Jabbar was an Afghan, who had spend most of his life dealing in survival. Surviving the Soviet occupation and Communism, the Afghanistan civil war and the Mujahedin Government, the Taliban and the ISI and now Democracy and the International Community. He would run back and forth between Afghanistan and Iran, either for his life or to make a living, or both. Jabbar's face was a testimony to the difficult days he had to endure but he still strived and hoped for a better day for himself, his family and his nation.
One day during a conversation with him, he told me, "do you know the difference between you [Coalition Forces/International Community] and the Taliban?"...You (pointing to the air force base in front of us) live behind these walls while the Taliban live amongst us in our villages!" Jabbar continued on and said that you come out once in a while to our villages with your military vehicles and guns, spending a few minutes with some of the elders, asking questions, drinking tea and leaving. The Taliban on the other hand are always around, nobody wants them around but they are there! They don't do anything for our people but we have to deal with them because who else are we going to deal with. Our government is not around, and you don't come to our place unless you need something!! Jabbar was right! His village and hundreds of others in that area were exposed to the Taliban and ripe for the taking. The Taliban exercised power where there was a vacuum, a void that was caused by the lack of real presence of the local government and security forces and the international community and its force. If any of those four parts established strong relationship with the local Afghans population, its would have reduced the Taliban influence.
The rise of extremist groups around the world stretching from Afghanistan, to the Middle East and all the way to Africa requires a new way and a more committed way of conducting business.
A few important points about extremists groups;
You can't just kill your way to victory against them.
Violent and extremist entities are international phenomena because you have individuals and governments around the world contributing to the growth of extremist organizations or fighting to curb them. Contribution is done through financing them, arming them, or volunteering to join them. Curbing is done either with military operations or creating organizations or programming that is an alternative to the extremists way.
Violent extremist groups are the enemy of all those that don't agree with their belief system, that means 99.99% of the population!
There are number of things that needs to be done to ensure the reduction of their influence around the world.
The number one focus must be creating a long term relationship with communities threaten by this phenomena by making activities "people-centric" and by ensuring that international donors giving support and assistance, move their policies from the narrow, short-term national interest, to a broader interest that will cement a long term solution on the ground. Creating strong relationship and partnership with all levels of threatened societies will ensure that the population believe they have partners in their struggle to push back the extremist. This relationship must be strong from the central government all the way to the town and village level.
The international diplomatic corps and development agencies must move away from the security-centric and bunker mentality that has them sitting in offices and compounds. This in turn has given free rein to the extremists to roam in communities and in most cases be the only voice that people are either hearing or force to adhere too.
When there is strong relationship and engagement amongst the donor, stakeholder and beneficiaries, access to these communities will become much easier and the threaten population will have a strong partner they can rely on. And it is this partnership which will create the kind of presence needed to curb the influence and push the extremists ideology out of the communities and give the type of alternative that people are looking for.
In the past couple of years, we have seen consequence of inaction in countering violent extremists. They are more dangerous, more fanatical, better organized and better funded. There are millions like Jabbar who have to deal with them on daily basis despite not wanting them around but do so out of the need to survive, and like Jabbar are looking for an alternative.
I don't know where Jabbar is but if I ever see him again I will let him know we are changing our ways and plan to do it right this time...upon hearing what I told him he will most likely roll his eyes, smile and look towards the tall barbed wire walls!!
No comments:
Post a Comment