Berghof Foundation: 50 years of conflict transformation

Lorem Ipsum
Afghanistan
“
Conciliation and nonviolent conflict transformation
will stay the only viable path in Afghanistan.
For the past seven years, we have supported Afghan
partners in that endeavour and we will continue to do
so during the current transformation process and for
as long as our support is requested and useful.
2019
Hans-Joachim Giessmann
Director Emeritus
Berghof Foundation
Turning
confrontation
into engagement
Intra-Afghan
Conference
for Peace
On 7 and 8 July 2019, in a historic first,
representatives of the Afghan government and
society and the Taliban (all in their personal
capacity) sat down together for a dialogue meeting
in Doha, Qatar. The Intra-Afghan Conference
for Peace, co-hosted by the German and Qatari
governments, brought together 61 Afghans from
a wide range of political and societal groups to
discuss shared interests and the question of what
a peace process could eventually look like. Having
previously provided key Afghan stakeholders with
various capacity-building and training measures
for several years, the Berghof Foundation was
invited by the German government to support the
preparation and implementation of this event.
The closed-door sessions, moderated by the
Berghof Foundation, allowed for an initial building
of trust and a common understanding of shared
grievances and pain. This was particularly
challenging in light of the deep mistrust and
suspicion between the parties, created by four
decades of armed conflict. Through an open
and unfiltered exchange, participants found
significant common ground and identified issues
of divergence and disagreement. At the end,
they approved a joint declaration, which was
widely considered by the public to be a first step
towards an inclusive peace process. All sides
agreed to reduce violence and gave assurances
on fundamental rights for women and religious
minorities. The resolution also called for trustbuilding
measures and outlined a roadmap for
an inclusive peace process.
Upon their return to Kabul, civil society
activists welcomed the participants with flowers
and the release of peace doves as an expression
of the hope generated by the event within Afghan
society. That hope and optimism have been
severely tested since then. The path to intra-
Afghan negotiations, which finally started in
September 2020, was paved with disillusionment
and setbacks amid ongoing and escalating violence
in almost all parts of Afghanistan. However, after
four decades of armed conflict, it has become clear
to most people that the conflict cannot be solved
by military means nor can the solution be dictated
from the outside. While support from international
actors is often welcomed by all sides, only a truly
Afghan-owned and Afghan-led process can bring
about viable solutions, a reduction in violence
and, ultimately, a sustainable, comprehensive and
dignified peace.
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