Empowerment and Protection - Stories of Human Security Oct. 2014 | Page 26

AFGHANISTAN

Conclusion
and recommendations
A lack of good governance and continued physical insecurity,
illiteracy, and economic insecurity are the major factors
contributing to Afghans’ insecurity across all segments of society.
The views shared here highlight the complexity of the situation in
Afghanistan today. Interviewees share contradictory perspectives,
as some of the issues that are mentioned as sources of insecurity
are seen by others to be contributing to their security.

Governance

RLD BANK 2014A)

While the government and weak governance
structures are described as a threat to security, they
are at the same time seen as security providers, as
the presence of a government and legal framework
offer more opportunities for protection. The
state remains the main referent for the provision
=10.000.000
of human security, even if it is criticised and
challenged. In addition, the people interviewed
clearly mention warlords or other power figures in
the central government as a threat to their security,
as they fear continued patronage practices presage
a return to old ways of governing the country, and
prevents the central government from asserting
its authority. At the same time, these leaders
are supported in some areas of the country, less
represented in the sample here, as a source of
protection due to the lack of central authority.

Physical security

While many respondents fear physical insecurity,
some feel that the security climate is improving.
While not optimal, some believe life is better now
than under the Taliban or during the civil war in
the 1990s. They believe current security conditions,
though precarious, have created an environment
that will not give way to an all-out war again,
particularly amongst ethnic factions, or allow the
Taliban to take over the government.
This sentiment may be very different for the
people in rural areas, who are more affected by
violent conflict on a daily basis. The level of fear
and insecurity experienced amongst the Afghan
population that is caused by house raids, bombings
and suicide attacks and the trauma of the thousands
of deaths each year from the ongoing war is difficult
to capture within the scope of the interviews and this
chapter. Nevertheless, it is important to acknowledge
that the physical, personal security aspect of human
security is the most critical to address, given the

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
26 stories of Human Security | afghanistan

history of violent conflict in the country. The level of
physical security has impacted Afghanistan’s overall
development and contributed to Afghanistan’s
inability to meet its MDGs. Those who do not suffer
from violent conflict have more potential to ensure
development gains and are more resilient.

by the withdrawal. The most difficult transition is
the security sector, with signs that some warlords
may arm their militias again, as they feel the Afghan
army is incapable of providing security against the
Taliban.13 It begs the question whether these critical
transitions will be able to achieve the scale of good
governance, economic growth and stability that
are needed to ensure human security in the next
chapter of Afghanistan’s history.

Economic opportunity and development

Although development seems to have improved
since 2001, annual reviews of the Afghanistan
National Development Strategy (ANDS), which
aims to reduce poverty, show that much progress
remains to be made.b Failures in prioritising local
problems and needs and applying regionally specific
strategies have plagued development efforts.
The interviews reflect that people perceive the
economic opportunities to be increasing on the
one hand, and unemployment and poverty rising
on the other, underscoring the rural-urban divide
and the importance of economic opportunities and
livelihoods to foster human security. Moreover,
illiteracy and traditional ways of thinking are
intertwined with unemployment and education.

Recommendations
While the regional and international dimensions of
the current conflict in Afghanistan clearly demand
additional recommendations to address the more
acute, physical human security challenges, these
recommendations are based on the underlying
security concerns that people identified in this
chapter, which are relevant to ensure a holistic
approach to Afghanistan’s human security
challenges. 
T
▪  he government and international
organisations such as the UN should work
to promote a sense of physical security by
working towards demilitarisation. While the
Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) currently
stands at 350,000, more efforts are needed to
improve public security. For example, decreasing
the use of personal security apparatuses, ending
the misuse of weapons, and eliminating illegally
held weapons would improve public safety.

The level of physical
security has impacted
Afghanistan’s overall
development and
contributed to
Afghanistan’s inability
to meet its MDGs.

T
▪  he government should improve state
legitimacy. Afghanistan has been in transition
from conflict to peace since 2001. A durable
peace is dependent upon consensus building
and participatory processes, otherwise it will be
deemed illegitimate. The government must earn
peoples' trust by improving governance, providing
adequate public services, developing mechanisms
to access justice, and fighting corruption. Integrity
must return to public offices.

Ensuring security after the withdrawal

Afghanistan will likely face additional human
security challenges in the future. It is currently
transitioning its political, economic and security
sectors in preparation for the international military
withdrawal at the end of 2014. Afghans will also
have to find a way to fill the economic gap created

The authors work for the Afghanistan Justice
Organisation (AJO) an Afghan-led, non-profit,
and non-partisan organisation inspired by
Afghanistan’s youth—the next generation of
Afghans responsible for Afghanistan’s continued
social and economic development. AJO seeks to
empower youth to take ownership of their country
and to make a difference in the lives of others
through public awareness campaign, application
of the law, and freedom of choice. Furthermore,
AJO is organised exclusively for the purpose of
promoting reform through education and training
and to advance free markets and individual liberty
under the laws of the Government of the Islamic
Republic of Afghanistan. AJO is a member of the
South Asia network of the Global Partnership for
the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC).

and freedoms. Comprehensive awareness and
education programmes are needed to reach all 34
provinces and bridge the gap between the literate
and illiterate.
T
▪  he government and international aid
groups should prioritise Afghan economic
participation by encouraging local investment
and local participation in development design
and implementation. Many of Afghanistan’s
development programmes have not taken existing
individual, institutional or societal capacities
into account and have impos ed programmes on
local populations. Therefore, individuals’ skills,
knowledge, and needs should be identified to
provide a better context for both the Afghan
government and international aid groups.
Ensuring local participation in this process is
crucial in developing entrepreneurships and a
sustainable economy.

T
▪  he government and civil society
organisations should continue and increase
efforts to reduce illiteracy. Illiteracy is the root
cause of inadequate political, economic, social
and cultural freedoms. Illiteracy in Afghanistan
is not only leading to self-censorship by the
literate minority but it is also preventing the
illiterate majority from enjoying their basic rights

b A programme launched in 2008 to channel the “multi-dimensional
human development cause” of the MDG objectives into a national
development strategy.

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