grassroots populations closer to political decision makers in Burundi and reinforce its strategy for advocacy.
Project Partner
Association of Catholic Lawyers of Burundi
Project Description
The aim of the project was to build on the peace process in Burundi and consolidate democratic principles through peaceful elections by encouraging the population in three heavily war-affected provinces to vote in a reflected and enlightened manner and by further encouraging these populations to express their needs and aspirations in order to be included in the electoral programmes of the political parties.
Evaluation Date
November 2011
Theme
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Prévention de la violence durant la période électorale de 2010

The grantee’s political neutrality created an image favourable towards sustainable peace in Burundi and has allowed the organization to position itself as a known and respected mediator in potential conflicts.
Project Partner
Association of Catholic Lawyers of Burundi
Project Description
The aim of the project was to build on the peace process in Burundi and consolidate democratic principles through peaceful elections by encouraging the population in three heavily war-affected provinces to vote in a reflected and enlightened manner and by further encouraging these populations to express their needs and aspirations in order to be included in the electoral programmes of the political parties.
Evaluation Date
November 2011
Theme
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Prévention de la violence durant la période électorale de 2010

The logic of intervention of this project did not fully take into account the rift that exists between the centre and the periphery in Burundi: between the governing and the elected community and collines representatives, who for the main part merely execute power. The project intervention logic overestimated the level of impetus that could come from community leaders. The theory according to which the grassroots population would become more dynamic if only they knew their leaders better was overly optimistic, especially when considering the level of education that these populations have and the traumatic war experiences that are still very present within these communities.
Project Partner
Association of Catholic Lawyers of Burundi
Project Description
The aim of the project was to build on the peace process in Burundi and consolidate democratic principles through peaceful elections by encouraging the population in three heavily war-affected provinces to vote in a reflected and enlightened manner and by further encouraging these populations to express their needs and aspirations in order to be included in the electoral programmes of the political parties.
Evaluation Date
November 2011
Theme
Country
LESSON

Lesson Learned: Prévention de la violence durant la période électorale de 2010

In view of the time and the human resources which were allocated to this project, it would have been important for the grantee to adjust the number of planned activities and to focus on a coherent, qualitative process, within which the activities would have complemented one another. Similarly the activities should have been implemented in such a way to establish a clearer relationship between national and local level.
Project Partner
Association of Catholic Lawyers of Burundi
Project Description
The aim of the project was to build on the peace process in Burundi and consolidate democratic principles through peaceful elections by encouraging the population in three heavily war-affected provinces to vote in a reflected and enlightened manner and by further encouraging these populations to express their needs and aspirations in order to be included in the electoral programmes of the political parties.
Evaluation Date
November 2011
Theme
Country