About us

Mission Statement

Afghan Analytica is an independent, non-partisan online platform created and managed by Afghan practitioners, academics and advocates. Its purpose is to provide independent analysis and commentary on key Afghanistan-related topics.

With the aim of promoting and enriching the discourse on Afghanistan, our platform offers relevant content directed at interested individuals, policy institutions, academia and the media amongst other sectors.

The Team

Afghan Analytica was founded in November 2012 by a group of professionals of Afghan origin working in the United States and Afghanistan. They constitute three teams: Editorial, Advisory and Outreach.

The Editorial team comprises two producers, three editors and one advisor. They manage content, editorial and technical aspects of the platform.

Submission of opinion and analysis articles to Afghan Analytica is open to the Team as well as outside contributors, especially those from Afghanistan, in accordance with Afghan Analytica’s Editorial and Submission Guidelines (see below).

The Advisory team comprises five to seven honorary members who provide advice and support for all Afghan Analytica activities.

The Outreach team drives advocacy, networking and public engagement for Afghan Analytica.

Funding

Afghan Analytica is funded by its founders. The Secretary/treasurer manages project finances. All Team members work on a volunteer basis.

Editorial and submission guidelines

1. Afghan Analytica is non-discriminatory regarding review, editing and publication processes.

2. Afghan Analytica reserves the right to edit or reject the publication of an article after review.

3. Articles shall be submitted “exclusively” to Afghan Analytica until it is returned to the contributor.

4. All articles published by Afghan Analytica are copyright protected. However, any
quotation or reference to Afghan Analytica content is permissible if accompanied by the
name of the source and the writer.

5. The size of a submitted article should not exceed 900 words. Exceptions will be made for
specific topics or under special circumstances.

6. All articles submitted to Afghan Analytica shall be written in English and contain the
full name, email address, city/country of residence and telephone number (to be kept
confidential) of the contributor for transparency purposes.

7. All articles will be published with the name of the writer. Publication of the
contributor’s affiliation/profession is optional; Full disclosure of any author
affiliation with entities relevant to article subjects is strongly encouraged.

8. Readers are invited to submit for review “letters to the editor” in reaction to any of
our content.

Light News Bites

Voter registration kicked off in 41 Afghan centers. The Independent Election Commission (IEC) said that several thousand Afghans received their new voting cards in the first days. Meanwhile, the Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA) warned about the security challenges and malpractice in certain districts. FEFA also said the use of old voting cards could undermine the credibility and transparency of the process. (TOLOnews)
President Obama and the head of NATO meeting in Washington on May 31 said they were planning a summit next year “to paint a picture of a future whereby we're partnering with the Afghan government on behalf of the Afghan people and on behalf of world security." Rasmussen said his organization will continue to "train, advise and assist" Afghanistan on its democratic transition. He added that "the Afghans will not stand alone." (News wire services)
President Karzai said in Kabul Thursday that he favored a security agreement with the US allowing some troops to remain after 2014, but wants unspecified “guarantees” to boost Afghan security and armed forces, and provide long-term economic development assistance. Karzai referred to a demand to lease up to nine bases in Afghanistan. The U.S. has said it’s not seeking permanent bases. A bilateral defense cooperation agreement is expected to be finalized this year. (news wire services)
The Ministry of Rural Development claims that more than $1 billion has been invested in the National Solidarity Programme (NSP) to fund more than 56,000 projects, including roads, electricity generation and irrigation. However, in some districts, residents are unhappy. "District Councils have not been formed until now and our people don't know what NSP stands for" said a resident of Daikundi. (TOLOnews)
Anger is growing among desperate Afghan farmers in Kandahar that the U.S. will leave before making crucial repairs to the Dhala Dam left unfinished when Canada pulled out in 2011. The U.S. military says funding of $100 million is expected this summer. Fed by the dam, about 80 per cent of Kandaharis live along the Arghandab River irrigation system. A local elder said “in the last 12 years, they didn’t even fix the electricity problems.” (The Star – May 28)

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