Afghanistan on the eve of presidential election, a country eager for life, peace and change
Interview with Giovanni Porta, director of operations of Aïna*, a Kabul-based NGO, about Afghanistan's first presidential elections scheduled for tomorrow.
Kabul (AsiaNews) The Afghan people's desire to put decades of violence and war behind is stronger than any terrorist attack, killing or threat that have marred the country's journey towards democracy. The first milestone reached is tomorrow's direct presidential election.
In an interview with AsiaNews, Giovanni Porta, Aïna's director of operation, a Kabul-based NGO, speaks about the hopes Afghans place in tomorrow's vote without trying to hide the difficulties the election presents to a country where many are still hard-pressed to fully understand what the process means.
In the period leading up to the elections violence and threats to building democracy are what stands out. Yet, positive steps towards it have already been taken
After the fall of the Talibans everything improved. The mullahs' regime was so violent and unpopular that very few miss it. Suddenly, the country opened up eager for life, peace and change. From small but meaningful signs like flying kites which the Talibans banned to wedding parties with music and dance, the country was alive again. Markets reopened and private initiatives thousands of stores, small companies, family-run factories started taking off.
The communication revolution was another obvious aspect of this desire to open up and reach out to others at home or abroad. Now every Afghan family in the big cities has a cellular phone.
Do threats paralyse people or do they convince them that change is more necessary now than ever?
There is a widespread desire to put an end to the "power of the barrel". All public opinion polls indicate that Afghans' main concerns are peace and security followed by the economy and their families' welfare. People want to go back to a tranquil life without fear of conflict, be they ethnic, religious or political.
Although the Taliban threat is concentrated in the south-eastern regions of the country it is still worrisome. They have little popular backing even in their Pashtun stronghold; however, they are an obstacle to pacification especially since they formed a tactical alliance with former warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.
There are expectations for positive change for women
Unfortunately, women are still very much absent form the process of change, especially in the provinces. Even in Kabul, foreign observers are struck by the persisting ambience of exclusion. Few women leave home and many still wear the burka.
Still, there are some important changes. Girls are going back to school eager to learn. Women's groups and associations are forming. Radio programmes and publications by and for women are influencing public opinion.
The elections will be a test for its electronically-gathered data will show women's real participation. It will be interesting to review the data in order to measure the actual progress women made in the last three years.
What does "democracy" mean for Afghans?
Tens of thousands of young Afghans who spent their childhood and teen years in refugee camps, especially in Pakistan, are now on the forefront of the battle for democracy. On returning after the fall of the Talibans, they brought a breath of fresh air, of openness and modernity.
In general, Afghans remain cautious vis-à-vis ideas that are demanding and still somewhat unclear to most people. No doubt, learning new values and practices will take a good deal of time and will need a good deal of effort. But these elections are an important step in that direction.
What should be the next steps?
To be a success, Afghanistan's reconstruction must be two-pronged. On the one hand, it must involve the material rebirth of a country destroyed by 25 years of uninterrupted wars and authoritarian regimes. On the other, it requires rebuilding a shared moral and national identity that transcends being just Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, etc.
The attempt to impose a foreign modernising culture (by the Soviets) or an extremist version of traditional culture (by the Talibans) has left so many moral and psychological scars. The attempt to forcibly flatten the culture (by banning playing and listening to music and persecuting poets, writers and intellectuals) under Mullah Omar's regime created a vacuum that must now be filled.
But the sudden opening to outside influences western, Indian, Pakistani are in danger of distorting and "contaminating" the country's own cultural values. It is necessary that Afghans be given the means and the opportunities to rediscover their own roots and set their own new cultural paths.
*Aïna ("Mirror" in Dari, Afghanistan's main language) is a Kabul-based non governmental organisation founded in 2001 by Iranian photo reporter Reza Deghati. Its purpose is to further the development of local media and cultural expression. It has built eight media and culture centres, among them Seerat and Malalai, respectively a weekly information letter and a monthly magazine, both dedicated to women's issues.
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17/03/2005
