Beyond the Taliban: Five Years of Afghan Resilience and Resistance

WATCH THE LIVESTREAM HERE.

About the event

Five years after the Taliban’s return to power, Afghanistan’s democratic institutions have been dismantled, women and girls have been pushed out of public life, and the space for civic and political participation has sharply contracted. Yet Afghanistan’s democratic movement endures. 

Journalists continue to provide independent information. Women leaders organize and advocate despite extraordinary restrictions. Civil society activists, artists, entrepreneurs, and other democratic actors are preserving civic networks, public memory, and the possibility of a freer and more representative future. 

This event will bring together Afghan civic leaders, policymakers, donors, and democracy practitioners to examine Afghanistan’s political trajectory and the enduring aspirations of its people for a democratic, free, and inclusive country. The program will explore what aspects of Afghan society have endured since August 2021 and how the international community can sustain the people, organizations, and networks essential to Afghanistan’s democratic future. 

The program will open with remarks by Damon Wilson, President and CEO of the National Endowment for Democracy, followed by a short film highlighting the resilience of Afghan democratic actors. 

Watch the event here.

PANEL DISCUSSIONS

Panel I. Afghanistan’s Political Trajectory and Democratic Future 

This discussion will examine how Afghanistan’s political landscape has evolved as the Taliban have consolidated power, sought international legitimacy, and closed the remaining space for political participation and public debate. Panelists will assess the prospects for political dialogue and a freer, more representative future. 

Panel II. Sustaining Afghanistan’s Democratic Movement: Strategic Pathways 

This discussion will explore practical ways to sustain independent media, women leaders, civic organizations, and democratic networks operating inside Afghanistan and in exile. The discussion will consider how these communities can remain connected, protect those facing heightened risks, and preserve the institutions and capacities needed to advance democratic change. 

Speakers: