Counterpart conducted an extensive quantitative and qualitative study of Afghan civil society to assess its current health and its role and nature in the context of Afghanistan .

The key findings from the assessment were:

• There is an on-going proliferation of civil society organizations in Afghanistan for project implementation purposes;
• The institutional maturity of the civil society sector is relatively low;
• Large sums of money and responsibility are available to these immature organizations;
• Traditional groups, such as shuras/jirgas , enjoy higher credibility when compared with newer entities, such as NGOs;
• Security, poverty and illiteracy are the biggest threats to civil society;
• CSOs play a vital role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan , implementing infrastructure and development projects and providing social services to communities throughout the country. In March 2005, the total number of projects being implemented by CSOs in Counterpart's sample of 678 was an impressive 3,428.

Following the assessment, Counterpart facilitated a public forum and 12 roundtables for over 400 people (30% women) in the eight regions of Afghanistan, including Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Governors, journalists, writers, government officials and representatives from CSOs and the private sector, to discuss the assessment findings and obtain their opinions and recommendations.

The key recommendations from the roundtables included:

• It is important to work with youth, women, Ulemas (Muslim religious scholars) and Mullahs (Muslim religious leaders), traditional leaders and the media in the development of civil society;
• There is an enormous need to empower women - not a single participant disagreed with this;
• CSOs are a bridge between the government and the people and it is therefore essential to build their capacity to fill this role;
• Support of cultural programs can assist in the promotion of civil society;
• The connection between education and the promotion of civil society cannot be overlooked.

Following the roundtable discussions, Counterpart printed 3,000 copies of the Civil Society Assessment and the annotated roundtable discussion report, How Afghans View Civil Society, in English, Dari and Pashto. The books were distributed to 2 , 225 organizations and individuals. The documents are available for viewing ( click here for the Afghan Civil Society Assessment & How Afghans View Civil Society). In addition, two focused policy presentations on the findings were delivered: one to 45 Afghan youth and another to 200 radio journalists and civil society actors.

Policy makers and donors may consult this evolving body of knowledge when making decisions on resource allocation and technical interventions. At the same time, the assessment serves as a baseline for the I-PACS program against which future civil society development can be measured, and as a resource for the wider public interested in working with Afghan civil society. In 2010, Counterpart will conduct a follow-up assessment of civil society to examine changes since 2005.