Organization of Fast Relief and Development (OFRD) Round Table Meeting was held on Sunday, August 23, 2020 at the Organization of Fast Relief and Development (OFRD) hall, 16 participants both 8 males and 8 female took part in mentioned Round Table Meeting, who were introduced by the Deputy Ministry of Youth Affairs (DMoYA), Ministry of Women Affairs (MoWA), Ministry of Mining and Petroleum, CSOs and Community People.

The OFRD representatives welcomed the participants and officially inaugurated the meeting with explaining the meeting objectives and the agenda to the participants. Likewise, having a counter discussion and the curiosity of the participants touched the challenges, solutions, clarifications, and ways to the engagement of people to increase people’s awareness and advocacy initiatives in mining and extractive sector. In the session, there was an open dialogue among the participants, the converse over among the participants made the discussion more remarkable and valuable. Participants have given better concepts and views on different rights of people and how much people know about their rights and their involvement in decision making process.

The Round Table Meeting also included group work sessions, participants worked in groups discussing key recommendations on how to increase people’s awareness level, what advocacy initiatives need to strengthen, and what steps government and CSOs shall take to support each other in making things better related to extractives. 

Organization of Fast Relief and Development (OFRD) Community Based Monitoring Meeting (CBM) was held on Monday 17, 2020 at the Directorate of Mining and Petroleum hall of Panjshir province, 25 participants both males and female took part in mentioned Community Based Monitoring Meeting (CBM), who were introduced by the Directorate of Youth Affairs (DoYA), Directorate of Women Affairs (DoWA), Directorate of Mining and Petroleum (DoMP), CSOs and Community People.

The OFRD representatives welcomed the participants and officially inaugurated the meeting with explaining the meeting objectives and the agenda to the participants. Likewise, having a counter discussion and the curiosity of the participants touched the challenges, solutions, clarifications, and ways to the engagement of people to increase people’s awareness and advocacy initiatives in mining and extractive sector. In the session, there was an open dialogue among the participants, the converse over among the participants made the discussion more remarkable and valuable. Participants have given better concepts and views on different rights of people and how much people know about their rights and their involvement in decision making process.

The Community Based Monitoring Meeting (CBM) also included group work sessions, participants worked in groups discussing key recommendations on how to increase people’s awareness level, what advocacy initiatives need to strengthen, and what steps government and CSOs shall take to support each other in making things better related to extractives. 

The Capacity Building Training on Relevant Law on Mining Impact was successfully conducted in Kabul.
The Capacity Building Training on Relevant Law on Mining Impactwas conducted for one day on July 20, 2020 at the Organization of Fast Relief and Development (OFRD) hall, 10 participants both male and female took part in mentionedtraining, who were introduced by the Deputy Ministry of Youth Affairs (DMoYA), Ministry of Women Affairs (MoWA), Ministry of Mining and Petroleum (MoMP), CSOs andCommunity People.
The OFRD representative welcomed all participants. The agenda of The Capacity Building Training on Relevant Law on Mining Impact has been briefed to the participantsof the training.
The Capacity Building Training on Relevant Law on Mining Impactprovided an opportunity to undertake, a thorough review of training program and the topics which were covering the one-day training. And also helped to obtain participants input.
Illustrate the event with the recitation of some Quranic verses and following an introduction speech by OFRD representative.
The OFRD representative presented a comprehensive and brief information regarding the mentioned program to theparticipants.Likewise, having a counter discussion and the curiosity of the participants touched the challenges, solutions, clarifications, and ways to the engagement of people to increasepeople's awareness and advocacy initiatives in mining and extractive sectors.
In the session, there was an open dialogue among the participants, the converse over among the participants made the discussion more remarkable and valuable.
Participants have given better concepts and views on different rights of people and how much people know about their rights and their involvement in decision making process.
The training also included group work sessions, participants worked in groups discussing key recommendations on how to increase people's awareness level, what advocacy initiatives need to strengthen, and what steps government and CSOs shalltake to support each other in making things better

Transparency Portal training was organized and conducted on 16 June 2020 in Directorate of Economy (DoE) hall, Badakhshan province. The training has been started by one of the participants in the verses of Holy Quran after the recitation, Mr. Sayed Akbar Quriashi the provincial program officer of the Organization of Fast Relief and Development (OFRD) and the representative of Free Election and Transparency Watch Organization, welcomed all the guests and asked the participants, Knowing each other for the sake of better cognition and/or introduction. and provided the training to the employees on the transparency portal. The training was intended to confer and train all the participants in order to know how to use the transparency portal website to save more information regarding mining and extractives in Badakhshan province. And discussed concerns, issues and the challenges existed in the mining sector and elaborated on the ideas and opinions regarding upcoming plans and it’s processed in the Badakhshan province of Afghanistan. the Directorate of Mining and Petroleum (DoMP) employees raise their voice for transparency in the mining and extractive sector and mentioned that they will be trying their level best to utilize the mentioned process for an accurate data entry and a good system within the directorate of mining and petroleum of Badakhshan province; during the training a huge discussion took place among the participants and the Organization of Fast Relief and Development (OFRD) and Free Elections Transaparncy Watch Organization (FETWO) representatives, the overall training has been stated to train all the participants of related sectors and directorates and discussed about the transaparancy portal and exchange ideas on how to create transparency and to hold more information regarding mines, companies working in this area in Badakhshan province and how to increase the private companies contribution and coordination in this sector, OFRD and FETWO organizations both tried their level best for all the employees in order to encourage them to use the transparency portal as best tool for mining. and also let them know that through such kinds of training they can improve their capacaty, the training was also accumulated using the DoMP employees and other participants’ comments and feedbacks regarding their role in each aspect of the mining sector. Following are the points that has been discussed and delivered to the participants during the training:• Provided information regarding the licenses of the companies working in mining sector.• How many liceses are registered and are in the peneding in portal.• How many licenses are being canceld.• How much revenues and taxes has been payed to the government.• Finding information regarding the owners of the companies that are working in this sector.• Providing Instruction regarding the geographical information of the mining.• Genrelay providing information about the transaparancy portal website to the CSOs, Directorate of Mining and Petroluem (DoMP) and other related directorates.• More information to the CSOS, and the people regarding this website will increase their trust in this sector.Follwing are the participants who has been participated in transparency portal training
Number Name Organization1 Marzia Ahmad Yaar Directorate of Women Affiars (DoMP)2 Ilaha Directorate of Women Affiars (DoMP)3 Abdul Hafiz Directorate of Youth Affiars (DoYA)4 Mohammad Azim Directorate of Youth Affiars (DoYA)5 Sanaullah Ayobi Directorate of Mining and Petroluem (DoMP)6 Niamatullah  Directorate of Mining and Petroluem (DoMP)7 Naveed Rahmani Civil Sosiety Organization (CSO)8 Zabihullah Civil Sosiety Organization (CSO)9 Irfan Ul Din Directorate of Economy (DoE)10 Samiullah Directorate of Economy (DoE)11 Ms. Lila Civil Sosiety Organization (CSO)
Organozation of Fast Relief and Development (OFRD) and Free Election and Transaparancy Watch Organization (FETWO) both has mentioned that we will be keeping such trainings to increase the capacaties of all employees of the directorate of mining and petroleum of Badakhshan province furthermore on transaparancy portal, and we also try our level best to provide the awareness raising programs lobby and advocacy on mining and paving ways for people to live in a safe and decent livelihood in mining areas.It was also declared that Afghanistan still faces a wide range of challenges, and there are developments, and opportunities in extractive sectors and the contracts should be signed with national and international companies for professional and technical extraction of mining and also involve local council, community people, youths, CSOs, and the rest of others for raising awareness among the communities near to the mining arias and be cooperative with government and private campanies. Therefore, the Free Election and Transparency Watch Organization (FETWO) and the Organization of Fast Relief and Development (OFRD), worked together to tackle the mentioned issues. In order to strengthen capacity of the CSOs, DoMP employees and other related directorates.

press conferences

On December 29, 30, and 31- 2019 consecutively press conferences were held by Organization of Fast Relief and Development (OFRD) in Panjshir, Kabul and Badakhshan provinces dedicated to the awareness-raising programs lobby and advocacy on mining and paving ways for people to live in a safe and decent livelihood in mining areas.
The press conferences were attended by:
• Representative of Ministry of Mining and Petroleum
• Representative of Ministry of Women Affairs
• Representative of Ministry of Information and Culture, Deputy Ministry of Youth Affairs
• Representative of Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG)
• Representative of NEPA
• Parliament Members (MPs)
• CSOs
• Community People
• Youths
• Women and Girls
The one-day conference in Kabul and other conferences in provinces firmly conducted as a demanded platform for professional discussions on a wide range of development, challenges and opportunities in extractive sectors and pointed out of contracts to be signed with national and international companies for professional and technical extraction of mining in both Panjshir and Badakhshan provinces and more than 300 people both male and female in all the mentioned conferences in Kabul, Panjshir and Badakhshan provinces participated.
At the end, all the participants worked on the press releases as a draft and successfully shared and broadcasted the press release in a second press conference in Kabul through all media channels.