ACBAR, as co-chair of the Accountability & Disability Inclusion Working Group (ADIWG) recently facilitated a Community Accountability and Exchange Session in Khost Province, in cooperation with the Khost Provincial Department of Economy. This exchange created a space for communities and other stakeholders to openly discuss their needs, priorities and experiences with humanitarian and development assistance.
The session brought together representatives from government institutions, national and international NGOs, community elders, youth, persons with disabilities and organizations supporting persons with disabilities. Discussions focused on the effectiveness of assistance, transparency, community participation, and the mechanisms available for people to raise concerns and provide feedback.
At the heart of the session was a simple but important principle:
Effective assistance starts with listening to the people and communities it is intended to support.
Turning Community Concerns into Action
Participants took part in group discussions to identify key challenges, needs and priorities in their communities. They then explored practical solutions and developed recommendations to address the issues raised.
The discussions provided an opportunity for participants to share their experiences and perspectives and highlighted the importance of ensuring that community priorities are reflected in humanitarian and development programming.
A representative from Awaaz Afghanistan also explained how community members can register and follow up on complaints and access available feedback mechanisms. Information materials were distributed to help participants better understand these processes.
The session also reinforced an important message for communities: humanitarian, health and development services provided by organisations are free of charge, and no individual should request money or personal benefits in exchange for registration, surveys, assistance or services.
Building Stronger Connections Around Local Needs
The Khost Provincial Department of Economy highlighted the importance of ensuring that assistance responds to the actual needs of communities and reaches people in need fairly and effectively. Particular attention was given to communities in remote areas and the importance of stronger coordination between government institutions, organizations and communities.
The session concluded with participants calling for continued dialogue and more systematic coordination to ensure that community concerns and priorities are considered in future humanitarian and development programmes.
For ACBAR, creating opportunities for communities to speak directly with organizations and relevant stakeholders is an important part of strengthening accountability, transparency and locally informed action.
By listening to communities and connecting their priorities with humanitarian and development actors, ACBAR continues to support more responsive, inclusive and accountable action across Afghanistan.
Community representatives participate in an ACBAR Community Accountability and Exchange Session in Khost Province.