International Organization for Migration
Project location: Khyber Pukhtunkhwa (NWFP) & FATA
Project start and end dates: 2004
Project description
BEFARe assisted IOM in organizing the first ever election for Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Being a leading agency in refugee education, with presence in most of the refugee camps and urban area catchments, helped BEFARe access most of the refugee residing in NWFP. The program was both complex and unique, considering lack of registration of Afghans in Pakistan , besides little exposure of refugee communities to similar democratic processes since 1979, when they migrated to Pakistan. BEFARe used its extensive linkages with the communities through the School Management Committees to organize the election process in the NWFP. BEFARe engaged 400 Community Mobilizers to train, aware and organize communities to take part in the election process. BEFARe trained senior community mobilizers in voter education and registration & polling process and the gains were then cascaded to the Community Mobilizers working in their respective areas. BEFARe facilitated organizing 300 public gatherings for voter educations and assisted the election process with provision of 1,020 registration and polling stations allover NWFP including FATA, many of BEFARe schools formed voting centers in refugee camp villages.
