The spread of social media and a certain level of openness provided new opportunities for activism and civil engagement from 2001 onwards. However, in 2019, the UN Human Rights Council added Afghanistan to the list of countries where civic freedoms are under serious threat. Across the country, journalists, activists, and intellectuals are being attacked and killed, and in recent months a series of targeted assassinations have shattered the relative safety of Kabul. Despite these risks, civil society continues to make its voice heard, with social media providing platforms for debate and activism. In this panel, we will explore in what ways the space for civic engagement is transforming political processes and discuss how artists, poets, journalists, and activists deal with the new risks. What new opportunities – and pitfalls – have social media provided for activism and dialogue in Afghanistan? What issues are most sensitive or dangerous in today’s Afghanistan? What are the sources of danger, and what resources and support are available to those at risk for speaking out or raising a sensitive topic? Are there any topics on which Afghan activists can speak more freely now than five or fifteen years ago? Main speakers: Aziz Rafiee, Executive Director for the Afghan Civil Society Forum Comments: Arne Strand, Deputy Director, Research Director, U4 Director, Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI) Hasina Shirzad, journalist Facilitator: Liv Kjølseth, General Secretary for the Norwegian Afghanistan Committee (NAC)
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