On 8 September, ASPI hosted the event ‘Beyond the sandpit: Counterterrorism and resilience in an age of strategic competition’.

The event focused on how we can translate the lessons and gains of the GWOT into a forward-looking, resilience-focused approach that ensures continued support and engagement with Afghan civil society while also addressing long-term security and stability concerns.

Following an introduction by ASPI’s Executive Director Justin Bassi, the event began with a keynote address by Saad Mohseni, Director of MOBY Group. Following the address, Siobhan Heanue (Journalist, ABC News) and Matt Anderson PSM (Director, Australian War Memorial) joined ASPI’s Katja Theodorakis for a discussion on building the partnerships needed for a sustainable and secure Afghanistan, learning from history and ensuring countries like Australia are not so distracted by other domestic and international challenges that they miss developments surrounding terrorism and extremism.