What Has the U.S. Military Done for Afghanistan, and What Happens When It Leaves?

May 26, 2014

The American Legacy in Afghanistan (May 19, 2014)

What legacy will America leave in Afghanistan? As Afghans prepare for a run-off vote to choose their next president, large swaths of the country are seized by insurgency and are ungovernable. While the past 13 years of U.S. military presence in Afghanistan have coincided with an improvement in basic quality of life indicators for many Afghans, it remains unclear whether such gains will prove sustainable after the U.S. military withdraws from the country.

Panelists at a recent event discussed how American policy has contributed to the current state of affairs in Afghanistan, and provide insight into what the future might hold for the region.

Listen above.

Finding Hope in Diaspora

“Cry, Scream, But Be Strong”: Stories of Afghans in Exile

Afghan Voices of Hope has spent the two years since the Taliban retook control of Kabul capturing the rage, helplessness, and hope of those displaced and struggling to survive as refugees. These are their stories.

August 14, 2023 | Gaisu Yari

New Approaches

The Open Society Foundations Move Ahead on Transformation

A woman wearing a mask with a raised arm at a protest

From pandemic recovery to the crisis in Afghanistan, the world’s largest human rights philanthropy is responding to new challenges even as it pushes forward fundamental changes in the way it works.

September 1, 2021 | Binaifer Nowrojee

Voices

A Flourishing in the Deserts of Afghanistan. But for How Long?

A photo exhibition looks at the human stories driving a tenuous environmental revolution in Afghanistan.

February 21, 2017 | David Mansfield

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