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The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented health, economic and social shock. In Afghanistan, this has affected all facets of modern life, including shutting downeducation institutions across the country in mid-March.

As part of lockdown measures, the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector saw the closure of 300 TVET schools and institutes. Workplace closures had also meant that apprentices under in-formal training known as the Ostad-Shagerdi system had lost both training opportunities and livelihoods. While learning loss is a concern for the education community as a whole, TVET systems are disproportionately vulnerable given the higher share of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and the remoteness of many students. Prolonged disengagement could increase the risk of attrition and dropouts.

To mitigate the impact of school closures, distance learning approaches have emerged as a popular solution. Countries around the world have pivoted towards a mix of online, television and radio broadcasts to allow learning continuity for students. Despite high hopes, however, there is a growing recognition that the digital divide is widening pre-existing gaps across wealth and geographical lines, often leaving the most vulnerable students behind.

In Afghanistan, many students especially those in rural areas have limited or infrequent access to communications infrastructure. A 2019 Asia Foundation survey found that household internet penetration remains low (31% in urban and 9.0% in rural), while the share of television (91% vs 57%) and radio (62% vs 42%) ownership is higher, but not universal. While most households have at least one member with a mobile phone, many students may not have access to these devices for educational purposes.

TVET delivery through a distance learning is further complicated due to its focus on hands-on training. While the theoretical elements of the curriculum are suited to media broadcasts, most TVET pedagogy relies on demonstration of practical work, specialized equipment and learning-by-doing.

Getting Ahead of the ProblemFaced with a complex set of constraints, policy makers at Afghanistans TVET-Authority (TVETA) developed an Alternative Learning Plan, to ensure its 60,000 students can stay connected to the TVET system.

The plan, supported under the Second Afghanistan Skills Development Project, adapted many of the global good practices to the Afghan context emphasizing simplicity for quick roll out, localized solutions to account for ground realities, and provision through multiple modalities to reach and meet the needs of heterogeneous, hard-to-reach student groups.

First, it was clear that tech solutions were not the main answer for the large majority of students. Given that many students do not have access to digital devices or Internet connectivity, the immediate response prioritized paper-based approaches. The TVET-Authority quickly mobilized its curriculum experts to develop physical chapter note packages for priority trades with the highest student enrollment. These packages are designed to facilitate self-study, providing additional scaffolding through self-instructional plans, supplementary guidelines, and explanatory notes from teachers. The Authority has identified various ways of distributing them to the students, including establishing collection points such as schools in the provinces.

Second, to compensate for the lack of practical instruction, TVETA is preparing a collection of video tutorials to supplement the chapter notes. This involves filming high caliber lead teachers delivering both theoretical content and practical demonstrations. These are slated to be delivered through a range of television and radio broadcasts, and online channels, but also through the physical distribution of CDs and flash-drives directly to the students.

Third, as part of a broader shift to expand distance learning, TVETA also plans to roll out a learning management platform. The e-learning platform will serve as content repository, while a telephone-based helpdesk will provide support and information to students, families, and TVET teachers, and allow TVETA to track implementation progress.

While online platforms may mainly be accessible to urban students for now, these investments balance the need for an immediate response, while building capacity for future growth of the sector. Afghanistans TVET Strategy (2020 2024) envisions distance learning as key path to introduce flexibility to skills delivery and broaden access to underserved groups. This includes targeted interventions for women and girls, youth with low literacy, returning migrants, ex-combatants and those with disabilities.

The Human Capital AgendaThe skills sector can play an outsized role in fragile contexts. Access to marketable skills can provide young people an opportunity to access better livelihoods, in addition to strengthening social cohesion and resilience.

In the short term, TVET can be an essential part of the emergency response, providing skills required to mitigate the negative impacts of the pandemic. As countries emerge from lockdowns, the TVET sector will be central to their economic recovery strategy. Ms. Nadima Sahar, the Director General of the TVET Authority in Afghanistan is convinced that skills development is critical to the human capital agenda and national economic recovery and growth in Afghanistan given its large youth population, informal economy and nascent education sector.

See more here:
Multi-modal TVET delivery during COVID-19: Expanding access to continued learning in Afghanistan - World Bank Group

Afghanistan government's cabinet committee okayed inclusion of mother's name on national identity cards of the country that is battling the deep-rooted misogyny in its society. Afghan cabinet's legal committee has made a proposal to amend the census law so that mother's name can be included in the national identity card of a person.

The proposal needs approval from the Afghan Parliament and assent of Afghan President, it is expected that these steps will not take much time.

Patriarchal set up still defines Afghan society and women are almost always represented with respect to men in thge family. The thought runs so deep that even graves of women has her identity described in relation with men in the family.

Although nod by Afghan cabinet committee is a small step in the right direction, fate of women's rights is coming in question as power sharing deals go on between the Afghan Government and Taliban.

During Taliban rule, unimaginable limitations were imposed on women in all areas of life, Be it personal, social, marital or any conduct, women in Afghanistan were forced to adhere to draconian edicts defined by teh Taliban. Those found 'flouting' rules were subjeted to horrific punishments that even included public executions.

Afghanistan has not even had a census from the 1970s. The national ID card is a step in that direction.

Excerpt from:
Afghan govt cabinet committee gives nod to inclusion of mother`s name on national ID cards - WION

HappyWednesdayand welcome to Overnight Defense.I'm Rebecca Kheel, and here's your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.CLICK HERE to subscribe to the newsletter.

THE TOPLINE: The Trump administration stepped up its campaign against the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday, slapping sanctions on its chief prosecutor amid her ongoing investigation into alleged U.S. war crimes in Afghanistan.

Calling the ICC a thoroughly broken and corrupted institution, Secretary of State Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard PompeoOvernight Defense: US sanctions ICC prosecutor amid probe of alleged US war crimes in Afghanistan | Senators urge Pentagon to keep Stars and Stripes running Pompeo: State Department review found GOP convention speech lawful Senate Democrats raise concerns over ability of US overseas voters to cast ballots MORE announced sanctions against chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda.

Sanctions are also being levied against Phakiso Mochochoko, the courts head of jurisdiction, for having materially assisted Bensouda, Pompeo said.

The United States has never ratified the Rome Statute that created the court, and we will not tolerate its illegitimate attempts to subject Americans to its jurisdiction, Pompeo said at a news conference.

Courts response: The ICC condemned Wednesday's sanctions as "another attempt to interfere with the court's judicial and prosecutorial independence."

"These coercive acts, directed at an international judicial institution and its civil servants, are unprecedented and constitute serious attacks against the court, the Rome Statute system of international criminal justice and the rule of law more generally," the court said in a statement.

Background: In 2017, Bensouda requested permission from the court to open a formal investigation into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan, including allegations against U.S. troops, after having conducted a preliminary investigation since 2006. The court authorized her investigation in March.

In response, the Trump administration revoked Bensoudas visa last year.

Earlier this year, President TrumpDonald John TrumpKenosha mayor lifts curfew citing several 'peaceful' nights MSNBC's Joy Reid concedes 'framing' of Muslim comments 'didn't work' Conway says even more 'hidden, undercover' Trump voters will help him win reelection MORE also signed an executive order authorizing sanctions against ICC officials involved in the Afghanistan investigation. The sanctions announced Wednesday were imposed pursuant to that order.

The Trump administration has also railed against the ICC for its ongoing preliminary investigation into alleged war crimes in the Palestinian territories, including Israels settlement policy.

SENATORS BACK STARS AND STRIPES FUNDING: A bipartisan group of senators is calling on the Defense Department to reinstate funding for Stars and Stripes, the editorially independent military newspaper whose future was put in doubt earlier this year after the Pentagon proposed shifting money away from the outlet.

In a letter sent to Defense Secretary Mark EsperMark EsperOvernight Defense: US sanctions ICC prosecutor amid probe of alleged US war crimes in Afghanistan | Senators urge Pentagon to keep Stars and Stripes running Senators call on Pentagon to reinstate funding for Stars and Stripes newspaper Overnight Defense: China aims to double nuclear arsenal | Fort Hood commander removed after string of deaths MORE on Wednesday, the senators argued that funding for the newspaper represented a tiny fraction of the department's annual budget and that cutting it could have a "significantly negative impact on military families."

"We understand that DoD plans to cease publication of Stars and Stripes on September 30, 2020 and completely dissolve the organization by January 31, 2021 as a result of the proposed termination of funding in the fiscal year 2021 President's budget," the letter said.

The letter was organized by Sen. Dianne FeinsteinDianne Emiel FeinsteinOvernight Defense: US sanctions ICC prosecutor amid probe of alleged US war crimes in Afghanistan | Senators urge Pentagon to keep Stars and Stripes running Senators call on Pentagon to reinstate funding for Stars and Stripes newspaper Hillicon Valley: Twitter flags Trump campaign tweet of Biden clip as manipulated media | Democrats demand in-person election security briefings resume | Proposed rules to protect power grid raise concerns MORE (D-Calif.) and co-signed by a bipartisan group of 14 other senators.

The Pentagon and Stars and Stripes did not immediately return requests for comment from The Hill.

Context: The Pentagons proposed fiscal year 2021 budget called for eliminating the $15.5 million in federal funding that goes to Stars and Stripes.

But Congress, as they say, is the one that has the power of the purse.

The Houses fiscal 2021 defense spending bill includes funding for Stars and Stripes. The Senate has yet to release its fiscal 2021 defense spending bill (or any other spending bills for that matter), but nine of the letters signatories are on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Congress is instead expected to pass a stopgap spending measure known as a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government open after the fiscal year ends. And, as the senators note in their letter, CRs typically prohibit any changes in programs, including ending them.

We seek your written assurance that the Department will comply with this obligation and avoid steps that would preempt the funding prerogatives of Congress, the senators wrote.

REPATRIATED ISIS FIGHTER PLEADS GUILTY: A 23-year-old Dallas man pleaded guilty to a terrorism charge after allegedly spending five years handling communications for ISIS, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

Omer Kuzu admitted that he left Texas with his brother, Yusuf, for Turkey in 2014 and was then picked up by an ISIS taxi, according to court documents. They then stayed in several waiting houses before ending up in Mosul, Iraq.

There, he and 40 others allegedly underwent five days of physical and weapons training led by ISIS instructors.

Kuzu was one of 1,500 suspected ISIS fighters that were captured in March 2019 by Syrian Democratic Forces. He was handed over to the FBI and was charged with conspiring to provide material support material to ISIS.

His sentencing is set for January 2021. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

ON TAP FOR TOMORROW

David Stilwell, assistant secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific affairs, will speak at a U.S. Institute of Peace event previewing the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum at 9 a.m. https://bit.ly/32RwItR

Lee Soo-hyuck, South Koreas ambassador to the United States, will participate in the Institute for Korean Studies at The George Washington Universitys Korea Policy Forum at 10 a.m. https://bit.ly/2QKCtnE

Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. John Nowell Jr. will speak at a virtual U.S. Navy Memorial SITREP Speaker Series event at 1 p.m. https://bit.ly/2YZyeco

ICYMI

-- The Hill: White House calls poisoning of Putin critic 'completely reprehensible'

-- The Hill: Pompeo announces restrictions on Chinese diplomats in US

-- The Hill: Senate Democrats raise concerns over ability of US overseas voters to cast ballots

-- Associated Press: Soldier to receive Medal of Honor for Iraq hostage rescue

-- Bloomberg: Oracle loses appeal in $10 billion Pentagon contract fight

-- USA Today: Where are the Black officers? US Army shows diversity in its ranks but few promotions to the top

See the rest here:
Overnight Defense: US sanctions ICC prosecutor amid probe of alleged US war crimes in Afghanistan | Senators urge Pentagon to keep Stars and Stripes...

Having questioned the suspect, the Prosecutor of the Prosecutors Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina in charge of this case has put forward a motion with the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina seeking the measure of custody to be ordered in relation to the suspectIsmail Faisal, born in 2001 in Khabul, a citizen of Afghanistan.

The suspect had been discovered and deprived of liberty by the police officers of the Border Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina while, for the purpose of acquiring unlawful material gain, he had been smuggling by boat across the Drina River a total of ten (10) illegal migrants from Afghanistan, who did not meet the conditions for a legal entry and stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and who were intended to be smuggled further to EU countries.

The said actions are in contravention of Article 6 of the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, Supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, and in violation of the applicable laws in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Following the deprivation of liberty, the suspect was handed over to the Prosecutors Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, whereas the discovered illegal migrants were turned over to the care of the Service for Foreigners Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The motion for custody has been put forward due to the risk of the suspects flight, in view of the fact that the suspect is a foreign citizen who would become inaccessible to the judicial authorities of our country if he left Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The aforementioned suspect is under investigation for the criminal offense of the Smuggling of Persons, referred to in Article 189 of the Criminal Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Intensive investigation in the case continues.

See the rest here:
One Citizen of Afghanistan in Custody for Migrants' Smuggling from Bosnia and Herzegovina to the EU - Sarajevo Times

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani holds up a resolution on the last day of a traditional council known as a Loya Jirga, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 9. The council concluded with hundreds of delegates agreeing to free 400 Taliban members, paving the way for an early start to negotiations between Afghanistan's warring sides. AP hide caption

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani holds up a resolution on the last day of a traditional council known as a Loya Jirga, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 9. The council concluded with hundreds of delegates agreeing to free 400 Taliban members, paving the way for an early start to negotiations between Afghanistan's warring sides.

Updated on Aug. 19 at 8:53 a.m. ET

To pave the way for historic peace talks, the Afghan government is freeing thousands of Taliban detainees in phases, including men accused of one the deadliest attack in nearly two decades of insurgency: a 2017 truck bombing in Kabul that killed more than 150 people.

"We would like to end this violence," says Sediq Sediqqi, spokesman for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. "We would like to make sure that the Taliban understands and realizes the opportunity of peace."

But despite the prisoner release, analysts say the Afghan government has been delaying talks to wait for the U.S. election results. "The Kabul government does seem to be holding out for a Biden presidency," says Kate Clark, co-director of the Kabul-based Afghan Analysts Network.

In doing so, the Afghan government risks peace talks collapsing, and could be blamed by its main backer, the United States. The government may also anger Afghans who see the release of Taliban prisoners as a hefty sacrifice.

"This is a unique opportunity in which we might get to some level of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan," says Orzala Nemat, director of the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit, a Kabul-based think tank. "We should not miss that opportunity."

This is a unique opportunity in which we might get to some level of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan.

Orzala Nemat, director of the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit

The talks aim to end more than four decades of near continuous conflict in Afghanistan, including 19 years of insurgency, by negotiating a power-sharing agreement with the Taliban. But mistrust in the intentions of the Taliban and the Trump administration intentions runs deep among Afghan officials and the Afghan public, analysts say.

To understand why, travel back to a ballroom of an upscale hotel of marble and gold in Qatar. There, on Feb. 29, Taliban supporters shouted "God is Great!" as their senior negotiator, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, signed a historic agreement with U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad. That deal called for most foreign forces to withdraw from Afghanistan by next April. The Taliban promised not to attack U.S. and NATO troops, or shelter militants like al-Qaida.

"The peace process is driven by Washington," says Clark. "And it's driven, I would say, by the desire to get troops out of Afghanistan." She says that immediately concerned Afghan officials who worried it signaled a broader abandonment of the country.

Already, U.S. troops have scaled back from more than 14,000 to more than 8,000 with plans to draw down to about 5,000 by November. Other NATO forces are scaling back in tandem.

The deal also called for the release of up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners in exchange for 1,000 Afghan security forces held by the insurgents as a confidence-building measure to precede negotiations between delegations.

Taliban prisoners are released from Pul-e-Charkhi jail in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 13. The government is releasing Taliban prisoners to pave the way for negotiations between the warring sides in Afghanistan's protracted conflict. Afghanistan's National Security Council via AP hide caption

Taliban prisoners are released from Pul-e-Charkhi jail in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 13. The government is releasing Taliban prisoners to pave the way for negotiations between the warring sides in Afghanistan's protracted conflict.

The Afghan government was not party to the deal, but promised to uphold those uneven terms after pressure by the U.S, according to Andrew Watkins, senior Afghanistan analyst at the International Crisis Group. The authorities in Kabul "don't really have much of a choice other than to do what a lot of their supporters would view as open capitulation to the Taliban," he says.

The prisoner swap and subsequent talks were supposed to begin within 10 days of the deal. Five and a half months later, the government is still releasing some of the last batch of 400 insurgents.

"The Afghan government, has not displayed a sense of urgency in starting the talks and certainly not urgency to the degree that the Americans have hoped for," Watkins says.

In fact, while the U.S. and the Taliban were signing their agreement in Qatar, the Afghan president was feuding with his rival and former deputy, Abdullah Abdullah, over the outcome of controversial September elections. Their dispute only began being resolved in late March after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned he would cut $1 billion in aid.

Distrust abounds

Analysts say the Afghan government does not trust the Taliban's intentions after all, the militants are still attacking Afghan forces.

"Are they intent on reaching a political agreement through negotiations, or [are] the discussions primarily a means of getting the U.S. military off the battlefield, getting large numbers of prisoners out before a military push on Kabul?" Clark says.

Nemat, director of the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit, believes that trusting the Taliban is a steep task for most Afghans. "The only thing I see changing is their behavior in their conversations a little bit with the foreigners," she says.

There is no Plan B for Afghanistan.

Kate Clark, co-director of the Afghan Analysts Network

Above all, Clark and Watkins say, the government doubts the Trump administration will support it through the negotiation process. Kabul officials would feel under pressure to reach substantive agreements by the time foreign forces withdraw in April 2021, the analysts say. The authorities worry they'll have little leverage to preserve the gains the country has made in the past two decades, like their constitution and advances in women's rights.

Two people close to the government negotiators echoed the substance of what the analysts said. They spoke to NPR on condition of anonymity because they didn't want to anger Afghan or U.S. officials.

The Afghan president underlined his concerns in an op-ed in The Washington Post on Friday. "The international community will play an important role as facilitators and mediators of the talks, ensuring that momentum, and a level playing field, are maintained," he wrote. "Our international partners must also continue to stand firm for the values and principles in which we have all invested for 20 years."

But several Ghani administration officials refute the accusation of foot-dragging and say they believe the United States will continue to support the Afghan government throughout negotiations. They requested anonymity because peace talks are not part of their direct purview.

Intizar Khadim, the director for peace and civilian protection at Afghanistan's National Security Council, says any delays are largely a matter of logistics. He rejects the Taliban's claim that it has released the 1,000 Afghan security forces required by the deal. "We also expect releases should start by the Taliban side as well. Releases should be reciprocal," he says.

U.S. envoy Khalilzad says Afghans should trust America. "As we have supported the Afghan people for the past 19 years, so do we now support Afghan men and women to achieve the sustainable peace for which they have long yearned," he wrote in a recent tweet.

A Biden withdrawal

But one of the Afghan sources close to the negotiating team contrasts how he predicts the troop withdrawal would be under Joe Biden. "The withdrawal will be responsible and organized. It will not happen D.C. morning time with a tweet," he says.

He explains that Afghan negotiators believe the presumptive Democratic nominee will listen to bipartisan security advisers and not make hasty decisions.

However, the Crisis Group's Watkins says "it would be a big mistake for the Afghan government to hope for a significant difference between President Trump and a hypothetical President Biden's desire to withdraw from Afghanistan."

In a February interview with CBS' Face the Nation, the former vice president said he had opposed the large numbers of troops sent by his and Trump's administrations and believed "a very small U.S. presence" of "several thousand people" should remain in Afghanistan to deter ISIS or al-Qaida from establishing a foothold from which to attack the United States. He said he would bear "zero responsibility" if the Taliban regained control after the drawdown.

If foreign forces withdraw without a clear roadmap for supporting Afghan peace negotiations, "it would be catastrophic for the Afghan state," says Clark. "There is no Plan B for Afghanistan as far as I can see from talking to officials in Washington. If the talks don't work out, what happens next?"

Now though, international pressure could be throwing another wrench into the works. Afghan officials reportedly halted the release of the last few dozen Taliban prisoners after France and Australia objected to freeing militants involved in attacks on their citizens.

Khwaga Ghani contributed reporting in Kabul.

Read more here:
Is Afghanistan Waiting For The U.S. Election Before Starting Peace Talks? - NPR