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The Challenge of Effectiveness: ‘Pro-Peace’ Ulama in Afghanistan

A number of ulama, or religious scholars, from Afghanistan and outside, recently renewed their resolve to promote Islam as a religion of ‘moderation, tolerance, peace and cooperation’ and to work towards a ‘just and sustainable peace’ in Afghanistan. They are part of what is called the ‘Project for Islamic Co-operation for a Peaceful Future in […]

16 Jul 2012 S Reza Kazemi • Political Landscape

5 August 2012: AAN at Summer Seminar in Bavaria

AAN’s Thomas Ruttig will talk about ‘Afghanistan – A Failed State?’ at the Academy for Political Education at Tutzing, Germany, on Sunday, 5 August 2012. This is part of a traditional ‘holiday seminar’ on international policy from 5-8 August focussing on Afghanistan for four days. Thomas, not a supporter of the ‘failed states’ approach, will […]

15 Jul 2012 AAN • admin • Events

Another Wedding Party Massacre: The death of Ahmad Khan (amended)

Dozens of people have been killed and injured in a suicide attack on a wedding party in Samangan province. Among those killed was the father of the bride, the MP and former commander, Ahmad Khan Samangani, at least one of his sons and at least four other senior security and political officials. As this blog […]

14 Jul 2012 Kate Clark • War and Peace

Split Unity: Afghanistan’s controversial Youth Peace Jirga

Jirgas have traditionally been get-togethers for the old in Afghanistan, but in early July 2012 (1), some 1,700 young people gathered for a multi-day ‘National Youth Peace Jirga’. At a time when the official peace efforts of the US and Afghan governments seem to have halted, notwithstanding the recent ‘academic’ meetings in Paris and Kyoto […]

12 Jul 2012 S Reza Kazemi • Political Landscape

Jumble of Figures: How much money came out of Tokyo?

The Tokyo conference on Afghanistan is over. The participating donors came up with pledges of US$16 billion in development aid (1) – but pledges not always translate into money transfers (and aid effectiveness is another issue). My AAN colleague, Kate Clark, has already rightly pointed out in her 8 July blog that money alone cannot […]

9 Jul 2012 Thomas Ruttig • Economy, Development, Environment

Tokyo Mutual Accountability Framework – July 8, 2012

Tokyo Framework  can be read here

8 Jul 2012 admin • International documents on Afghanistan

Flash from the Past: the 2002 Tokyo conference – the world’s most difficult story

Today’s conference on aid in Tokyo (8 July 2012) has come ten years after international donors first pledged money to post-Taleban Afghanistan. In January 2002, they promised $3 billion (over varying numbers of years, depending on the donor) which was then an enormous sum, although it turned out to be a small drop compared to […]

8 Jul 2012 Kate Clark • Economy, Development, Environment

Beyond the Tokyo Centre-Court: Civil Society Concerns

Today’s Tokyo Conference is the third such event in a month, following the second ‘Afghanistan: Heart of Asia’ conference in Kabul on 14 June and the Delhi Investment Summit on Afghanistan on 28 June. There have also been three other events in Tokyo, involving the UN, aid agencies and civil society organisations in the run-up […]

8 Jul 2012 Gran Hewad • Economy, Development, Environment

The Tokyo Declaration Partnership for Self-Reliance in Afghanistan From Transition to Transformation July 8, 2012

Tokyo Conference Declaration

8 Jul 2012 admin • International documents on Afghanistan

The Tokyo Conference and the Decade of Déjà Vu

Another conference, another set of promises, proposals and agreements. Tomorrow, representatives over 70 countries, international organisations and the Afghan government will meet in Tokyo to discuss aid post-2014. Anyone feeling confused about yet another conference with its claims of impact and importance will find AAN’s new e-book (Snapshots of an Intervention: The Unlearned Lessons of […]

7 Jul 2012 Martine van Bijlert • International Engagement

AAN’s first e-book: ‘Snapshots of an Intervention’

The Unlearned Lessons of Afghanistan’s Decade of Assistance (2001–11) The idea for this volume was born in the summer of 2010 during a discussion of the cyclical nature of many of Afghanistan’s programmes. Years of following the international efforts had left us with an increasingly strong sense of déjà vu: another conference to demonstrate momentum, […]

7 Jul 2012 AAN Team • AAN E-Books

Renewal of the Vows: The Tokyo conference between ritual and necessity

Tomorrow in Tokyo an international conference on Afghanistan is set to start, a little over a decade after the first donor conference on Afghanistan of the post-Taleban era took place in Japan’s capital. Between then and now many of such conference have been held, in many different places and in increasing frequency; on average once […]

6 Jul 2012 • Economy, Development, Environment

The Mud Might Stick: Women’s Shelters Again

On 17 June, the Minister of Justice, Habibullah Ghaleb, said that women’s shelters were safe havens for immorality and prostitution. He was later to apologize after stirring up fierce debate in Afghan media and elsewhere about women’s shelters and provoking defences of shelters by activists, the Women’s Affairs Minister and his own deputy. Nevertheless, says […]

6 Jul 2012 Sari Kouvo • Rights and Freedoms

Potholes on ISAF’s Northern Exit: a road trip through the Salang

The news that Pakistan has agreed to re-open supply routes to Afghanistan (1) after a seven month diplomatic standoff between Washington and Islamabad will not only ease the costs for the US and other NATO member states for their withdrawal plans. It also procures northern Afghanistan – namely its road system and population – some […]

5 Jul 2012 Martin Gerner • Economy, Development, Environment

The Battle for Schools in Ghazni – or, Schools as a Battlefield

The anti-Taleban uprising by the people of Andar in the spring surprised many observers and, quite possibly, the insurgents themselves. This made it possible to portray it as a spontaneous struggle of local villagers for the right to education during its first weeks. Now, a month later, AAN’s Fabrizio Foschini feels that, rather than risk […]

3 Jul 2012 Fabrizio Foschini • Economy, Development, Environment

Reaction to the Kargha attack: start of a popular movement?

A group of young Afghan men and women gathered in Kargha’s Spuzhmai Hotel on 28 June to commemorate and condemn the attack that took place during the night of 21/22 June in which a still unknown number of civilians were killed. An estimated hundred and fifty participants gathered at the site and offered prayers for […]

1 Jul 2012 Gran Hewad • War and Peace

The IEC proposal to move to a mixed electoral system

Afghanistan’s IEC has proposed sweeping changes for a new electoral law. The draft has already been publicly debated with stakeholders, including parties and civil society, and is publicly accessible. We see two major points of proposed changes: first, the partial move away from the SNTV system and a bigger role for political parties in parliamentary […]

28 Jun 2012 Thomas Ruttig • Political Landscape

The attack in Kargha: Return of the Taleban Puritans?

In a rare night-time attack, Taleban gunmen stormed a popular lakeside resort. Kargha, in the outskirts of Kabul, with its ice cream parlours and pedalo boats is frequented by Afghans of all walks of life. Overnight on Thursday/Friday, the gunmen took a number of civilians hostage in the night to Friday. The action dragged on […]

23 Jun 2012 Thomas Ruttig • War and Peace

Guest Blog: Heart of Asia Hardly Beating at the Second ‘Heart of Asia Meeting’

After a promising start in Bonn 2001 but almost a decade with this idea falling dormant again, a regional approach has been identified as an essential element for a peaceful and sustainable solution for Afghanistan’s problems. Turkey had given this idea a new start in November last year with a summit meeting in Istanbul. Now, […]

22 Jun 2012 Niamatullah Ibrahimi • International Engagement

Arts in a War Zone: Afghanistan at the Documenta

The Documenta in the German city of Kassel is said to be the world biggest exhibition on contemporary art. Taking place every five years, it is curated each time by a single foreign curator and his team of international agents and aides. This year, for its 13th edition, for the first time Afghanistan is a […]

20 Jun 2012 Martin Gerner • Context and Culture