Jan 04, 2011

On 8th December 2010, Centre for Conflict & Peace Studies (CAPS) hosted United Stated Institute for Peace (USIP) board member, Stephen Kraesner, USIP’s Vice President (for grants) Steven Heydemann, Senior Program Officer for USIP’s grants in Afghanistan and Pakistan Barmak Pazhwak and USIP Country Director in Afghanistan Mr. Shahmahmood Miakhel.

The Director of CAPS, Mr. Hekmat Karzai, welcomed the USIP team to the centre and gave a brief introduction of CAPS’s researchers. Later, Mr. Wahidi, a research analyst at CAPS, gave a brief presentation explaining the centre’s vision and activities.

Afterwards, Mr. Karzai described the CAPS legal program and the many issues they undertake such as providing legal aid to detainees and security prisoners and advocating a system to protect their civil rights. Mr. Stephen Kraesner, thanked CAPS for its hospitality and for the presentation on CAPS’ activities and projects. Mr. Kraesner also went on to describe the purpose of his visit to Afghanistan and his perspectives on the current situation in Afghanistan and role Pakistan could play to facilitate peace and stability in the region.

Mr Karzai thanked Mr. Stephen Kraesner and his team for visiting CAPS and addressed CAPS’s capacities of offering fellowships for PHD candidates and researchers that are interested to gaining a ground perspective on the issues affecting Afghanistan and the region. Mr. Stephen Kraesner, also illuminated the possibility of fellowship programs between the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research and CAPS.