Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /home/rwihemsi/rwi.lu.se/wp-content/plugins/insert-php/includes/class.execute.snippet.php(655) : eval()'d code on line 27
Warning: Trying to access array offset on value of type bool in /home/rwihemsi/rwi.lu.se/wp-content/plugins/insert-php/includes/class.execute.snippet.php(655) : eval()'d code on line 28
By Hamid Formuli
License: RWI report
The Crisis of Exclusion and a Rights-Based Path Forward: Afghan and International Responsibilities
Afghanistan today is governed by a group that severely excludes most of its people. Women, nondominant ethnic and religious groups, and those outside Taliban inner circles are sidelined from power, while services are provided unevenly. Reversing course requires rights-based meritocratic inclusion and meaningful power-sharing, pressuring authorities to end discrimination, supporting dialogue, de-concentration of power, and people-centred solutions, such as elections and a constitutional process.
The research findings based on detailed surveys and in-depth interviews assert that symbolic representation does not align with Afghans’ aspirations. Inclusivity in its true interpretation should be grounded on equal citizenry, which recognises individuals as rights-holders, enshrined in a social contract such as a constitution, and is built on meritocracy, resulting in inclusive outcomes, real power, and wealth-sharing, and is implemented through a mechanism that reflects the will of the people.
The research unveils that the Taliban’s governance seeks consolidation and monopolisation of power, favouring a narrow demographic consisting of Taliban members and loyalists, all male, and the majority stemming from the Pashtun ethnic group, while marginalising other groups, including women, ideological opponents, and non-Pashtun ethnic and minority groups.
While the research could not establish that greater Pashtun representation led to better services for them, it uncovers variations in both perception and lived experiences of discrimination based on ethnicity, language, region, and religion. Although – conditions are poor for all groups, including Pashtuns consulted, non-Pashtun participants reported more severe impacts.
Key words: Inclusive governance; inclusive government; monopolisation of power; marginalisation; equal citizenry; meritocracy; perceptions; lived experiences