Excerpt:
…it makes an interesting study to see how a war-torn nascent, democracy like Afghanistan has proactively introduced strong initiatives in tackling micro level corruption lately. Incidentally, Afghanistan imported the concept of social audit from no other country but India. This tool failed to culminate into a mass movement here, remaining largely localized in Rajasthan where it was introduced by Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan, MKSS. In Afghanistan, however, more than 900 such audits in 5 major provinces have created a national stir.
This remarkable initiative spearheaded by Aga Khan Foundation, AKF, is now being replicated countrywide at the behest of the World Bank and ministry of rural development. It has been hailed for the significant level of transparency it has achieved at the village level governance, in a short a short span of time, and mandatory, for every village accessing public fund. “Initiatives to strengthen local governance, such as the social audit program, will be key in helping to build a modern democracy in Afghanistan”, says John Dempsey, a legal expert with the United States Institute of Peace, a think tank.
It is ironic to find an Indian experience reaping such large scale benefits in a remote country like Afghanistan.
Ismailimail 