The international community is failing in Afghanistan. The Taliban insurgency is spreading and has taken over large parts of neighboring, nuclear-armed Pakistan. Meanwhile, Europe and the U.S. find themselves at odds over troop contributions to the region, India and Pakistan continue to struggle for influence in Afghanistan, and the region now has to compete with a global financial crisis for the attention it deserves.

The approach of the last eight years is simply not working. Stability in Afghanistan requires new, innovative ideas that focus on the needs of Afghans and engage the country’s neighbors as well as remote powers such as the U.S., the EU, Russia, India, and Saudi Arabia.

The EastWest Institute is meeting this challenge by convening all possible stakeholders for frank, off-the-record discussions that reframe the debate on Afghan security and develop new strategies to finally bring peace to Afghanistan.  We are mobilizing our networks in Beijing, Delhi, Islamabad, Tehran, Moscow, Brussels, and Washington, and we’re using our reputation as a trusted intermediary to engage tribal, business, and religious leaders in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

In particular, EWI is working to reframe the relationship between Afghanistan and its neighbors by working to find cooperative strategies to manage the region's water resources. We are working to use this common concern to build trust in the region and help create a foundation for cooperation in other areas as well.