Pashtoon Atif - A dedicated Afghan, Making a Difference

Pasthoon Atif, currently a student at TUFTS University, is determined to help his country, Afghanistan and more importantly the Afhgans, themselves. As a former aid worker in Kandahar, he knows first hand what the conditions are like. Despite the challenges, he seems to remain optimistic about the opportunities for development. Pashtoon spoke to elan about his experiences so far.

Can you tell us a little bit about your educational background as well as professional career?

I am a junior at Tufts University, near Boston, majoring in International Relations. I grew up and went to school in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan, and learned to speak English through a private language course. My high school graduation coincided with the shift of political power from the Taliban dictatorship to Hamid Karzai’s “democratic” state system. Soon after, International organizations flooded Afghanistan, keen to help us rebuild our country. We were thrilled with the international attention and believed that three-decade-long war was at an end.

I always wanted to continue on to university, but the excitement of a new era convinced me to take an active role in rebuilding Afghanistan. Because the standard college education in the country was only in name anyway, I searched for a job. My first position was in the police department, where I worked as a liaison of the Kandahar chief of police for the United Nations, national and international NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) and the media.

After working for about a year, I quit my job and began a new position at an Italian NGO, called Cooperazione Internazionale, or COOPI. After working for more than four years with COOPI in various positions in Afghanistan, COOPI granted me a promotion to become an international expert and work for it in Darfur, Sudan. Meanwhile, I also severed as treasurer for the Arghand Cooperative, a non-profit organization that converts local plants, herbs and fruits into high-quality skin-care products for export to the United States.

After five years of working with COOPI in various positions and in two countries, I joined the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kabul, and worked there until I came to the United States in May of 2008. I continue to work as treasurer for Arghand.

You are an Afghan citizen, and closely work with various organizations, as an aid worker. What have the Afghan locals taught you about the crisis?

Perhaps the most necessary lesson I carry with me is that local Afghans should be involved in the decision making process. Whether it be the construction of a school in a city or drilling a borehole for drinking water in a remote village, the local population must be consulted and be part of the process. Most aid agencies do not involve Afghans and they impose their plans on the people, resulting in failure time and gain.

How have the Afghani people inspired you?

The patience and tolerance Afghans have is inspiring. For the last three decades, Afghans have been the victim of foreign occupation and civil war. But they have never lost their hope and patience. I admire their courage.

You are also completing a degree at Tufts right now. How do you think your experience here will help you in your work in Afghanistan?

I cannot tell what awaits me in Afghanistan, but I know that the country is desperately lacking dedicated and qualified officials capable of bringing the Afghan people out of their nightmare. With a Tufts education, I am sure I can do my part, wherever my skills will be most useful.

What excites you about Afghanistan right now? What do you look forward to?

Unfortunately, the political and security situations in Afghanistan are so gloomy that I often feel disappointment and despair. Local Afghans, including myself, were tremendously hopeful for the post-Taliban era; we had no reason to doubt that Afghanistan would become a democratic, peaceful and financially prosperous state, because the world’s most democratic and powerful country, the United States, and other Western nations intervened in Afghanistan to foster democracy – a gift to war-weary Afghans. Yet, after nine years, Afghanistan is still in a nightmare, which continues to destroy the hope of many Afghans.

However, there is one element that I look forward to. That is the young generation. Most young boys and girls want a higher education and to take part in the political process of their country. Today, many young Afghan students study in the United States, throughout Europe, and in India and Pakistan. They hope to return to their homes, equipped with knowledge, and replace the old-style public officials who, for years, made decisions that favored their personal ambitions.

What’s one pointer you could give a non-Afghani about operating in the Afghan culture?

The one pointer I can give to a non-Afghan about our culture is to respect the traditional norms of Afghans. And don’t ask about their women. Just don’t.