Dialogue and Diplomacy: Reframing the Afghanistan Discourse | Tabadlab Policy Roundtable 68

Afghanistan remains under Taliban rule, but there is growing recognition that economic recovery will require deeper engagement—both within the country and with the international community. While Western involvement is limited and often ad hoc, regional actors are engaging through trade, transit, and quiet diplomacy. At the same time, aid commitments have dropped sharply, and governance challenges persist. Afghan voices remain largely absent from policymaking, and access to girls’ education is still uncertain. Education is not just about literacy—it is linked to mobility, emancipation, and employment. For real progress, governance must become more inclusive and representative. The path forward demands pragmatic engagement and Afghan-led solutions, focused on survival, opportunity, and gradual progress. This Tabadlab Policy Roundtable explores these dynamics — economic priorities, regional diplomacy, humanitarian challenges, minorities' rights, and the evolving space for Afghan agency—through the insights of: Panelists: Omar Samad - Senior Fellow (Non-Resident), Atlantic Council Rangina Hamidi - Professor of Practice, Arizona State University Zarifa Ghafari - Founder and General Director, APAW Masuda Sultan - Co-founder, Abaad Afghan Women Forward Moderator: Zeeshan Salahuddin - Partner, Tabadlab