Are our youth really interested? Assessing the discourse on “civil society forums” for Afghanistan¹

¹Adin Rasheedi, King’s College London Afghanistan Think Tank, Tahmena Joyan, SOAS Afghanistan Society, Elias Baluch, King’s College London Afghanistan Think Tank

 

Recently, throughout various global diaspora communities, events have been hosted which have featured discussions on the topics of “Civil Society Forums.” This has been understood as essentially being a democratic opposition (in exile) to the Taliban. Yet, it does not appear that the Taliban will be packing up shop anytime soon, and so it remains pivotal, before the creation of any civil society forum, that the forum in question can be maintained for generations to come. This is especially important, as any forum that has been created must stand the test of time, and continuously provide strong outputs which policymakers can rely on to accurately deliver their intended outcomes. If a forum is created, and later abandoned or is not able to accurately deliver outputs, devastating effects may be felt by policymakers and the people of Afghanistan who will be made, once again, the subject of western policy interventions. This is a significant issue considering Afghanistan’s history with views and ideas being imposed on its population by the West. However, this becomes even more problematic when the discourse takes a fundamental element of its plans for granted – the support of the diaspora’s youth.

A harsh reality that faces much of Afghanistan’s diaspora is the lack of interest that its youth have in the country. The diaspora’s youth, many of whom cannot fully speak either Farsi or Pashto, find it impossible to even fathom the idea of attempting to discuss basic histories of the country, let alone trying to solve its problems on the civil society level. In addition to this, the youth typically do not have many connections to the country. Much of the diaspora’s information remains restricted by what they hear in passing, or on social media. Whilst many empathise with Afghanistan’s plight, the young diaspora resonates stronger with their British or Western identities than they do with their Afghanistan heritage. In addition, the psychological and mental traumas the diaspora has faced do not help the situation. Many in the diaspora have cited mental barriers (when thinking about Afghanistan) as a reason for why they do not engage with the community. These factors have all combined to create the unfortunate reality facing much of the diaspora today.

As individuals who lead a group of Afghanistan’s young diaspora, a question we often come across is why do we have an interest in Afghanistan? What motivates us to lead in our respective ways? The answer to these questions is multifaceted. Yet, there is a common motivation in leading our community towards the success we envision for it. It is, nonetheless, important to note that most of Afghanistan’s diaspora community does not feel this way. In our joint experiences, by regularly interacting with universities and younger diaspora members, the assumption that the youth is “on board” with the plans designed by older generations is unrealistic. Much of the youth do not feel this way, and if this issue is not addressed seriously, any attempt to bring a civil society forum will be futile.

Before any discussions can be held about building a civil society forum which will act as a form of democratic opposition, or a platform for state building, it is important that the diaspora’s youth are prioritised. The diaspora needs to be taught not just the fundamentals about Afghanistan, but also provided with a way to rekindle their interests in the region, helping them understand why Afghanistan is important to them. Until the young prospective inheritors of any civil society forum created feel ready, there can be no viable future for such a forum that lacks consideration of its longevity and the disposition of its members. As diaspora leaders, we can firmly state that the diaspora’s youth, in its current state, are unready, ill-equipped, and uninterested in this challenge.

Suggested Citation: Rasheedi, A. Joyan, T. Baluch, E. (2024). Are our youth really interested? Assessing the discourse on “civil society forums” for Afghanistan. London: King’s College London Afghanistan Think Tank.