Culture and Development in Modern Day Afghanistan

The definition of indigenous peoples are those who exist "wherever traditional, sustainable lifestyles survive in continued opposition to the encroaching power of the modern internationalized state" (Calvert & Calvert, p. 222). It goes on to further say that these peoples will often adversely affect both surrounding regions and the world at large, as "...this confrontation...in extreme forms...takes the form of physical conflict". A more concise description of the current state of many tribal Arab nations would be difficult to find. The article I found for this week's assignment is entitled, "Not Even the Afghans Know How to Fix It", by Edward P. Joseph, a look at the deeply ingrained tribal culture of the nation and the difficulties this presents as the United States attempts to replace the Taliban with a representative form of government.

In supporting regime change, the necessary developmental goals from infrastructure to human rights have suffered as legitimacy has waned and tradition and cultural histories have given rise to strong resentments against the American-backed government of President Hamid Karzai. The levels of corruption in the country have risen to wholly unacceptable levels; the legitimacy of the government has thus suffered among both Afghanis and those here in the United States. The new US Director of National Intelligence, retired-Admiral Dennis Blair, said in the recent US intelligence assessment, "Corruption has exceeded culturally tolerable levels and is eroding the legitimacy of the government" (AFP, 2009). This is by no means a new development, and as American forces drew down as Operation Iraqi Freedom began, tribal disparities fully emerged as corruption prevented development from taking place. The Minister of Economy recently pushed for the construction of a university in an impoverished province, notwithstanding the fact that illiteracy is almost total in the region and elementary education is needed rather than a university. Officials routinely push for these larger projects as there is much more room for graft (Joseph, 2009).

This rampant corruption has paved the way for culturally-motivated oppression to once again flourish. In spite of progress under coalition supervision, the disenfranchisement of the people towards their leaders has prompted an embrace of the traditions and cultures they have experience with. These are inherently domineering towards women especially. One tribal leader is quoted as saying, "We are tribal people, and we don't need your women's programs" (Joseph, 2009). This is a fairly good barometer of the lack of social progress in Afghanistan. Strong cultural heritages have seen the failure of a new model of governance as indication that the old ways are best. In turn, the Taliban has rightly judged the mood of the people and, coupled with the decline in coalition forces, has been able to reestablish a strong presence in the country, further undermining the hopes of any form of progress.

As the new government of Afghanistan has proved incapable of providing basic social services to the people, from clean water and food to basic health services, the Taliban has gained support in that they are able to provide these necessities in exchange for support, which is growing among the Afghan people (Rashid, 2009). This resurgence of the same organization which terrorized and victimized the nation prior to our invasion of 2001 following September 11 is seen as, and may in fact be, proof of the failure and desertion of the Afghan people by American forces. Reminiscent of our abandonment following the Soviet invasion of the late 1970s/1980s, the people of Afghanistan witnessed the swift defeat of the Taliban followed by seemingly little support in the wake of their defeat. This strongly tribal area has since reverted to self-preservation in the face of failures on the part of those who had promised them a new era of government services and support.

What culture is able to contribute to the development of a country varies widely depending on a number of factors, but crucial to any development is a nation's familiarity with the tools of development and the actual practices employed in reaching those goals. Also important is the lens through which development is viewed. In the West, progress is seen as making strides towards democratic governance, achieving respectable levels of human rights, and providing basic social services to the civilian population, among others. Elsewhere, development may be less defined, yet it still will ultimately move a nation from the harsher realities of tribal life towards a civilized societal standard of rule and reason. The tribal conflicts still present in Afghanistan affect development very negatively, and tensions rise as one tribe is given authority in any official capacity at the expense of another. Essentially, the reversion to their culture's predisposition to separate and necessarily maintain hostility towards their neighbors has prevented progress. Development can not begin in earnest until inclusion is total and a sustainable way forward has been realized. This is not what we see happening in Afghanistan today, and the people of that nation are quick in grasping this. As such, their progress towards the basics of development, from literacy to legitimate governance to security/protection, is almost indistinguishable.

Works Cited

AFP, "Once a Star, Afghan President Now on the Defensive." google.com. 15 Feb 2009. Agence France-Presse. 15 Feb 2009 http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j9i9ReLQdzwF-bUjQ5S0EiiF_GHQ.

Calvert, Peter, and Susan Calvert. Politics and Society in the Developing World. 3rd. London: Pearson Education Limited, 2007.

Joseph, Edward P.. "Not Even the Afghans Know How to Fix It." washingtonpost.com. 15 Feb 2009. The Washington Post. 15 Feb 2009 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/13/AR2009021301649.html?hpid=opinionsbox1.

Rashid, Ahmed. "Letter from Afghanistan: Are the Taliban Winning?." Developing World 19th(2009): 87-90.