Put this into the context of an important issue being raised at Davos this week:  youth unemployment. The numbers are stark: in some countries of the Arab world, up to 90% of 16-to-24 year olds are unemployed. In Spain, it’s nearly 50%. In the United States, the youth unemployment rate is 23%. In the UK, it’s 22%.

Then there’s the lack of basic life skills. Many youngsters today don’t know the basics, from getting on with co-workers to having entrepreneurial skills starting with simple street savvy.

In South Korea, it’s the other way round. So many people are now university graduates that the country is running out of people to fill blue-collar jobs.

The UN’s International Labor Organization (ILO) reports that worldwide, some 200 million people are unemployed, with 75 million of those unemployed between the ages of 16 and 24. And yet the legislated response of developed nations has so far been to increase the age of retirement for us older generations who are already currently employed—resulting in even fewer vacancies for the 40 million or so young people who are entering the workforce as every year goes by.

Does this make sense?

World leaders in Davos are waking up. Young people who are unemployed for a long time will earn less throughout their whole lives. They will be less employable in the future. They don’t have the skills that businesses are crying out for. They are more likely to have long-term health problems.

Our world is plagued by youth unemployment, which is leading to a greater demand for government benefits at the same time that commercial production, plus consumption and hence economic growth that contribute to governments’ fiscal revenues are all falling. All this leads to escalating sovereign debts, which are likely to cause further social disruptions. The leaders in Davos say that “we’re sitting on a social and economic time bomb“.

There’s another term for it: the lost generation. Or as one business school professor puts it: “Unemployment sucks. Youth unemployment sucks even more.”

Sadly we also live in a world where wealth creation has become uncoupled from job creation. This once-close connection is ruptured. Take Mitt Romney who made his fortune by laying people off. Take me, among others: I made the equivalent of two months’ salary over the last four months simply by converting my euros into US dollars last September and then converting those dollars into UK pounds sterling this month. In such a way millions of zeros have been added to speculators’ balance sheets all over the world during the last calendar quarter without adding a single job.

All that said, alhamdulillah for the Afghanistan Marketplace project!

A Helmandi business owner delivers his presentation.

In the opening speech Akbar Ahmadzai, PDT’s Deputy Country Director, talked about the need and importance of conducting such events. According to him, there will be business opportunities in Helmand with the coordination of a Kabuli company. Kabuli companies can also benefit by partnering with a Helmandi company. He said that events like this one can create first-rate relations among businesses all over the country.

Hamayoun Shahim, a participant from Afghanistan Business Innovation Fund (ABIF) delivered a presentation regarding grants. According to him, ABIF is funded by the British government and offers Afghan business owners grants to implement their business ideas. Beneficiaries
are economically disadvantaged, and their business idea must create jobs for Afghans. Helmandi and Kabuli businesses found this program very agreeable.

ABIF representative delivers his presentation.

This event also included presentations from various business owners. Mohammad Khan Wasifi from Afghanistan Agricultural Development Company, which is based in Helmand, was one of them. He said that good alternatives for growing opium in Helmand are Saffron and expanding cotton growth. His company conducts training sessions for the farmers in Helmand province.

Helmandi and Kabuli agribusinesses in discussion session.

Haji  Wali Jan from Noorzai Improved Seed Company thanked PDM-A for conducting the event and  added, “We ask Kabuli companies to have a site visit and see Helmandi companies face to face”. He encouraged PDM-A to pave the way for businesses to visit regional countries to share their ideas and get experience. He was specifically talking about the Soya bean because for the first time since WWII people of South Korea were using bread made of Soya Bean. “We don’t have any kind of problems with the extension of Soya Bean cultivation,” he said. “Soya bean is 40 percent vitamins, which is very good for pregnant women, and by extending Soya Bean cultivation more people will find jobs”.

In this regard, PDT has made a useful contribution in Helmand by assisting newly-established companies to win contracts. There are several companies who benefited directly from PDT’s services, but Boost Seed Company is the most notable. The company won a contract from the US Military for producing, packaging and branding seed products in Helmand. Likewise, there are construction firms that have benefitted by winning contracts.

Residential houses under construction in Helmand

University graduates are seeking employment in Helmand, and the young workforce is flocking to the many businesses in Lashkargah city. Vocational institutions and higher education colleges have opened in this city. Boost Institute is a brilliant example of expanding education efforts in the province. Its CEO is an Afghan American, who launched this venture to benefit the youth of Helmand through modern education and applicable technologies. The enthusiasm for education and new opportunities is high. A few PDT staff members take part-time classes at such institutions to build up their English language comprehension.

A newly opened school in Helmand

Land properties are at the highest peak ever in Helmand. According to locals, some plots are even more expensive than in Kabul or central areas, which indicates the demand of residential areas in the city. Large houses are also visible throughout the vicinities in Helmand. Though residents are uncertain about security in the outskirt areas, they seem satisfied with the security within the city.

Helmandi companies – in agriculture, construction, transportation, logistics and more – are optimistic about their growth, especially with the help of foreign assistance in capacity development and workforce expansion. In regular meetings with the PDT Helmand field office, these companies show interest in coordinating with Kabuli companies to develop more local procurement. They want to purchase Afghan goods from an Afghan company rather than buying from a foreign company that operates in Kabul. Such efforts keep money circulating in the Afghan economy while often costing Afghan companies less, too.

A fruit shop in Lashkargah city of Helmand

In general, business owners are unclear about the situation once international troops leave Afghanistan, but they are hopeful that more sustainable and long-term assistance from the international community will result in growth and development. They are eager to attend trainings and workshops, even if they are in Kabul, to develop their capacity and in the long-term, a more vibrant private sector in Helmand.

Eighty-five students from Kabul University attended, along with four partner companies, including Rawan Contracting Company, Afghan Cyber, Afghan Nemo Agri-businesses and Cetena productions Afghanistan. The companies presented their outcomes of the hardships that they faced while establishing their businesses to the students and elicited their insights on GEW. The event was broadcasted by the national media and left a positive impression over the audience.

Students round-table discussion

The partner companies thanked PDT for providing them with the opportunity to get to know students who could serve as potential interns in the future. Mr. Pawl Wade, a media marketing professional, discussed the importance of media marketing for business promotion. About 30 students showed their interest in becoming business entrepreneurs.

Students were then divided into groups and discussed how to be successful entrepreneurs and how to promote entrepreneurship in Afghanistan. Team leaders from each group then presented what they had discussed.

It is the first time ever in Afghanistan that we are faced with such an event and we truly need to admire this effort by PDT,” said one student, Waheed Farogh during his presentation. “Being a student of economics, I am learning a lot about real business situations.”

Sharing the ideas in GEW event

Another team leader, Mohammad Sharif Hassan said he and some of his colleagues from Kabul University came up with a business plan for an overseas carpet export business. He explained that they wanted “to start a business to serve [their] country.” Hassan further explained that Afghanistan had depended on foreign aid for the last 10 years because aid had not been invested wisely nor had it remained in the country. He argued that, in order to stop the leakages of capital from his country, Afghanistan must create and implement fruitful economic and commercial business plans. “Because we want to take part in reconstruction and improvement of our country,” he said, “we should start our new business, which is manufacturing carpets.”

Media coverage for the GEW event in Afghanistan

At the end of the event, Hedayatullah Alefi, a professor from Kabul University, said, “It was a good gathering of the businesses, professors and students. It helps business students to be an active part of the practical business. Conducting such kind of events motivates the young generation to show their talent and become good entrepreneurs.”

Despite this impressive development, Afghans are still emerging from the years of bans on watching TV, using the internet and utilizing distance learning. These activities had all been considered sins. Fortunately, everything dramatically changed when the Taliban fell. One of the most important changes was the installation of new technology and internet access.  These improvements helped the use of mobile phones and access to different kinds of computer software and applications. The Ministry of Communication facilitated these changes using international donations.

Recently, Peace Dividend Trust was among the participants in Open Source Technology’s regional four-day conference. We were introduced to the attendees of the conference in the exhibition that followed. PDT had a booth where we were able to make contact with many of the attendees. This conference was held at the Information Communication Technology Institute (ICTI) and was hosted by its president, Mr. Omar. The regional Open Source Conference was geared towards localizing and securing software called FOSS- Free Open Source Software. The group discussion had panelists from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Iran and Tajikistan.

Exhibitioners visiting PDT's booth

Open Source Technology actually provides the platform for introducing new software in the country. The alliance wants to establish Open Source centers in countries where people do not usually have access to secure and localized software. In the Conference’s opening speech, Dr. Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai pointed to the importance of information in society and to enhancing creativity. According to Dr. Ashraf Ghani, internet and secure software are necessities in today’s world. He added that having a center specifically for localizing and making software secure is a significant achievement. Dr. Ghani was very positive about ICT in Afghanistan. He feels that the embedding of information in our lives is changing our social and economic relations and that while we have a technical platform for transformation, our inherited mental models are limiting.

Panelists discussing the future of Information Technology in Afghanistan

The Minister of Communication, Ameerzay Sangeen, also had insightful comments. According to Mr. Sangeen, in Afghanistan today, one million people use the internet. After two years of the activation of fiber optics, half of the population of Afghanistan will access to internet. Eighty per cent of the Afghan population uses mobile cell phones but there is still much work to do to make the costs cheaper.  Mr. Ameerzay used the example of the cost of computing which ten years ago was $5,000USD- $10,000USD for a simple computer. Even with that cost, computers were banned by Taliban and not available for Afghans’ use. Now a simple computer is available for $200USD to $500USD. Hardware has become less important and the real value lies with the secure and localized software.

PDT's team briefing the minister of Information Communication about PDT's activities

Open Source Technology and its importance for Afghanistan and the regional countries became even more evident throughout the conference. Ameerzay Sangeen and other authorities came to visit the PDT exhibition. While standing at PDT’s booth, Mr. Sangeen expressed his appreciation for PDT’s efforts to develop the private sector and encouraged us to do even more. We at PDT look forward to helping the Afghan people take advantage of the tremendous changes in technologies and to continue to open the country to the region and the world.

Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, India and Pakistan leaders sign the TAPI agreement, December 2010.

The pipeline is forecasted to transfer 33 billion cubic meters of gas from Turkmenistan via Herat and Kandahar into India through Multan and Quetta in Pakistan. The project is expected to create 50,000 jobs and generate $1 billion (US) per year in fiscal revenue for Afghanistan. It will also supply 5.11 billion cubic meters of gas to fuel domestic livelihoods and the economy.

According to economic analyst Hamidullah Farooqi, this project will enable Afghanistan to become an economic power in the region, connecting the country with southern, northern and central Asia. Closely mirroring the route of the ancient Silk Road, the gas pipeline harkens back to Afghanistan’s culturally rich and economically prosperous past and signifies the rebirth of Afghan business after decades of war and economic stagnation.

TAPI Gas pipeline.

 Although security concerns will challenge the TAPI gas pipeline, Farooqi is confident that regional support for the project, particularly from India, Pakistan and Turkmenistan, will ensure its successful completion and operational sustainability.

kabul smog

The Ministry of Health estimates that 3,000 people die from pollution-induced illnesses in Kabul each year, making it the biggest cause of natural death in the city. They further estimate that the number of Afghans suffering from respiratory problems has trebled over six years to 480,000. According to the National Environment Protection Agency (NEPA), nearly 80 percent of Kabul’s hospital patients suffer from diseases caused by polluted air and water.

Those most affected include children, the elderly, and those who already suffer from diabetes, heart disease, or respiratory problems. Unborn children are also threatened by the extreme pollution. Carbon mono-oxide is proven to increase ventricular septal birth defects – a condition already high in Afghanistan.

Underpinning the problem is Kabul’s rapid population expansion as people flee to the capital in search of relative stability amid fighting in the rural areas. Originally designed for less than a million people, Kabul is now home to approximately five million, and growing, a figure which Kabul Municipality says has doubled in just six years.  Many of the new arrivals live in illegally built slums, and during the winter they must burn anything they can get a hold of including highly toxic tyres, plastic, and dung.

Kabul’s many powerless nights further spark the usage of diesel generators. NEPA estimates that there are over 200,000 such generators working on any given night, infusing the air with more pollutants.

Further assaults to the air come from the approximate 900,000 vehicles that clog the Kabul’s streets. These old and poorly maintained cars lack catalytic converters and other emission control devices. They are imported illegally from different countries, and spew forth fumes which are the byproduct of low quality fuel. Afghanistan imports low quality fuel, or ‘dirty fuel’, and the exhaust from these fuels pile pollutants into the air, including lead. According to NEPA, a random sample of 200 people found 80 percent had high lead fuels in their blood. Furthering contributing to the pollution is the fact that all these cars travel over mostly unpaved roads. Vehicles kick up large amounts of dust which then hovers for days posing an immense hazard to pedestrians.

Finally, in a city that lacks a sewage system, garbage collection and waste management are serious issues complicated by the city’s over population. Kabul produces nearly 2,000 tonnes of solid waste a day when the capacity of dealing with it is 400 tonnes! The balance is being left in the streets.

children often collect Kabul's street rubbish in the hope of finding items to sell or trade

Clearly, something needs to be done. The scale of the problem is so great that President Karzai recently formed a task force to tackle Kabul’s pollution problems. NEPA is leading a group of ministries in an attempt to address the causes of pollution, starting with the dirty fuel that is being imported. New government regulations are on the cards to prevent traders from importing substandard fuel.

The government is also setting up monitoring stations on borders to inspect all inbound vehicles to and other emission monitoring policies are being formulated. A resolution has been put in place banning the further importation of old cars, and last year, Thursdays were made a weekend holiday in addition to Friday, in a move to reduce air pollution.

Kabul Municipality is initiating a number of environmental cleanup actions. They are working together with USAID and launching several projects aimed at collecting rubbish from Kabul’s streets, and estimate that this effort will create an additional 3,000 jobs. USAID will spend USD 60 million between now and 2012 on waste management, drainage channels and roadside ditches, the rehabilitation of city parks and sports fields, and other greenery programmes in Kabul.

Environmental awareness is reaching down to the student level too. A recent Environment Week was proclaimed, and NEPA launched a number of rubbish collecting projects that involved schools and universities.

But this is not enough. Municipality officials say a more permanent solution is needed. The fundamental solution is the launch of a comprehensive urban planning programme for the city. Kabul remains a sprawl of open sewers, illegal slums, squatters, and standstill traffic on most streets throughout the day. The city has not had a comprehensive plan to assimilate the millions of new residents, and without one, tackling air pollution will remain an uphill struggle.

The immediate outcome remains bleak. Till environmentally friendly, urban planning and development schemes are in place, we can do little but hold our breath.

The Babur Gardens in Old Kabul were a magical backdrop for 'Afghan Visions'

Lights, Cameras, Action! Kabul threw security barriers and cultural differences aside as the city’s glitterati and literati gathered to experience a magical night of film during ‘Afghan Visions’.

This first-time nighttime event featured 14 short films of 12 minutes each all created by Afghan filmmakers. Held outdoors under a starry sky in Kabul’s famous Mogul-era Babur Gardens, guests thronged to watch creative and poignant films produced to give voice and vision to the over-riding theme: “countering extremist voices.”

Hosted by Cetena Group, a leading media, marketing and design company, and funded by the US Department of State, ‘Afghan Visions’, through film, sought to decrease the influence of insurgent and extremist communications whilst highlighting how reform, unity, and partnership among the Afghan people will lead to a better Afghanistan. What we, the audience, saw on the night, was only the very tip of the iceberg. ‘Afghan Visions’ has been a long time in the making, and involved the efforts of hundreds of creative, visionary, and dedicated filmmakers, writers, technicians, actors, and teachers.

Young Afghan filmmakers show their talent during the first -ever Afghan Visions event

Late last year, Cetena Group released a solicitation for the production of short films via Peace Divided Trust’s business portal and others, and received approximately 30 short film proposals and budgets. After a discerning shortlist process, 11 film projection companies were awarded contracts for the production of the 14 films screened at the event.

Event organisers decided on the use of short films as a means of communication, as they best target the younger Afghan generation who already watch a lot of TV, and are more readily influenced by messaging – both positive and negative. The production brief was for the films to focus on positive achievements and the clever promotion of Afghan identity and how this contributes to a sense of national unity and pride. The films depicted everyday Afghan life, in an entertaining, heart-felt, and sometimes humourous manner.

Cetena Group greatly helped build the capacity of the fledgling film production entities, most of whom were young and inexperienced organisations. In addition to actual production, subtitling, and editing technical assistance, Cetena staff assisted the filmmakers in building timelines, setting production budgets, and maintaining thorough job accounts.

Whereas making a film about and in Afghanistan was an impossibility no that long ago, the support of Cetena Group, and dedicted film -mentoring organisations such as Afghan Voices and Community Supported Film, are helping make film a real and viable occupation in today’s Afghanistan.

These important short films gave an insight to Afghan life, every day issues, and relationships that those of us living and working here rarely get a chance to see. As the sun set behind the mountains that adorn Kabul’s rustic old quarter, and as the credits rolled, those of us lucky enough to attend ‘Afghan Visions’ were given the rare opportunity to see Afghanistan through Afghan eyes.

Lima Sahar with other competitors

Afghanistan’s award-winning television programme, Afghan Star, is changing the face of the country, and the lives of the nation’s young people. The most watched, talked about, and controversial show in the country recalls Afghanistan’s rich cultural heritage and historical love of poetry and music, and is single-handedly revamping the musical and artistic inspiration and talent of a people so long culturally repressed. The show’s organisers, Tolo TV, believe with this programme, they can move people ‘from guns to music’.

Afghan Star Judges Panel

Following well established international TV formats such as British Pop Idol or the French Nouvelle Star and their many spinoffs, Afghan Star, now in its 7^th season, is an independently produced reality TV show that searches for the most talented young singers in Afghanistan. Contestant voting takes place by SMS, and for many, this is the first time they have encountered democracy through voting where all are equal. This is a highly radical idea in a country which still operates on a male-dominated, tribal elder system.

Not only inspirational for the nation’s youth, many of Afghan Star’s judges are renowned poets, composers, and older members of Afghanistan’s foreign-educated literati, most of whom spread themselves far and wide during the Afghan diaspora.

Shabana Azizi on Afghan Star stage

Contestant auditions take place in almost all of the country’s major cities, and the show regularly attracts 11 million viewers per episode. In its fourth season, Afghan Star viewers voted Kandahar native, Lima Sahar, as that season’s winner.  This placed the 18-year old severely under threat for her life, as she found herself in the middle of the nation’s continuous gender struggle.  Hailing from one of the country’s most conservative provinces, Lima was the first female Pashtun to reach the finals, and ultimately, win.

For Lima, and so many like her, Afghan Star, provides hope for the future as well as defiance against continued repression; it is a political statement in song.

Capturing the imagination of foreign film-makers, Afghan Star – The Documentary, was filmed during the shows’ 2009 season.  This documentary follows the three month process from regional auditions to the final contest in Kabul. Viewers gain behind the scenes access to the lives of contestants, fans, and producers. The British-produced film went on to win two awards at the Sundance Film Festival.

Throughout history, mankind has expressed itself and gained joy though music and song. Today’s modern, Afghan youth are no exception.

It’s a foundation that came to light on September 22nd at the Los Angeles Convention Centre, where Ehsan Bayat ascended the stage to receive the 2010 Mahatma Gandhi Humanitarian Award. The Friends of South Asian American Communities and the Afghan California Business Council bestowed the honour in recognition of his humanitarian efforts. Mr Bayat, an Afghan businessman and entrepreneur who launched the Afghan Wireless Communication Company (the nation’s first GSM wireless and internet service provider) in 2002 and the Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) in 2005, was the recipient of an award given for “resistance to tyranny based on a philosophy of non-violence leading to civil rights and freedom.”

Tyranny can be resisted with a multitude of swords, and among the many admirable Afghan people advocating for civil rights and freedom are businesspeople whose efforts to assist their compatriots while supporting their own livelihoods are winning well-deserved attention. A chaotic myriad of serious security issues, barriers to health and education for large swaths of the population (especially women), and ineffective development projects currently plague Afghan society. The need for Afghan entrepreneurs to run thriving businesses that support their communities is pressing; when Mr Bayat left the stage that night it was clear that he and his staff in Afghanistan are up to the challenge.

Both of Mr Bayat’s enterprises support the Bayat Foundation, which has helped to build health clinics, schools, roads, bridges, waterpoints, and mosques around the country. Last year, the foundation announced three Empowering Women Grants, the first made to the Business Council for Peace (BPeace), designed to nurture and coach aspiring female entrepreneurs in Mazar-e-Sharif. The other grants went to the Justice for All Organisation (JFAO) to provide legal advice to disadvantaged women who cannot afford representation or are not aware of their legal rights and Women for Women International (WfWI) to administer skills training and business support for vulnerable Afghan women.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has a nebulous definition and can be exercised in any number of ways; Mr Bayat’s own model is multifaceted. Recognising his country’s needs for effective media and communications, Mr Bayat’s Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) provides original content to rekindle Afghan culture and traditions as well as English-language programming to bring the rest of the world to Afghans and Afghan refugees living in Pakistan. ATN programming places particular emphases in education, health, children’s programmes, and women’s issues. Afghan CSR is not just about using the outputs of enterprise to support separate charities, but designing enterprises whose entire purpose is sustained around creating a positive impact in Afghan society.

 In his acceptance speech, Bayat quoted Mahatma Gandhi: ”We do not need to [teach] either by our speech or by our writing. We can only do so really with our lives. Let our lives be open books for all to study.” CSR is of incredible importance in Afghanistan as the country struggles to rebuild its economy and improve the quality of life for its citizens. Commendable businesspeople such as Mr Bayat are providing valuable services while ensuring their actions serve as open books to tell stories of responsibility and dedication.