Kunar Provincial Reconstruction Team

Story by Tony Wickman

NANGARHAR, Afghanistan – In a show of unity, more than 300 leaders and elders from four eastern provinces gathered, Oct. 22, for the first regional Jirga to talk about peace, prosperity and the rehabilitation of Afghanistan.

The provincial governors of Nangarhar, Kunar, Nuristan and Langham along with elders representing tribes, villages and districts gathered at the Nangarhar governor's compound to lay out their homegrown plan to improve the security and development of the four easternmost Afghanistan provinces.

"Today is a historical day for the eastern provinces for this peace Jirga. For the last couple of months, the eastern provincial governors have talked about peace and prosperity. Today is the day we will all talk about how we get them," said Shersha Hamdard, the conference master of ceremony, in his opening remarks.

The overarching purpose of the Jirga was to engage anti-government elements and the local population to bring them closer to the government, while maintaining a close relationship with coalition forces.

"As the Afghan government tries to bridge the gap between them and the people, the Jirga will bring the people closer to their government," said Fazlullah Wahidi, Kunar provincial governor. "The Jirga will give the people information from the government. They will also decide how to solve problems and prioritize the needs of the people."

At the meeting, the Jirga approved an eight-point strategy on how to operate and elected a 20-member executive council with five representatives from each of the provinces to operate the day-to-day business of the organization.

According to Wahidi, the people in the eastern provinces are happy to have the new Jirga and that the Jirga works very well in Afghanistan because it is a traditional system in the country.

"We have our tribal democracy, and the Jirga is one of the ways we implement the decisions of the majority. The Jirga is a big part of the democratic process," Wahidi said. "We want to continue to work for peace and security, and people's participation is very important to peace, security and development. People really want to know what is going on in their provinces, and we are trying to involve people at all levels. This Jirga is a very positive way to do that."

According to Gul Agha Sherzai, Nangarhar provincial governor, the Jirga is the right approach to the problems facing the eastern provinces.

"Today is a day of happiness. We are looking for a security solution in the eastern region and a Jirga is the right approach to our problems," Sherzai said. "I'm optimistic that we will come up with solutions for the eastern region here today that meet our goal of peace, security and prosperity in the eastern provinces."

The tone of today's meeting was also about reconciliation with Taliban and anti-government people.

"It is time to talk with each other about security...to talk about peace and prosperity in Afghanistan. We want peace and a better life," Sherzai said. "I invite the Taliban who want to be part of the peace to come and join us. It's time to find a peace and prosperity solution. We should sit with each other to talk about how to bring peace, how to find love in your country and how to find a better life."

Lutfullah Mashal, Langham provincial governor, pointed out to the crowd that the deaths in the country are unacceptable.

"A lot of people are dying...coalition forces, Afghans and Taliban. And for what reason? Why do we let bad people come here and do different things in our country?" Mashal asked the crowd. "They are not from here, they are from different countries. We will have women and no men because of the bad people killing our young people. We are responsible for finding the solution to peace, prosperity, social justice and unity in our country."

Mashal implored the group to work together to bring peace, security and development to the eastern provinces, and thanked coalition forces for their efforts.

"ISAF forces are not here forcefully and are here helping us. They leave their countries and families to help us bring peace and prosperity. We have the need for friendly forces because they are sacrificing their lives for our peace," Mashal said.

It was a sentiment echoed by Jamaluddin Badar, Nuristan provincial governor.

"We should work to not let bad people in our country," Badar said. "We should help the coalition forces and not the terrorist groups who bring their fighters here. This is the job of our elders, scholars and theologians...to announce it is better to have peace than to fight."

Col. Randy George, commander, Task Force Mountain Warrior, told the group the Jirga made a statement about the kind of country the attendees wanted for their families and communities.

"You are making a righteous statement about the kind of enlightened future this region of Afghanistan deserves and is capable of achieving," George said. "This effort to build a secure and prosperous region will succeed with your just leadership, faith and persistence. Your honorable leadership is required to help guide the people of your communities to make the right choices. We are here to help and support the government in this endeavor.

"Through your guidance and leadership your communities can chose, as you are doing today, to band together through formal and informal processes to reject the forces of evil and extremism and create opportunities for greater prosperity and peace," George said.

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