The CSHRN coordination center for the western region

CSHRN conducted a three day meeting on civil society and human rights in order to get to know and to analyze the human rights conditions before establishing an office.

CSHRN opened the office on 15 February 2007, covering 4 provinces (Herat, Farah, Badghis, and Ghoor).

The aim of conducting programs also outside of Herat was to develop networking and coordination also with other civil society organizations. The aim is to strengthen citizenship and to build a solid society with the rule of law. One day debates, seminars on human rights and civil society, and consultative programs with civil society institutions and human rights activists were organized.

Activities of the western regional coordination center February 2007 to February 2008

Fields of activities

Capacity building, advocacy, and coordination

Capacity building

Capacity building was the first goal of network in order to raise the awareness of civil society institutions and to improve society.

Training workshops on human rights concepts organized in Herat.

Training workshops organized on human rights and civil society, workshops on peace and human rights, woman and human rights, child rights and consultative programs in Badghis province.

Training workshops organized on woman rights, child rights, civil society, peace and human rights and consultative gatherings in Farah province.

Training workshops organized on woman rights, child rights and civil society and democracy in Ghoor province.

One week programs organized for training ten trainers of the network in the West by using the network publications.

Many workshops organised related to civil society and human rights concepts in Herat city.

Establishment of a small library.

  Advocacy

Lobbying and advocacy are useful means in order to improve the situation of human rights and to contribute to the vision of CSHRN.

•  Issuing of a statement against the parliament's peace and reconciliation charter (in coordination with the capital, Kabul)

•  Issuing of a statement against the bombardments of Aziz Abad village in Shindand districts, which was done in coordinating with civil society institutions.

•  Organization of debates on human rights issues (Pluralism, human rights culture, women and human rights in the west, media and human rights, woman and human rights from an Islamic point of view, Islam and modernism, Secularism, culture and cultural ability to accept new meanings, culture and technology.

•  Organization of a one week debate on women rights for ten trainers and the representatives of 20 civil society and human rights organizations from the western region in Herat.

  Coordination

•  Coordination of programs and human rights institutions related to human rights and civil society in order to strengthen civil society institutions.

•  Conducting of a human rights spring school for four western provinces.

•  Celebrating the international women day, the international peace day, the international day for eliminating violence against women and the international human rights day.

•  Three days seminar on human rights and civil society for four provinces of the western region.

•  Consultative gatherings with civil society institutions, especially women institutions.

Biography of the regional coordinator

Aziza Khairandish was born in 1966 in Herat city. She started to study at the faculty of politics and law at the Kabul University, but due to the difficult conditions, she could not continue and was obliged to abandon the university and to return to Herat. There, she was able to study at the pedagogical institute and became consequently a teacher in Herat city. Because of the worsening situation in Herat at that time, she left the country and went to Iran for some years. But as she was not able bearing to spent her life in a foreign country, she returned with her family to Herat.

When the Taliban occupied Herat, she was obliged to stay at home. During this time, she conducted courses for girls. Once the Taliban regime fell, she became again a teacher. In the year 2002, she became as one of the representatives from Herat become a member of the Emergency Loaygarga. In 2003, she was appointed as the deputy of the regional office of the constitution commission in the western region, by which she got involved in the process of the compilation and approval of the Afghanistan constitution in the western region. During the election of the president and the parliament she was the master trainer in the western region as well. For some times, she was the head of the Culture and Civil Society foundation in Herat. In 2006 she was appointed as the regional coordinator of CSHRN in the western region.

Aziza Kharandish participated in several training programs in Herat and Kabul and has always made efforts to improve her knowledge and experiences. Aziza Kharandish is one of the important women in Herat regarding the defense of Human Rights and in particular regarding the subject of diffusion of a human rights culture and she enjoys a high popularity among the people in the western zone.