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Afghanistan In 2009: A Survey Of The Afghan People

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  • Afghanistan In 2009: A Survey Of The Afghan People

    From the Asia Foundation, this survey appears to far exceed in scope the ABC/BBC/ARD annual poll. For those interested, the methodology section begins on Pg. 151.

    The survey polled 6406 urban and rural male and female respondents in all 34 provinces. The entire study is 231 pages long so it is, fair to say, detailed in its exploration.

    Valuable reading during the holiday season in my view-

    Afghanistan In 2009: A Survey Of The Afghan People-Asia Foundation
    "This aggression will not stand, man!" Jeff Lebowski
    "The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool." Lester Bangs

  • #2
    Any major conclusions worth noting, for those of us unwilling to wade through the size of the document?

    Comment


    • #3
      uhm you could check the parts where it says "key findings" and "summary" for a start and then see for yourself.

      Comment


      • #4
        Yes, I could. But I was wondering what he found significant and what he wanted to talk about. Is that so wrong?

        Comment


        • #5
          Countezero Reply

          "Any major conclusions worth noting, for those of us unwilling to wade through the size of the document?"

          No.

          Meanwhile, adhere to protocol and please introduce yourself in the new members section at the top of the page that we might learn something about your lazy azz. You might wish to also read Zraver's completely unofficial guide to surviving at WAB.

          It appears his survival guide might be reading that you'll not wish to miss.

          Merry Christmas.:)
          "This aggression will not stand, man!" Jeff Lebowski
          "The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool." Lester Bangs

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Countezero View Post
            Yes, I could. But I was wondering what he found significant and what he wanted to talk about. Is that so wrong?
            Was hoping for the same thing.

            ~String

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by S-2 View Post
              "Any major conclusions worth noting, for those of us unwilling to wade through the size of the document?"

              No.

              Meanwhile, adhere to protocol and please introduce yourself in the new members section at the top of the page that we might learn something about your lazy azz. You might wish to also read Zraver's completely unofficial guide to surviving at WAB.

              It appears his survival guide might be reading that you'll not wish to miss.

              Merry Christmas.:)
              Yeah. Thanks for your incredibly kind welcome. Must be the giving season or something.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Countezero View Post
                Yeah. Thanks for your incredibly kind welcome. Must be the giving season or something.
                Giving works both ways. Welcomes are issued in the Intro Thread.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Countezero View Post
                  Any major conclusions worth noting, for those of us unwilling to wade through the size of the document?
                  Intellectual discourse requires an understanding of the issue at hand and a give and take. If you are unable to read three pages of key findings and seven pages of executive summary (double spaced in larger font - a time requirement of 5-10 minutes to read), then it's quite possible that someone's time will be wasted trying to inform you on their take of these findings/summary (this is not an attempt to attack your IQ, it's simply stating the reality that our time is limited, too, and that only you can demonstrate that you're worth spending our limited time to converse with).

                  You'll find that WABbits are happy to share their analysis, but just as you would in real life, they want to make sure that their not wasting their time on someone who hasn't demonstrated a willingness to be a contributor. If someone walked up to you in a bar and asked you to start summarizing an issue, chances are that you won't get much in return. However, if you walk into the bar, strike up a conversation and provide a give and take, then that person(s) will be more than happy to share their analysis and time with you.

                  Such is WAB - while it's a virtual community, it shares much in common with a non-virtual community. In fact, S-2's given a Christmas present to all by making others aware of this survey and relating it's quality to other surveys that were done in Iraq. Rather than getting all p!ssy, you should be thanking him for this gift.

                  As a final note, if Tarek Morgen had asked for an exec sum/analysis, then he would have gotten it because he's done the same on subject areas where he's learned and demonstrated that he's willing to share his knowledge and not simply take from others.
                  "So little pains do the vulgar take in the investigation of truth, accepting readily the first story that comes to hand." Thucydides 1.20.3

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Julie View Post
                    Giving works both ways. Welcomes are issued in the Intro Thread.
                    I wasn't asking for a welcome. I was asking what he found interesting because I believed that would stimulate a conversation or debate. I wasn't asking for at least two people to be curt and dismissive, either. But such is life...

                    Originally posted by Shek View Post
                    Intellectual discourse requires an understanding of the issue at hand and a give and take. If you are unable to read three pages of key findings and seven pages of executive summary (double spaced in larger font - a time requirement of 5-10 minutes to read), then it's quite possible that someone's time will be wasted trying to inform you on their take of these findings/summary (this is not an attempt to attack your IQ, it's simply stating the reality that our time is limited, too, and that only you can demonstrate that you're worth spending our limited time to converse with).

                    You'll find that WABbits are happy to share their analysis, but just as you would in real life, they want to make sure that their not wasting their time on someone who hasn't demonstrated a willingness to be a contributor. If someone walked up to you in a bar and asked you to start summarizing an issue, chances are that you won't get much in return. However, if you walk into the bar, strike up a conversation and provide a give and take, then that person(s) will be more than happy to share their analysis and time with you.

                    Such is WAB - while it's a virtual community, it shares much in common with a non-virtual community. In fact, S-2's given a Christmas present to all by making others aware of this survey and relating it's quality to other surveys that were done in Iraq. Rather than getting all p!ssy, you should be thanking him for this gift.

                    As a final note, if Tarek Morgen had asked for an exec sum/analysis, then he would have gotten it because he's done the same on subject areas where he's learned and demonstrated that he's willing to share his knowledge and not simply take from others.
                    I can't read any of the report. I am in a foreign country and my internet access is limited. Large attachments are not part of the ballgame right now. I am, however, familiar enough with the ABC/BBC/ARD annual poll that if my question was answered and anything different or new or unique was pointed out to me, I could have commented on it with some success. However, there is apparently quite a large buy-in on this site, in that you have to read protocols and essentially "prove" yourself to people who have no other obvious attribute than the fact they have been here longer than I have. Frankly, I'm not interested in being treated like a freshman, nor should I have to stand for that. Longevity and respect are not the same thing.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Countezero View Post
                      Frankly, I'm not interested in being treated like a freshman, nor should I have to stand for that. Longevity and respect are not the same thing.
                      Well alas you've come to the wrong forum. This is a remarkably open and honest one, a perusal of S-2's personal details would have told you of the background of his professional status as regards the title "Military Professional", and you're as likely to get the same response from him here as if you'd marched in real life onto a military base with no introduction and demanded a precis from an officer.
                      As regards your inability to access PDF's, a simple specific request based on your inability to deal with them would have sufficed.


                      1 Executive Summary
                      1.1 Key Findings
                      • In 2009, 42 percent of respondents say that the country is moving in the right direction.
                      This figure is higher than in 2008 (38%). Similarly, 29 percent feel that the
                      country is moving in the wrong direction compared to 32 percent in 2008, signaling
                      a check on the trend of declining optimism that had been evident since 2006.
                      • The main reason for optimism continues to be good security which has been mentioned
                      by an increasing proportion of respondents each year, from 31 percent in
                      2006 to 44 percent in 2009. More respondents in 2009 also mention reconstruction
                      and rebuilding (36%) and opening of schools for girls (21%) as reasons for optimism
                      than in previous years.
                      • Insecurity also remains the most important reason for pessimism, cited by 42 percent
                      of respondents. However, the proportion of respondents that highlight insecurity in
                      2009 has fallen since 2008 when half of respondents (50%) emphasized this factor.
                      • Insecurity (including attacks, violence and terrorism) is identified as the biggest problem
                      in Afghanistan by over a third of respondents (36%), particularly in the South
                      East (48%), West (44%) and South West (41%). However, concern about other issues
                      such as unemployment (35%), poor economy (20%), corruption (17%), poverty
                      (11%) and education (11%) has increased in 2009 compared to 2008.
                      • A slightly higher proportion of respondents give a positive assessment of the security
                      situation in their local area in 2009 (64%) than in 2008 (62%). Although improvements
                      were reported in almost all regions of the country, it is to be considered
                      that there were greater restrictions on the movement of survey researchers due to
                      security concerns and other reasons in 2009 compared to previous years (refer to
                      Appendix 2: Methodology for details).
                      • Just over half of respondents (51%) say they fear for their personal safety in their
                      local area. However, much higher proportions of respondents report at least sometimes
                      having fears for their safety in the South East (65%), South West (62%) and
                      West (62%), than in other parts of the country. There has also been a significant rise
                      in the incidence of crime and violence experienced by respondents in these regions
                      since 2008.
                      4 Afghanistan in 2009
                      • Seventeen percent of respondents report that they or someone in their family have
                      been victims of violence or crime in the past year. Nearly one in ten victims of
                      violence report that this was due to the actions of militias and insurgents (9%) or
                      foreign forces (9%). The incidence of victimization from military type actions has
                      been rising steadily since 2007. Violence resulting from militant/insurgent actions is
                      mentioned most often in the Central/Hazarajat (24%), East (17%), Central/Kabul
                      (11%), South East (9%) and South West (8%). Whereas violence due to the actions
                      of foreign forces is most commonly reported in the South West (22%), South East
                      (11%) and East (10%).
                      • The proportion of respondents who express fear to vote in a national election rose
                      significantly between 2008 and 2009 (from 45% to 51%). This is now true for the
                      majority of respondents in the South West (79%), South East (68%), West (61%)
                      and East (56%) of the country.
                      • In 2009, Afghans give a more positive assessment of their economic situation than
                      in previous years, although this prosperity is not evenly shared. Considerably more
                      urban respondents (63%) than rural residents (52%) say they are more prosperous
                      today than they were under the Taliban.
                      • Unemployment continues to feature amongst the most important problems at both
                      national (35%) and local (26%) levels. Other major problems at the local level concern
                      basic infrastructure and services such as electricity (26%), roads (24%), water
                      (22%) and lack of health care/clinics/hospitals (20%), as in previous years.
                      • In terms of local amenities and services, respondents continue to report the greatest
                      satisfaction with the availability of education for children (67%), water for drinking
                      (63%) and irrigation (53%) and clinics and hospitals (49%).
                      • Around two-thirds of respondents (65%) say that the supply of electricity in their
                      local areas is bad and a third of respondents (33%) report having no access to any
                      kind of electricity. This is significantly lower than in previous years.
                      • Assessments of the performance of the national government have risen slightly from
                      67 percent in 2008 to 71 percent in 2009. The most commonly mentioned achievements
                      of the current government are reconstruction (32%), establishing peace and
                      security (27%) and a better education system (26%). The most commonly mentioned
                      government failings are insecurity (31%), administrative corruption (29%), lack of
                      job opportunities (20%), weak economy (15%) and weak government (13%).
                      • The majority of respondents (71%) support the government’s attempts to address
                      the security situation through negotiation and reconciliation with armed anti-government elements. The high level of support for this approach is likely to be influenced
                      by the fact that a majority of respondents (56%) say they have some level of
                      sympathy with the motivations of armed opposition groups.
                      • Confidence in representative bodies and their responsiveness to addressing issues of
                      local concern remains relatively high. Sixty-eight percent of respondents say parliament
                      is addressing the major problems of people in Afghanistan and 58 percent
                      say that their MP is addressing the major problems of their constituency in the
                      Parliament. Satisfaction with the performance of MPs in this regards shows a small
                      improvement in 2009 compared to 2008.
                      • At the local level respondents give the most positive assessment of the performance
                      of Provincial Councils (75%), followed by district authorities (69%) and municipalities
                      (58%). However, in 2009 satisfaction with the performance of municipal
                      authorities has increased while satisfaction with Provincial Councils and district authorities
                      has remained stable.
                      • In 2009, a significantly higher proportion of respondents than in previous years
                      mention freedom (50%) and peace (41%) as the greatest personal benefits they expect
                      from democracy. This year respondents give greater importance to core democratic
                      values such as rights and law (24%), women’s right (21%), government of the
                      people (19%) and Islamic democracy (23%). However, they show less confidence in
                      the likelihood of democracy delivering more tangible benefits such as less corruption
                      (17%) or prosperity (15%).
                      • The proportion of respondents who say that democracy is the best form of government
                      available continues to fall, from 84 percent in 2006 to 78 percent in 2009.
                      However, since 2008 there has been no change in the level of satisfaction with the
                      way democracy is working in Afghanistan (68%).
                      • Agreement with the principle of equal rights continues to fall over time, from 90
                      percent in 2006 and 2007 to 84 percent in 2008 and to 80 percent in 2009. The same
                      is true of support for the principle of peaceful political opposition which has fallen
                      from 84 percent in 2006 to 77 percent in 2009. There is also a decline in the acceptance
                      of differences in political allegiances between individuals, from 54 percent in
                      2006 to 40 percent in 2009. However, support for allowing opposition parties to hold
                      local meetings rose significantly from 44 percent in 2008 to 54 percent in 2009.
                      • 2009 sees a certain renewed confidence in the electoral process. Seventy percent
                      of respondents say they believe that voting can lead to improvement, reversing the
                      trend of the last two years. This is accompanied by a steady rise in the proportion6 Afghanistan in 2009
                      of respondents who say they can have some degree of influence over government
                      decisions from 36 percent in 2006 to 42 percent in 2009.
                      • 2009 also sees a significant rise in public confidence in a number of election-related institutions
                      including the Independent Election Commission (from 58% in 2008 to 67%
                      in 2009) and political parties (47%, which is the highest recorded figure since 2006).
                      • The survey was conducted in June 2009 with the Presidential and Provincial Council elections
                      scheduled for August. Two months before the elections 82 percent of respondents
                      were aware of the elections and 77 percent had registered to vote. Voter registration
                      was significantly higher amongst men (85%) than women (69%). Around three quarters
                      (73%) of those who had not registered said they did not know where to do this.
                      • Seventy-three percent of registered voters said they were likely to vote including
                      48 percent who said this was very likely. However, significant proportions in the
                      South West (35%), South East (29%), Central/Kabul (27%) and West (25%) said
                      they were unlikely to vote. The proportion of respondents who report having no
                      interest in participating in the elections rose sharply in 2009, and has more than
                      doubled since 2004 (from 12% to 16% in 2005, 18% in 2008 and 26% in 2009).
                      Security concerns were also prevalent (18%), particularly in the South East (25%)
                      and South West (30%).
                      • Sixty-four percent of respondents said that the upcoming elections would be free
                      and fair. Those who thought otherwise identified a range of potential problems
                      including cheating in the vote count (39%) and buying of votes (33%). Only a small
                      proportion mentioned intimidation against voters or party activists (8%). Doubts
                      about the elections being free and fair were highest in the South West (37%), South
                      East (29%), Central/Kabul (25%) and West (23%) regions.
                      • Views on freedom of expression continue to be divided. Forty percent of respondents
                      say that most people feel free to express their opinions but an almost equal proportion
                      (39%) say they do not. The proportion of respondents who say it is unacceptable
                      to talk negatively about the government continues to fall, from 69% in 2007 to
                      61 percent in 2009. The proportion who mention poor local security conditions as a
                      barrier to freedom of expression is also lower in 2009 (29%) than in any previous year
                      (40% in 2006, 36% in 2007, 38% in 2008), although there is a small increase in those
                      who explicitly mention a threat from the Taliban (21%) compared to 2008 (18%).
                      • Support for consultation with religious leaders in government decision-making and
                      to resolve local problems continues to rise, with the highest levels of support in the
                      East (82%), and South West (72%) of the country.
                      • As in previous years, education and illiteracy (49%) remain the major problems
                      facing women in Afghanistan. However, over the same period there has been a
                      consistent rise in the proportion of respondents who identify the lack of employment
                      opportunities for women as a significant issue, from two percent in 2006 to 19
                      percent in 2007, 24 percent in 2008 and 28 percent in 2009.
                      • Stated support for gender equality remains high, including equal educational
                      opportunities (87%) and women’s right to vote (83%). The proportion who say that
                      women should be allowed to work outside the home has decreased marginally each
                      year from 71 percent in 2006 to its lowest level in 2009 (67%).
                      • Results in 2009 also show a significant decline in support for female representation
                      in governance bodies at all levels compared to previous years.
                      • Radio remains the most accessible media for Afghan household, particularly in rural
                      areas. However there has been a steady decline in radio ownership and radio listenership
                      since 2007. The proportion of respondents who get their information from
                      Television continues to rise but is still largely confined to urban areas.
                      • 2009 saw a dramatic rise in mobile telephone ownership compared to previous years.
                      This has meant that for the first time the majority of respondents (52%) now have
                      access to this technology.
                      1.2 Summary
                      In 2009, more respondents say that the country is moving in the right direction and
                      fewer say it is going in the wrong direction than in 2008, signaling a check on the
                      trend of declining optimism that had been evident since 2006.
                      Security continues to remain a key concern for Afghans and a critical factor by
                      which they judge the progress and direction of their country’s development. The
                      survey data in 2009 suggests that there have been some improvements in this area
                      and that respondents have a more positive view of the security situation than has
                      been the case in the past two years1. Good security is mentioned by an increasing
                      proportion of respondents each year as the main reason for optimism. Insecurity
                      remains the most important reason for pessimism; however, fewer respondents
                      cited this reason in 2009 than in 2008. A slightly higher proportion of respondents
                      1 It should be considered that in 2009 survey researchers faced much greater restrictions on their movements
                      due to security concerns than in previous years. For the 2009 survey, more than 100 randomly
                      selected sampling points across the country were inaccessible due to security reasons (see Appendix 2:
                      Methodology).
                      In the realm of spirit, seek clarity; in the material world, seek utility.

                      Leibniz

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Countezero View Post
                        I can't read any of the report. I am in a foreign country and my internet access is limited. Large attachments are not part of the ballgame right now. I am, however, familiar enough with the ABC/BBC/ARD annual poll that if my question was answered and anything different or new or unique was pointed out to me, I could have commented on it with some success. However, there is apparently quite a large buy-in on this site, in that you have to read protocols and essentially "prove" yourself to people who have no other obvious attribute than the fact they have been here longer than I have. Frankly, I'm not interested in being treated like a freshman, nor should I have to stand for that. Longevity and respect are not the same thing.
                        Buy-in is actually pretty low. Demonstrate you're not a teenage fan boy, someone who's trying to get the answer or research to a college essay, or someone who simply likes to opine, and you're good to go. It only takes a few posts to establish that one doesn't fit into this category with a large degree of certainty.

                        As far as reading forum rules and unofficial rules, I'll return to the bar analogy. If you're not a regular, then it's smart to take some time to observe your surroundings and catch up to local customs. It doesn't mean you can't come in full of piss and vinegar, you just have make sure that you're looking to become part of the crowd.
                        "So little pains do the vulgar take in the investigation of truth, accepting readily the first story that comes to hand." Thucydides 1.20.3

                        Comment

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