ONE YEAR AFTER THE COLLAPSE
(Call for Papers)
August 15, 2021 was a turning point that led to a great transformation in Afghanistan. On that day, the President left the country and the Taliban officially seized power by entering the Afghan Presidential Palace ARG. The consequent shift from an Afghan republic to an Afghan emirate has had many bitter consequences for Afghanistan and its citizens. One of the consequences was that more than 200,000 well-educated Afghans, including engineers, doctors, academics, journalists, artists, activists, politicians and civil servants, left the country with no prospect of whether or when they could return. Now, a year after the collapse, we see that most of the investments of the last 21 years are gone; democratic values have disappeared and there is no clear state structure.
Afghanistan is once again experiencing a step backwards in all areas; this time much deeper and much more serious. Our people struggle with many hardships, including extreme poverty and unprecedented unemployment. Media and freedom of expression are restricted; Women and girls are deprived of their basic rights; Civic participation, respect for democratic values, including representation, and the right to self-determination have sunk to zero; an inclusive state does not exist. In addition, radicalism, fundamentalism and extremism are on the rise; and the radical religious structures are replacing the educational and cultural structures that pose a serious threat to the country’s future.
At this critical juncture, the Bakhtar Institute, as an educational and research organization based in Berlin-Germany, seeks to focus and work on various areas including social, economic, cultural, and civic relations with Afghanistan and the Afghan diaspora.
We hereby invite the Afghan and international experts, academics, artists, journalists, politicians and members of civil society, regardless of gender and age, to participate and to send in their articles, opinion pieces, observations and analysis on any of the following topics:
- Governance, political situation and structures and elections
- Humanitarian aid, economic situation and challenges, poverty, unemployment
- Media, freedom of expression, restrictions and/or opportunities for civic and political activity
- Civic and political participation, women’s rights (especially the right to work and education)
- Personal stories, experiences, observations during the last year in Afghanistan, re-evacuation and new life outside the country.
You can send your written contributions in Farsi/Dari, Pashto, English and German until August 8, 2022 to [email protected]. In order to produce first-hand knowledge for a broader audience in Germany, we expressly encourage contributions in German.
We are currently unable to offer financial compensation; however, the Bakhtar Institute will publish your articles on the Institute’s website and its social media channels; This way you reach a wider audience. In addition, we try to ensure that your contributions reach German politicians and decision-makers, as well as international individuals and organizations with an Afghanistan focus.
As a professional and independent organization, the articles are the intellectual property of the authors. The articles do not necessarily reflect the views
The Bakhtar Institute respects freedom of speech and does not oppose any of the articles. However, the institute’s team will comment on the articles and help with the editing. After the final approval of both sides, the articles will be published.
Bakhtar Institute thanks you in advance for your interest and cooperation. We look forward to your interesting articles.
Monday, 16 July 2022
Berlin-Germany