Welcome to the website of the Afghanistan Peace Campaign. Click on the buttons below for the latest news and analytical articles from English-language sources. Also find links to non-governmental organizations providing humanitarian and development aid to Afghans inside the country and those living in exile.

While the war is over for America, the plight of 38 million Afghans inside the country and 2.6 million registered refugees remains dire. The United States and our European allies have a moral obligation to help Afghans who remain in the country, as well as refugees and those in the diaspora. An estimated 90 percent of the country’s population is living in poverty, while 24 million Afghans rely humanitarian aid.

Afghans continue to face a desperate humanitarian crises with insufficient funding and little access to basic services, especially health care and food. The United States — and the West — has only three options: turn our back on Afghanistan and the 38 million Afghans left behind; bankroll an armed opposition to the Taliban, but we’ve tried that before; or engage with the government. The aim is to find a way to engage without strengthening the Taliban’s grip on power.

The international community must use diplomatic and economic leverage to try to pressure the Taliban to begin to adhere to their promise to form an inclusive government and respect the rights of all Afghans, including young people, minorities and especially women. The interim Afghan government is made up almost entirely of rank-and-file Taliban, mostly Pashtun men from Kandahar. Such a narrowly based government will not last, and already there are fissures within the ranks of the Taliban as well as growing opposition from disaffected Afghans. The best hope for Afghanistan is a political process that leads to a government that represents the interests of the country’s many ethnic groups, of women and of young people.

Why would the Taliban agree to form a more inclusive government? Sanctions and continued diplomatic isolation are a threat to their power. Moreover, they have stated that that they want better relations with western nations, but to date, no country has recognized the interim government, and the Taliban have not been able to claim Afghanistan’s seat at the United Nations. At some point, they may have no choice, for they will need foreign development assistance as well as the return of highly skilled Afghans to help rebuild their nation. This excludes the former warlords and corrupt elites who deserve no say in the future of the country.

The war has not helped Afghanistan. It is time to pursue peace and reconciliation among Afghans so they can determine their own future.