Srl | Item |
1 |
ID:
135859
|
|
|
Summary/Abstract |
In Afghanistan ethnic Hazaras are a group with a long history of marginalization, and even outright persecution, mainly because of their Shi'a Muslim faith. Only after the international intervention in 2001 have socio-economic opportunities started to open up for Hazaras. Hazaras, however, maintain a strong perception of still being considered second-class citizens, claiming to be overlooked by the Afghan government and allotted fewer funds by the international development community. This paper examines Hazara perceptions of marginality with reference to one issue: the lack of state-provided electricity in Bamyan province, which many consider the Hazara homeland. Anti-government protests in Bamyan often revolve around this particular issue, and the demand for electricity has become part of the permanent landscape, through a lantern sculpture in Bamyan's main square, as well as through the experience of living one's everyday life with a lack of easily available electric light. The lack of electricity becomes an embodied, daily reminder of perceived subordination to other religio-ethnic groups and the feeling of being left behind by the international community.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
ID:
140123
|
|
|
Summary/Abstract |
Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) became a well-known feminist organisation during the rule of the Taliban, when it dedicated itself to bringing the abuses of Taliban against women in Afghanistan to worldwide attention. RAWA was briefly allied with the Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF) when this United States (US)-based organisation also made the plight of women in Afghanistan a priority. However, disagreements between the two organisations soon came to light. This article examines the experiences of RAWA’s interactions with FMF using Appadurai’s imaginary landscapes as a theoretical basis. RAWA’s experiences demonstrate the disjunctures and unevenness that are part of these landscapes. While initially very successful in spreading its messages through its website, RAWA struggled to become a strong political player in Afghanistan and internationally, partly due to unwillingness to compromise and partly because of the difficulties faced in navigating the uneven terrain of mediascapes and ideoscapes upon which it used to promote its cause.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|