AHRDO
The Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organization (AHRDO) is an independent, non-governmental, and non-profit organization founded in 2009. From its establishment until 2021, AHRDO worked directly across Afghanistan with survivors of war, families of the disappeared, and communities devastated by decades of conflict. Today, AHRDO continues this mission in exile, committed to advancing human rights, democracy, and justice through a victim-centered approach.
Our Mission: At the heart of AHRDO’s work is the conviction that the voices of victims must shape Afghanistan’s struggle for truth, justice, and peace. We investigate and document atrocity crimes, advocate for accountability through international justice mechanisms, and create spaces for healing and reconciliation through truth-telling and art-based initiatives. By developing collective memory, AHRDO confronts Afghanistan’s deeply entrenched culture of impunity and challenges the longstanding legacy of war and violence.
What We Do
- Documenting Human Rights Violations
- Conducting extensive research, mapping, and analysis of atrocity crimes across Afghanistan.
- Victim-Centered Justice & Advocacy
- Supporting survivors’ access to justice and engaging with international accountability mechanisms.
- Memorialization & Public Memory
Leading pioneering initiatives such as the Memory Box Initiative and the Afghanistan Center for Memory and Dialogue. In December 2023, AHRDO launched the Afghanistan Memory Home (AMH)—a digital museum dedicated to memorialization and accountability.
Victim Empowerment & Community Engagement: Organizing victim networks, training survivors in human rights and transitional justice, and strengthening community leadership.
Art-Based Truth-Telling: Using art-based approaches such as participatory theatre and body mapping to document personal histories, preserve memory, and promote healing.
Our Impact
Through its research, documentation, and advocacy, AHRDO has:
Trained over 500 survivors in justice and peacebuilding.
Organized 23 Victim-Centered Peace Networks across Afghanistan.
Established the first museum dedicated to war victims, the Afghanistan Center for Memory and Dialogue
Developed the first-ever Victim-Centered Database on human rights violations in Afghanistan.
Collected over 1,000 victim testimonies and 15,000 personal items for historical preservation.
Hosted the first International Convention of Afghan War Victims (December 2024).
Launched the Afghanistan Memory Home (AMH) and the European Network of Afghan War Victims.
Our Commitment: AHRDO’s mission is to advance victim-centered justice by working alongside survivors to document human rights violations, promote truth and accountability, amplify marginalized voices, and cultivate public memory as a foundation for justice and reconciliation.