A “failed state”. “Doomed by its location”. “Hopeless”.
These are phrases you’ll often hear uttered about Afghanistan and its future.
There’s no denying the challenges Afghans face in attempting to build a country that is safe, stable and full of opportunity for all its inhabitants, regardless of gender, regardless of ethnic heritage, regardless of their status. War, corruption, poverty, illiteracy, the denial of rights for women. The litany is long and all-too familiar.
With the threat of a Taliban resurgence, the long-term presence of foreign troops and the outcry over civilian deaths, the funneling of money meant for the populace into the pockets of a small elite, the jostling of tribal interests and tensions. You’d have to be a cockeyed optimist indeed to think there’s any simple way forward for Afghanistan.
But “hopeless”? No. We know better.
If you’d like to share our hope for a brighter Afghanistan – and, let’s face it – a safer world, take a look…