AfghanistanAfghanistan Research Research and andEvaluation Evaluation Unit Unit CaseCase Study Study Series Series Community-Based Dispute Resolution Processes in Balkh Province Rebecca Gang Funding for this research was provided by the United Kingdom Department for October 2010 International Development (DFID) Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit Editor: Amanda Morgan Layout: Jay Lamey AREU Publication Code: 1036E © 2010 Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit. Some rights reserved. This publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted only for non-commercial purposes and with written credit to AREU and the author. Where this publication is reproduced, stored or transmitted electronically, a link to AREU’s website (www.areu.org.af) should be provided. Any use of this publication falling outside of these permissions requires prior written permission of the publisher, the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit. Permission can be sought by emailing [email protected] or by calling (+93) 799 608 548. Community-Based Dispute Resolution Processes in Balkh Province About the Author Rebecca Gang joined the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit in June 2010 to complete the Community-Based Dispute Resolution series. She has been working on programs related to rule of law, legal aid/legal access, and legal development in Afghanistan since 2006. Between 2006 and 2008, Rebecca served as Project Coordinator for the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Information Counseling and Legal Assistance Program in Herat, Pul-i-Khumri and Kunduz, focusing on resolution of displacement-related land conflict through state and non-state legal mechanisms. She subsequently worked as Advisor to the Afghan Independent Bar Association during its inaugural year (2008-2009). Rebecca received her J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law and her LL.M. from Harvard Law School, where she wrote a thesis entitled Seeing Like a Law Reformer: A Case Study of the Afghan Independent Bar Association. About the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit The Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) is an independent research institute based in Kabul. AREU’s mission is to inform and influence policy and practice through conducting high-quality, policy-relevant research and actively disseminating the results, and to promote a culture of research and learning. To achieve its mission AREU engages with policymakers, civil society, researchers and students to promote their use of AREU’s research and its library, to strengthen their research capacity, and to create opportunities for analysis, reflection and debate. AREU was established in 2002 by the assistance community working in Afghanistan and has a board of directors with representation from donors, the United Nations and other multilateral agencies, and non-governmental organisations. AREU currently receives core funds from the governments of Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Specific projects have been funded by the Foundation of the Open Society Institute Afghanistan (FOSIA), the Asia Foundation (TAF), the European Commission (EC) and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit Acknowledgements Above all, this paper would not have been possible without the efforts of Deborah J. Smith in designing and managing the data collection process during the research phase. I thus layer my gratitude on top of hers for the hospitality and cooperation of the people of Balkh Province in the two villages and district centre where this research was conducted, who willingly gave up their time to talk to the research team. Without these people’s knowledge, understanding and insights into their own lives and the way in which they experience and negotiate through conflict, this research would not have been possible. While my name appears on the front of this paper, I only served to bring together the hard work of others. This paper could not have been written without the efforts of Fauzia Rahimi, who spent countless hours talking me through the data, painting a picture of interviews as they took place, and helping me to sort and analyse. Fauzia also made significant contributions to the writing and analysis of the case summaries, glossary and Sections 5 and 6 of the paper. Thanks also to the other CBDR research team members responsible for data collection, translation and analysis, namely Shelly Manalan, Jamila Wafa, Gholam Sakhi Frozish and Wakil Ahmad Barakzai. Special thanks to Paula Kantor and Paul Fishstein for the opportunity, to all of those who offered excellent feedback and invaluable insight during the revision process, to Amanda Morgan for editorial support, and to my family, Susan, Evelyn and Albert Lerman and Toby Leslie for everything. Rebecca Gang October 2010 Community-Based Dispute Resolution Processes in Balkh Province Table of Contents Acronyms ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� v Glossary .............................................................................................. v 1. Introduction ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 1 2. Key Themes and Findings ..................................................................... 6 2.1 Adaptability and pragmatism ............................................................ 6 2.2 CBDR and the state ........................................................................ 6 2.3 CBDR principles, legitimacy and capacity ............................................. 6 2.4 Gender equity .............................................................................. 7 3. Research Methodology and Site Selection ................................................. 8 3.1 Research methodology .................................................................... 8 3.2 Site selection: District and village context ............................................ 9 4. Legal Pluralism and CBDR in Afghanistan ................................................. 14 5. CBDR Mechanisms ............................................................................. 18 5.1 The whitebeards’ jalasa ................................................................. 18 5.2 From the whitebeards to the woliswali and back ................................... 26 6. Choosing a Forum ............................................................................. 32 6.1 Big and small cases ....................................................................... 32 6.2 Other factors affecting forum choice ................................................. 41 7. Conclusion ..................................................................................... 47 Annex: Case Summaries .......................................................................... 50 Bibliography ........................................................................................ 64 Recent Publications from AREU .................................................................. 68 List of Boxes Box 1. Plural systems, regulated by autonomy and respect ................................ 17 Box 2. Characteristics of whitebeards in CBDR ............................................... 20 Box 3. The role of the mullah in CBDR today .................................................. 21 Box 4. Women’s role in family mediation ...................................................... 21 Box 5. The khadim: An evolving leadership role for women ................................ 22 Box 6. Keeping family disputes out of sight ................................................... 23 Box 7. The jalasa process ......................................................................... 24 Box 8. Women’s access to outsiders and the role of the wakil ............................. 25 Box 9. Women’s access to information and expectations of deference ................... 25 Box 10. Differentiating between district actors .............................................. 28 Box 11. The mesher as gatekeeper ............................................................. 30 Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit Box 12. Determining jurisdiction: Big and small cases ....................................... 33 Box 13. Social and personal significance of islah ............................................. 34 Box 14. From urfi to Sharia: The shifting value of documentation......................... 35 Box 15. Whitebeards’ enforcement mechanisms ............................................. 37 Box 16. Cases involving water ................................................................... 37 Box 17. Whitebeards in the district: Sharing local knowledge and enforcement capacity ....38 Box 18. Women’s access in land disputes ...................................................... 41 Box 19. Islah by coercion ......................................................................... 42 Box 20. Accessing the district as a violation of community autonomy .................... 43 Box 21. Women’s access to the woliswali ...................................................... 43 Box 22. Corruption among district officials .................................................... 44 Box 23. Abuse of authority by community elders ............................................. 45 Box 24. If there were no corruption... ......................................................... 46 Acronyms CBDR community-based dispute resolution, see Page 2 for definition NGO non-governmental