Media is Development: Afghanistan 's Media and Civil Society Forum March 28-29, 2007 Intercontinental Hotel, Kabul Organizers: The Killid Group and IPS-Inter Press Service
Summary: The conference slogan, “Media is Development”, embodies the ultimate truth that there can be no democracy and participatory development unless the voices of all sectors, including beneficiaries, are reported objectively and accurately, and disseminated on time in all parts of the country. Free and accessible media is a key element in the chain linking policy with the people -- the ultimate beneficiaries of development.
	The main objectives of the Afghanistan Media and Civil Society Forum is to reflect on the crucial role played by the media and civil society in the country's efforts to transform from a war-torn country towards the building of a peaceful democracy and to assess the roles these two sectors can play to prevent a regression to conflict. The possibility of Afghanistan regressing is real and could be accentuated in the absence of Afghan-led confidence-building efforts facilitated by the media and civil society. At present public opinion on the Afghan transition is largely being shaped by powerful foreign mass media which is unable to adequately reflect ground realties because it reflects western values, concepts and priorities, many of which are alien to Afghanistan 's rich cultural and complex social background. Afghanistan 's complexities, which exist in different localized contexts, requires the development of local content to be relevant and accessible. Moreover diverse ideas, opinions, views and concerns about the country, its past, present and future exist. The media uniquely provides the forum for debate, for the exchange of information and experience and can contribute to the forging of a public consensus on the way ahead, but only if it is able to
operate free from fear and political harassment and, in the current absence of donor funding and sufficient advertising revenue, is financially supported in the continuing transition. The Forum is expected to contribute to the process because it would allow media, civil society, government and donor representatives to discuss each other's role in the process of transforming Afghanistan to a peaceful democracy, which will be disseminated to the general public by the mass media. Background Five years after the overthrow of the Taliban government by US military action, Afghanistan remains a country still caught up in armed conflict. The year 2006 marked the beginning of a sustained military response by Taliban insurgents, combining hit and run tactics, suicide bombings and assassinations with conventional and guerilla warfare. From being a concern with respect to reconstruction and development projects, the increasing level of violence is undermining Afghanistan 's stability and threatens both democracy and long-term development. Pitched battles between Taliban and NATO and Afghan government forces in the restive Kandahar and Helmand provinces in summer and autumn of 2006 have completely shattered the myth of Afghanistan being a “post-conflict” country concentrating on rebuilding after three decades of bloodshed and destruction. The anticipated Taliban spring offensive and the expected response from NATO and the Afghan government are unlikely to result in a decisive military victory for either side. The war will not be won militarily. Instead, working towards a political solution, strengthening democratic institutions and speeding up development are surer ways to end fighting and head towards peace. This outcome is attainable through a process of deeper dialogue among Afghans themselves and their international allies. Providing a new vision and direction to the country requires the development of an independent and professional mass media and the commitment and engagement of civil society actors. Afghanistan 's democracy is extremely fragile and freedom of expression and media development are fundamental to democratic process. The country is in a transition, from three decades of war to a new democratic order in which the development of the independent media, which still faces major challenges, is vital. The independent media faces many challenges. An all-powerful government and a complying parliament have jointly adopted restrictive laws that are undermining the independent character of media. With security sharply deteriorating in 2006 and under mounting pressure because of indecisive battles with the Taliban, the government attempted to scapegoat the media. It blamed the media for emboldening the Taliban and demoralizing the people by reporting, which it claimed showed Taliban gains and downplayed government strength and “successes”. The results have been greater restrictions on the media. The government moves, supported by powerful elements in parliament, are aimed at removing clauses from the draft Mass Media Law that sought to protect the future independence of the media. The mass media law being reviewed by parliament has already been subjected to substantive amendments. Legal protection and continued government support are essential for the development and growth of independent media. The media must also make maximum use of existing opportunities to justify its utility as well as to enhance its capacity in order to minimize the risks of being victimized by the changing political circumstances. Only then would it possible for the media to confront issues of sustainability emanating from lack of funding, competition and market dynamics. Donor funding assisted the emergence of an independent media sector. Today, international donors have stopped direct funding of media projects and it is unlikely that most print and broadcast media will be able to survive the funding cuts. There may be some exceptions, however, but the reality remains unchanged – the limited economic development has yet to support growth of an advertising culture. Generally, TV and radio offering entertainment are preferred by advertisers. The print media, with limited capacity to “entertain”, either gets no advertising or very little advertising. Advertisers also prefer media outlets with large audiences. These would typically be dominated by entertainment programs -- music, movies and soap operas or have been changing towards having more entertainment and less space for educational, cultural and sensitive but critically important social issues. The result has been the building of profitable businesses amidst ignorance and apathy. Advertisers generally prefer media with large circulations. In terms of the print media only a few weekly publications are able to meet this standard. Afghanistan does not have a daily national newspaper. It has a delivery and distribution capacity that has been assisting media to raise circulation and promote a reading habit. But these efforts to raise circulation have not translated into advertising growth. Afghanistan has a handful of private commercial television and radio stations but their programming is aimed largely at urban audiences – and is often dominated by entertainment. They thus do not only ignore the information needs of the large rural populations, but the opulent lifestyles portrayed in their programs could also be contributing to the increasing alienation of the rural population. The lack of donor funding, small advertising market, low professionalism of journalists and editors and content quality issues, limited outreach, distribution and dissemination barriers and a largely non-literate population remain the major obstacles the independent media is struggling to overcome to fulfill its constitutional responsibility to serve the public interest. These factors, individually and collectively, have prevented the independent media from adequately performing the classical “watch dog” functions the media plays in a functioning democracy. This has resulted in failures to expose and challenge corrupt and abusive systems and authorities, compromises in the quality of content and dissemination of information, including information on developmental processes, all of which threaten to reduce the chances of media being able to assist the transition by promoting social cohesion and shaping public opinion and discourse for peace and development. The independent media remains a rare success story in post-Taliban Afghanistan which the Afghan people have welcomed. The Afghan media is diverse but unifying and has potential for further growth and added influence in the changes taking place in the country. The new challenges facing Afghanistan today threaten to undo the substantial progress made by media and civil society over the last five years. The shift in donor attention from independent media and civil society to psychological operations (military propaganda), quick-fix development interventions or outright warfare have greatly undermined the contributions these two institutions have made and could make in the country's transition. Without Afghan media and civil society playing an active role by facilitating constructive dialogue sustainable development will not be possible. Many of the most successful and trusted Afghan media institutions face the threat of closure or being overtaken by partisan interests. The Afghanistan Media and Civil Society Forum is an effort to redirect government and donor attention on the role media and civil society can play to facilitate a peaceful transformation and sustainable development in the country.