Our History:

Alternative Links for Training and Development (ALTD) was founded in 1998. The institution started with the aim of trying to make a better life through education and after a comprehensive research about the basic needs of the society this organisation focused on educating the Afghan children and youth that were living in the refugee camps in Iran. With the support of Alternative Links 40 independent schools were opened in Iran through which hundreds of children got the opportunity to study and develop a career. Throughout the last two decades many of the children who studied in these schools became educated and active members of the society in Afghanistan.

Alternative links was registered as an International Non-Governmental Organization (INGO) in 2002 with the Charity Commission in London, United Kingdom, after which the organisation started training programs for refugee women in England in order to familiarize them with the lifestyle in the United Kingdom and make the process of adapting a new culture and getting used to living in a new society easier for them. This organisation was helping women find work and become financially independent. Additionally alternative links was holding English language, computer and driving classes for refugee women in the United Kingdom. The aim of these trainings was to help the refugee women be independent and become active members of the society.

ALTD was set up with the intention of promoting local initiatives and organisations that have been set up to promote democracy, gender equity and economic empowerment of under- privilege groups. To that end Alternative Link has organised its activity in three broad themes:
1) Promotion of economic empowerment for under-privileged in particular for women.
2) Language and computer literacy training for activists.
3) Promote and facilitate research for action.

Who are we?

We are a group of individuals from diverse nationalities and ethnicities who come together to launch Alternative Links as an apolitical and secular NGO based in the UK. We intend to provide information and training on educating the youth and creating awareness about the value of education, human rights and equality. While we intend to expand our work in the future and serve all the community, at the time we are concentrating on fostering women rights and creating education and working opportunities for women in Afghanistan and Afghan women around the world.

Alternative Links in the past decades was working for educating Afghan refugee children in Iran in order to prevent illiteracy in the Afghan community. This organization was fully supporting 40 independent self-regulating schools for Afghan children in Iran which were in charge of education a large number of Afghan children and youth.

The website of Alternative links was deleted by the management team of this organisation due to the security threats that existed at the time. Thus; all the background information of this organisation was lost. We are glad to be able to restart the activities of Alternative links as an organisation that trains and educates the youth.

How we work?

We aim to motivate members of the society to collaborate, work and learn together by sharing innovative ideas in order to achieve certain objectives in contributing to make the world a better place. We seek to promote democratic values, economic empowerment, and gender equity and empower refugees, immigrants, and marginalized members of society through appropriate participatory programmes particularly in the UK, Europe, Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia by building the capacity of Diasporas, conducting research and advocacy.

We strive to find better ways of social life through research, education and campaigning. Having a good and comfortable life is the right of every human being, so we try to find and solve social problems that hinder the well-being of family and society.

Our objectives are:

1. The economic empowerment and training for the assistance of women worldwide, but particularly in the Muslim communities to help them achieve economic independence through improving their skills, entrepreneurship.
2. Language and computer, and small business Training and education worldwide but particularly in the Muslim communities, and specially education and training of women in order to assist them in the job market and/ or establish their own income generating activities.
3. Marketing and other forms of research that would promote the economic condition of disadvantaged groups particularly women and assist them to improve their economic circumstances.
4. Human rights education, in particular training of international human rights law for the civil society activists in form of weekly workshops. Study of international treaties concerning women are prioritised. The aim of this workshop is to raise human rights knowledge in an expert level among human rights activists in the UK, Europe, Afghanistan and Iran.
5. To promote non-violent culture and mutual respect at home and in society, though working with policymakers, CSOs, women groups, youth’s groups, and educational institutions, particularly those working with children.

Annual Reports:
Coming Soon