TY - JOUR
T1 - Power, Politics and Development in Afghanistan: Introduction
AU - Bizhan, Nemat
AU - Willner-Reid, Matthew
AU - Bhatia, Jasmine
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - POLITICS AND DEVELOPMENT ARE CLOSELY intertwined in Afghanistan.For understandable reasons, most commentary on Afghanistan has tended to focus on the ongoing insurgency;themyriadpowerstrugglesunderpinning theinternationalstate-buildingenterprisearemuchlessoftenthefocusof academicstudy.Whendevelopmentpoliciesdocomeunderthespotlight, theapproachisoftenhighlytechnocratic,insufficientlytakingintoaccount thepoliticalforcesthatdeterminehowprogramsareconceived,perceived, andreceivedbyvariousactorsateverylevel,andhowthesefactorsdetermine whatimpacttheyultimatelyhave.Withinalively“aidmarketplace,”governmentministries,UNagencies,NGOs,andprivatecompaniesjostlefor funding,control,prestige,andinfluence.Donorsandthecentralgovernmentareengagedinongoingnegotiationsregardingtheconditionalityand alignmentofaid,whereissuesoftrust,capacity,andvestedinterestsplay pivotalroles.Thebalanceofpowerbetweenthecentralgovernmentandits peripheriescontinuestobehotlydebated.Debatesabouthowtodefine, prioritize,andaddresscriticalneeds,aswellashowtomeasurethesuccessor failureofdevelopmentinitiatives,areallstronglycontestedandinfluenced byorganizationalinterests.
AB - POLITICS AND DEVELOPMENT ARE CLOSELY intertwined in Afghanistan.For understandable reasons, most commentary on Afghanistan has tended to focus on the ongoing insurgency;themyriadpowerstrugglesunderpinning theinternationalstate-buildingenterprisearemuchlessoftenthefocusof academicstudy.Whendevelopmentpoliciesdocomeunderthespotlight, theapproachisoftenhighlytechnocratic,insufficientlytakingintoaccount thepoliticalforcesthatdeterminehowprogramsareconceived,perceived, andreceivedbyvariousactorsateverylevel,andhowthesefactorsdetermine whatimpacttheyultimatelyhave.Withinalively“aidmarketplace,”governmentministries,UNagencies,NGOs,andprivatecompaniesjostlefor funding,control,prestige,andinfluence.Donorsandthecentralgovernmentareengagedinongoingnegotiationsregardingtheconditionalityand alignmentofaid,whereissuesoftrust,capacity,andvestedinterestsplay pivotalroles.Thebalanceofpowerbetweenthecentralgovernmentandits peripheriescontinuestobehotlydebated.Debatesabouthowtodefine, prioritize,andaddresscriticalneeds,aswellashowtomeasurethesuccessor failureofdevelopmentinitiatives,areallstronglycontestedandinfluenced byorganizationalinterests.
U2 - 10.1525/as.2018.58.6.967
DO - 10.1525/as.2018.58.6.967
M3 - Letter
VL - 58
SP - 967
EP - 972
JO - Asian Survey
JF - Asian Survey
IS - 6
ER -