Rebuilding Afghanistan's Political Immunity

Rebuilding Afghanistan's Political Immunity

Monday, June 21, 2010

By: Shahmahmood Miakhel;  Whit Mason

Afghanistan is an exceptionally fissiparous country, riven by innumerable conflicts over scarce resources and longstanding enmities between neighboring groups.  Traditionally, such disputes have been managed by ad hoc groups of elders, known as jirgas or shuras. In the past 30 years, the stature and security of the jirga system and of the elders themselves have been challenged and undermined by all the parties contending for power, including the state itself.

Type: Peace Brief

The Road to Successful Transition in Afghanistan: From Here to the December 2010 Review

The Road to Successful Transition in Afghanistan: From Here to the December 2010 Review

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

By: William B. Taylor;  Jr.;  J Alexander Thier

The next seven months leading up to the December policy review will be crucial for Afghanistan’s future; at that time the Obama administration—and the citizens of Afghanistan, the United States and ISAF nations—will make a judgment about progress towards stability there. Afghans and Americans need to set a course for success, and reach an agreement of what realistic, achievable progress means, and how to accomplish it.

Type: Peace Brief

Framing the State in Times of Transition

Framing the State in Times of Transition

Thursday, April 1, 2010

By: Laurel E. Miller;  with Louis Aucoin

Analyzing nineteen cases, Framing the State in Times of Transition offers the first in-depth, practical perspective on the implications of constitution-making procedure, and explores emerging international legal norms.

Type: Book

Media and Peacebuilding in Afghanistan

Media and Peacebuilding in Afghanistan

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

By: Sheldon Himelfarb

Since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, the Afghan media sector has experienced dramatic growth in all areas: television, radio, print, internet, mobile phones. As such, the sector holds tremendous potential for making significant contributions to peacebuilding in the country.

Type: Peace Brief

The Role of Development Aid in the Afghanistan Campaign

Monday, March 29, 2010

By: Shahmahmood Miakhel

On March 11, 2010 USIP's Chief of Party in Afghanistan Shahmahmood Miakhel gave a speech at the Wilton Park Conference 1022 "Winning 'Hearts and Minds' in Afghanistan: Assessing the Effectiveness of Development Aid in COIN (Counter Insurgency) Operations." His speech was entitled "The Role of Development Aid in the Afghanistan Campaign."

Type: Analysis

Health Initiatives and Counterinsurgency Strategy in Afghanistan

Health Initiatives and Counterinsurgency Strategy in Afghanistan

Friday, March 5, 2010

By: Leonard S. Rubenstein

An initiative by the Ministry of Public Health in Afghanistan to expand health services throughout the country, including rural communities, and supported by donors including USAID, has vastly expanded access to primary health care services, significantly reduced child mortality, and increased the capacity of the Afghan government to provide an essential service to its people.

Type: Peace Brief

Traditional Dispute Resolution and Stability in Afghanistan

Traditional Dispute Resolution and Stability in Afghanistan

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

By: John Dempsey;  Noah Coburn

Stability in Afghanistan will remain elusive unless disputes between individuals and among communities can be resolved through peaceful and equitable means. However, state justice institutions are barely functioning in much of the country and are incapable of meeting many justice and dispute resolution needs of Afghans.

Type: Peace Brief

Delays Will Not Improve Afghan Elections

Delays Will Not Improve Afghan Elections

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

By: Scott Worden

The presidential and provincial council elections held in Afghanistan in August 2009 were marred by irregularities and fraud, leading voters and candidates to question the fairness and utility of the democratic process there. The Afghan government announced in late January that it will delay Parliamentary elections until September 2010--several months beyond the deadline set by Afghanistan’s constitution.

Type: Peace Brief