Early Afghanistan History

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Afghanistan
Beth Akerlund, Alex Lanzel, Ryan Selvik, Jamin
Brunette
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Geography

• Located in center of Asia
• Enclosed by land
• Mostly rugged mountains
• -Hindu Kush
• Plains in north and southwest
• Large areas of sandy desert near the southern
  border with Pakistan.

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Hindu Kush Mountains
Kabul Capital City
Northwestern Afghanistan
Afghanistan-Pakistan Border
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Islam

• Rules for daily life
• Dos and donts
• Gender roles
• Dress
• Interaction
• Sunni vs. Shiite
• fight for right
• Disagreements fuel disharmony

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Early Afghanistan History

• Afghanistan was made up little tribes, but these
  tribes united to fight off Alexander the Great in
  327 BC.
• Then in 642 AD, the Islamic Empire swept in and
  took control of western Afghanistan, converting
  much of the population to Islam.

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Pre Russian Invasion History

• Then in 1826, British and Russian forces fought
  each other, in Afghanistan. The citizens of
  Afghanistan fought against the British troops
  three times, and on August 19, 1919, defeated the
  British for the last time, and British troops
  left the country.
• From there, political unrest dictated Afghanistan
  life, with several powers coming and going until
  1979.

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Russian Invasion

• Then the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to set
  up a pro-Moscow government.
• For the next 9 years, a civil war broke out with
  different tribes of Afghanistan against and with
  the Soviet forces.
• The Soviets pulled out in 1989, but they left a
  pro-Moscow government who fell with the Soviet
  Union in 1992.
• Over 1 million Afghans were killed. 5 million
  Afghans fled to Pakistan and Iran.
• Another 2 million Afghans were displaced within
  the country.

• In the 1980s, one out of two refugees in the
  world was an Afghan
• Vital parts of the Afghan economy were destroyed
  including Irrigations systems to provide water
  for farming

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Post Russian Invasion

• In the aftermath of the fall of the Soviet
  Government, there were several attempts to create
  a collation of Afghanis to run their country.
  They all failed until a group of Pashtuns (which
  is a linage of people located in Southern
  Afghanistan and Pakistan and Iran), united one
  final time and formed the Taliban government in
  Afghanistan.
• The Taliban preached an extreme
• following of Islam, and when they took over
• Afghanistan, they put their beliefs into action.
  
• Their leader is Mullah Mohammed Omar.
• With the support of Pakistan, the Taliban
• Ruled until 2001.

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United States Invasion

• The Talibans primary opposition was called the
  Northern Alliance, and by 2001, the Northern
  Alliance had been pushed back to only 10 of
  Afghanistan to the north.
• Then, as we all know, the events of September
  11th, 2001.
• The United States knew that Osama Bin Laden was
  in Afghanistan, and that we were going to go in
  there and get him.

• In October of 2001, the United States invaded,
  and in a short time, by December of 2001, swept
  through and took control of the major cities and
  pushed the Taliban and Al Qaeda to the
  Pakistan-Afghanistan border, and we helped to
  establish a new government that is in place
  today.

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Current Government

• Islamic Republic
• 3 branch system executive, judicial,
  legislative
• President Hamid Karzai elected 2004
• Target of assassination attempt in September 2002
• Karzais one mission is to bring peace to
  Afghanistan

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Government Corruption

• Corruption very high
• 1,5 176/180 CPI
• Drug related (Opium) issues
• are dominant
• History of unqualified appointees
• Poor judiciary legal enforcement systems
• Karzai other government officials accused of
  using connections for profit, including his
  brother
• Foreigners have defamed Afghanistan so badly in
  terms of corruption. But it's not as serious as
  they think

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Even More Corruption

• corruption and inefficiency in Afghanistan were
  as much to blame as the Taliban insurgency for
  the country's instability
• ½ said corruption had increased among officials
  and the police in Afghanistan
• anti-corruption department,
• and a more open government

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Economy of Afghanistan

• Recovering from decades of conflict
• Has improved since the fall of the Taliban in
  2001
• Highly dependent on foreign aid
• Instability inhibits economic growth

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Economic Long-Term Challenges

• - budget sustainability
• job creation
• corruption
• rebuilding war-torn infrastructure

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Afghanistan- Economic Indicators

• GDP 35 billion (2007)
• GDP Real Growth Rate 7.5
• GDP per capita 1,000 (2007)
• Ranks 157th in the World
• Inflation Rate 13
• Unemployment Rate 40 (2005)
• Labor Force, approximately 15 million
• Agriculture 80, Industry 10, Services 10

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Imports and Exports

• Imports
• Capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products
• Exports
• Opium, fruits, nuts, hand-woven carpets, wool,
  cotton, precious gems

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Agriculture

• Lifeblood of Afghan economy
• 38 of GDP, non-opium agriculture
• 12 of land is arable and only half that is
  cultivated
• Accounts for 80 of workforce
• Not self-sufficient in agriculture and must rely
  on food aid to meet domestic needs
• Increasing agricultural production has been a
  focus of development efforts in Afghanistan

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Opium Production

• Greatest illicit opium producer in the world
• In 2007, 93 of the opiates on the world market
  originated in Afghanistan (export value of 4
  billion)
• High rate of return on investment from opium
  poppy cultivation has driven an agricultural
  shift in Afghanistan from growing traditional
  crops to growing opium poppy.
• Shortage of food and other crop production
  (wheat, fruit, nuts, etc)
• Opium

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Natural Resources

• Unexploited mining territory
• Geological surveys are incomplete, additional
  energy and mineral deposits likely to be found
• As economic conditions improve, Afghanistan will
  be in a better position to attract investment
• World Bank estimates value of mineral production
  could be 253 million, compared to 60 million
  currently

May be a key to long-term economic
development! Produces natural gas, copper,
iron Has deposits of marble, salt, gold, and
silver
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Trade and Investment

• Important and growing component in economy
• Trade deficit
• Increased in recent years as more development aid
  and equipment have entered country
• Inflow of foreign aid is large enough to wipe out
  current deficit, help to keep monetary conditions
  stable

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The People

• Population 33,609,937 people
• Age Breakdown
• 0-14 years 44.5 (male 7,664,670/female
  7,300,446) 15-64 years 53 (male
  9,147,846/female 8,679,800) 65 years and over
  2.4 (male 394,572/female 422,603)
• Life Expectancy total population 44.64 years
  male 44.47 years female 44.81 years
• Median Age 17.6 years.
• Pop. Growth Rate 2.629
• Birth Rate 45.82 births/1,000 population
• Death Rate 19.56 deaths/1,000 population
• Sex Ratio total population 1.05 male(s)/female

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Health

• WHO Afghanistan's health status is one of the
  worst in the world
• HIV/AIDS Percentage 0.01
• This number is expected to rise as the number of
  drug users goes up. (ie heroin, opium)
• Major Diseases bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
  hepatitis A, and typhoid fever, malaria, rabies
• Health Sector is dismal at best. Lacks
• infrastructure, competent workers, supplies,
  open channels of communication, terrible
  information systems.
• Health related expenses amount to .5 of GDP
• 1 doctor/6000 patients
• 1 nurse/2500 patients

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Improving the Healthcare System

• Update/improve information systems
• Restore/update facilities
• Extend care to rural areas
• Drug availability
• Hire more trained workers
• Boost efficiency of response time to natural
  disasters.

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Why?

• 39 of children under age five are underweight
• 48 of children under age five are under height
• 61 of the population is without sustainable
  access to an improved water source
• Access to safe water 23
• Access to adequate sanitation 12
• In 2001 8 of popn had access to basic
  healthcare.
• Most used alternative healthcare ie. Midwives

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Rahera Malnutrition

• 7 y/o
• Eats breakfast 7AM every morning.
• 1 loaf of bread lasts her, her two brothers and
  her parents 3 days.
• 10 AM, gets 12 small biscuits from school. Eats
  6, brings home the rest to family.
• Lunchtime, goes home and has bread with some oil.
• 9PM, eats bread with a little yogurt for dinner.

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Child Labor

• 50 of pop is under 18.
• UNICEF says 30 of primary school aged children
  are working.
• 21 of child laborers work in shops
• 13 work as street vendors
• Poverty is the driving force.
• Parents cant pay for schooling
• Opportunity cost of schooling is high.

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Education

• Two Types
• Religious Schooling
• Secular Schooling (introduced in 1964)
• Post-Taliban, resurgence in education
• Schools are in a disarray though.
• funding is limited and unstable
• Security of Schools is a problem.
• Taliban destroy secular schools.
• Illiteracy 56 men, 87 women
• Hinderance in workforce

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Security Overall Well-Being

• As of today, Afghanistan is still a LDC
• Security against Taliban is shakey
• US troop deployment
• Taliban are numerous attack the few govt
  services available
• Their goal is to demoralize the country
  international community.
• 2100 Afghanis dead from insurgent attacks.

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Afghanistan An Evaluation

• As of 2006, Afghanis are feeling hopeless
• Surveyed 1000 citizens from 13 provinces and
  balanced the different ethnic groups.
• Surveyed on Pillars of Reconstruction
• Security
• Governance
• Justice
• Economic Opportunity
• Social Well-Being

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Security
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Governance
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Justice
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Economic Opportunity
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Social Well-Being
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Family

• Governed by Islam
• Single most important unit, sacred protected
• Marriages usually arranged divorce initiated by
  men only
• Polygamy for men
• Inheritance

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Honor

• Honor Shame
• Worth reputation of an individual/family
• Work hard to protect honor (avoid shame)
• If honor is compromised, Afghan people will
  retaliate work to get revenge/honor back
• Fueled much of the
• disharmony of the country
• Honor killings

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Tribes

• Pashtuns
• Largest, roughly half of the population
• Have most power
• Split amongst themselves, rivalry
• Sunni Muslims
• Uzbeks
• Most populous Turkic group
• Sunni Muslims
• Turkmen Kirghiz
• Nomadic tribal
• Sunni Muslims

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Tribes

• Tajiks
• Second largest group
• Make up educated elite
• Rival Pashtuns for power
• Sunni Muslims
• Hazaras
• Discrimination
• Shiite Muslims
• Many other small tribes
• Nuristanis, Aimaqs, Baluchis, Hindus,
• Sikhs

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Prior To the Taliban

• Women were educated employed.
• 50 of students
• 70 of teachers
• 50 government workers
• 40 of doctors

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Women Today

• Although the new constitution guarantees equal
  rights an opportunities for both men and
  womenthat is not always the case.
• Health care
• Child birth
• highest maternal death rate
• in the world
• Male doctors
• Men boys take precedence
• in the few emergency rooms
• that exist (very few hospitals after Taliban
  rule)
• Unequal opportunities jobs, divorce, custody

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Womens Problems

• Taliban Insurgencies harsh policies for women
• Afghanistans Human Rights Commission
• 1,500 atrocities against women (2008)
• 1/3 domestic violence cases
• 200 forcibly married
• 98 set themselves on fire
• 100 tried to commit suicide
• by taking poisen
• Increasing number of women
• taking drugs
• Judgments against women (Jirgas)
• New Rape Law against Shiite women

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Hope

• Rights of women enshrined in the new Constitution
• Women can participate in every walk of life
• 91 of 361 members of Parliament are women
• It is becoming ok to talk about forced marriages,
  rapes, honor killings, etc.
• Human rights groups are starting to document and
  publicize atrocities
• Groups campaigns fighting
• for Muslim womens rights
• Polygamy, inheritance, custody,
• consent to marry
• International attention
• Rape Law to be amended
• Rights groups around the world

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Afghanistan Policy Suggestions
-Improve Health Sector -Improve
Education -Stabilize economy -Rebuild
infrastructure -Strengthen centralized
government and reduce corruption -Promote gender
equality and empower women -Create national
unity -Improve national security
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Questions?
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References

• http//www.afghan-network.net/Culture/
• http//afghanistan.saarctourism.org/culture.html
• http//www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-e
  tiquette/afghanistan.html
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban
• http//www.norway.org.af/development/anticorruptio
  n/
• http//transparency.org/news_room/in_focus/2008/cp
  i2008/cpi_2008_table
• https//www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world
  -factbook/geos/af.html
• http//www.rawa.org/wom-view.htm
• http//feminist.org/afghan/facts.html
• http//www.policyinnovations.org/ideas/briefings/d
  ata/afghan_child_labor
• http//www.usip.org/pubs/usipeace_briefings/2007/0
  504_health_afghanistan.html
• http//www.voanews.com/specialenglish/archive/2002
  -09/a-2002-09-06-2-1.cfm?moddate2002-09-06
• http//www.who.int/hac/donorinfo/afg/en/index1.htm
  l
• http//www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/TKAE-
  6V44GJ?OpenDocument