Stability in Key Areas (SIKA) – West Weekly Report, July 9-15, 2013

In Farah Province, a 'Communications Skills Building' training was provided to nine Khak-e-Safayd District government staff on July 8th. A coordination meeting was held with the Farah Provincial Governor on July 14th, where an overview of the MRRD/Stability program activities in Bala Boluk and Pusht-e Rod Districts was presented. The Bala Boluk Farmers' Union received three loudspeakers for public announcements, and 21 labor-intensive grants for building water dividers and refurbishing a community center were ongoing in Bala Boluk and Pusht-e Rod Districts. In Badghis Province, a meeting was held with the Deputy Provincial Council Director on July 14th to invite him to the upcoming DSC meetings. An overview of the MRRD/Stability program's objectives and activities was presented during the meeting. Introduction to Stability Program orientation training was provided to 31 women from Qadis District on July 14th, covering topics such as definition of stability, sources of instability, and root causes. The Qadis District Governor distributed factsheets and posters highlighting district government services available to residents, including health, education, and agriculture. In Herat Province, a meeting was held with the Shindand District Governor on July 9th to discuss the use of the 'Complaint Hotline' and dissemination of a 'Peace Poster'. The DG assigned his secretary as the Complaint Hotline focal point and agreed to distribute 500 copies of the poster in public places. The Pashtun Zarghun DG chaired the 6th DSC meeting on July 15th, which aimed to update participants on the status of the implementation of mitigating activities and propose new projects. By the end of the meeting, the DSC members identified and prioritized 15 soft and hard projects, with women attending the meeting and delivering speeches about their roles in the community. In Ghor Province, 'How to Develop a Communications Plan' training was provided to two Chaghcharan Youth Association communications focal points on July 14th. Topics included structure of a plan, objectives and goals, activity time-line, and messaging. The 3rd Shahrak DSC meeting was held on July 7th, focusing on project selection and establishing the Tribal Conflict Resolution Committee. By the end of the meeting, 20 projects were proposed by participants, and the Tribal Conflict Resolution Committee was assigned to work on the current conflict between Alam and Azam tribes. A coordination meeting was held between USAID representatives, the Ghor Provincial Peace Council, the PRT representative, and SIKA-West staff on July 9th to boost coordination between the Peace Council and SIKA-West.