Afghanistan
Afghanistan’s history is intimately tied to world politics. The latest chapter of this relationship is the unprecedented statebuilding project starting in 2001. Despite much significant change in the country, many of the lofty ambitions declared over the last decade and a half have not been realized. Our research explores the intersections between international agendas and local transformations in Afghanistan in fields such as security, women’s rights and migration.
Current projects
Completed projects

New Afghan Men: Marriage, Masculinities and Sexual Politics in Afghanistan

[CoAR: Strategy development ]

Protection of Civilians: From Principle to Practice

Violence against women and criminal justice in Afghanistan

Financing Education in Afghanistan: Opportunities for Action

Afghanistan. Focus on women - experiences from Norwegian funded NGO projects

Policy Briefs Afghanistan

The Price of Protection. Gender, Violence and Power in Afghanistan

Conflict Sensititive Training

Development of Strategic Plan for CoAR Network 2012-15

Organisational assessment Norwegian Afghanistan Commitee

Achieving Durable Peace in Afghanistan

Theatre development in Afghanistan

Intra-alliance Analysis: Policies and Approaches of NATO Allies in Afghanistan

Nordic Development collaboration in Afghanistan

Violence in the post-conflict state

Hydro carbon resources in Afghanistan

Review of support for Afghans returning from Norway

The limits of state-building in Afghanistan

Religious Civil Society in Afghanistan

Web pages: Afghanistan

Evaluation of Afghanistan's National Solidarity Program

Dutch Humanitarian Afghanistan Assistance (2001-2005)

What Kind of Peace is Possible?

Multidonor Evaluation of Humanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan

Afghanistan: A Model for Peace Building? A Norwegian-German Conference

Effects and Impact of Mine Action on Peacebuilding

Norwegian NGOs in Post-Taliban Afghanistan: Review and Lessons Learned

NORAD Review Afghanistan

Mine Action for Peace - Afghanistan

Web Pages: Afghanistan - Peacebuilding in a Regional Perspective

Mainstreaming Mine Action

Conflictual peacebuilding: Afghanistan two years after Bonn

Alternatives to forced return (Roundtable conferance on Afghanistan)

Afghanistan: Civil Society and Aid Coordination

Evaluation report: Act International: Afghanistan appeals: ASAF 11 and 21

Gendered differentiated assistance in situations of conflict
Towards an unpredictable future
15 years of unparalleled Western military and aid involvement in Afghanistan have left few able to predict what the future holds for the country. A year after the ISAF NATO mission formally ended, Afghanistan faces a deep crisis, politically, economically and militarily. Western capitals, concerned with the twin prospects of Islamist resurgence and increasing migration flows, have backtracked somewhat on their earlier pledges to withdraw from the country. Yet to move from what is essentially a stopgap measure to a more sustainable solution seems increasingly challenging.
CMI research aims to contribute to a better knowledge base for central policy discussions in and about Afghanistan. Most of our research is carried out together with Afghan colleagues and research institutions. Our work on gender relations focuses on how best to address violence against women, which has been a central focus for local and donor women’s rights work. We argue that while increasing the criminal accountability for acts of violence is important, such efforts must be coupled with the strengthening of women’s civil, economic and sexual rights if women’s vulnerability to violence is to be reduced. Today many women prefer to return to highly abusive situations rather than to face the impossibilities of losing their children or their ability to survive financially and socially.
Afghanistan continues to be at war, with both civilian and military casualties at record levels. Our research on military policy and the protection of civilians investigates the effect of military operations on civilians and to what extent and how military actors attempt to reduce civilian harm. CMI research has also persistently argued that more energy and political capital should be invested in finding a political solution to the conflict. The economic and security crisis has caused an exceptional number of Afghans to leave their country and apply for asylum in Europe. Our research on migration has focused particularly on how some Afghan asylum seekers come to see returning to the country as their best (or only) choice and to what extent they are able to reintegrate back into Afghan society.