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AFGHANISTAN Culture, History, Politics & Education System

AFGHANISTAN Culture, History, Politics & Education System. A. Rehman Khan ark0510@gmail.com June 28, 2011. Today’s Presentation…. Introduction to Afghanistan: Geography & Ethnography The History of Afghanistan: 1919 to present The US-Afghan Relationship Education Systems. Geography ….

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AFGHANISTAN Culture, History, Politics & Education System

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  1. AFGHANISTANCulture, History, Politics & Education System A. Rehman Khan ark0510@gmail.com June 28, 2011

  2. Today’s Presentation… • Introduction to Afghanistan: Geography & Ethnography • The History of Afghanistan: 1919 to present • The US-Afghan Relationship • Education Systems

  3. Geography …

  4. People … • Afghans (Afghanistan = the land of Afghans) • Population: around 30 million • World ranking (population) 41 • Urban 24% - Rural 76% • Languages: Pashto, Darri/Farsi, Turkman, Hazargi • Most people bi-lingual

  5. Population & Ethnography …

  6. Ethnographic Picture

  7. Economy … • Currency: Afghani (bills & coins) • Total GDP: $27 billion • GDP Per/capita: $900 • Labor Force: 15 million • Agriculture: 78.6% • Industry: 5.7% • Services: 15.7% • Unemployment: 35% • Population below poverty: 36%

  8. History – At a Glimpse … • Afghanistan Founded - 1747 • Afghan Independence – Aug 19, 1919 • King Amanullah Rules – 1919 – 1929 • 24 June 1931, Afghan-Soviet treaty of neutrality and mutual non-aggression signed.  • 17 August 1940, King Zahir Shah declared Afghanistan's neutrality in World War II.

  9. History – Zahir & Doud … • 1 January 1965, Creation of the People's Democratic Party ofAfghanistan. • 17 April 1973, Muhammad Zahir Shah deposed.  • 17 July 1973, First republican government created with Mohammed Doud Khan as the first President of Afghanistan. 

  10. History – Revolution … • 27 April 1978 (7 Saour ,1357), Mohammed Daud Khan overthrown in the Saour (April) "Revolution," organized by the PDPA.  Nur Mohammad Tarakaibecame President of the Revolutionary Council, Prime Minister of the country and secretary general of party.  BabrakKarmal and HafizullahAmin were elected Deputy Prime Ministers.  • 5 December 1978, Afghan-Soviet Treaty of cooperation signed.   

  11. History – Amin, Karmal & Soviets • 28 March 1979, Amin became Prime Minister.    • 10 October 1979, Tarakai assassinated.  • 24 December 1979, Soviet invasion of Afghanistan began.  • 27 December 1979, Amin died.  Karmal assumed power.  • 1980, U.S. protest involved a boycott of the summer Olympic games in Moscow. 

  12. History – Najeeb & Soviet Withdrawl… • 4 May 1986, Mohammad Najibullah replaced Babrak Karmal     • 20 July 1987, First meeting of Najibullah and Gorbachev to discuss the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan.    • November 1987, new Afghan constitution adopted.    • 14 April 1988, Gorbachev, in a meeting in Tashkent with Najibullah, announced the start of Soviet troop withdrawals.    • 15 February 1989, Soviet pull-out completed. 

  13. History – Mujahedeen … • 19 November 1990, Najibullah met with prominent Afghan figures in Geneva and agreed that Switzerland would mediate the formation of a coalition government in Afghanistan.  • 16 April 1992, Najibullah regime collapsed (resigned 25 April).  • 25 April 1992, civil war resumed. Burhan-ul Din Rabani, SabghatullahMujadadi, Ahmad Shah Massoud, GulbadinHikmatyar, .

  14. The Taliban … • 27 September 1996, Kabul captured by the Taliban militia.    • Mullah Muhammad Umar became the “Amir-ul-Momeeneen” • The regime introduced strict fundamentalist “Islamic” rule of law • Taliban Government was toppled in 2001

  15. US-Afghan Relations • August 19, 1919 – Afghanistan became an independent country • 1921 – An Afghan mission visited the US to establish diplomatic relations • In 1935 – William H. Harnibrook – the first US non-resident diplomatic envoy • 1942 – the first US legation established in Kabul • 1948 – legation upgraded to the embassy • 1948 – the first official Afghan Ambassador to Washington DC was Habibullah Khan

  16. US-Afghan Relations • 1959 – President Eisenhower, the first US president visits Kabul. • Early 1960s – King Zahir visited the US • Between 1950 and 1978 – US gave around $500 million in grants and loans through foreign assistance program

  17. Expectations from the US • According to MrHarnibrook, before the US, Japanese, British, Russians and Germans had a good presence and willing to invest in Afghanistan • Instead of the bordering neighbors (Russia & GB), the Afghan wanted the US to develop her gold, oil, iron, steel and coal mines. • Afghanistan is effectively serving as ‘buffer Zone’ – must be strengthened. • Military aid and equipment

  18. US Response • The US did not show interest in the region • Even after the WW-II, the US focus remained on Iran, India and Pakistan, Particularly Iran/Pakistan • 1950s – US declined multiple military assistance requests from Afghanistan • Afterwards – Afghans looked around for help to USSR, India and others • Throughout the history, Afghanistan had been of marginal interest to the US foreign policy …. until the 1979 Soviet invasion

  19. The US and the Soviet Invasion • The US started providing ‘humanitarian’ assistance to the Afghan refugees in Pakistan • The US and other Arab countries provided economic and military assistance to the “Mujahideen”. • Trained thousands of Mujahideen in Pakistan • The US part was more than $3 billion

  20. US-Afghans – After the Soviets • The Afghan Mujahideen factions fought amongst themselves to gain power in Kabul • The situation remained as such for around four years • KSA, Pakistan, Iran, India and even Russia (and the UN) remained active in one or the other form to resolve the governing issue • However, the USA’s security interests ended with the end of the cold war and the collapse of the Soviet Union • Stopped all kinds of economic, social and military assistance to the Mujahideen and Pakistan.

  21. US-Afghan – After 9/11 • Again for around another 10 years, the US foreign policy mainly remained silent on the Afghan affairs • Though it became home of the warlords, foreign fighters, Taliban and Al-Qaida terrorist network • Until there were attacks on the US interests in KSA, Kenya, Tanzania, Yemen and ultimately the US itself • The 9/11 attacks again brought Afghanistan to the center of US foreign policy

  22. Education in debate…(Afghanistan & Pakistan) • In Limelight after 9/11 • Change in the worldview • Pro Traditions & Anti Traditions (Education) • Blind on the history • Mostly Anecdotal – Less empirical

  23. The System and the Stakeholders • The federal ministry of education works as an umbrella with the overall responsibility for: • Development and coordination of national policies, plans and programs in education, including curriculum development; • Implementation of the policies is the responsibility of the local provincial administration; • Systems of education: • Public School System • Traditional Religious Education System • Private Schooling System (More in Pakistan; less in Afghanistan • Vary in curriculum, structure, funding-base, teachers’ qualifications, serving population, geographical locations, etc

  24. Public Education … The Issues • All types are not available to everyone; thus only vernacular schools serve majority population; but they are faced with; • Lack of political will • Physical resources & facilities • Teacher absenteeism • Lack of financial resources • Lack of modern curriculum • Unavailability of text books • Lack of a good monitoring system • Ghost & Guest schools • Lack of interests (culture and traditions)

  25. Education… (Some Statistics) • Afghanistan: • Literacy: age 15 and above – 29% • Male: 43% • Female 12.6% • More than 50% children still out of schools, mainly girls • Pakistan: • Literacy: age 15 & above – ~40% • Male: 57% • Female: 37% • More than 43% children still out of schools, mainly girls

  26. Education … • The oldest schools established in 1903 by King Amanullah for elites • In 1920s a couple schools established funded by France & Germany • The 1964 constitution introduced ; the modern education system; also compulsory education in Afghanistan • Schools were established in major cities and small towns – so thousands of village leftout • Second biggest movement for both-sexes education was by the Khalqs (1979-1990) • And, the present move • While Madaaris had presence for centuries

  27. Education … (Traditional Islamic Educational Institutions) • Madrasah = a school • Issue certificates/diploma equal to MA level • Mainly religious education (with some exceptions – math, languages, etc) • Easily accessible – both urban & rural • School for the poor and disadvantaged, with free boarding and lodging • Fulfilling religious obligations • Madrasah & Mosque venues of communal and social gatherings

  28. Madrasah Education …The Issues… • Considered an ‘informal education’ system • Non-existent physical facilities • Narrowly focused and traditional curriculum • Lack of teachers’ training & qualification • No unified umbrella body • No state control • Alleged role in promoting extremism, terrorism, sectarianism, fundamentalism

  29. Reasons for the Boom of Madaaris • Dissatisfaction from the public sector schooling • Poverty • Change of educational curriculum to be ‘Islamic’ • Islam was used to legitimize regimes • Regimes trying to secure religio-political parties support, used Islam as source of seeking cooperation. • Use if Islamic seminary students (Taliban) by religio-political parties against the regimes • Training & support of Afghan religious/right-wing activists against President Dawud. • Also funding/arming them (by Pak/KSA/USA) to fight against the Soviets • Iranian Revolution • Taliban regime in Afghanistan

  30. A Prosperous Afghanistan • is possible; • Only though a stable Afghan government • Winning the hearts and minds of people by providing them with; • Humanitarian assistance • Income generation skills • Economic opportunities • Basic health facilities • Developed physical infrastructure • And above all – Education • NOT Weapons & Military Training

  31. A Few Concerns • The US being diplomatically and strategically remote – thus dumping the Afghans when “Not Needed” • Making short-term plans – The US’s Afghan policy ought to have long-term goals • Providing tons and tons of weapons – which did help the Soviet withdrawal (and Taliban also); but also created a generation of Afghans and foreign born-fighters who turned to Islamic extremism, sectarian and ethnic violence, and hate against the overall “west” • While the recent ones (weapons and groups) remain a threat for future

  32. Now the Real Problem • Many think-tanks and scholars agree that; “[now] the main security priority of the United States should be tackling the fundamental security problem in Afghanistan, which is not Al-Qaida, but a byproduct of the way we fought – arming the warlords”.

  33. An Advice from Mr. Harnibrook “Because of the close cleavages between church and states the admitted influence of the mullahs, both spiritual and temporal, and the inability of the present regime to segregate these two influences, it occurs to me that every future problem that may be presented to our government from Afghanistan must be approached with the full knowledge that we are dealing with a Moslem mind and an eastern temperament and that the reactions of its people may therefore not be expected to be the same as one would naturally anticipate in a Christian, or an irreligious country”. 

  34. In conclusion of his letter/memoire, Mr. William H. Harnibrook writes: “I may truthfully state that I have never come in contact with a more gracious, kindly or intelligent group of officials than those I had the pleasure of meeting in Kabul. It was indeed a privilege to have the honor of qualifying, as the first United States Minister to Afghanistan, but it was a greater privilege to meet its officials on terms of equality and friendship”.

  35. LET’s WORK TOGETHER FOR Thank you

  36. Afghanistan: Political and Cultural History – by Thomas Bartfield Invisible History, Afghanistan’s Untold Story – by Elizabeth Gould and Paul Fitzgerald A Bitter Harvest: US Foreign Relations and Afghanistan – by Tom Lansford Afghanistan, Central Asia, Pakistan and the United States – by Musa Khan Jalalzai US Relations with Afghanistan and Pakistan – by Hafeez Malik The Opening Diplomatic Relations with Afghanistan – by William H. Harnibrook

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