The Afghan Peace Process: The Way Forward

The American Institute of Afghanistan studies and the state ministry for peace held a program titled The Afghan peace process: The way forward at the American University of Afghanistan on 26^th of September, 2019.

The State Ministry for Peace with the American Institute of Afghanistan studies arranged the program to provide a platform through which a broad range of ideas and perspectives about national processes could be reflected.

The program had four panellists and the program was moderated by Mr David Sedney, president of the American University of Afghanistan. The panelists were Professor William Maley, Professor of Diplomacy at the Asia-Pacific College of Diplomacy, where he served as Foundation Director from 1 July 2003 to 31 December 2014 and one of the academics and researchers who has written various articles and books about Afghanistan, Dr. Habiba Sarabi, the Deputy Chair of the High Peace Council and the Senior Advisor on Women Affairs to the Chief Executive, Sami Mahdi, a well-known journalist who serves as the Afghanistan Bureau Chief for the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

The panelists presented their perspectives about the Afghan peace process, the way it has been taken on, the cancelation of it and the outcomes it might have on the current situation of Afghanistan. The panelists pointed out that the only way to make the Afghan peace process successful is a peace process between the Afghan people and the Taliban movement and the most significant factors that should be taken in to account in the peace process are inclusion of the Afghan government, women, and civil society members in the peace process with the Taliban movement, which could make a team that could represent the whole Afghan people. The discussion was concluded with a question and answer session.