There is no way forward in Afghanistan, unless the international community rethinks the way they have operated in the country so far. To avoid failure and more of the same, they must exploit the strategic opportunity of capitalizing on the many lessons learned they have learned thus far to replace the “Afghan face” with the “Afghan hands” on getting the job done henceforth.

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.

Working closely with public diplomacy is a big part of the job, Raval said. He said that many of their projects are funded through public diplomacy grants and some of them allow Afghans to travel to America for eight-to 10-week seminars to learn skills such as business development, and upon return they are able to pass on what they have learned to their fellow Afghans.

Co-Author: Sam Jacobson

During research on media and conflict in Afghanistan, Professor Price came across the interesting phenomenon of "Radio in a Box," or RIAB. Captivated by the phrase and concept, he sought to find out more about it.

During research on media and conflict in Afghanistan, Professor Price came across the interesting phenomenon of "Radio in a Box,"....RIAB is a technique used by the U.S. military, in part, for improving communication with the Afghan National Army.

If this sounds cynical, it is. The president’s speech, like much of the rhetoric surrounding the Afghan war, was a triumph of misdirection — the smoke-and-mirrors approach to public diplomacy...But the president’s speechwriters knew what they were doing.

People have spent years trying to learn from past foreign aid disappointments and still, with all these resources, the results are discouraging. This experience should have a chastening influence on the advocates of smart power. But it could be that cultural and economic development works on a different timetable than traditional foreign policy.

Eleven prominent Afghan women this week called on the United States to push for the inclusion of more female leaders in peace talks to end the war in Afghanistan, as administration officials prepare to announce the beginning of troop withdrawals from the war-torn South Asian nation.