University of Nebraska at Omaha: Conference on Afghanistan Development

Global Studies Conference:
Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East

31st Annual

2-4 October 2008

University of Nebraska at Omaha

Omaha, Nebraska

Conference on Afghanistan Development

Where do we go from here? Past failures and political missteps are not nearly as interesting as problem solutions and new approaches that might offer better chances of success to the essential rebuilding and reconstruction of Afghanistan . Do you have any ideas, data, opinions, or mission directives that might contribute solutions? If you want to help in any way, or if you want to meet and mingle with any of those people who are actively involved with the reconstruction of Afghanistan , please consider attending this conference. We are expecting The Honorable Ambassador Jawad from Afghanistan, as well as a full contingent of Afghanistan cognoscenti from academia, the governments, the military, the United Nations, and others with interests in the progress of redevelopment and reconstruction of Afghanistan. If sufficient high-quality papers are presented, a book of conference papers may be possible.

A small amount of grant money to host this conference will enable full or partial financial support to attend and present papers. To apply, please email name, address, and abstract of proposed paper as soon as possible, and in any case by 15 September, 2008. For more information, please contact Professor Jack Shroder (jshroder@mail.unomaha.edu).

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

AFGHANISTAN RECONSTRUCTION: THE FUTURE?

The conference plan looks like this right now, although the Friday and Saturday schedules may be reversed or combined (papers followed by panel and audience discussions).

It will be a Conference Within a Conference: The plan will be to have Afghanistan featured within our annual Global Studies Conference.

On Thursday 02 October for the Omaha World Affairs Council evening dinner, the Honorable Ambassador Jawad from Afghanistan to the U.S.A. will be giving a speech.

On Friday 03 October there will a round table discussion on Afghanistan, with special foci on solutions to the resurgent Taliban, the ‘narco-state’ and corruption, the loss of optimism in the future, and the best means to recover from these blows.

Afghanistan Reconstruction: The Future will take place on Saturday 04 October with two AM and two PM panel sessions. Below is a list of the panel sessions we have planned.

• AM Panel 1 Afghanistan Earth Sciences and Natural Resources
• AM Panel 2 Reconstruction and Provincial Reconstruction Teams
• PM Panel 1 Community-Based Reconstruction
• PM Panel 2 Looking to the Future

Please send ideas for topics that you would like to present or discuss.