The term diaspora refers to individuals who have migrated from their homeland due to various factors such as war, political instability, and economic or social challenges. These groups maintain cultural, social, and even economic ties with their country of origin. The responsibilities that diaspora communities shoulder while living abroad can be outlined as follows:
1) Preserving Cultural Identity: The diaspora has to safeguard its cultural identity and language and pass them on to future generations. This effort helps reinforce cultural values and heritage.
2) Maintaining Ties with the Homeland: The diaspora continuously maintains connections with its people and, whenever possible, provides financial assistance and investments.
3) Supporting Fellow Citizens: Diaspora members can offer financial and Humanitarian Support to their communities and compatriots.
4) Building Social Networks: They can take steps to establish social networks in their host countries, using these platforms to inform the world about their homeland’s issues.
5) The diaspora can participate in the political landscape of their host nations, becoming a voice for those who remain trapped in their home country.
6) Sharing Experiences: Diaspora members can exchange their experiences with compatriots to contribute to the country’s development.
The Afghanistan Diaspora
With the collapse of the republican government in August 2021, not only did the values of the past two decades disintegrate, but a large number of educated individuals, elites, and former government employees also chose the path of migration due to political, social, and economic restrictions. This wave of migration added to Afghanistan’s pre-existing diaspora. The key question now is: Do the political leaders who have left the country count as part of the diaspora? Is the current situation a result of their flawed perspectives and the inefficacy of political leaders and ethnic elites? And after the Taliban, will these political figures be willing to cede power to competent and technocratic individuals?
Response One: Based on the definition of the diaspora, it typically consists of groups forced to migrate due to instability created by others. However, the majority of Afghanistan’s political leaders were themselves responsible for instability and the collapse of the system. After the Bonn Conference, most of these leaders held positions within the government and amassed immense wealth. They never truly believed in democracy, power-sharing, or wealth distribution. Elections, meant to be the foundation of democracy, became merely a tool for seizing more power and resources. Furthermore, their role within political parties and pressure groups was primarily for personal, partisan, and ethnic interests, rejecting any consideration beyond their immediate circles. Now, having fled the country with their amassed wealth, they have secured comfortable and luxurious lives for themselves and their families. The responsibilities traditionally associated with the diaspora do not apply to this group. The meetings they organize primarily serve to negotiate ways to regain a share of power either with the Taliban or in a post-Taliban era. The structure of these gatherings suggests that most of these figures, who previously rose to prominence through ethnic, regional, and factional affiliations, are now striving to return to power through similar means.
Response Two: The current conditions in Afghanistan were laid down by political leaders during and after the Bonn Conference. While the conference was meant to mark the beginning of a new order for Afghanistan and lay the foundation for a stable, program-driven system, the presence of warlords and jihadist factions instead created an oligarchic regime. These groups, with their militant pasts, treated democracy merely as a mechanism for accumulating more power, with no genuine intent to institutionalize democratic values within Afghan society. They were fully aware that if democracy became a deeply ingrained societal practice, there would be no place for them or their families in positions of power. Thus, they deliberately exacerbated ethnic and regional divisions to prolong their grip on power and accumulate wealth, a strategy that proved successful for many of them. Their inefficiency and greed ultimately paved the way for the Taliban’s return, just as they had facilitated the group’s initial rise to power decades
Response Three: Now, the Taliban consider themselves the undisputed rulers of Afghanistan and dismiss these political leaders entirely. However, in 2017, during a conference held in Russia, some of these very leaders stood alongside the Taliban against the former government. At that time, the Taliban hinted at including them in the post-republic structure, but in reality, they never intended to do so. The political figures who now position themselves as part of the Afghan diaspora and participate in discussions on Afghanistan’s future do so purely for personal, group, or partisan gains. If the Taliban regime were to collapse tomorrow and the opportunity for their return arose, they would once again seize power without any intention of sharing it with the educated and competent. Their worldview remains centered on individual and familial dominance. Their approach to power is hereditary and feudalistic, seeing democracy merely as a tool for administrative convenience. Ethnicity, language, and regional affiliations serve as instruments for securing their share of power.
Overall, those who played a role in shaping the republican system and exploited it for personal and factional gains do not qualify as part of the diaspora. The diaspora has a clear status and responsibilities towards their people. Meanwhile, many of these political-ethnic leaders are primarily focused on reclaiming power, either under the current regime or post-Taliban. It would be more beneficial for these figures to step into history, allowing space for ethnic plurality and equitable power distribution based on expertise, merit, and commitment. The true Afghan diaspora must distance itself from these figures and seek pragmatic, globally informed solutions for Afghanistan’s future.
You can read the Persian version of this analysis here:
