German Feminist Foreign Policy - Speech by Luise Amtsberg Speech The German Federal Government presented its Feminist Foreign Policy strategy on 1 March 2023. This ten-point strategy was discussed by Luise Amtsberg, Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Assistance, during of the colloquium "Feminist Foreign Policy: from ambitions to actions" of 6 April 6 2023 organised by the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Paris office and the association Women In International Security - WIIS France.
Higher education in Taliban’s Afghanistan Interview The unexpected ban of secondary school education of girls on 23 March 2022 by the Taliban authority was condemned by the international community. Professor Michael Daxner, who has been actively involved in the higher education sector in Afghanistan for the last several years, gives an overview of challenges currently faced. By Sarah Weiß
Feminist foreign policy in action: exiled Afghan women MPs in Greece Commentary Afghan women political representatives want to establish a parliament in exile in Greece: reason enough for me to pay them a visit and show my support. By Hannah Neumann
Do no harm? How the case of Afghanistan sheds light on the dark practice of biometric intervention Commentary In August 2021, as US military forces exited Afghanistan, the Taliban seized facial recognition systems, highlighting just how a failure to protect people’s privacy can tangibly threaten their physical safety and human rights. Far from being good tools which fell into the wrong hands, the very existence of these systems is part of broader structures of data extraction and exploitation spanning continents and centuries, with a history wrapped up in imperialism, colonialism and control. By Ella Jakubowska
About soul and sovereignty: our reaction to Ursula von der Leyen’s 2021 State of the Union address Commentary In her 2021 State of the Union address, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen appealed to Europe’s soul, which, she said, has been tested to the core in times of multiple crises. The team of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union did its own soul-searching, pointing at the good, the not-so-good and the missing in von der Leyen’s speech. By Eva van de Rakt , Lisa Tostado , Martin Keim , Anna Schwarz , Zora Siebert and Joan Lanfranco
Afghanistan forces digital-ethics reckoning Analysis The Taliban takeover in Kabul, the frantic evacuation efforts of foreign nationals and vulnerable Afghans, and the fear among those left behind of being targeted by the new regime are shining a spotlight on the double-edged nature of government data collection as well as digital communication tools in times of crisis. By Angela Chen
In the name of the European Union: on the significance of words Commentary In recent days, there has been a lot of talk in the EU about an emerging “wave of refugees” or “migration disaster”. However, the real disaster is the failure of Western governments to rescue people from Afghanistan who deserve our protection, the Director of our office in Brussels, Eva van de Rakt, comments. By Eva van de Rakt
The Taliban are back in control: what next for Afghan migration in and outside of the country? Background The Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in recent days has brought new dimensions of human suffering and political crisis. Afghans are fearful of encountering hostile environments in their neighbouring countries and, in the case of Pakistan, possible security threats for ethnic and religious minorities. By Dr. Sanaa Alimia
Friend or foe? Redefining Turkey's Afghanistan Policy Outside NATO Analysis Turkish President Erdogan, usually a friend of many and often harsh words, needed almost a week before he took a stand on the Taliban takeover in Kabul. By Kristian Brakel
Afghanistan: return of the Taliban Dossier With the dramatic takeover of power by the Taliban following the abrupt end of NATO's 20-year mission, Afghanistan is drifting into an uncertain political future. Our dossier offers insights into current developments and debates in Afghanistan, the region and Europe.