Afghanistan: Averting the Loss of Another Generation

Guest post by Ahmad Shuja

A majority of Afghanistan's population is under age 25 – that’s millions of individuals, young women and men, with the energy and potential to get an education, learn skills and lead Afghanistan into a more stable future. Many young people voted for the first time in the recent August elections. But, if the promises of democracy are not accompanied with a good education and life opportunities, Afghanistan might lose yet another generation to war and extremism.

Under the current circumstances, even some of the most basic needs of a student – education in a secure environment, skill-building opportunities, and career prospects – are largely unmet. With the Taliban burning schools and threatening students, security remains elusive, especially for girls, who are just beginning to enroll in substantial numbers.

About half of the students who take university entrance exams cannot get in because of the cut-throat competition for few spots in the public university system. With high unemployment and half the population in poverty, many students cannot afford any of the numerous private universities. But the youth understand just how valuable an education is.

Some individuals, like my friend Hassan,* undertake a perilous journey to find a classroom. Hassan first went to Iran, then traveled to Turkey, boated his way to Greece, hitched a ride on the trailer of a cargo truck to Italy and, finally, ended up in France. He stopped in each country and worked illegally to earn enough for the next leg of his two-year journey. He is now learning French, working to earn a living, and hoping to continue his university education. Hassan was luckier than 100 other young men who, seeking similar promise, were crammed into a trailer truck to be smuggled across Turkey. They died when their truck crashed into another vehicle.

For the skilled young people who do not, or cannot, travel to receive an education, some of the best career opportunities include working on short- or medium-term projects with foreign aid organizations, or interpreting for the international forces, often in combat zones.

Rahmat, one of my acquaintances, who had graduated from high school in Pakistan, was Afghanistan-bound and anxious to start a job and save money for further studies. Somewhere along the way, the Taliban stopped Rahmat’s passenger car and kidnapped him and several other travelers. His mutilated body turned up several weeks later.

Despite these heart-wrenching realities, Afghanistan’s young people are resilient –if somewhat disillusioned at their prospects. They see the first glimpses of democracy and enjoy freedoms they couldn’t fathom during the civil war and under Taliban rule. They’re also realizing they now have a chance to learn, grow, and excel like never before in their lives. These young men and women are eager to contribute to society and be active global citizens. They just need opportunities.

My friend Najib, for example, taught English as a second language during his middle school and high school years. After graduation, he was accepted for a scholarship to India. But he didn’t get his scholarship because, he believes, corrupt officials gave it to a student with connections and money instead. But Najib decided to move on, determined to find another way to continue his education.

With Afghanistan’s past so beset with violence and ethnic and religious tensions, an open mind is critical for reconciliation and national unity. Therefore, the issues and needs of the youth must then be taken seriously and included in the larger national debate. But with so many other pressing priorities and so few resources, ensuring youth voices are heard is difficult.

Among Afghanistan’s international partners, however, the work of Turkish non-governmental organizations is exemplary and should serve as a model. One large foundation is educating some of Afghanistan’s best and brightest at several branches of its acclaimed Afghan-Turk high schools, which combine a strong secular curriculum with progressive Islam. There is nothing more valuable to the next generation of Afghanistan’s artists, scientists, thinkers and leaders than helping them find the education and training they need to move their country forward. With renewed commitment to education, skill-building programs, and study abroad opportunities, the international community can make a difference in Afghanistan’s future and the stability of the region and the world.

The Taliban, after all, were a product of madrassahs that melded lessons in extremism with the religious education they offered students with no other options. If educating youth in hate and violence can produce foot soldiers for transnational terrorism, equipping them with real skills and opportunities can do the opposite. A young person with better options will be less likely to choose violence as a career or take dangerous transcontinental journeys to Europe or elsewhere.

As discussions about Afghanistan’s future continue in America and other nations active in Afghanistan, it is important to remember that Afghanistan’s youth, if armed with books and pens, can be Afghanistan’s best hope for avoiding future falls into war or authoritariansim. This is how the international community can leave a meaningful positive legacy in Afghanistan, by getting serious about education at all levels. There are millions of young men and women with great potential, big dreams and strong determination to succeed. They just need a chance, and they should not be denied one – for their sake, and for our collective future.
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*All names have been changed.

Ahmad Shuja is an international merit scholar at Berea College, KY. Originally from Afghanistan, he has lived in Pakistan as a refugee. Shuja has written for FOXNews.com, Copley Newspapers, and several Afghan and Pakistani dailies. He is an intern at the Afghan embassy in Washington, D.C.