Afghanistan 101

Afghanistan 101 is an introduction to Afghan culture. More specifically, this dimensional analysis discusses Power Distance (PD), Uncertainty Avoidance (UA), Individualism (IND), and Masculinity (MAS) in the Afghan national culture. These dimensions are based on the work of the well-known Dutch anthropologist Geert Hofestede. The manifestations of these cultural dimensions explain the attitudes and actions of Afghans. Each chapter on dimensions also includes a section where the implications of a particular dimension are pointed out to the Westerner working in Afghanistan. Power Distance, the first dimension of culture, describes the relationship between a less powerful person and a more powerful one. As Afghanistan is on the high side of PD, social power is coercive in Afghanistan. One comes to power by force and is ousted by force; wealth and power are inseparable; decision making is autocratic and consultative; expert power does not carry much weight; age and charisma are important; and in Afghanistan, it is the authority of the person rather than the authority of position or rule that counts most. Uncertainty avoidance, the second dimension, involves dealing with fear and ambiguity—fear of nature, fear of other men, and fear of the supernatural. UA is negatively related to PD. A high PD society is on the low side of UA. Cultures use three methods to deal with fear and ambiguity: law, technology, and religion. Being on the low side of UA, Afghans rely heavily on Islam to reduce fear and uncertainty because they cannot rely on technology or the rule of law. The fundamental religious beliefs that help Afghans cope with fear and uncertainty are (1) life in this world temporary, (2) the source of both good and evil is God, and (3) God is just and will punish the oppressors and evil-doers in this world and in the next. Individualism versus collectivism, the third dimension of culture, relates to the relationship of an individual to a collectivity. In nonindividualistic societies such as Afghanistan, one’s loyalty and devotion is first and foremost to the family, ethnic or other collectivity, rather than to the country as a whole. Such loyalties are characteristic of nonnation-states, and are best explained as “Afghan nationalism” that is based on ethnicity, sect, region, and ideology. Afghanistan is not and has never been a nation-state. In a nation-state, people rally around the constitution, the flag, the national anthem, and other such symbols instead of their ethnicity, sect, region, ideology, and so on. Furthermore, a nation-state is based on the rule of law, checks and balances, human rights, freedom of the press, political parties, free and fair elections, accountability, and transparency. The concept of a nation-state is a Western phenomenon, although the roots of a nation-state are deep in some Islamic countries, shallow in others, and nonexistent in others. Turkey, the first Islamic country to have become a nation-state, falls into the first category whereas Afghanistan, into the last. For Afghanistan to move in the direction of becoming a nation-state, some type of federalism may be the only way to prevent further ethnic conflict and another civil war. Masculinity, the fourth dimension of culture, describes the degree to which there is a gender gap within a culture. Afghanistan is on the high side of MAS. As such, sex roles are set in the family and are reinforced in the schools, workplace, and other social organizations. In general, males are taught to be assertive and females, nurturing. In Afghan society, male assertiveness generally involves aggressiveness, bravery, endurance, leadership, power, dominance, and independence. Female nurturance, on the other hand, is characterized by submissiveness, patience, tenderness, and affection. It is Islamic fundamentalism and Afghan cultural tradition, rather than mainstream Islam, that limits the rights

Help the Cause provides 101 ways you can make a difference in Afghanistan. You'll discover how you can reach around the world to help the Afghan people and increase the safety, well-being and success of our troops. Help the Cause is about initiative, optimism and service. It shows you how to help Afghan women earn a living with microloans and business training; how to give clothing, blankets and shoes to Afghan children; and, how to support education and job creation. Help the Cause is also a handbook for supporting our troops. You'll learn how to assist a Soldier who is helping Afghan women become midwives. You'll read how to support a Marine who is providing solar-powered radios that open remote villages to the world and another who is supplying schools for children previously denied an education. You'll find new ways to care for our troops in Afghanistan and those who have served.

Soldiers go through a lot of emotional pain and they tend not to share their feelings with others. The military looks down upon any soldier that indicate to them that they may have emotional issue. In fact, some units have degraded soldiers publicly and humiliated them for their feelings. This book of poems is an attempt to reach those soldiers, wives, and military leaders and help them understand some of the rage within these men and women.

An innovative exploration of how colonial interventions in Afghanistan have been made possible through representations of the country as 'backward'.

Afghans are fun to make, cozy to use and make wonderful gifts! This book is a reference tool you will use for years. You can crochet the 101 afghan stitch patterns in baby-, sport-, worsted or bulky-weight yarn and use your own choice of colors. Stitch patterns have been carefully chosen so they are not to open-weave, not too difficult and not too time-consuming.

Providing an invaluable introductory resource for students investigating the war in Afghanistan, this book highlights the evolution of the conflict through the documents that helped to shape it. This carefully curated primary source collection includes more than 80 documents from the national and international participants in nearly four decades of conflict that led to the Afghanistan War. Readers will gain an understanding of the macro and micro costs of the war on the participants and the political, social, economic, and military factors that have allowed the fighting to persist. Authored by a former member of the Afghanistan Study Team at the U.S. Army's Combat Studies Institute, readers will gain special insight into the military dynamics of the war in Afghanistan and how the war has changed those who have fought in it. The book is divided into four chapters that cover the primary phases of the war in Afghanistan: The Soviet Invasion and Civil War, 1979–2001; Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and Reconstruction Begins, 2001–2003; The Taliban Return, 2003–2009; and The Surge, Drawdown, and an Uncertain Future, 2009–2017. This structure enables readers to clearly understand how the war evolved and the most significant developments that shaped each period.

Afghanistan is in many of today’s news headlines. Stories of the ongoing battles fill the newspaper and news stations, but what is the country like beyond these headlines? In this book, you will find out about the beauty of Afghanistan and the hopes and traditions of its people. From playing a game in which the goal is to grab a goat to flying kites that carry a secret weapon, this country is full of surprises. Discover the gems that lie below the surface of the land and the celebrations that make the Afghan people happy. You will see Afghanistan with entirely new eyes!

This monograph analyses the rhythms of war and the geopolitical significance of Afghanistan with a focus on the interrelated concepts of weak/rentier state, great power rivalry, and counter-insurgency. It analyses why the Mughals, the British, the Soviets, and the Americans won the conventional wars in Afghanistan but were defeated in the unconventional ones. It takes a comprehensive view of the history of the region and provides a political and military narrative of conventional and unconventional war in Afghanistan during the last five centuries. It, therefore, covers wide ranging aspects such as empire building and military operations in Afghanistan in the pre-modern period, regular and irregular warfare in Afghanistan during the British era, the Russian intervention and the emergence of the fragile 'rentier state' after the world war, and the American and NATO activities and the nature of on-going war in light of the recent debates on the changing character of war in the twenty-first century. With a special emphasis on ecology, terrain, and logistics, this book explores the trajectory of state building and contextualizes the Afghan 'problem' as part of the wider struggle among the great powers for controlling the 'heart' of Eurasia.