Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organization (AHRDO) is working on different important areas but Transitional Justice and arts- based initiatives are the most vital component of the AHRDO‘s working mandate. For its program quality and sustainable impact, AHRDO enjoyed from professional experiences and technical expertise of the following international organizations / companies:

International Center for Transition Justice (ICTJ)

The International Center for Transitional Justice is an international non-profit organization specializing in the field of transitional justice. ICTJ works to help societies in transition address legacies of massive human rights violations and build civic trust in state institutions as protectors of human rights.

In the aftermath of mass atrocity and repression, ICTJ assists institutions and civil society groups—the people who are driving and shaping change in their societies—in considering measures to provide truth, accountability, and redress for past abuses. ICTJ does this by providing technical expertise and knowledge of relevant comparative experiences in transitional justice from across the globe. 

The ICTJ supported AHRDO with generosity in capacity building of leadership, institutional development and policy advocacy tour/meetings. ICTJ is committed to provide AHRDO more technical support for further development. 

To know more about ICTJ's work, see http://ictj.org/our-work/regions-and-countries/afghanistan 

Image-in-Action

Image-in-Action is a theatre and art company based in the United States of America that dazzles the heart and awakens the spirit through the performance of ancient folk tales and original works. Image-in-Action offers storytelling, full length plays, theater of the oppressed workshops and inter-cultural ceremonies that are based in respect for personal stories and traditional ways.

Image-in-Action travels nationally and internationally to universities, conferences, schools, libraries, retreat centers, prisons, summer camps, churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and community and business organizations.

The Director of this company, Mr. Hector Aristizabal traveled to Afghanistan from September 30 to October 13, 2009 and offered advance Theater of the Oppressed workshops for Afghanistan Human Rights & democracy Organization (AHRDO) and its other human rights and cultural partner organizations in collaboration with the International Center for Transitional Justice) and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung- Afghanistan) (FES).

For more info, see www.imaginaction.org 

The Madala Center

Founded in 1999, the Mandala Center is a multi-disciplinary education organization dedicated to community dialogue, social justice and societal transformation. Through experiential workshops, theatre performances, and other creative events, the Mandala Center invites people to be more awake and alive as well as empowered to take action toward a more just and joyous life for all people. The Mandala Center is also an international hub for the training and grassroots practice of Augusto Boal's, Theatre of the Oppressed.

In 2009, AHRDO invited the director and founder of the Mandala Centre, Mr. Marc Weinblatt to Afghanistan to lead a participatory theatre workshops, trainings, and performances with a variety of groups including victims of war and genocide, women, orphans, high school teachers, university students, community activists, and professional actors. Subject matter included women's rights, poverty, underage marriage, suicide bombs, the Taliban, domestic violence, education, as well as a previously unheard of public forum on ethnic tension in Afghanistan. 

For more details, visit www.mandalaforchange.com 

Playback-Theater Zürich

Playback-Theater Zürich is a professional theater company specializing in interactive performance. Founded in 1992, the company is among the longest-standing professional business theater companies in the German speaking world. Playback-Theater Zürich uses a variety of methods according to its clients' needs: theatrical improvisation, rehearsed scenes, role-play, and, most of all, Playback-Theater. Playback-Theater is a form of improvisational theater where all material comes from the audience. A team of specially trained actors and musicians enacts statements and stories told by members of the audience. The modules Playback-Theater Zürich offers can be used in a variety of settings:

AHRDO invited the Artistic Director of the company, Ms. Karin Bettina Gisler in Afghanistan to facilitate advanced training on Playback Theatre for its theatre staffers.

For more info about the Playback-Theatre Zürich, visit http://www.playback-theater.ch 

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