June 02, 2015

Afghanistan: what has been achieved?

1 hour 35 minutes

As troops withdraw and aid declines, this is a critical period of transition for Afghanistan. At this forum, the speakers questioned what has been achieved to date.

The event also included the Australia launch of The Asia Foundation’s Survey of the Afghan People 2013. This is the biggest public opinion poll in Afghanistan, covering all 34 provinces. Through face-to-face interviews, over 9,000 Afghan citizens revealed their opinions on security, political participation, the economy, women’s rights, and development.

The forum also scrutinised the 2013 report of the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee on Australia’s overseas development programs in Afghanistan. This critical report found that while Afghanistan ‘remains in need of substantial and continuing aid,’ to date, Australian achievements in Afghanistan may not be as substantial as initial indicators suggest.

Speakers include:

Mark Kryzer, Afghanistan Country Representative, The Asia Foundation

Palwasha Kakar, Director of the Afghanistan Women’s Empowerment Program, The Asia Foundation

Senator Alan Eggleston, Liberal Party, Western Australia (Chair of the Afghanistan aid Senate inquiry.

Nematullah Bizhan, ANU PhD student working on aid to Afghanistan. He was formerly Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister for Youth among other positions.

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By Development Policy Centre, ANU