Expert Meeting in Istanbul
News
On the 8th and 9th November, the NEA programme organised a conference in Istanbul, Turkey, bringing together academic scholars from various disciplines, distinguished journalists, and experts on Afghanistan. Participants were invited to critically discuss and examine the complexities and consequences of two decades of military and political intervention and involvement in Afghanistan.
The conference was hosted by the Orient Institute in Istanbul, and was designed with no formal panels and no formal paper talks. Instead, the conference was structured around discussion rounds with specific themes. All participants were asked to write a short abstract on one of the themes (see below) in advance of the meeting, highlighting an aspect of their research that they believe has gone unnoticed or warrants more attention from the NEA researchers. These short position papers were then circulated among all the participants in the weeks leading up to the conference.
The conference featured discussions exploring the following themes:
- From Boots on the Ground to Drones in the Air
- Conundrums of State Building, War Making, and Alliance Relations
- Localising the Conflict, Resources, and Centre-Periphery Dynamics
There was also an additional session organised to examine other topics that warrant further academic scrutiny and public attention.
The informal structure of the conference created a platform for exchanging ideas, sharing insights, and deepening understanding regarding the two decades of intervention, reconstruction, and conflict in Afghanistan. The conference fostered the development of a strong network among participants, creating valuable connections across diverse fields of expertise. Sharing experiences proved instrumental in helping NEA researchers better understand the complex situation in Afghanistan, as well as the multitude of perspectives and nuanced approaches required to analyse the two decades Dutch intervention and involvement in Afghanistan.