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Afghanistan Week 2024: Three Years of Taliban Rule

The Afghan Taliban seized control over Kabul on 15 August 2021, bringing two decades of internationally supported statebuilding to a definite end. The Taliban have had three years to build their state based on their heavily contested understanding of Afghan and Islamic values – in which popular participation, and individual rights and universal welfare, are given short shrift. Taliban’ policies are much disputed among Afghans, in the international domain, as well as within the Taliban itself.

The 2024 Afghanistan Week will take stock of the last three years, examining the evolution of Taliban rule, the international engagement with the regime, and the adaptation of Afghans to the new state of affairs:

  • Consolidation or Muddling Through? What is the status of the Taliban’s ruling apparatus, what internal divisions exist, and how are those being managed?
  • The Costs of International Engagement or Non-Engagement Different international actors engaged with the Taliban, what is driving the variety of positions taken by different actors, and what are the lessons learnt?
  • What are the internal pathways for change?Some actors believe engagement with the Taliban will make a difference, others might focus on day-to-day endurance – or resistance. What do strategies for change and survival look like inside the country? And what about the role of the Afghan diaspora?

These questions are asked against the backdrop of a dramatic humanitarian situation reinforced by the impact of climate change, grave violations of human rights,  incomparable restrictions of women and girl’s access to education and work, and continued uncertainty and mounting tensions, but increase in trade between Afghanistan and many of in its neighboring countries. Each of the questions asked raise a multitude of dilemmas, yet with a population of some 40 million people living under Taliban rule, overlooking them is not an option.

Tuesday October 29th

Min fiendes fiende: Bedraget i Helmand: Film Screening and Panel about the evaluation of the Norwegian contribution in Afghanistan

18:00 – 20:00 CET, 21:30 – 23:30 AFT
Vega Scene

The Afghanistan Week will kick off with the showing of the documentary Min fiendes fiende: Bedraget i Helmand, following an on-stage discussion about the upcoming evaluation of the Norwegian presence in Afghanistan.

More information will be shared.

Moderator: TBA

Panel: Graeme Smith, Martin Tamm Andersen, TBA

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Wednesday October 30th

Afghanistan Today: A Situation Analysis

08:30 – 09:30 CET
PRIO, Philosophers Hall

More information TBA.

Chair: TBA

Panellists: Terje Watterdal, Graeme Smith, TBA

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Countering Taliban’s Oppression of Women: Engagement or Accountability?

10:00 – 11:00 CET
PRIO, Philosophers Hall

This seminar explores the positions, focus and strategies of Afghan women’s rights activism both inside Afghanistan and in exile. It looks what unites and differentiates various groups and actors, and how  women activists inside Afghanistan relate to their counterparts in exile.

Chair: Torunn Wimpelmann

Panellists: Fereshta Abbasi, Fatima Gailani, Payvand Seyedali, Madina Mahboobi

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How are human rights promoted and protected in the current Afghan context?

11:30 – 13:00
PRIO, Philosophers Hall

This session will provide an opportunity to hear firsthand experiences and insights from frontline human rights defenders working both in Afghanistan and internationally.  By hearing directly from those engaged in this challenging context, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the personal and professional challenges they face, as well as the strategies they use to overcome them. We will also invite international actors to comment on these testimonies, which will help shape recommendations for future actions.

Participants: Payvand Seyedali, TBA

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Three Years of Taliban Rule: Internal Politics and the Room for Engagement

16:00 – 17:30
PRIO, Philosophers Hall

After their return to Kabul in August 2021, the Taliban leadership have worked hard at consolidating its movement and developing new forms of governance. The structure it inherited from the preceding Republican government is still in place, but not necessarily with the same functions. Power is concentrated around the Emir’s office in Kandahar, key positions are filled by those with solid Taliban credentials, the court system is renewed (in compliance with the Taliban’s understanding of Sharia), and new institutions are being created across multiple levels.

The Taliban’s approaches to governance are evolving and far from all of their initiatives work out. Yet, working in Afghanistan under Taliban rule presumes a solid understanding of their organization and how they have sought to design governance.

This seminar will zoom in on how the Taliban has evolved over its first three years back in power, and discuss the possible implications of its current state for the engagement strategies pursued by Afghan citizens (in-country or in the diaspora), NGOs, multilateral organization and states both in the neighborhood and further afield.

Moderator: Kristian Berg Harpviken

Panellists: Arne Strand, Fatima Gailani, Graeme Smith

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Opening Event and Reception

18:00 – 21:00
PRIO, HD

More information TBA

Moderator: TBA

Panellists: TBA

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Thursday October 31st

Regional Trade and the Role of China

08:30 – 09:30 CET, 12:30 – 13:30 AFT
PRIO, Philosophers Hall

International sanctions, freezing of Bank of Afghanistan’s reserves and restrictions on bank transfers pose strong limitation on the Afghan economy. Taliban has therefore looked towards regional neighbours for trade and investment, countries less concerned over human rights than regional stability.

The Taliban administration has invited for collaboration and invested in road and rail infrastructure, as a road towards China through the Wakan corridor and railways to Iran and Uzbekistan. This to facilitate regional trade, electricity and gas transfers and potentially link up China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) rail networks in Central Asia and in Pakistan. China and Chinese companies, already active in Afghanistan during the Republic, have increased their presence and investments since USA’s departure. This includes the Afghan mining sector, where extractions of copper have started from the Mez Aynak reserves, but also oil and gas exploration in the Amu Darya basin.

While trade with Iran, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan has increased has tension with Pakistan reduced their cross-border trade. Pakistan accuses the Taliban administration of housing the Pakistani Taliban and the Islamic State Khorasan Group (ISKG) have claimed responsibility for increasing number of attacks on Chinese projects, embassies and nationals in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The seminar will discuss if Afghanistan can provide a safe regional energy and trade corridor, if China is likely to withdraw or rather increase their diplomatic efforts, if China’s approach differs from other regions they invest in, and if regional trade can become a major source of income for the Taliban administration?

Moderator: Arne Strand

Panellists: William Byrd, Ilaria Carozza

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On It’s Own Feet: Any Chance For Economic Recovery?

10:00 – 11:00 CET
PRIO, Philosophers Hall

War was the engine of the Afghan economy, and as such the country’s economic decline begun already in 2014 when the military withdrawal began. International aid contributed to a significant percentage of the Afghan national budget and following international sanctions and a significant cut in aid – Afghanistan was hit by an economic shock immediately following the Taliban takeover.

An increase in humanitarian aid in the autumn of 2021, and throughout 2022 contributed to stabilizing the economy and prevented a full collapse of the banking system. War and conflict in Ukraine and Gaza, the uncompromising politics of the Taliban when it comes to education for girls and women, as well as the lack of respect for human rights, are now resulting in reduced humanitarian aid as well. With the politics pursued by the Taliban – the Afghan population has been left to fend for themselves.

In this seminar we want to explore what opportunities and limitations there are for economic growth in Afghanistan, including the possibilities that lie within minerals and farming, the consequences and limitations following the international sanctions, the opportunities surrounding trade with China, and the room of opportunity for women and entrepreneurship.

Chair: Karim Merchant

Panel: Dr. Ing. Assem Mayar, Rayana Karim, Terje Watterdal, William Byrd

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Influencing Change

16:00 – 17:30 CET, 19:30 – 20:30 AFT
PRIO, Philosophers Hall

Information TBA

Chair: TBA

Panellists: Nadima Kakai (Tesha de Waday), TBA

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Friday November 1st

Silencing Afghan media, banning Freedom of Expression

08:30 – 09:30 CET
PRIO, Philosophers Hall

TBA

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Education in Afghanistan: Three Years After Taliban’s Return to Power

10:00 – 11:30 CET
PRIO, Philosophers Hall

More information TBA

Chair: Terje Watterdal

With: Mustafa Himmati, Madina Mahboobi

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Solidaritet med Afghanistan – dialog om dilemmaer og muligheter 

16:00 – 17:30 CET
‘Berner’, Litteraturhuset

Etter at Taliban igjen kom til makta, har mange afghanere som lever utenfor landet kjent på frustrasjon, sorg og maktesløshet. Det har vært stort engasjement for å vise motstand mot Taliban-regimet ved demonstrasjoner, aktivitet på sosiale medier og en rekke initiativ og samlinger for afghansk diaspora i Norge og internasjonalt. Mange er også engasjert i konkret solidaritetsarbeid for å avhjelpe humanitære behov, støtte til menneskerettighets-forkjempere og utdanning, særlig for jenter.    

Hva vil det si å vise solidaritet med Afghanistan idag? Til samtale om dilemmaer og muligheter inviterer vi norsk-afghanere som har engasjert seg på ulike måter, til å dele erfaringer og utveksle synspunkter. Samtalen blir i form av en scenedialog fasilitert av Nansen Fredssenter, etterfulgt av en åpen dialog der alle inviteres til å delta med sine erfaringer, spørsmål og perspektiver.    

Ledet av: Norunn Grande og Astrid Folkedal Kraidy

Deltakere: Samina Vabo Ansari, TBA

 

Dialog i praksis: Hvordan snakker man med Taliban?

18:00 – 19:30 CET
‘Berner’, Litteraturhuset

Det var store protester da en delegasjon fra Taliban ble flydd til Norge i privatfly i januar 2022, invitert av norske myndigheter til dialog et halvt år etter at de hadde tatt tilbake makta i Afghanistan. Fortsatt er mange kritiske til å snakke med Taliban, mens andre mener det er helt nødvendig for å kunne jobbe i og for Afghanistan.  

  • Hva betyr det egentlig å ha dialog med Taliban og hvordan foregår det i praksis?  

Etter hvert som Taliban-regimet strammer grepet og innfører stadig nye restriksjoner som begrenser folks frihet og tar fra kvinner grunnleggende rettigheter, er det fortsatt riktig å ha dialog med Taliban? Og hva kan oppnås gjennom dialog? 

Vi har med oss Ayesha Wolasmal og Terje Watterdal til å dele fra sine erfaringer i hva som ligger av utfordringer og muligheter i møte med Taliban.  

Terje Watterdal, er landdirektør for Afghanistankomiteen, stasjonert i Kabul i mer enn ti år. Dialog med Taliban på ulike nivå er del av hans daglige arbeid for å styrke helse, utdanning og naturforvaltning på landsbygda. Terje har lang internasjonal erfaring i arbeid for internasjonale organisasjoner med utviklingsarbeid og inkluderende utdanning. 

Ayesha Wolasmal, forfatter av boka Tusen dager med Taliban, jobber med kvinnehelse og vaksiner i Afghanistan og har reist inn og ut av landet de siste fem åra. Tidligere har hun jobbet for Norges militære styrker og ved den norske ambassaden i Kabul. Ayesha er født i Norge av afghanske foreldre, som tok henne med på sommerferie til deres hjemland Afghanistan gjennom hele oppveksten.   

Moderator: Norunn Grande

Deltakere: Ayesha Wolasmal, Terje Watterdal