The US-led air strikes on Afghanistan that began on 7 October 2001 are only the latest episode in a conflict that has lasted 20 years. This conflict has left Afghanistan's infrastructure devastated and its people at the bottom of the UN’s Human Development Indices. This new Report situates Afghanistan in its regional and international context. It explains the political, social, religious and ethnic factors underlying the country’s recent history, debunking some of the simplistic and stereotyped views of the country and its population. The Report also gives a detailed picture of the interaction between domestic conditions and foreign interests that led to the rise and dominance of the Taliban. It describes the impact of prolonged conflict on the people of Afghanistan, and the way in which the conflict has become ethnicized. It ends with a set of Recommendations to prevent the escalation or perpetuation of the conflict.

The fate of Afghanistan and the success of U.S. and coalition efforts to stabilize Afghanistan will in large measure be affected by the current and future policies pursued by its varied proximate and distal neighbors. Weinbaum evaluates the courses of action Afghanistan's key neighbors are likely to take.

Picking up where Minorities at Risk left off, Peoples Versus States offers an expanded and updated perspective on ethnic and nationalist conflict throughout the world, as well as efforts to manage it. Ted Gurr surveys the behavior of 275 politically active ethnic groups during the 1990s and pinpoints the factors that encourage the assertion of ethnic identities. Whereas his highly acclaimed 1993 book presented a disturbing picture of spreading ethnic violence, this volume documents a pronounced decline since the early 1990s--a decline attributable, in part at least, to many states abandoning strategies of assimilation and control in favor of policies of pluralism and accommodation. Nonetheless, Gurr identifies some ninety groups as being at significant risk of conflict and repression in the early 21st century. And he cautions that the emerging global regime of principles and strategies governing relations between communal groups and states is far from perfect or universally effective.

The main charateristics of Afghanistan recent history and political development forms background to an analysis of the situation of the various minority ethnic groups. Ends with one page of recommendations to the international community; the parties of the conflict; the countries of refuge; and to the Afghan government.

This report covers the ethnic complexity of Afghanistan, which reflects its position between Persian- and Turkish-speaking peoples to the north and west, and the various South Asian peoples of the east. The way in which the USSR invasion has further polarized the population is also examined.

A story of peace in a land of unending war. This is a story of hope and resilience in Afghanistan, a country constantly under siege from within and without. Refugee advocate, activist and acclaimed author Mark Isaacs takes us inside a remarkable and unlikely peace project established in one of the most war-torn, violent countries in the world, Afghanistan. After decades of war, few Afghans remember what it is like to live in peace, and many have never known a time without war. Yet, a group of Afghan youth, male and female, have come together – led by the charismatic and idealistic Insaan – to form a model community, a microcosm of how a new Afghanistan could be: a place of peaceful coexistence, a nation without violence and war that embraces the values of peace and humanity. Mark takes us on a journey to the streets of Kabul, where day-to-day life involves terror and extreme danger, and lives alongside these inspirational and courageous young people in 'The Community’. Mark reveals their personal stories of trauma and loss that ultimately lead them to defy the risks and stand up to demand peace, a seemingly impossible dream. He witnesses their acts of non-violent protest, their small steps in making life better, their setbacks and struggles, but mostly their bravery and hope for a future that shines with peace.

‘Let us unite and work together ...’ These words were spoken by the independence hero Aung San, at the 1947 conference where the ethnic principles of the future Union of Burma were agreed. Within six months, Aung San and most of his cabinet had been assassinated. Following independence from Great Britain in 1948, a pattern of conflict and state failure was established that has lasted to the present day. A country of abundant natural resources and human potential at independence, by the late 1980s Burma/Myanmar had declined to Least Developed Country status. However, as this report goes to press, there is a small chance that Burma and its peoples may be turning towards peace after decades of conflict. The author, Martin Smith, describes the pre-colonial and colonial roots of the conflicts that have dominated Burma in the second half of the twentieth century, and the attempts to resolve them at independence. He discusses the periods of parliamentary democracy, military socialist and ‘transitional’ military rule. In a section on the peoples of Burma, he gives an overview of the main ethnic minority groups: Chin, Chinese, Indians, Kachin, Karen, Karenni, Mon, Naga, Rakhine and Shan. From the 1990s, Burma has begun to open up to humanitarian agencies; the report describes how these projects have so far produced understanding of the needs of the country, rather than delivering decisive progress. Major human rights issues are also discussed: extrajudicial killings, displacement of populations, forced labour, illegal use of landmines and child soldiers. The position of women and restrictions on freedom of expression of minority cultures, and the challenges posed by HIV/AIDS and the trade in narcotics are also covered. This timely report gives a concise picture of the major conflicts in Burma during the last century and the issues it faces in this one, at a crucial moment in its history.