Licensed NGO with the Ministry of Economy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

Organization for Development of Democracy

ODD sees the involvement of people in the insecure areas as the fundamental key to the success towards the overall stabilization, development and democratization of Afghanistan. We can convince people in these areas that the values represented by the international community and the Afghan state are not in contradiction to their own. Furthermore, that there is no attempt to “occupy, Westernize, Christianize, or corrupt” their neighborhood, but rather prove that our values are their values. Our personnel know from experience, that any opposition will then lose recruitment grounds and the footholds - from where instability and the projection of power beyond the boundaries of a village or a certain ethnic segment are executed. There is an urgent need to bridge the trust gulf in order to disallow outsiders to take advantage of mistrust, distrust, suspicion and vacuum.

The insecurity stems from a perception among large segments of the rural population that the ideas and values represented by the international community and the government are in contradiction to their own. This gives space for exploitation by reactionary forces, and it is in this space insecurity breeds.

Projects as such do not bring stability. It is how our projects are presented and implemented that first and foremost can create trust. The building of trust is the first vital factor toward stability. The values brought into and displayed at the project implementation site, are the critical factor when it comes to trust. Another factor is the quality level of the project, while the third is transparency and participation. ODD works in accordance with the right values, ODD builds trust between all stakeholders, ODD implements projects in accordance with the highest quality standards, and ODD ensures full transparency and participation. ODD is your partner if the project is aimed to be more than just a project. ODD is your partner when the project is meant as a means to reach the end of bridging the trust gap that exists between communities on one side, and the government and the international community on the other.