2018 Elections: the Foundation launches a campaign to assist more than 17,000 women in Abbottabad & Haripur to use their right to vote
Celebrating the International Women’s Day, the Foundation launched a campaign to help more than 17,000 women in Abbottabad and Haripur to get their NICs and register as voters. A training workshop was held in Abbottabad for 60 local volunteers inducted for the campaign. Speaking on the occasion, the Foundation’s Executive Director Ms. Rashida Dohad said: “we are committed to assisting women to play their due role in national politics. We will reach the…
Training CSOs in Digital App
A part of the Foundation’s capacity building of CSOs in social accountability is training them in using a specially designed digital app; Awam to upload stories of citizen monitoring of government facilities. This app has been developed by the Foundation’s partner Media Matter for Democracy (MMfD) who also leads the training on it. On 27 and 28 February 2018, 8 women and 15 men from 13 CSOs from Battagram and Mansehra were…
Analysis, strategies, Team building and Fun Program & Review & Planning
A three day Programme Review & Planning (PRP) meeting was held in Lahore from 26-28 December 2017. Objectives Review programme implementation during: 1 March 2017–31 December 2017 Planning of ongoing projects like CERAG, SELP, AAN and She can lead. Improve team interaction and communication. Identification of challenges towards implementation of project activities.
Building Capacities in Social Accountability.Training CSOs from KP’s districts Mansehra & Battagram
17 women and 49 men from 25 CSOs from districts Mansehra and Battagram participated in a Social Accountability training on 20-22 December 2017. This training was part of the Foundation's ongoing efforts to build capacities in social accountability of more than 100 CSOs in 12 districts of KP. Social Accountability is a broad range of actions & mechanisms used by citizens & CSOs to hold public officials & service providers to account. It…
Citizen Journalism Training by MMfD in collaboration with the Foundation
Media Matters for Democracy in collaboration with the Foundation trained CSO activists to upload social accountability stories on the app AWAM. MMfD is the Foundations partner in CERAG. Developing a mobile application ‘Awam’ comes under their domain in this joint venture. ‘Awam’ is a digital tool to facilitate citizens to generate multimedia journalism content, particularly on the local governance issues of their communities, and interface this content with the mainstream media…
Asia Pacific Leaders Conference
As part of the OGP framework of cross-country learning, the Government of Indonesia hosted the Asia Pacific Leaders Forum on Open Government on 14 December 2017 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Its overarching theme was: Open Government for Inclusive Development. The forum brought together 750 participants including heads of governments, ministers, local government leaders, civil society, business, development partners, and other opinion leaders from the region and beyond to share their experiences…
Building Capacities in Social Accountability.Training CSOs from KP’s districts Abbottabad & Haripur
39 women and 40 men from 22 CSOs from districts Abbottabad and Haripur participated in a Social Accountability training on 27-29 November 2017. This training was part of the Foundation's ongoing efforts to build capacities in social accountability of more than 100 CSOs in 12 districts of KP. Social Accountability is a broad range of actions & mechanisms used by citizens & CSOs to hold public officials & service providers to account. It…
Peoples Assembly on Public Participation in Public Budgets Abbottabad Press Club
A Peoples Assembly was organized at the Abbottabad Press Club on 20 November 2017. 108 women and 248 men from eight districts of the province participated in the Assembly. They discussed the Foundation’s findings and adopted a Charter of Demands. Outline of Citizen Charter of Demands for Fair & Transparent Public Budgets : Government Priorities Equitable Distribution of Development Funds Promote Transparency Fiscal Decentralization Pro-Women Allocations It was presented to Deputy…
MOU signed between Government of Pakistan & Omar Asghar Khan Foundation
The Foundation works closely with State authorities . It engages with State authorities on required approvals for project implementation. This was effectively done at the federal level with the Economic Affairs Division with which the Foundation signed an MOU on 8 November 2017.Chairperson of the Foundation Dr Yasmeen Zaidi signed it.
Women get CNICs: the Foundation & AAN arrange NADRA mobile van visits in rural areas of Haripur
Awaz-e-Niswan (AAN) is envisioned as a membership-based network of women voters across the country. It aims to represent the concerns of women voters in Pakistan and to increase political commitment towards the needs and concerns of women voters in Pakistan with gender responsive political processes.On 27th Oct 2017 NADRA MRV visited the rural areas of Haripur.
Building Capacities in Social Accountability.Training CSOs from KP’s districts Peshawar & Mardan
10 women and 27 men from 12 CSOs from districts Peshawar and Mardan participated in a Social Accountability training on 23-24 October 2017. This training was part of the Foundation's ongoing efforts to build capacities in social accountability of more than 100 CSOs in 12 districts of KP. Social Accountability is a broad range of actions & mechanisms used by citizens & CSOs to hold public officials & service providers to account. It…
“Inequities in budget allocations are alienating citizens in poor regions,” Rashida Dohad, addressing a press conference Abbottabad Press Club
Foundation held a press conference on October 20, 2017 at the Abbottabad Press Club. Journalists from different print and electronic media including the office bearers of Abbottabad Press Club were present to cover the press conference including Foundation’s team. Ms. Rashida Dohad Executive Director of Omar Asghar Khan Foundation presented the key findings of the budget analysis done by the Foundation team. Local journalist raised questions regarding share of Hazara and unjustified allocations…
The Foundation calls for a fair Provincial Finance Commission Award in KP Peshawar Press Club
Foundation held a press conference on October 18, 2017 at the Peshawar Press Club. Representatives from different print and electronic media houses were present to cover the press conference. Ms. Rashida Dohad Executive Director of Omar Asghar Khan Foundation presented the key findings of the budget analysis done by the Foundation team. Activists showed their keen interest in the data and raised questions to know more about the findings, which Ms. Rashida…
Synergizing institutional efforts for maximizing development benefits The Foundation’s team in discussion with CDLD, GIZ, WWH & Lasoona Peshawar
On Monday 28 August 2017, the Community Driven Local Development (CDLD) project held a provincial orientation for district officials and elected representatives. Omar Asghar Khan Foundation, WWH, Lasoona and GIZ were also invited as they have complementary projects. Using this opportunity, a joint meeting of the Foundation, Lasoona and WWH was held following the conclusion of the CDLD orientation on Monday 28 August in Peshawar. Lasoona was represented by Mr. Noor Malik and…
Better development outcomes, better local governance CDLD Provincial Meeting Peshawar
CDLD organized a one-day Provincial Orientation Workshop on its revised design in the extended project period on Monday, 28 August 2017 at Peshawar. The orientation brought together about 60-70 participants including key government officials and elected representatives from the selected districts and representatives of organizations with complementary programmes. Mr. Said Rehman, Policy Coordinator CDLD, presented the summary of CDLD results and impact of pilot phase. He said that more than 23,000 first applications were received, about…
Open Government Partnership National Workshop, Islamabad
The Open Government Partnership is a multilateral initiative for securing concrete commitments from governments around the world to promote transparency, fight against corruption and strengthen governance.Pakistan initiated the joining process of OGP with the approval of the Cabinet in December, 2016. In order to secure full membership, Pakistan needs to develop an OGP National Action Plan (NAP). To fulfill this requirement, EAD organized a National Workshop on OGP on 27th July 2017. Measures to increase fiscal transparency were recommended by the Foundation for…
The Foundation and its Partners celebrated Omar Asghar Khan’s 64th Birthday and reaffirmed their commitment to continue pursuing his dreams.
On 3 July 2017 a meeting was called at the Foundation’s office in Abbottabad to commemorate the birth anniversary of Omar Asghar Khan. It provided important opportunities for interaction with key activists of the regional citizen coalition formed in 2005. Discussions with the 14 women and 20 men attending the birth anniversary celebrations reconfirmed the need to strengthen the coalition and extend its outreach from the Hazara region to across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa A short…
Test-Run of a Training Module on Social Accountability
A three day test-run of the Foundation's training module on Social Accountability was held at its Islamabad office on 26-28 May 2017. The Foundation's staff and two colleagues of its partner Media Matters for Democracy participated in the test-run. The test-run helped assess and fine-tune the training content and methodology.
Oakdf Team at Mashal Khan’s Chehlum
On 21 May, 2017 chehlum Dua of Mashal was held in his native village Zaida Swabi. Foundation's team visited Mashal's grave,offered prayers and laid floral wreath for student who was brutally murdered over blasphemy allegations. A Quran Khwani was also held at Mashal's house, where his family members had gathered to commemorate the chehlum.
Foundation’s session with students of Bahria University.
At the request of Miss Sara Kamal Bajwa the teacher of 'Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance' Bahria University Islamabad, the Foundation hosted a discussion to share its experiences in ensuring DRR measures a re pro-women in Foundation's office Islamabad on 20 April 2017. Miss Sara Kamal Bajwa along with about 16 students participated in the discussion. Foundation team consisted on Miss Rashida Dohad, Mohsin Ali and Shah Faisal. The purpose of this discussion to introduced…
Sharing experiences in social accountability
Activists from Kohistan, Battagram, Abbottabad, Haripur and Islamabad were brought together to learn from their social accountability experiences.
Constituency of support for its recommendations on PFM
The Foundation expanding the constituency of support for its recommendations on PFM reform based on its analysis of KP’s budgets and social accountability efforts.
Sharing experiences in budget work Peshawar Press Club
More than 150 representatives of civil society organizations from different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa attended a meeting convened by the Foundation to share its experiences of analyzing federal and provincial budgets and also using citizen monitoring to assess government performance.
The Foundation trained nearly 2,000 elected councilors in District Abbottabad.
The Foundation trained nearly 2,000 elected councilors in District Abbottabad. They become more familiar with their roles and responsibilities defined under Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Local Government Act 2013. They also learnt budgeting and participatory planning skills.
Assist Pakistan achieve better compliance of Cedaw General Recommendation #30
The Foundation’s recommendations to assist Pakistan achieve better compliance of Cedaw General Recommendation #30 was endorsed by activists from across the province. This effort was appreciated by Ms. Meraj Humayun Khan, the Chairperson of the Women Parliamentary Caucus in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Foundation presents its analysis of KP’s Budget FY2016-17.
Opposition leaders MPA Syed Jafar Shah (ANP) and MPA Amna Sardar (PML-N) participate in a provincial conference in which the Foundation presented its analysis of KP’s Budget FY2016-17.
Poetry, music and theater was used to popularize alternate narratives to extremism.
Poetry, music and theater was used to popularize alternate narratives to extremism.
Foundation’s Capacity building support has helped 45+ CSO’s
The Foundation’s capacity building support has helped more than 45 CSOs in KP to use social accountability for better public services in some of the poorest areas of the province.
Foundation constructs or repairs gravity-flow supply schemes to provide drinking water in some of the poorest villages
Using its strong roots within rural communities and its in-house technical expertise, the Foundation constructs or repairs gravity-flow supply schemes to provide drinking water in some of the poorest villages in the mountainous regions of Abbottabad. The workload of women was reduced as without supply mechanisms they were forced to walk for several hours to fetch water for domestic use.
Awaz-e-Niswan: the Foundation is bringing together young female students and community women leaders
Awaz-e-Niswan: the Foundation is bringing together young female students and community women leaders in districts Abbottabad and Haripur, and assisting them in increasing their political participation.
Fair Funds: an analysis of KP’s Budget 2015-16 Peshawar Press Club
KP has a historical opportunity to devise a fair PFC Award to remove political expediencies in public budgets” said Rashida Dohad presenting the Foundation’s analysis.
The Foundation helped Aman Ittehad (United for Peace) to review the National Action Plan
The Foundation helped Aman Ittehad (United for Peace) to review the National Action Plan to counter terror, and recommend ways to strengthen it.
Citizen engage for change
With the Foundation’s assistance, citizens are engaging in governance and asserting their rights. They are important milestones in a longer journey of strengthening democracy in Pakistan. Their successes at the facility level are impressive. A THQ in Pattan is operational, nine years after it was constructed. A RHC in rural Abbottabad is now a D-Type hospital, eight years after its upgradation was approved. The provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is allocating funds for reconstructing schools…
Provides important information to improve budget transparency at the federal level.
Since 2010, the Foundation is collecting the data for the global Open Budget Survey that provides important information to improve budget transparency at the federal level.
Helping citizens be more informed, skilled, organized and confident in engaging with elected and non-elected duty-bearers
The Foundation is helping citizens be more informed, skilled, organized and confident in engaging with elected and non-elected duty-bearers, to stimulate public demand, and, to put pressure on the government to deliver quality services. The Foundation also helps strengthen the supply side of the governance equation by assisting public representatives and government officials to be more responsive to citizens.