Nur Agha Akbari and his family live in Kabul, on an unpaved, pitted street lined by mud brick homes. When we visited him this week, his oldest son, age 13, led us to a sitting room inside their rented two-story apartment, furnished with simple mats and pillows. The youngster smiled shyly as he served us tea. Then his father entered the room.
Mr. Akbari is a robust, energetic, well educated man from a respected, academic Afghan family. In the late 1970s, Nur had gone to study agriculture in the UK and remained there, becoming an organic farmer. His four brothers had instead remained in Afghanistan, or else returned there after studies abroad. His two eldest brothers had trained in the Soviet Union -- one as an engineer, one as a nuclear scientist -- and had received early warning of the likelihood of what came to be the 1979 Soviet invasion. They spoke out publicly about their fears as the invasion grew more and more imminent.
On December 27 of that year, Soviet troops occupied major government, media and military buildings in Kabul, initiating a nine-year war between a nationalist/fundamentalist resistance (the "Mujahideen") and the Soviet occupiers. Soviet officials fired Nur's oldest brother from his cancer research work at Kabul University and blacklisted him. He found himself unable to work, and soon joined the resistance. Nur doesn't know much about what happened to him then, but he was among thousands of people bulldozed into mass graves after capture and execution by the Soviets. All told Nur knows very little about the fates of his three older brothers, all killed in the war. But their tragedy would largely shape his life.
Nur had arranged for his surviving, younger, brother to join him in the UK. But Nur would lie awake at night, thinking about the children and the wives of his slain brothers. Concerned that his nephews and nieces were now fending for themselves in Afghanistan's war zones, fatherless and penniless, he resolved to return home.
When he learned of a job with an Austrian relief agency which would have him living in Pakistan but taking three trips per year into Afghanistan, he immediately applied. A representative of the "Austrian Relief Group" recognized Nur's family name and told him it would be exceedingly dangerous for him to enter Afghanistan, but Nur persisted, realizing this was perhaps his only chance to rescue his widowed and orphaned family there. He got the job and swiftly set up residence in the Pakistani city of Peshawar where, eventually, he managed to gather all of his brothers' children and wives in a large house he had rented. At last he could be sure that they had health care, adequate food, and access to education. He worked tirelessly to make this possible.
Now, at family reunions, they remember those hard times. The youngsters who were saved by their young uncle are themselves parents now, and the family history includes great gratitude for the sacrifices Nur made, as a young man, to provide for and encourage his large extended family.
His is among thousands of stories of hardship and tragedy, many worse than his own, as he made sure repeatedly to remind us several times in the course of relating it. Stories of death and dislocation from the superpower invasion of 1979, and now from the American occupation, entering its tenth year.
Now Nur works as an engineer for the Afghan government's Department of Agriculture, with many more people to try to help rescue. He talked to us about the problems besetting Afghanistan as it attempts to rebuild from an ongoing war.
Nur is a visionary. He imagines communities learning to provide for themselves and solving problems using local decision-making and initiative at a grass roots level. He is passionately committed to a model of community development which he had begun to implement in the Panjshir Province. "We need to sow seeds," he says. "Germination takes time. It's not like building a wall which you can just slap up." But he has hit impasse after impasse in his efforts to foster grassroots community development, with many different forms of corruption everywhere springing up to commandeer the funds the occupation has made available for development work.
Our delegation has heard a lot about rising and pervasive corruption over the past two weeks traveling in Afghanistan. Following the election of Mr. Karzai, people we've spoken with were stung by the congratulatory calls from heads of state around the world, including that of President Obama. Already outraged over what they (and international observers) consider an extremely fraudulent election, they feel bewildered by other world governments' legitimization of corruption in their capital. By supporting the current government, the U.S. exacerbates the life-choking corruption here. Afghan Member of Parliament, Ramazan Bashar Dost, urged us to ask the U.S. government to realize this, and desist. A young woman running her own company in Kandahar province spoke to us with contempt about corrupt officials. And others -- an Afghan human rights lawyer, the co-founder of a large media company, three fellows working for a smaller news agency, along with almost every Bamiyan villager we met during a week there -- all spoke of how the corruption had negatively, in cases disastrously, impacted their efforts to make a living and contribute toward their country's resurrection from its current, dreadful state.
One of the most egregious examples has been set by the United States. According to a McClatchy report released on October 27, 2010, the U.S. government knows it has awarded nearly $18 billion in contracts for rebuilding Afghanistan over the past three years, but it can't account for any of the billions spent before 2007. What's more, a crucial agency of government investigators and auditors -- those responsible for the SIGAR, the "Special Inspector General in Afghanistan Report," on waste, fraud, and abuse of American taxpayer dollars -- has now received a failing grade in a new government investigation of corruption in their own activities.
Nur wonders where all the money has gone. "If we spent one quarter of one quarter of one quarter of the billions that they've spent, we could fund this process of community development," he assures us. "Billions have been spent and we have nothing for it. If we had followed a process marked by transparency, fairness and involvement of local communities, we could have turned this country around in five years."
Beyond lamenting lost opportunities and lost lives in the dangerously impoverished Afghan economy, he mainly fears that ordinary Afghans will increasingly adjust to a welfare culture which relies on handouts rather than hard work to achieve progress.
As we spoke with Nur, his son returned to the room with a rich, creamy soup prepared by his mother and then left and returned again with platters, one per guest, each heaped with walnuts, glazed dried apricots and luscious pomegranate seeds. When we praised the quality of this truly delicious fare, Nur (with a wry smile) replied,
"We spend many days trying to export these good fruits. By the time we finish crossing bureaucratic hurdles and filling out many sets of papers, arranging transportation, getting approval, and negotiating prices, the fruit often rots. But, if you have a truckload of opium, you can send it to the other side of the world in one day."
Nevertheless, Nur continues working toward a better future for Afghanistan. He holds on to a deep faith in the ability of the simplest people to generate solutions to their problems if they are liberated from the oppressive effects of war and corruption. This is no time for a loss of nerve. Nur Agha Akbari, a survivor and a creative thinker, may not reap the harvest in his lifetime, but he won't stop planting the seeds.
Kathy Kelly (kathy@vcnv.org) has been traveling in Afghanistan with two other co-coordinators of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, David Smith-Ferri and Jerica Arents.
Allan Gerson: When Governments Fail to Disclose Material Facts
Jonathan Weiler: Deafening Silence: Why Our Ongoing Wars Are Not a Campaign Issue
Ann Jones: Big Men, Big Money, Big Voting Scam: The American Midterm Election -- in Afghanistan
Lauren Gunderson: Theatre of the Right Damn Now -- The Great Game: Afghanistan tours the US
The fact that Nyerere tried shows there's life and ability to think and innovate. That remains the best way forward. No foreign government can fully appreciate the local viewpoint, as has been shown with the USA's misunderstanding and total misreading of the Arab-Jewish conflict throughout their involvement in the Middle East. All that's left behind is civil war (e.g. in Somalia, Iraq and now Afghanistan).
From a community development viewpoint, partnership goes a far longer way than imposing one's beliefs. The starting point is to listen, and this is an active process that doesn't allow the listener to speak. What do the locals want? What do they consider their core challenges? What do they value most and likewise hate? What are their myths and legends all about? Minus knowledge of these and more, no understanding can be got.
Where on earth, and through history, have conquests ever produced anything other than resentment from locals? The story's underlying premise is true. Allow the Afghans, on behalf of any other local people groupings, to actively influence and decide their futures. Only partner with them.
40/50/60%???
Most that want to tax the rich have no ambition to be anything other than a parasite that collects the crumbs that the government is willing to steal from others for your vote. If you destroy the system that creates wealth, we will all share the misery of socialistic poverty rather than participate in the unequal sharing of prosperity. When the tide of prosperity rises if lifts all the boats with the tide.
Most that claim poverty in this country would be considered wealthy in most countries of the world. That is a fact!!! Don't be a fool and throw away the best system that has ever been created to lift mankind out of poverty.
Everyone in this country has the opportunity but it's not a guarantee. Only you can change your life but taking wealth from those that have earned it is theft regardless of the legislation creating the process. When you are forced to work without just compensation it's called slavery. It's immoral on all levels
2 weeks later the same company raises their prices to account for those raises! Now those same American workers are right back were they started in the same boat...
And how do you think the wealth got so rich? I'll tell you off the backs of the hard working American People!
WHAT DO YOU SEE AS A LIMIT TO THE PERCENTAGE OF TAXES ONE SHOULD PAY??
40/50/60%???..
Insurrection insurance doesn't come cheap.
Most that want to tax the rich have no ambition to be anything other than a parasite that collects the crumbs that the government is willing to steal from others..
Why are you posting here if you own your own polling firm?
..If you destroy the system that creates wealth, we will all share the misery of socialistic poverty rather than participate in the unequal sharing of prosperity..
I believe Bernie Madoff said something of the sort at his trial.
..When the tide of prosperity rises if lifts all the boats with the tide..
What does it do to oil rigs?
..Don't be a fool and throw away the best system that has ever been created to lift mankind out of poverty..
I'm guessing you haven't read my profile page...
..Everyone..has the opportunity but it's not a guarantee. Only you can change your life but taking wealth from those that have earned it is theft regardless of..legislation..
I agree - look at all those lazy newborns, suckin' at the teat. Time to reform baby labor laws.
..When you are forced to work without just compensation it's called slavery..
Even if you're doing 'God's work'?
..It's immoral on all levels
No, just stupid.
p.s. Any thoughts on the article?
The root cause is theocracy, rule by religious gangs, not the government in Kabul.
Omission: U forgot to say who created the Mujahideen; and also the reason they were created.
Pakistan recruited these paid mercenaries frm all over the continent on behalf of the US who wanted to prevent the Soviets from gaining a foothold in Afghanistan bc of it`s proximity to oil rich countries.
"One of the most egregious examples has been set by the United States. According to a McClatchy report released on October 27, 2010, the U.S. government knows it has awarded nearly $18 billion in contracts for rebuilding Afghanistan over the past three years, but it can't account for any of the billions spent before 2007."
Stansfield Turner, CIA head in 1980, said that when the US sends aid to a country they just send it fully knowing that everyone in power in the recepient country is going to take a piece b4 any monies get to the people of the country that`s been pulverized. That`s the way the game works.
U Have to bribe everyone either to get your way or to look the other way.
The US did not get seriously involved until after the Soviet invasion brought about by the shaky authoritarian socialist government and increasing Muj resistance. They could not have booted the Soviets without US weapons and help and we did give them that.
Afterwords we forgot about them, a dumb move in retrospect. This led to civil war and eventual coup by the Taliban, until then a very minor group without much military strength. That was where AQ and the foreign fighters came in through Pakistani support. The Muj and most Afghanis hated them and continued to fight without a central leadership or much success until we got there after 9/11
Almost all weapons used by the Taliban were Soviet leftovers when we got there after 9/11 with a handful of special ops and limited air support. It is a myth that the US 'created' Taliban or Mujahadin.
Many Americans have a very inflated sense of America's importance in the Soviets being expelled. Certainly we provided support but they didn't need it. May have shortened the occupation but eventually Russia would leave (as will America) with or without our intervention
First of: Our best wishes and apologies for what is being done, has been done, to this family, to Mr.Akbari, his community. His country.
We are not pacifists. However: We would like these 2 Wars - Afghanistan & Iraq - to stop.
Yes our conscience is buggin us.
The number of lives destroyed by death or damaged in multiple other ways is too much. And for what.... Power? Money? Control? The natural resources of these two countries?
2010 and the West's track record with Foreigners sure looks lousy.
Is Foreign Policy/National Interests all about taking from some one else by hook or by crook whatever we need, want, desire, because we're entitled to? Because of our financial prosperity, our high-er standards of living, our computers/blackberrys/twitter accounts depend on these peoples’ natural resources?
What are these Wars really about?
Because it’s not about 9/11 any more. Those who lost their lives that day cant possibly approve what we have done to so many other innocent folk just like them selves.
No body in North America, US or Canada, England, Europe. Russia or Israel... Would put up with a foreign army, foreign entity, mercenaries - bullying us.
In any way.
Constantly.
Then daily, for 10 years and going on: Walking our streets, killing our men, women & children; destroying our homes & livelihoods. Our countries.
None of us would tolerate this. How silly to expect other people should.
Read Kathy's writings.
All our so called aid is nothing more than handouts to Westerners and we are not helping these people at all, in fact we are doing incredible harm. Take our aid, take our humanitarian initiatives and most importantly take our military and jam it up our own backsides and let these people be. If they wish to tear Afghanistan apart, so be it, after all its only a construct of the British that has little relevance to them.