“All politics are local” is especially true in Afghanistan, where many villages and valleys see little effect from the national government in their lives. Yet most of the Western effort to combat Taliban influence has depended on that far-distant national government.
In Jurm, a valley in northeastern Afghanistan, a different approach was taken, providing direct financial grants to locals for water projects, farming of wheat instead of poppies, medical care for women, etc. The program’s successes so far are tentative, but they represent what might be a better model for more effective use of financial aid.
To read the report by Sabrina Tavernise, Afghan Enclave Seen Model to Rebuild, and Rebuff Taliban, click here.
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About the Author: I regard historic research as a never-ending Easter egg hunt: You never know where you'll find a hidden treasure. Growing up with parents who told stories of family history probably had a lot to do with that. I realized early on that history is about lives already lived. I've met war veterans, early aviators, friends of Abraham Lincoln's in-laws, and a host of others who shared their histories with me – and it was never boring!
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