An Interview with Hekmat Karzai, Director of the Centre for Conflict and Peace Studies (CAPS)

30 Aug 2013

This month, we speak with Hekmat Khalil Karzai, who is the Founder and Director of the Centre for Conflict and Peace Studies (CAPS) in Kabul. CAPS is both a research and advocacy center that is dedicated to supporting peace and stability in Afghanistan. As Mr. Karzai explains, realizing these ends will depend on empowering and educating Afghan youth, improving trust in the country’s legal system, pursuing real dialogue with the Taliban, and making sure that the post-2014 transition process is both Afghan-driven and multi-dimensional.

Mr. Karzai, what are, in your view, the most important requirements for securing peace and stability in Afghanistan? Also, what does the Centre for Conflict and Peace Studies (CAPS) view as its role in the peace process?

Peace and stability in Afghanistan require an eclectic mix of short-term, medium-term and long-term measures that address a number of political, security, economic, health and education-related issues. From this standpoint, 2013-15 are critical years - Afghanistan will conduct presidential elections, assume complete responsibility for its own security, and orchestrate the departure of foreign troops.

As far as CAPS is concerned, we holistically support the peace process in three major areas – improving trust in the legal system, primarily by offering counseling to security detainees in prisons; investing in the country’s youth, by offering education programs at the provincial and district levels; and producing quality research on key security-centered issues.

As you just mentioned, since 2009 the CAPS Legal Department has provided pro bono legal services to Afghan detainees. What led you to establish this initiative and how does it specifically contribute to the peace process?

CAPS’ legal program is designed to build trust and pave the way for reconciliation and dialog among traditional enemies. It does so by assessing prison conditions and also offering pro bono legal assistance to security detainees. The idea is to maintain constant contact with Afghan prisoners (particularly high-profile Taliban and other insurgent commanders), listen to their grievances, and offer them the sort of legal assistance which they would otherwise not get. This process has been instrumental in co-opting many former Taliban commanders and their cadres into the peace process.

We also hold weekly shuras where the Taliban have a safe environment to voice their concerns. The dialog process, we believe, has created better understanding and empathy between the fighters and foreign troops. It has also prevented future attacks by these fighters or their relatives. Thus far, we have served over 2,000 such clients.

How can Afghan youth contribute to establishing peace and how does CAPS engage them in its work?

Incorporating our youth into the peace process is vital for four reasons – they represent the future of our country; they are the best sources of livelihood for their families and communities; they are the most likely to be recruited into armed groups; and they are the most vulnerable to conflict and non-conflict-related deaths and casualties. At the same time, young people can contribute to establishing peace by identifying key challenges within their communities and among their peers (such as unemployment, lack of education, health issues, etc.), and by designing solutions for these challenges.

To harness the power of our youth, CAPS has created the highly successful Youth Peace Movement and Empowerment Centers (YPMEC) program, which helps address the issues that preoccupy them. The YPMEC, for example, offers boys and girls the opportunity to learn English and computer skills so they can connect more effectively with the outside world. It also provides university entrance exams preparation for those youth who want to participate in higher education programs. Finally, it offers seminars and training sessions on conflict resolution and peace building to young people throughout Afghanistan.

The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan is due to withdraw by the end of 2014. How will this departure impact your work and how will it affect the peace process?

ISAF’s withdrawal represents only one segment – the security sector – of the overall transition process in 2014/15. Economic and political transitions will need to occur at the same time. Fortunately, these processes are as much Afghan-controlled and led as they are externally influenced. Over the next year, therefore, CAPS will focus its energies on creating synergies and building common ground among various Afghan stakeholders. Our goal is to wean the country off its recent dependency on outside help. Additionally, we will expand our youth programs and conduct ground-up field research on the key issues that need to be addressed in the near-term.

For additional information please see:
external pageMore on CAPS and its mission
Governance Issues in Afghanistan
Intercultural Dialogue in Afghanistan: A Silver Bullet?

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