ld on these gains.
These things can only come about if there is a political breakthrough. A peace settlement of some sort is necessary, even if it is not comprehensive. An accommodation is needed that allows each side to coexist without resorting to violence to achieve its goals.
The international community and the US government need to continue to work together to bring about a political settlement and stable government. As importantly, the US Congress will need to invest the necessary resources to maintain stability, improve governance, and keep the country on the path to development. How should these civilian aid programs be planned and implemented over the next decade?
First, build on what already exists. Development programs are especially effective when they seek to help people improve what they already do. In Afghanistan, this first and foremost means agriculture. It involves direct work with farmers, as well as investments in the infrastructure that expands market access and overcomes constraints along the value chain. Investing in infrastructure – roads, bridges, and the electrical grid – can yield impressive results for the development of market-driven agriculture.
Second, government aid groups and non-governmental organization must continue to work with and through communities. Sustainable economic and social development only succeeds if it identifies and engages with local power structures and leverages the knowledge and capabilities of local leaders and groups.
By engaging local leaders, we help resolve feuds that impede work, organize resistance to those who would disrupt it, and develop the long-term commitment and resources to maintain infrastructure.
Finally, we must build the capacity of local partners. As the US Agency for International Development puts it in its USAID Forward initiative, development organizations must build in sustainability from the start.
The ultimate goal of development cooperation must be to enable developing countries to devise and implement their own solutions to their development challenges and to develop resilience against shocks and other setbacks. Sustainability is about building skills, knowledge, institutions, and incentives that can make development processes self-sustaining.
In the midst of terrible loss, Afghanistan has made real gains. The losses and gains only make sense if Afghanistan remains on the path of sustainable development. Economic and social development does not eliminate conflict. But it is nearly impossible to prevent conflict without real development. It is up to those who care about Afghanistan and the long-term interests of the international community to see that development in Afghanistan continues.
That must be on the agenda in Chicago—and in the halls of Congress in the months and years ahead.
Note: Dr. Arthur B. Keys, Jr., is founder, President, and CEO of International Relief & Development (IRD) of Arlington, VA.