How Could You Train An Illiterate People To Govern Themselves?

December 02-2009:

How Could You Train An Illiterate People To Govern Themselves?

Afghanistan:

President Obama promised to focus on developing the Afghan government, Locally and Centrally, to govern themselves.

He also emphasized that training the National Police, the Army, and other Security Agencies in that country, is vitally necessary to safeguard all Afghans in the cities, while the US and N.A.T.O. forces concentrate of hunting down the Taliban and El Qaeda insurgents.

Illiteracy:

The majority of the population in Afghanistan are illiterate. The Local and Central infrastructure that is necessary to allow for effective and efficient governance is absent. There is no official Civil Service to talk about either, and historically, business was done via the War Lords, in their respective regions and spheres of influence. And most of these War Lords are also illiterate.

So even if we want to co-opt those willing War Lords to hold governmental positions in their regions officially. How could they perform efficiently, if they are also illiterate, with no professional or modern day concept of governance, or managerial skills that could account for large sums of money in their control.

Or for the payment of salaries, pensions, and health care concerns of the Police, the Army, and all of the other Governmental Agencies that would be necessary, for the management of the Afghan State.

Corruption:

Currently, the Afghan government is riddled with corruption at all levels. Even the Hamid Karzai's brother, who happens to be an official in his government, is notorious for his corruption too. Coupled with Mass un-employment in the agrarian or rural areas. Most of which depend upon the Poppy production as a source of income for their families's survival.

How could an illiterate agricultural oriented people move away from what they have been doing for decades to earn a livelihood. Just decide to change their occupation for something else, which they have little or no abilities, know how, or possible qualifications?

Re-training & Re-educating Afghans:

However this is done, it must be methodical, easy to implement, localized, ethnic and regional in conception, and with the advice, input, and with the acceptance of those to whom it is intended to benefit.

Derryck S. Griffith.
NYC.