The frontier districts of Herat province, northwest Afghanistan, are home to some of the country’s most isolated rural communities. People living in villages over three hours away from the nearest paved road tend to feel cut off from the political process and the centre of government in the capital Kabul.
In order to combat this political as well as physical isolation, a number of non-governmental organisations are establishing local community councils in marginalized areas, in order to increase the participation of the Afghan people in working together, organizing themselves and mobilizing resources to solve problems of common interest.
These councils are called ‘shuras’, from an Arabic word meaning ‘consultation’. In the Afghan context, a shura means a village council used to make democratic decisions within the community. The shuras discuss issues ranging from conflict resolution, small business management, inter-tribal tensions, education, rights, underage marriage, and division of local resources. This project explores the impact such shuras can have on daily life.
