Short Biography of H.E. Mohammed Ehsan Zai

Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation & Development

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
 

H.E. Mohammed Ehsan Zia was born in Kabul province and graduated from Mahmood Terzy High School in Kabul. He received a Bachelors Degree in Social Development from University of Birmingham, UK in 1991 and an MA in Post-War Recovery Studies from York University, UK in 2000.

Having worked in management and advisory positions for humanitarian and post conflict programs in Afghanistan since 1988, Mr. Zia has extensive professional experience in rural and community development. He has worked with international aid agencies and NGOs including Norwegian Afghanistan Committee (NAC), German Afghan Foundation (GAF), Co-operation for Peace and Unity (CPAU) and Norwegian Church Aid (NCA).  Mr. Zia’s areas of specialist expertise include rural and community development policy formulation and programme design; participatory development theory and practice; strategic planning for government institutions; community mobilization, participation and prioritization; and conflict analysis and practical peace building.

Mr. Zia joined the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) as a Policy Advisor in July 2002.  He was appointed Deputy Minister for Programmes in January 2004, with responsibility for the overall management of six national priority programmes with annual budget totaling more than $300 million.  He assumed his duties as Minister of Rural Rehabilitation and Development in May 2006.

Mr. Zia’s publications include:

Role of Afghan Civil Society in the Process of Peace-Building in Afghanistan, Carnegie Council, New York

A Community Based Approach to Peace Building, Norwegian Church Aid

Afghanistan, from Protracted Monarchy to Protracted Warfare, University of York, UK, 1999

Peace-Building Rhetoric or Reality? University of York, UK, 2000 (MA Dissertation.

He is fluent in Dari, Pashto, English and Urdu languages.