Comments on: A day in the life of a civilian in Afghanistan http://blogs.dfid.gov.uk/2008/10/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-civilian-in-afghanistan/ Tales from the front line of our work to eradicate poverty worldwide. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:54:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Vicky Seymour http://blogs.dfid.gov.uk/2008/10/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-civilian-in-afghanistan/comment-page-1/#comment-24556 Vicky Seymour Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:43:18 +0000 http://blogs.dfid.gov.uk/?p=133#comment-24556 Thanks for your question, Chris. Civilians work in Afghanistan for varying lengths of time, depending on whether they work for governments, non-governmental organisations or consultancy or contracting firms. For the UK government, all overseas posts are for a term, with fixed minimums and maximums. We don't do 'projects' as such - we fund larger, longer-term programmes, and need to support our Afghan government counterparts to deliver these - which is why we work on a term rather than project basis. Thanks for your question, Chris. Civilians work in Afghanistan for varying lengths of time, depending on whether they work for governments, non-governmental organisations or consultancy or contracting firms. For the UK government, all overseas posts are for a term, with fixed minimums and maximums. We don't do 'projects' as such - we fund larger, longer-term programmes, and need to support our Afghan government counterparts to deliver these - which is why we work on a term rather than project basis.

]]> By: Chris102601 http://blogs.dfid.gov.uk/2008/10/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-civilian-in-afghanistan/comment-page-1/#comment-24545 Chris102601 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:52:26 +0000 http://blogs.dfid.gov.uk/?p=133#comment-24545 How long is the average tour for civilians, is it term, or per completion of projects? How long is the average tour for civilians, is it term, or per completion of projects?

]]> By: Deb http://blogs.dfid.gov.uk/2008/10/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-civilian-in-afghanistan/comment-page-1/#comment-13130 Deb Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:04:34 +0000 http://blogs.dfid.gov.uk/?p=133#comment-13130 DFID repaired the Lisa-e-Naswan Girls School, 7,400 Students in Lashkar Gah City, Helmand Province. The school did not have bathrooms, windows, electricity, basiclly a total mess. During your day trip did you happen to go by there and talk to the students and teachers? I asked USAID for help and they dragged their heels, but DFID had it done in about one month. DFID is making a difference! DFID repaired the Lisa-e-Naswan Girls School, 7,400 Students in Lashkar Gah City, Helmand Province.

The school did not have bathrooms, windows, electricity, basiclly a total mess. During your day trip did you happen to go by there and talk to the students and teachers? I asked USAID for help and they dragged their heels, but DFID had it done in about one month.

DFID is making a difference!

]]> By: FRANKINCENES http://blogs.dfid.gov.uk/2008/10/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-civilian-in-afghanistan/comment-page-1/#comment-138 FRANKINCENES Sun, 09 Nov 2008 11:40:20 +0000 http://blogs.dfid.gov.uk/?p=133#comment-138 Thank DFID Thank DFID

]]> By: Neil Robertson http://blogs.dfid.gov.uk/2008/10/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-civilian-in-afghanistan/comment-page-1/#comment-125 Neil Robertson Fri, 07 Nov 2008 18:49:49 +0000 http://blogs.dfid.gov.uk/?p=133#comment-125 Thanks for that Will - but the point Griffin makes is that it may be rational in the short-run to turn a blind eye to narcotic cultivation by the peasantry. What is UK DfID's attitude to this? And surely price is king in Afghanistan? Thanks for that Will - but the point Griffin makes is that it may be rational in the short-run to turn a blind eye to narcotic cultivation by the peasantry.
What is UK DfID's attitude to this? And surely price is king in Afghanistan?

]]> By: Will Hines http://blogs.dfid.gov.uk/2008/10/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-civilian-in-afghanistan/comment-page-1/#comment-123 Will Hines Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:58:10 +0000 http://blogs.dfid.gov.uk/?p=133#comment-123 I agree that development in Afghanistan can’t be done through "day trips" – I also work for DFID, and also recently spent time in Helmand. That’s why we make sure there is a permanent UK civilian presence in Sangin to oversee stabilisation and development work, and why we work closely with the military so that others, like Vicky, can get there whenever they need. The point about building roads is that without the ability to move freely within Helmand, farmers have little choice but to depend on the opium crop. They know they can sell that crop at their own farm gate – albeit to the opium traders who are the source of a great deal of the security problems in the province. Creating a decent road network, and providing the security to allow people to use it, will allow Helmandis to choose what to grow, sell it where they can get the best price, and avoid the risks associated with growing opium. Helmand’s a fertile place, and there’s no problem growing other crops – we just need to make sure people can make a living from doing so. I agree that development in Afghanistan can’t be done through "day trips" – I also work for DFID, and also recently spent time in Helmand. That’s why we make sure there is a permanent UK civilian presence in Sangin to oversee stabilisation and development work, and why we work closely with the military so that others, like Vicky, can get there whenever they need.

The point about building roads is that without the ability to move freely within Helmand, farmers have little choice but to depend on the opium crop. They know they can sell that crop at their own farm gate – albeit to the opium traders who are the source of a great deal of the security problems in the province. Creating a decent road network, and providing the security to allow people to use it, will allow Helmandis to choose what to grow, sell it where they can get the best price, and avoid the risks associated with growing opium. Helmand’s a fertile place, and there’s no problem growing other crops – we just need to make sure people can make a living from doing so.

]]> By: Neil Robertson http://blogs.dfid.gov.uk/2008/10/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-civilian-in-afghanistan/comment-page-1/#comment-120 Neil Robertson Fri, 07 Nov 2008 00:28:46 +0000 http://blogs.dfid.gov.uk/?p=133#comment-120 "We drove through the bustling bazaar to see the start of a road we are tarmacking" Have you noticed how bazaars on UKDfID blogs are usually 'bustling' - before and after UK DfID passes through? Life it seems goes on it seems without all these high-powered development interventions??! (Discuss) "We drove through the bustling bazaar to see the start of a road we are tarmacking" Have you noticed how bazaars on UKDfID blogs are usually
'bustling' - before and after UK DfID passes through? Life it seems goes
on it seems without all these high-powered development interventions??!
(Discuss)

]]> By: Neil Robertson http://blogs.dfid.gov.uk/2008/10/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-civilian-in-afghanistan/comment-page-1/#comment-119 Neil Robertson Fri, 07 Nov 2008 00:19:47 +0000 http://blogs.dfid.gov.uk/?p=133#comment-119 "Roads will offer farmers and others access to markets, and make it easier for the Afghan army and police to provide security." But this could cut both ways, surely? Or does it look different at 20,000 feet above a poppy field? Are you not worried that a 'day trip' here and a 'day trip' there is not in any sense the kind of development practice that any serious NGO contemplates? And have your read Keith Griffin's ideas on how to approach narco-states? In Bolivia he concluded in respect of cocaine cultivation: "Suppression would also contribute further to the alienation of the peasantry from the state. A far better approach would be to decriminalize the cocaine sector and then gradually to measure, regulate and tax it, thereby transforming it into an engine of development. A simultaneous emphasis on human development in Bolivia would in the long run go further to restrain the growth of the drugs sector than any other alternative. The pairing of decriminalization with human development, seemingly odd bedfellows, would enable the country to combine sustained growth with equity and security." The lesser of two evils or the pipedream of an ageing Madgalen College, Oxford hippy??! ('The State, Human Development and the Economics of Cocaine: The Case of Bolivia' in Keith Griffin 'Studies in Globalization And Economic Transitions' (1996)) Or is that implicitly the 'blind eye to corruption' strategy that some suspect the West to be pursuing with the warlords? "Roads will offer farmers and others access to markets, and make it easier for the Afghan army and police to provide security." But this could cut both
ways, surely? Or does it look different at 20,000 feet above a poppy field?

Are you not worried that a 'day trip' here and a 'day trip' there is not in any
sense the kind of development practice that any serious NGO contemplates?

And have your read Keith Griffin's ideas on how to approach narco-states?
In Bolivia he concluded in respect of cocaine cultivation: "Suppression would also contribute further to the alienation of the peasantry from the state. A far better approach would be to decriminalize the cocaine sector and then gradually to measure, regulate and tax it, thereby transforming it into an engine of development. A simultaneous emphasis on human development in Bolivia would in the long run go further to restrain the growth of the drugs sector than any other alternative. The pairing of decriminalization with human development, seemingly odd bedfellows, would enable the country to combine sustained growth with equity and security." The lesser of two evils or the pipedream of an ageing Madgalen College, Oxford hippy??!
('The State, Human Development and the Economics of Cocaine: The
Case of Bolivia' in Keith Griffin 'Studies in Globalization And Economic
Transitions' (1996)) Or is that implicitly the 'blind eye to corruption'
strategy that some suspect the West to be pursuing with the warlords?

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