Afghanistan: A Year Later

Afghanistan is a country with an ancient history. Yet in modern times it has been heavily affected by a conflict that lasted for more than four decades. Robbert van Lanschot has traveled through the South and the North of the country in April and September of this year to report how the change of power looks like on the ground for ordinary civilians. The discussion will focus on three main “objects”: the Kirka Sharif in Kandahar, the dignitaries of Balkh, and the girls’ schools in Mazar. Through these objects we will reflect on the past, but also the current era of transition for the country which is at a crossroads between the old and the new.

About the speakers

Robbert van Lanschot is a journalist, writer, and former diplomat at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has previously worked as a Dutch diplomat in Moscow, Belgrade, and Nairobi. His articles have been published in De Groene Amsterdammer, Nieuw Wij, and de Volkskrant. His latest book called Tand van de Profeet (2022) narrates a collection of stories related to the relics of the prophet Muhammad. He has traveled extensively throughout the Middle East to collect these stories.

Wais Sediq is a lecturer in Political Science at the University of Amsterdam and a former researcher at the WRR-think tank. He worked on the advisory report ‘International Security’. He studied Public Policy, IR, and Security Studies at Erasmus, Leiden, and UCL. He has previously also volunteered on the Greek island of Lesbos where he met and worked with hundreds of refugees from Afghanistan who shared many of their personal stories and challenges.