* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
"It saddens me that the young people of Afghanistan simply cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel, that the country has nothing to offer them."
Afghanistan is a country of young people—an estimated 65 percent of my country's population is under the age of 25. But flip on any local television channel and the ordinary young male Afghan sees reports of kidnappings and beheadings by insurgent groups; high unemployment; another frustration in his government.
Last week Afghans turned out in the tens of thousands to protest the government’s response to the massacre of members of the Hazara ethnic minority. Young men here need an alternative narrative and fast—if they are to stay and contribute positively to Afghanistan’s future. Otherwise, as we continue to see all over world, this human capital has the potential of turning into a negative force.They need to be guided and given work opportunities, or illegal armed groups with illegal sources of income will recruit our jobless young men.
I am an Afghan and live and work in Kabul. And I am frequently asked if I feel discouraged or if I panic about my country today. My wife and I have experienced life under the Taliban, and we know that where we came from is not where we are going.
I am also the head of an international NGO staffed by a large team of Afghan nationals working to improve a country reeling from many years of conflict; and we have interviewed more than 75,000 Afghans for our annual Survey of the Afghan People since the mid-2000s on issues paramount to our country’s future. For the first time, we asked Afghans about ISIS.
ISIS today is a presence in Afghanistan. They have been reported in Kunduz, Helmand, Faryab and the provinces along the Afghan border with Pakistan. In fact, ISIS has had a significant impact on Afghan perceptions of their safety—three out of four survey respondents say they have heard of ISIS, of whom 54% say the group is a threat to the security of their district. And when asked about the biggest problems facing Afghanistan at the national level, the prevalence of insecurity far outweighs anything else on the minds of ordinary Afghans.
It saddens me that the young people of Afghanistan simply cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel, that the country has nothing to offer them. They undertake a dangerous journey overseas that does not guarantee them employment or security. Young people need to hear our national and local leaders present a picture and a plan for the future. For Afghans, this is our Transformation Decade. But transformation will also require addressing three critical issues, in addition to the real threat of ISIS recruitment of young Afghans.
First, a rapid brain drain of young Afghans is preventing us from realizing a self-sufficient future. Nearly 120,000 have applied for asylum in Europe this year; at the same time, some asylum-requests have been rejected and will be sent back. This lost, disenfranchised human capital will negatively affect Afghanistan’s ability to be self-sustaining. Forty percent of Afghans say they would leave Afghanistan if given the opportunity. The economy and unemployment emerged as major concerns for Afghans in our survey, and many Afghans say their employment opportunities have declined over the past year. I believe more efforts are required to provide jobs in Afghanistan for the youth before the repatriation of Afghan asylum seekers takes place.
Second, the danger and difficulty of doing business in Afghanistan is severely hurting us. There is at least one criminal incident a week in Kabul or Herat—a relative or family member of a businessperson is kidnapped and held for ransom. It is no surprise that Afghans are taking their money out of the country and moving it mostly to Istanbul or Dubai. The government needs to ensure the safety of the Afghan business community and provide incentives and a regulatory framework for investors. Low-interest loans, low-cost lands, facilities for industries, and reliable electricity for manufacturing would create jobs for young people.
Third, an alarming reality is that Afghanistan faces a serious shortage of qualified teachers and nurses. While Afghanistan has experienced widespread improvement in delivering public services such as nationwide roads, education, drinking water and health services; more than half of Afghanistan’s adults lack any level of formal education and few are qualified to staff these newly built schools, dams, clinics, power lines and roads. The government can address this challenge through improved revenue collection to deliver public services and energizing the Afghan Civil Service with the tens of thousands of students graduating from universities.
Our young people want and deserve quality of life; my family and I want and deserve a better future. We all want the best possible education for our children, quality healthcare, and job opportunities.
But Afghans need a clear, credible vision of the future articulated to them; and until that moment, and as the various security, political and economic transitions unfold, Afghanistan may need a little more of the world’s patience. We must develop the human talent and resources to emerge from decades of war and conflict, and ultimately provide a safe and empowering setting for our ambitious businesspeople and young people who so badly want to shape the future.
Abdullah Ahmadzai is The Asia Foundation's Country Representative in Afghanistan and former Chief Electoral Officer for the Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan where he oversaw the Parliamentary (Wolesi Jirga) elections in 2010.
