Former finance minister rails against weak government and misguided aid efforts in Afghanistan

Ashraf Ghani, the former Finance Minister of Afghanistan, is the author of Failed States: A Framework for Rebuilding a Fractured World. As reviewed by Canada’s National Post on May 17, the book clearly details his concerns with the state of his homeland. He sees Afghanistan sliding down a dangerous path, becoming, as the article puts it, “riddled with corruption, preyed on by terrorists, and incapable of providing good government for its citizens.” The Post adds that Ghani believes “the international community, well-intentioned as it may be, is unprepared to do much to help.”

According to Ghani, the keys to Afghanistan’s future – and statebuilding in general – lie in recognizing that legitimacy flows from citizens, agreeing on the role of the state from the citizens’ point of view, and searching for realistic ways to support those goals. He says that attempting to deal with developing states by “using mechanisms developed 50 years ago” will only result in “disenchantment and mutual recrimination without many significant breakthroughs in wealth creation.”

Technical assistance wasted to corruption, uncoordinated aid, and a lack of political ownership all perpetuates the instability that racks Afghanistan, Ghazni suggests. To effectively address Afghanistan’s problems, and to stave off failed state status, Ghani recommends investment, not charity. Give us the tools to help ourselves, Ghani seems to be saying, and we will ultimately help you.

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