SEEKING OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRASSROOTS NGOS IN TALIBAN-RULED AFGHANISTAN
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2024-06-11
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en
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Currently, the people of Afghanistan are suffering due to the gap between the international community's demands and the Taliban's behavior. The oppression of women has made it harder for female aid workers to do their jobs and reach women and girls in need. The main challenge for grassroots NGOs in Afghanistan is thus how to provide humanitarian aid without empowering the Taliban. This study explores how humanitarian aid is used as political leverage in Afghanistan by the Taliban and the international community and how this shapes opportunities for grassroots NGOs working on sustainable livelihoods. Through literature research and in-depth interviews, it has become clear that the Taliban use aid as political leverage because the international community is forced to comply; otherwise, the projects will not go through. However, the international community also uses aid as political leverage by establishing aid conditionalities. In exchange for foreign aid, donors believe they can obtain political concessions. However, there are opportunities for grassroots NGOs to find the liminal space between pariah and legitimate status to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Utilizing this humanitarian space is not about pushing the boundaries of the Taliban but mainly about lobbying and negotiating with authorities.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen