Road to Peace in Afghanistan
Diving into the peace process is not possible at the present time. Indonesia must first undertake peacebuilding efforts, a process of strengthening the capacity of communities to manage conflict in nonviolent ways.
In this Sept. 29, 2015 file photo, a Taliban fighter sits on his motorcycle adorned with a Taliban flag on a street in Kunduz, Afghanistan.
Winston Churchill (1874-1965), who was the prime minister of England for two terms (1940-1945 and 1951-1955), said, "To jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war." However, the talks on Afghanistan\'s future are not easily implemented.
Now, Indonesia has been selected to assist in seeking peace in Afghanistan, a land torn apart by war for 40 years. The initial phase of the conflict settlement will be carried out through a Tripartite Forum between Afghan, Pakistani and Indonesian Islamic clerics and scholars, which will be held this month and have the support of the Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, as well as other groups. However, the Taliban has been calling for a boycott of the meetings in Indonesia.