Workshop: Afghanistan: A Neglected Reality

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• Dr Gillian Tett, Dr Prajakti Kalra, Dr Christina Lamb, Prof. Amin Saikal, Prof. Nazif Shahrani,Prof. Thomas Barfield,Prof. Jennifer Murtazashwili,Dr Said Reza Huseini, Miss Munazza Ebtikar, Mr Abdullah Ahmadi, Dr Lauri Bristow, Mr Zalmai Nishat
• Friday 07 June 2024, 09:00-18:30
• Keynes Lecture Theatre, King’s College (and online) .

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Said Reza Huseini.

Further information: https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/research/silk-roads-programme/silk-roads-programme-events

Since its “creation” in the late nineteenth century, Afghanistan has remained a politically destabilised region. Although ostensibly many different political models and governments have been imposed on Afghanistan, no political model or government has succeeded in creating social and political stability in the country, underlined by periodical state breakdowns. The reason behind the word “ostensible” is the fact that from monarch to republic, communist dispensation, Islamist and Taliban, as well as the liberal democratic experiences in post-2001 and the current religious totalitarian state, the prevailing constant remains the assimilationist model for the state, which was established in the 1920s. This situation creates important questions. What went wrong in Afghanistan? Why did the international community, led by the USA , fail to establish a “democracy” in Afghanistan despite investing a lot of resources, including blood and treasure? More importantly, why does the modern state cannot survive in Afghanistan? Why has there been a periodical state collapse in Afghanistan? What political model could be adopted from the available alternatives to make it more responsive to the realities on the ground? Exploring these and other relevant questions can help us understand Afghanistan and the issues facing the country.

King’s College Silk Roads Programme would like to bring scholars and experts from various academic backgrounds and different regions together to discuss these issues during a workshop on Friday, 7 June 2024. They will share their views and experiences of Afghanistan. All are warmly welcome to attend this event in person (and online).

This talk is part of the King's Silk Roads series.

This talk is included in these lists:

• Keynes Lecture Theatre, King’s College (and online)
• King's Silk Roads

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