Local Perceptions of Rural Development Programs
Originally posted December 2009
The NGO people drive around in big white cars, live in our cities’ best houses and receive high salaries, though most of them would be jobless in their own country. They come here for two, three hours, and we tell them what they need to hear. They express empathy with our difficult situation, and then they get back into their air-conditioned four wheel drives and race off leaving us behind in a cloud of dust. Often they are never seen again.
—Farmers in rural Kunduz Province, 2006
How Hearts and Minds Were Lost in Afghanistan? A Personal Experience Working with the International Military
Originally posted December 2009
Afghanistan's Children: The Tragic Victims of 30 Years of War
Originally posted December 2009
Who Guards the Guardians? The Protection of Civilians in Afghanistan
Originally posted December 2009
Rebuilding Afghanistan: Practical Measures for Improving the Economy
Originally posted December 2009
It is a difficult task to suggest a specific recipe for the improvement of the economy of any failed state. The case of Afghanistan presents even more challenges.
The Magnitude of the Challenge
Losing Hearts and Minds in Afghanistan
Originally posted December 2009
From Sustainable Jobs to Sustainable Peace and Prosperity
Originally posted December 2009
A Strategic Dispersion: The Remittance System of Afghan Refugees and Migrants
Originally posted December 2009
Understanding Informal Institutions in Afghanistan
Originally posted December 2009
Political Leadership in Post-Taliban Afghanistan: The Critical Factor
Originally posted December 2009
A hasty, fluid, and poorly conceived process of creating leadership in a post-war situation mainly provides the space for rich and powerful — mostly corrupt — individuals to prevail because their roles, styles, and abilities overshadow concerns about their background, characteristics, homogeneity, and behavioral patterns.[1] Regrettably, such is the case in post-Taliban Afghanistan.
Perspectives on Democracy and Democratization in Afghanistan
Originally posted December 2009
In the post-2001 era, many assumptions have been made about the benefits of democracy in Afghanistan.[1] International assistance has focused on the re-establishment of representative democratic institutions, such as a presidential system, bicameral parliament, and provincial councils. However, little attention has been paid to Afghan perceptions of democracy. Indeed, far from unquestionable, the benefits of democracy are not universally acknowledged among Afghans.
Replacing the Strategy of War through Peace
Originally posted December 2009
The United States and NATO effort to stabilize Afghanistan is showing signs of severe tension. As Afghanistan further descends into chaos, President Barack Obama’s administration is not of one mind about what course of action to follow in Afghanistan. The current review of President Obama’s Af-Pak policy, which was announced in late March 2009, has turned into a divisive debate of irreconcilable options between his senior national security team. The reverberations emanating from this debate are clearly felt in war-torn Afghanistan.
Crisis in South Asia
Originally posted December 2009
South Asia is a region in crisis — plagued by a set of interlocking problems that have deep and tangled roots. And Pakistan, not Afghanistan, is at the center.
The International Coalition — Support Eroding?