The Future of Afghanistan

More than eight years into the international intervention in Afghanistan, there is a sense of backsliding and a loss of focus. Most assessments and prescriptions focus on the near term, analyzing what is happening now and what must happen over the next twelve to eighteen months to "turn things around." At the same time, most commentators note that there is a broad lack of unified strategic vision between and among the Afghan government and their partners in the international community. A series of essays, speeches and panels will assess the obstacles to achieving long-term objectives in Afghanistan and examine the policies, activities, and resources needed to accomplish them. This project aims to create realistic expectations of what is possible in Afghanistan over the next decade, while also serving as a unifying framework for ongoing Afghan and international partnership.

The Future of Afghanistan Project is directed by J Alexander Thier, a member of the Afghanistan Study Group, the Pakistan Policy Working Group, and co-chair of USIP's long-running Afghanistan Working Group. 

In January 2009, the project launched a new book of essays from the USIP Press entitled "The Future Of Afghanistan." The volume identifies weaknesses of early approaches and outlines a vision for success going forward.

The purpose of the Future of Afghanistan project is to create a strategic vision of where Afghanistan could be in ten years, outlining the obstacles to achieving the long-term objectives and the policies, activities, and resources needed to accomplish them. The Future of Afghanistan Project is bringing together leading thinkers and policymakers to address these challenges.