Projects
Recording Democracy
Eight students from an independent school in Afghanistan have partnered with eight students from Philadelphia’s Constitution High School to find out what “Being We, the People” means in their communities. Equipped with digital cameras and camcorders, the students have ventured out to capture the sights and sounds of freedom, religious expression, protest, and other civic themes. Together, students in Afghanistan and Philadelphia will create an exhibition for Afghanistans National Museum, and for the National Constitution Center.
Since launching the International Engagement project in December, 2008, the Center has initiated a range of international civic education and civil society building projects, focusing initially on Afghanistan.
Democracy in Afghanistan Book Series
Partnering with a literacy and conservation organization based at Kabul University, we‘ve consulted on the development a four-part book series for newly-literate adults in Afghanistan.
Voter Education Guide
Working with the United Nations Development Programme in Afghanistan, we developed a training guide in Dari and Pashto to assist Afghan community leaders teaching citizens about the 2009 National Elections.
Peter Jennings Project for Journalists and the Constitution
Each year, we invite a group of foreign journalists to the Center to meet their American counterparts and discuss the constitutional issues that transcend boundaries, such as executive power and freedom of information.
Independent Media
We’ve partnered with Nasim Fekrat, a young Afghan journalist who has been working since the fall of the Taliban to promote independent media and blogging in Afghanistan. This summer, we sent Nasim on a tour of Afghanistan with the US Embassy to conduct “citizen journalism” trainings with Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT’s). In August, with the help of the National Constitution Center, Nasim enrolled in Dickinson College.
Clinton Global Initiative
The National Constitution Center’s work to facilitate education and exchange between Afghans and Americans, and to support the development of civil society in Afghanistan, has been adopted as a commitment by the Clinton Global Initiative.
International Delegation Visitation
The Center continues to welcomes and educates international visitors and delegations seeking knowledge about the United States Constitution. This year, we have hosted delegations from across the globe including the President of the Korean Constitutional Court, the Russian Ambassador to the United States, Pakistani and Iraqi clerics, and many more.