The Long Journey Forward
There are thousands of expatriates operating within the diplomatic and development community in Afghanistan. As the billions of dollars of aid money has flowed into the country, it has been directed for better or worse by this constituency. As they slice through Kabul in armored vehicles, and convoys of 4×4s, the life of the ordinary Afghan is deferred to the security needs of foreigners. There is of course a logic to having international staff ensure the efficacy of the projects they fund. It is the paradox that while many Afghans hold out one hand, they scold and criticize with the other, pointing at the international community for letting the country down. No doubt most would like to see the disappearance of foreign forces patrolling their streets and towns, guns pointed at passerbys, but to be replaced by what, and leading to what kind of security vacuum?For several years after the initial invasion, the situation perhaps had been trending upwards. Now, there are increasing
The Serena Hotelworries and concerns. When the 5-star
Serena Hotel - meant to be a flagship symbol of reconstruction in the country - was
hit by a devastating Taliban attack killing seven people, it signaled officially an escalation of the security situation, especially in Kabul, which hitherto had been considered relatively safe. Although Afghanistan has been experiencing
double-digit GDP growth, it has seen the informal economy, which is untaxed, usurp parts of the country; today 93% of the world’s opium is supplied by the country. A telling sign of the trends, was that external investment nearly halved between 2006 and 2007.It is a difficult situation. War, corruption, and fundamentalism have wreaked their own havoc in the country, as has foreign intrigue. For three decades, infrastructure was destroyed, and the social fabric of society unwoven. Could it really be that after 6 years Afghanistan would resemble Switzerland? It is certainly not for a lack of Afghans who wish to improve their society. And, while there is of course a deficit in human capital, it is not a drought, as proven amply by the two locally-engaged staff working with alongside me while here, Mohammad and Abdallah.
Now back on the billboardsAbdallah (whose picture I will not post for security reasons) did not leave his country when under the Taliban. He knows the difficulty of that period, he described the situation as follows: “It was a time where you would pray and learn about religion. This is not a bad thing, but it was the only thing you were allowed to do. You would go outside, and it would be dead; sometimes you would see a woman in a burqa in the crowd. There was very little life.” Today, women are engaged in the economy, and their social situation in Kabul (but this cannot be generalized to the rest of the country) is improving as they become more involved. The storefronts are also open, selling everything from coca-cola to animal carcasses.
Daily LifeYet, there is so much more to Afghanistan than the Kabul I see. I cannot relate to you the tribulations of having no running water, electricity, or sanitation facilities. I cannot describe to you how it is to experience the sub-zero winters without electricity. I cannot depict the arduous and lengthy journey on foot that many children must make just to attend school. I cannot tell you about the father who lost his legs to mines and cannot work to support his family.As the work week ends, there is no break for many of this country, while I will soon fly home.
Written by Taufiq Rahim · Filed Under Live from Kabul
Taufiq Rahim, who hails from Vancouver, Canada, is a 2nd year Master's in Public Policy student at the Kennedy School of Government. As part of his degree requirements, he is currently researching for his Policy Analysis Exercise (PAE), a joint-project with the Embassy of Canada in Afghanistan. He is, as a result, spending the week (Mar. 2-8) in Kabul.
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