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| Introduction |
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Omar Asghar Khan Foundation established in 1999 has a staff of 52 and offices in Islamabad and Abbottabad (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). In the 12 years since its inception the Foundation has evolved from its humble beginnings into a national advocacy organization helping citizens assert their citizenship rights and demanding equal opportunities for all without any discrimination based on gender, class, religion or clan. Its programme is organized around three pillars:
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- Organizing citizens and developing their leadership potential represents the very essence of our work. We are presently working with an estimated 50,000 farmers, labour, students, teachers, researchers, lawyers,doctors, traders, small and medium entrepreneurs, businesspersons, political workers and journalists. They are organized through more than 1,000 citizen organizations, primarily in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but also across Pakistan. They are the Foundation's primary partners and a reflection of its approach of working in collaboration. This also helps achieve wider impact while keeping overhead costs at a minimum.
- Promoting citizen activism and public accountability is the heart of the Foundation's work. It brings together citizens and their organizations to form citizen coalitions with a view of converting social capital into political capital. The Foundation has played a leadership role in creating two broad-based citizen coalitions: Aman Ittehad (United for Peace), which is anation-wide citizen coalition formed in July 2009 to amplify citizen voice and demands for peace, democratic governance, justice, rule of law and a life of dignity; and, Tehreek Huqooq-e-Hazara (movement for the rights of the people of Hazara), which has successfully negotiated changes in rehabilitation policies and also struggled for the rule of law since its inception in 2005. The THH's base is Hazara but has extended its outreach to other parts of KPK.
The Foundation's distinctive strength is its pioneering use of budget analysis to build public demand for accountable use of public finances. Working with the International Budget Partnership since 2006, the Foundation's trained staff has analyzed off-budget post-earthquake rehabilitation funds, and more recently the mainstream Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Budget 2011-12. Evidence-based allocation of resources across districts; the transparent use of post-flood rehabilitation funds; and, the use of block funds that gives greater discretionary powers were some of the aspects examined. The Foundation has demonstrated ability to use this data to mobilize citizen activism through people's assemblies and similar public events, and also assist citizen-state engagement through roundtables and public hearings. The Foundation's excellent credibility with local and national media in print, television, radio and also alternate media has helped amplify citizen voices for accountability and leveraged the impact of its policy advocacy.
- While the Foundation is essentially an advocacy organization, it also works in partnership with the poor to reduce livelihood insecurity. The Foundation has trained staff involved in community infrastructure, credit provision, psychosocial support, and humanitarian assistance. More importantly, the Foundation's approach to social services and livelihood is in synergy with the other pillars of its work as it emphasizes the core values of discussion, inclusiveness, consensus-building and accountability.
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Copyright 2009 by Omar Asghar Khan Development Foundation
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