Getting Beyond 2014 in Afghanistan, US Institute of Peace, Washington

Things are not as bleak as they seem in Afghanistan, and Afghanistan’s future need not be as bleak as some fear. It is true that 2014 begins with numerous uncertainties, including questions about the presidential election and a post-2014 troop presence.

But these complications obscure the reality of one of the most unusual, unexpected, but generous partnerships in American history. Over the past dozen years, tens of thousands of Americans have been engaged in the effort to stabilize and rebuild Afghanistan, a country that many had never given any thought  to before the attacks against the U.S. on September 11, 2001.   Since then, Americans and Afghans have interacted on a personal level, worked together as professionals, and shared their hopes for a better future for Afghanistan.

These bonds of friendship and shared hopes between Americans and Afghans will endure regardless of the political decisions made in 2014.

“Getting Beyond 2014” is jointly organized by the United States Institute of Peace, Voice of America, and the Alliance in Support of the Afghan People. It aims to provide a wider perspective on the U.S.-Afghan relationship, looking back at its successes, and forward to its potential.

The event will feature a keynote address and two panels.

The first panel will look at the successful media sector in Afghanistan, its importance to the country’s nascent democracy and opening to the world, as well as the challenges it will face in a post-2014 environment and the level of Western support required to sustain it.

The second panel will feature key U.S. decision-makers who have played significant roles in shaping the U.S.-Afghan relationship. They will discuss the optimal future of this relationship from political, security, and economic perspectives.