Rule of Law Stabilization Program – Informal Component: Monthly Report, May 2013

RLS-I focuses on strengthening traditional dispute resolution, promoting stability within communities, and closing gaps that insurgents may exploit to acquire local legitimacy and political power. The program advances women's rights by empowering women to bring their disputes before informal and formal justice systems, and by working to eradicate customary practices such as baad, child marriages, and the refusal to grant women's inheritance rights. RLS-I works to increase knowledge of Afghan law among informal justice providers, foster linkages between informal and formal justice sector actors and institutions, and support dialogue and cooperation for the resolution of long-standing disputes. The program's objectives are aligned with USAID/Afghanistan's Democracy and Governance Assistance Objective (AO) I, which aims to improve the performance and accountability of governance. RLS-I contributes to the achievement of AO I, Intermediate Result (IR) 1.1, and Sub-IR 1.1.4, which focus on increasing public confidence in the rule of law system and strengthening traditional dispute resolution in disputed areas. In May 2013, RLS-I program activities consisted of preparation for the commencement of Phase 3, Tranche 2 districts, and intensive RLS-I Phase 3 programming to complete core activities in the first tranche of Phase 3 districts. Network meetings were conducted to introduce RLS-I objectives to village elders who resolve local disputes and provide opportunities to share dispute resolution experiences and coordinate on resolving long-standing disputes. Learning workshops delivered critical knowledge on specific aspects of Afghan law, including Constitutional law, criminal law, family law, inheritance law, property law, and property deeds law. Discussion sessions provided a forum for formal-informal justice sector working groups to meet and discuss pressing issues facing the formal and informal justice sectors. RLS-I district graduation criteria require completion of a five- to six-month core program consisting of six core curriculum legal education workshop topics, four discussion sessions, three state-TDR protocol coordination meetings, three spinsary group meetings, and two network meetings. The core program is followed by an additional five- to six-month period of activities. RLS-I program implementation is ongoing in three regions: east, south, and north. In the east region, program activities included meetings with village elders, learning workshops, and discussion sessions. Challenges faced in the east region included limited access to remote areas and security concerns. In the south region, program activities included network meetings, learning workshops, and coordination meetings. Challenges faced in the south region included limited resources and capacity constraints. In the north region, program activities included learning workshops and discussion sessions. Challenges faced in the north region included limited access to remote areas and security concerns. RLS-I program implementation is ongoing, and the program continues to work towards its objectives of increasing knowledge of Afghan law among informal justice providers, fostering linkages between informal and formal justice sector actors and institutions, and supporting dialogue and cooperation for the resolution of long-standing disputes. The program's activities are aligned with USAID/Afghanistan's Democracy and Governance Assistance Objective (AO) I and contribute to the achievement of AO I, IR 1.1, and Sub-IR 1.1.4. RLS-I continues to work towards its objectives and will continue to implement its program activities in the coming months.