Taliban or Taliban versus the international military. The victims make a single constituency across Afghanistan regardless of which conflict parties have harmed them. Victims’ representation must not be exclusivist as it will fragment the victims’ constituency and recreate new victims from within the victims’ constituency. It is worth underscoring that only post-2001 victims will participate in key peace institutions and in testimonial processes. However, pre-2001 victims will be involved in the broader peace process efforts as part of victims communities, their interests and demands shall be incorporated in the construction of justice, peace and accountability structures and they will play significant role in post-peace negotiation process in building a sustainable and lasting peace in the country. b) What Kind of Victims’ Representation Framework? The question of who the legitimate representatives of victims are is of vital importance. The victims who speak on behalf of the national community of victims must enjoy democratic legitimacy and their election must be the outcome of a credible democratic process. There are dozens of victims’ groups. These victims’ groups, however, are not organised into a single national victims’ institution. Instead, what we have is a plurality of victims’ communities, groups, organisations and councils that operate in various local and provincial levels in the country. In order to assist victims in establishing a national organisational representative structure, Transitional Justice Coordination Group (“TJCG”) with the Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organisation (“AHRDO”) being in the lead, had planned to hold a National Victims Jirga (“NVJ”). The TJCG is a coalition of 26 civil society organisations, which have focused on mobilisation, organisation and empowerment of Afghan victims of war in the last one decade. Within the framework of the NVJ, victims would have selected two people (68 people total) in each province to represent them in a national victim Jirga in Kabul. The 68-member NVJ would have identified key demands and priorities of the victims in relation to the peace process. They would also have elected a 10-member Victims Peace Task Force, (“VPTF”) for participation in peace negotiation institutions, engagement and advocacy with other relevant national and international peace actors. On par with this initiative, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, (“AIHRC”), building on its survey in 2005, had planned to hold a national consultation, Call for Justice 2, with victims of war in post-2001 environment. These initiatives in concert with one another would have created democratic framework and agenda for participation of victims of war in the peace process. However, holding of the NVJ and the national consultation with post-2001 victims of war have stalled in the midst of the current national health emergency of Covid-19 pandemic. Whereas the NVJ process is not possible at this time, and the peace talks are continuing despite Covid-19, the TJCG has planned, in consultation with AIHRC, in the alternative, to conduct a short regional telephone survey with 80 victims, 10 victims in each of the eight regional centres of country. The survey will focus on and will reflect key concerns, demands and perspectives of victims on peace negotiation and sustainable peacebuilding. From amongst the 80 victims, 16 victims, two from each region will be elected through a transparent methodology, a virtual conference, to constitute a Victims’ Peace Task Force (“VPTF”) for participation in peace negotiation and advocacy with relevant peacebuilding actors and entities. TJCG will function as secretariat to the VPTF. The Secretariat, in coordination and cooperation with AIHRC and possibly UNAMA, will provide technical and other needed support to VPTF. TJCG has adequate expertise and legitimacy to deliver technical and non-technical support to victims of war in their pursuit for accountably and sustainable peace given their years of involvement this area. For instance, the AHRDO, a key member of TJCG, has worked for more than 10 years with victims of war. Amongst other initiatives, AHRDO has worked on memori- BUILDING A LASTING PEACE IN AFGHANISTAN: PARTICIPATION OF VICTIMS OF WAR IN PEACE NEGOTIATIONS |8|