Afghanistan seems to be gradually changing. Even the insurgency leadership appears to have a different posture; for sure much different from what we’ve witnessed some years ago. The Taliban allegedly have agreed to step-down the level of violence and it looks like they also wish to find a solution for that multi-decade conflict.
In such conflict areas, any solution takes about 30 years to cement and bring solid outcomes. That is normally the time for the babies born after the conflict epoch to become grownup and start making (or influencing) decisions with a non-Warfare perspective. He young people have got to be able to express their opinions, and participate in the destination of their country, through a political combat and not with Kalashnikovs.
For that to occur the children must be educated and have access to information; and that was just the International Community has been doing for years all over Afghanistan; Massively!
However, can we realistically trust these new developments? Albert Einstein’s once said:
–“It is easier to break an atom than a prejudice!”
The fact that we’re seeing signs of progress doesn’t mean the International community umps out of the process. Abandoning the Afghans to their own luck is basically giving away all the effort we done so far. All the blood and treasure many nations have spilled and spent with Afghanistan.
Afghanistan still has a tribal culture; where the ancients rule by right and implement justice according to traditional (medieval) legislation. Out of the urban areas; the youngsters will not access to leadership, neither to decision making, for many years to come; not until they become ancients themselves.
So how can we have democracy and traditional structures coexisting? The answer seems to be:
– “Neither of the above; it has got to be something in the middle – the Afghan way.”
That’s the challenge; but it will not happen if the International Community gives-up the democratization process.
OPen samento 