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RIGHTING THE WRONG SMART POWER IN AFGHANISTAN
JUN 27, 2011
 Posted by M. Ashraf Haidari
All posts by M. Ashraf Haidari


New York Times columnist David Brooks recently wrote a piece on “Smart Power Setback,” harshly criticizing the international aid system and the way it has operated in Afghanistan over the past decade. Drawing on the recent U.S. Congressional reports on aid effectiveness in Afghanistan, he points out a few major achievements in the areas of education and healthcare in the country, but argues “the influx of aid has, in many cases, created dependency, fed corruption, contributed to insecurity and undermined the host government’s capacity to oversee sustainable programs.” These unintended consequences of pumping large amounts of aid resources into Afghanistan…... Full Text
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BEYOND OBL, PUBLIC DIPLOMACY IN AFGHANISTAN
MAY 6, 2011
 Posted by M. Ashraf Haidari
All posts by M. Ashraf Haidari


Over the past ten years since 9/11, event after event in and outside Afghanistan has overshadowed the need to connect with the Afghan people and to deliver on their basic expectations for peace, justice, and prosperity. Even though NATO member-states increasingly appreciate the importance of public diplomacy at home and abroad, they have largely faltered to engage and listen to the Afghan people on how to secure Afghanistan. Foremost, as the primary victims of Al Qaeda and the Taliban atrocities for almost a decade, the Afghan people had been saying, albeit without being heard, that the threat of terrorism lies…... Full Text
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PUBLIC DIPLOMACY: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN
OCT 31, 2008
 Posted by M. Ashraf Haidari
All posts by M. Ashraf Haidari


I had heard many good things about Wilton Park's conferences, and was finally able to participate in one entitled "Public Diplomacy: Meeting New Challenges" on October 7, 2008. The conference consisted of several sessions, including one on Afghanistan that generated much discussion by a number of publicly renowned diplomacy experts and practitioners from some of the countries with forces in Afghanistan. We discussed challenges and opportunities for public diplomacy in my country in the context of international stabilization and reconstruction efforts. In my remarks, I pointed out three key opportunities for international engagement in Afghanistan that have been underutilized. I…... Full Text
Tags: afghanistan
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SUCCESS IN AFGHANISTAN
NOV 6, 2007
 Posted by M. Ashraf Haidari
All posts by M. Ashraf Haidari


This blog post first appeared in the International Herald Tribune. Roger Cohen, in his column "Afghanistan at the tipping point" (Globalist, Nov. 1), clarifies a major point: "Afghanistan is not Iraq." It's true: No peace operation is winnable without popular support. We have the Afghan public behind us, but we can lose that if we do not deliver peace. According to recent polls, the Afghan people cite insecurity, weak governance, a poor economy and unemployment as the largest problems facing the country. How should we overcome these and other obstacles? First, by ending regional interference as the main source of…... Full Text
Tags: afghanistan
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HELP EMPOWER THE WOMEN OF AFGHANISTAN
OCT 24, 2007
 Posted by M. Ashraf Haidari
All posts by M. Ashraf Haidari


This article originally appeared on Diplomatic Traffic. The largest defeat of British-Indian forces in the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878-1880) came through the leadership of a heroic Afghan woman: Malalai of Maiwand. Malalai courageously inspired dejected Afghan troops and carried the Afghan banner into the battle that would end her life. A woman who rose to meet a patriotic duty during troubled times, Malalai reminds us all of the critical role women must play in securing peace and prosperity for Afghanistan. While Afghan women have gained formal political suffrage under Afghanistan's 2004 Constitution, they have yet to secure equality. According to…... Full Text
Tags: afghanistan • youth • women
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