Because such reconstruction projects have too often gone to larger companies in Kabul or even to companies in Pakistan or Iran, the event is important for the rebuilding of the local economy. Initiated by the non-profit Peace Dividend Trust, the conference recognizes the key link between building the economy, and building a more stable, secure Afghanistan.
We welcome your views on this initiative:
Focus Afghanistan is sponsored by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
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May 31, 2010
Amarjyoti Acharya
Such views and attempts at forging links point to at a larger pan-national religious movement (here Islamic) seeking to find common grounds that history usually negates. The view that Kashmir is linked to the Afghan problem is not true. Patently incorrect. The Kashmir problem is a creation of Pakistan (changing its demographic profile to such an extent as to make contemporary Kashmir synonymous with Islam and Muslim majority - while it had been a Hindu kingdom for several centuries). The second import is of the Iranian Revolution that led to a heightened pan-national Islamic movement and ambition. Kashmir is not crucial to Afghanistan and not even linked to it - except sought to be done so by Pakistan and other agencies that play into this pan-national dimension. The pan-national religious movements by themselves pose a threat by seeking and attempting to put in place what they have managed to do so in Kashmir - changing the demographic profile to such a degree as to make a situation seem a fait accompli (and sought to be claimed thus). The Kashmir region is not a problem area as far as Afghanistan is concerned or even linked to it. The problem lies in the attempts to join and link areas that show a common problem of religious fundamentalism (Islamic) and then the old story of Islam as a problem re-emerges. It is a mistake to try and link areas thus.
The notion of keeping Afghanistan separate from the South Asian cauldron of stupidities is desirable and should lend to a growth of confidence of the Afghan people in themselves - while they do see the merit of modernity (secular, multi-party, democractic & transparent governance with solid institutional arrangements in place that strengthens and secures this basic infrastructure for life & living.