Afghanistan: Taking Steps Towards Development

Although “free” from the oppression of the Taliban and granted billions of dollars of international aid, the majority of the Afghan people still lack the basic rights and services that were promised to them by President Hamed Karzai. The root of this problem is the pervasive corruption within the government and the elite minority. If Afghanistan is to fully develop, they will have to work towards addressing this widespread corruption and create a system of governance and leadership where the first priority will be to attend to the grievances and plight of their people.

Afghanistan is slowly taking steps towards placing development and reconstruction at the forefront of their list of priorities. Just recently on June 12th, the government of Afghanistan met with many delegates of the international community in Paris, France to discuss the implementation of the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS). At this conference, approximately 20 billion dollars was pledged to fund ANDS—surpassing the amount of aid that Afghanistan was expecting to receive. Although a significant amount of aid is a major mobilizing force, the most significant aspect of the conference was its evaluation of the successes and failures of the Afghan government over the past seven years. The conference addressed the major flaws of the government such as the widespread corruption, the significant power of many warlords, and lax laws regarding drug trafficking. The Government of Afghanistan also formally declared their promise to focus on development by implementing reforms to combat the pervasive corruption that Afghanistan has been struggling with since their liberation.

Although great strides have been made since the liberation of Afghanistan from the Taliban, this conference is a beacon of hope that the government, with the backing of the international community, will continue to follow the path of reconstruction and not fall into the trap of civil war and corruption that many recently liberated countries fall into. Hopefully, Afghanistan can become a model country for democracy, liberty and development. This conference, unlike most international conferences, acknowledged that the participation of the Afghan people is a critical component for the success and sustainability of any programs and policies implemented. With the incorporation of the voices of the Afghan civil society, donor countries can not only make sure that the funds are used efficiently (and that the foreign aid will not be siphoned directly into the pockets of the government officials and elite minority), but also that the Afghan government will be held accountable to the people of Afghanistan for any major decisions and actions taken.

We at Barakat believe that it is the right to education that is one of the most important provisions citizens can be given. With this new increase in foreign aid and dedication to development, we hope that there will be an increase in the investment in education for women and children.

Only time can tell what lies in the future for Afghanistan and its people, but hopefully this conference will be the catalyst that will force the government to begin placing the needs of their citizens first and begin investing in services to promote the development and well-being of its people. With this new investment, we hope that the future of Afghanistan will be brighter, with both elites and impoverished Afghans working together as informed leaders and citizens to develop sustainable policies that will consistently address the social and economic problems that continue to afflict their country.