Contact Information
- Where – Afghanistan (Asia)
- Website – www.phroafghanistan.com
- Contact Person – Nezamuddin Katawazi
- Email – nezamuddink@gmail.com
- Address – Kalimzai tower, 3/4 ,district 4, Kabul, Afghanistan
- Other – mazdegar@gmail.com
Areas of Expertise
The Peace and Human Rights Organization (PHRO) has expertise in a range of areas, including:
Main Aims and Objectives
The main aims of PHRO are:
- To build on local knowledge and wisdom to resolve conflicts using an integrated approach of respect for human rights principles of accountability, non-discrimination and participation, in order to contribute to positive interaction between the agendas of peace building and human rights;
- To provide human rights activists, civil society members, experts and the larger public with fact-based information and essential resources to enable them to challenge the most frequent and pressing needs in the field of human rights and peace building;
- To conduct independent research on various human rights and peacebuilding issues that informs policy and practice by all players in order to contribute to conflict resolution and the observance of human rights of the citizens of Afghanistan and of the inhabitants living on both sides of the Duran line, in particular in the area known as FATA;
- To promote the human rights of women through integrating gender issue into peace initiatives and research activities on human rights issues, including through contribution to the implementing of the UN resolution No.1325 (2000) on women, peace and security;
- To increase collaboration among all players through publications, conferences, workshops and other means to increase their contribution to the implementation of the rights guaranteed by the domestic and international law, thus to strengthen rule of law and peace initiatives;
Upholding the Principles of Conflict Transformation
PHRO is actively contributing to conflict transformation through attempts to promote respect for human rights of all citizens of Afghanistan, whilst upholding the rule of law across the country. PHRO participates in joint activities with civil society organizations and conducts research projects on various issues related to human rights and peacebuilding to inform practice and policy regarding peace processes. PHRO focuses on mobilizing and utilizing local capacities to build relationships and create confidence among former adversarial groups through encouraging cultural fluency/exchange programs to facilitate dialogue and strengthen social coherence among culturally different communities, whilst promoting peace education in schools and higher educational institutions to re-define their cultural identities. PHRO focuses on identifying and revealing the root causes of conflict, structural and direct violence in Afghanistan and supporting a strategy of combating these sources of conflict through non-violent ways and promoting a strategy of transitional justice and national reconciliation on the basis of reducing structural injustices.
Where and with Whom?
PHRO is based in Kabul, Afghanistan and has branches in Khost, Southeast of Afghanistan, Pakitika, South of Afghanistan and Jalalbad, in Eastern Afghanistan. PHRO maintains relations with several civil society organizations in and outside of the country.
PHRO’s main counterparts include the Afghanistan Human Rights Organization (AHRO), the Organization for Human Rights and Environmental Protection (OHREP), the Consumer Rights and Services Organization (CRSO), the Attorney General’s Office, Afghanistan, the Supreme Court, Afghanistan, the Lawyers Association of Afghanistan, the Asian Resource Foundation (ARF, Thailand), Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy (IMTD), USA) and various other organizations and media sources.
PHRO is a member of the Afghan Civil Society Organizations Network for Peace (ACSONP), Network for Food Sovereignty and Security in Afghanistan (NFSSA).
Main Activities in the Field of Conflict Transformation
PHRO encourages parties to conflict in Afghanistan to initiate dialogue and negotiations on the issues underpinning their differences. The organization puts value on – and expressed on various occasions (forums, seminars, conferences , research work and in inter-organizational joint undertakings) – the notion that conflicts cannot be solved by resorting to violence, rather mutual understanding and respect for the interests of all can bring violence to an end and establish sustainable peace. The organization promotes the exchange of experiences and perceptions of conflict by various groups involved in conflict to facilitate interaction and mutual understanding between them.
Further critical areas of activities for PHRO are to strengthen citizens’ access to justice and uphold the democratic values in every area of public life. PHRO sees the justice reform sector as one of peace-building activities, attempts to engage in the broader justice agenda. PHRO promotes informal justice mechanisms of dispute resolution, conducts training activities to develop the capacity of victims of violence to seek justice and report on human rights violations, both within the context of armed conflict in Afghanistan as well as outside this context.
The organization monitors the human rights situation and gives special attention to the situation of victims of armed conflict, vulnerable groups such as women, children, IDPs and minorities and reports on incidents of violations and lobbies for the restoration of justice through participation of the victims of violations.
PHRO promotes a network of progressive social organizations and attempts to increase understanding and mutual respect between various religions and cultures across the country, whilst advocating for tolerance and understanding of various cultural traditions to sustain peace.
PHRO is a member organization of the Network for Food Sovereignty and Security in Afghanistan (NFSSA). The Network tries to contribute to the promotion of the right to food, land rights, access to resources and good governance in Afghanistan.
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