The Islamic Republic collapsed in August 2021, giving way to the return on the Taliban Emirate. The resurgence of the Taliban was made possible, in part, by deep divisions among citizens as well as growing divides between political leaders and the people they were supposed to serve. Violent conflict and uncertainty in Afghanistan over two generations have yielded polarization of various forms that represents a challenge to peace, security, and governance. Since the Taliban came to power, Afghanistan has seen a rise in violence directed at specific religious, ethnic, and regional communities.
CGM, the American Institute for Afghanistan Studies, and the U.S. Institute of Peace will convene a 2-day conference of Afghan scholars and practitioners to consider how Afghan society can begin to overcome these differences and build on past and present forms of social cohesion (and whether this can be done author authoritarian Taliban rule). On day one, the conference will compromise of three panels, each on a different theme (see below). On day two, participants will engage in facilitated discussion and networking.
Day one of the conference will be structured into three sequential panel discussions along the following themes:
Panel 1: Social Cohesion & Coesitence: Lessons from the Past
What are examples of social cohesion and pluralism in Aghan history, either at the national level of the local level? What can these teach us about how to heal divisions and establish peaceful coexistence and tolerance, both among citizens and between citizens and the state? What resources are needed, from whom, to replate these successful examples?
Panel 2: Engagement from the Outside In? Lessons from Past Roles of the Diaspora
In the 1980s and 1990s, what roles did external Afghan actors play in enabling, mitigating, and transcending the divisions that took hold? What lessons can we take from the past role of diaspora communities?
Panel 3: Managing Difference through Systems of Governance
How can various governance models enable coexistence and inclusion? What lessons can we take from previous institutions and governing systems in Afghanistan? Can effective models be implemented at national or subnational levels amid the authoritarian rule of the Taliban, and if so, how?