Conference on Afghanistan: Negotiating Difference and Pluralism in the Way Ahead
April 25 - 26, 2023 in Pittsburgh, PA
Call for Abstracts
Deadline: Wednesday March 15, 2023
The Islamic Republic collapsed in August 2021, giving way to the return of the Taliban Emirate. The resurgence of the Taliban was made possible, in part, by deep divisions among citizens as well as growing divides between political leaders and the people they were supposed to serve. Violent conflict and uncertainty in Afghanistan over two generations have yielded polarization of various forms that represents a challenge to peace, security, and governance. Since the Taliban came to power, Afghanistan has seen a rise in violence directed at specific religious, ethnic, and regional communities.
The Center for Governance and Markets at the University of Pittsburgh, the American Institute for Afghanistan Studies, and the U.S. Institute of Peace will convene a 2-day conference of Afghan scholars and practitioners to consider how Afghan society can begin to overcome these differences and build on past and present forms of social cohesion—and whether this can be done under authoritarian Taliban rule. On day one, the conference will comprise of three panels, each on a different theme (see below). On day two, participants will engage in facilitated discussion and networking.
To Apply
Applicants should submit abstracts of no more than 200 words directed to a particular panel (1-3) to afghanistanprogram@usip.org by March 15, 2023. Selected participants will then be asked to submit full essays of no more than 2,000 words, due by April 8 for a conference to be held on April 25-26 at the University of Pittsburgh. Essays will offer lessons from the past and present and propose ideas for the future. Economy class airfare and hotel will be provided for selected conference participants. Please note we are not able to assist with Visa applications. Discussions will also be open to remote participants who are not able to travel to Pittsburgh.
Day one of the conference will be structured into three sequential panel discussions along the following themes:
Panel 1: Social Cohesion & Coexistence: Lessons from the Past
What are examples of social cohesion and pluralism in Afghan history—either at the national level or the local (subnational) level? What can these teach us about how to heal divisions and establish peaceful coexistence and tolerance, both among citizens and between citizens and the state? What resources are needed, from whom, to replicate these successful examples?
Abstracts may focus on examples at the national level, subnational level, or both.
Panel 2: Engagement from the Outside In? Lessons from Past Roles of the Diaspora
In the 1980s and 1990s, what roles did external Afghan actors play in enabling, mitigating, and transcending the divisions that took hold? What lessons can we take from the past role of diaspora communities?
Panel 3: Managing Difference through Systems of Governance
How can various governance models enable coexistence and inclusion? What lessons can we take from previous institutions and governing systems in Afghanistan? Can effective models be implemented at national or subnational levels amid the authoritarian rule of the Taliban, and if so, how?