Afghanistan: Prospects after the U.S. Withdrawal

The international community, including Japan, must begin thinking now about the future of Afghanistan.

Japan can contribute to the Afghan people’s social welfare by building hospitals or schools in Japan’s name. Japan already has supported Afghanistan by sending humanitarian aid and building infrastructure and could expand these activities.

Just as Japan sent missions to observe the elections in Cambodia in 1993 after its more than two decades of civil war, it could help rebuild war-torn Afghanistan as soon as peace and stability are established. Afghanistan should not become a “forgotten country.”

Afghanistan has been hit by a severe drought and many are facing hunger. Just as Dr. Tetsu Nakamura turned the desert into agricultural land, I think we should consider introducing a Japanese irrigation system into Afghanistan to save the drought in Afghanistan.

Japan’s Foreign Ministry think that Human security aims to protect people from critical and pervasive threats to human lives, livelihoods and dignity, and to enhance human fulfillment. For these objectives, human security tries to integrate and strengthen initiatives that emphasize human-centered perspectives.  This idea is admitted world-widely now.

It is important to feed people enough to bring peace to Afghanistan. If people can eat enough, they will not join the armed group. Afghan people have to think about achieving political and social stability because of the war that has continued for more than 40 years. There is much that Japan can do to bring peace to Afghanistan.

Light weapons, too, are being sold along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Such sales should be stopped or drastically reduced. The international community also should continue to support the rehabilitation of Afghanistan.

Poverty and unemployment are strong incentives for disaffected people to join armed groups, and it is essential that the international community cooperate to prevent further violence.

More than half the Japanese people support Article 9 of their constitution, which denounces war as a means of resolving international conflicts. Accordingly, Japan’s foreign policy should be to strengthen security throughout the world and to reduce violence.

Featured image from Forbes https://forbesjapan.com/articles/detail/31079/3/1/1

Featured image from Forbes https://forbesjapan.com/articles/detail/31079/3/1/1

Featured image