National Centre for Policy Research Kabul University Activities 2018
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National Centre for Policy Research Kabul University Activities 2018 Following are the main activities of NCPR during 2018 Department of Law and Political Sciences Political Parties in Afghanistan and Their Role in Elections The law and political sciences department decided to have a research on this issue which was done during Aug and Sep 2018. The center specified eastern region of the country for data collection and the data was collected from political parties as well as civil society organizations of four eastern provinces (Nangarhar, Kunar, Noristan, and Laghman). After discussing this with Kabul University, it was decided to conduct some interview with the political parties in Kabul as well to make this research a comprehensive one. Impacts of TAPI Multiregional Project on Afghanistan’s National Security The above research project is completed and will be published in few days. The Turkmenistan- Afghanistan- Pakistan- India (TAPI) Project was originally conceived in the 1990s with a view to monetize Turkmenistan’s gas reserves through gas exports via Afghanistan to Pakistan and India. The project will serve to connect the resourceful gas fields of Turkmenistan to energy deficient power economies in the Indian subcontinent by providing steady supply of natural gas to these countries. The Project also has the potential to increase the regional co-operation between the participating countries and further promote security and political stability in the region. Mining Law and Its Observance in Afghanistan This research project is working on data analysis and will be completed in early 2019 Department of Social Sciences Acting Director of NCPR The Head of the social sciences department was selected as Acting Director of NCPR from January- June 2018 and did all related duties. Increment of Population in Kabul City and its Social Consequences (research) The above research project has been published. There were 3 researchers and four research assistants from Kabul University. The main goal of this research was to identify the major causes of population growth in Kabul city and its social consequences. The results of the study consist of information from some residents of Kabul city, interviews with officials from eight major government departments and the views collected from a focus group interview all under supervision of Department of social sciences. Method of Teaching at Kabul University (research) Three students of Kabul University worked on above research project under the supervision of social sciences department. Some problematic issues on teaching methods in Kabul University and the experiences and opinions of the senior students of university were the main reasons that the research group has chosen this title for their research project. After the process of edition, now it is ready to be published. The Circumstances of Cultural Heritage Preservation in Afghanistan (research) Another research project conducted by a research team consisted of two lectures of Kabul University and a researcher form Academy of Sciences under the supervision of social sciences department. According to the economic, social, political and historical importance of cultural heritage this research project has been done. It is given to be published. The main objective of this research is to achieve a scientific and accurate understanding of effective methods for the preservation of cultural heritage in Afghanistan. “The Runaway Continuance of Youths from Afghanistan and its Social Consequences” At the first step we hope to gather some data and information from the related organization and then follow some focus group interviews. One lecturer and one student form Kabul University started working on this research. GARF Training Program in Bamyan (6 days for 36 lecturers and Students) On 21th of Sep.2018 the head of social sciences went to Bamyan University for teaching of GARF program, which continued until Sep.27. Peace Studies Department The Impact of Life Skills Education on Students’ Social Competencies (2018 Research Project) The research topic of peace and Conflict Studies Department for the year 2018 as voted by scholars’ workshop was ‘The Impact of Life Skills Education on Students’ Social Competencies’. Some of the discussions that resulted in to selecting this topic were about social outcome of academic researches that is they should lead into concrete policy recommendation to inform the policies of relevant sectors and therefore contribute to positive change in the society. The topic was proposed and added to the catalogue of topics by a workshop participant who himself had been benefited while he was a university student from life skills education and he spoke about the good impact the education have had on his life. As a result of the discussions in the workshop, the abovementioned topic received the highest number and was selected as the research topic of the department for the year 2018. After consultation with colleagues in the NCPR and university colleagues, five researchers who had already experience in research and/or teaching life skills education were contacted and three of them welcomed the suggestion to work on the topic until March. The researchers reviewed related literature and selected quasi experiment as the suitable method for the research. Accordingly two groups of Kabul university students were selected to participate in the research; an experiment and a control group. Three questionnaires were used: Social Competency Questionnaire, Social Dominance Questionnaire and Social Tolerance Questionnaire (researchers made). So far the data has been collected and the researchers work on the analyzing and finalizing the project. It is expected to be finished by end of December 2018. Publishing Research Report on Assessing the Components of Peace Education in Afghanistan’s Educational System Peace and Conflict Studies Department 2017 research was completed and published in May 2018. Titled Assessing the Components of Peace Education in Afghanistan’s Educational System (Methods and Activities), the research aimed at assessing teaching method and learning activities at schools against UNESCO peace education components, which include: Democracy (human rights): All individuals are equal and the have equal rights to express their opinion and participate socially and politically; Cooperation and Solidarity: Understanding the value of cooperation and respect and interdependence of individuals, groups and societies; Protecting cultures: Respecting family and valuing personal culture and cultural heritage and human’s achievements; Protecting environment: Understanding the interdependence of man and nature; and committing to protect and improve the environment so that to benefit all its members; Spirituality: Inner peace; the ability to think freely, conscience and freedom of action; Internationalism: respect the equality between nations, congruence between national, regional and international interests, awareness about international problems and the need for their nonviolent solutions; and Self and others: self-awareness, respecting oneself, empathy with others, consideration for oneself and others, trusting oneself and others. Based on these components and the related literature a questionnaire was developed. A sample of 652 teachers from Kabul public schools participated in the survey. Key findings of the research showed that in the educational methods and activities little attention is paid to peace education, and the creation of a vision for co-existence and interdependence. This can be explained due to shortcomings in the educational system of the country, among which the lack of well trained teachers and over crowdedness of classes are more obvious. In any case, the main recommendation the research produced is the vital role of education that requires serious attention if we want to further a peace-breading culture which is an important component of peace building. Three Day Eid-Ceasefire (an event review) The Department of Peace and Conflict Studies of NCPR reviewed the three day Eid ceasefire (June 15-17) which were was observed in Afghanistan for the first time in seventeen years. The background of the ceasefire, the actors behind it and the social and political consequences of such an event were explored in the views of commentators and media. Three members of the department’s peace network helped the department to conduct interviews with a wide range of commentators including politicians, civil society members and academics. Meeting on Establishing the Network for Global Partnership for Prevention of Armed Conflict A consultative meeting was held with some Civil Society Organization to discuss the possibility of establishing a network of organizations for preventing armed conflict. Invited by Afghanistan Justice Organization (AJO) the meeting was held latter’s office on September 2, 2018. NCPR and AJO have already acquired the membership of Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC). The meeting where four other organizations were also represented, aimed at introducing new members to GPPAC mission and establishing a network who will collaborate as partners of GPPAC in Afghanistan. The acting head of Peace and Conflict Studies represented NCPR in this meeting. Follow up meeting will be held to finalize a collaboration policy for the network. Nonviolent Communication Workshops The Department of Peace and Conflict Studies is holding workshops on the subject of Nonviolent Communication as previous years.