Civil society in crisis: state-building and civil-military relations in Afghanistan

-Civil society is critical to state-building in Afghanistan and thus the achievement of the west’s and Afghanistan’s security interests. -The role envisaged for civil society is depoliticized and limited to service delivery. -Foreign militaries are increasingly involved in development, blurring civil-military boundaries. -State-building and military developmental interventions undermine the independent spaces of civil society for political deliberation. -Civil society needs therefore to articulate more clearly its roles and objectives