AREU consultant Dr. Adam Pain presented results from a study of rural livelihood change to stakeholders from Afghan government ministries, international organisations and NGOs, looking at the ways in which pre-existing conditions in villages vary and affect their capacity to Read More

On 14 February 2011, AREU research consultant Rebecca Gang led a roundtable discussion on the findings of AREU’s research on community-based dispute resolution (CBDR) with a small group of fellow researchers, advocates and policymakers. The group focused initially on the Read More

AREU governance researcher Hassan Wafaey briefed the press on how the 2010 parliamentary election and its aftermath undermined representative governance in Afghanistan and pushed Afghans away from the government and system.

AREU researcher Adam Pain presented findings from his fieldwork on the drivers of the opium economy in two contrasting provinces: Badakhshan and Balkh. It was an opportunity for the sharing of preliminary research results and discussion among stakeholders as to Read More

AREU consultant David Mansfield reported on his recent fieldwork exploring the different socio-economic, political and environmental factors influencing opium poppy production in Helmand and Nangarhar Provinces. Based on these, he identified areas that have made a smooth transition out of Read More

AREU researcher Emily Winterbotham presented at Oxford University on May 31. Her seminar was informed by new AREU research from three provinces in Afghanistan examining broader perceptions of and desires for justice, peace and reconciliation among local communities. The event Read More

Tommaso Giovacchini explored initial findings from AREU’s urban governance research in Charikar, Jalalabad and Herat. His roundtable examined how urban governance is negotiated across a range of different areas from centrally imposed masterplans to spontaneous settlements along with relations between Read More

Dr. Douglas Saltmarshe and Abhilash Medhi presented on a major study of AREU on local governance in Afghanistan, which has identified weaknesses as well as a number of promising ways forward. The research was conducted in the provinces of Sar-i- Read More

The success or failure of Afghanistan’s 2014 transition will in large part depend on the legitimacy and effectiveness of its government. Local government at the provincial, district and village level is critical in this equation because it is where Afghan Read More

This roundtable emerged from AREU’s wider study of local governance and focuses specifically on issues encountered at the district level. Participants highlighted the weakness of district structures compared to those at the provincial and village level; the confusion and complexity Read More