South Asia

Rula Ghani: Afghanistan’s First Lady. Myth Buster.

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Afghanistan’s First Lady, Rula Ghani, delivered a spirited defense of her husband’s administration on March 31 and warned that “repeated half truths take a life of their own…and suddenly become conventional wisdom.” Speaking at the Atlantic Council, Ghani described and disputed numerous “myths” about Afghanistan that she said exist in the West, particularly in the […]

Autocracies failed and unfailed: limited strategies for state building

By Stephen D. Krasner

The fundamental challenge for modern wealthy democracies committed to promoting better governance is that their opportunities are hostage to the preferences of national elites in closed-access polities, where political power is exercised in arbitrary ways, and where most of the population lacks access to services, including the rule of law.

What to do About Afghanistan?

By James B. Cunningham

Amid concerning reports of security and political struggles that threaten to unravel the progress made thus far in Afghanistan, the question arises: what is to be done?   The answer, at once simple and difficult, is to help the Afghans prevail. We, Americans, our international partners in Afghanistan, and the Afghans themselves have too much […]

Harnessing Pakistan’s Potential

By Syed Azhar Shah

Pakistan’s government and policymakers must do more to harness the potential of young entrepreneurs, writes Syed Azhar Shah, a fellow in the Emerging Leaders of Pakistan program of the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center. “Already, we see a growing ecosystem of Pakistani entrepreneurs developing startups with the potential to become larger, successful entities. If this […]

Data diplomacy in South Asia: Water, natural hazards, and regionalism

By South Asia Center

On February 24, the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center hosted a conversation with Saleem H. Ali, University of Queensland’s Chair in Sustainable Resource Development, entitled “Data Diplomacy in South Asia: Water, Natural Hazards, and Regionalism.” Effective regional planning in the Indus Basin argues for increased transboundary data sharing on environmental indicators. Many analysts believe that […]

Call for Applications – Emerging Leaders of Pakistan

The emerging Leaders of Pakistan is pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications for 2016 Fellowship Program! We are seeking 15 young, dynamic women and men from across Pakistan to join a cohort of fellows from 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. The Emerging Leaders of Pakistan Fellowship Program seeks to empower the next […]