ABSTRACT

The past years of relative stability brought a positive change in the lives of people in Afghanistan, who had suffered from decades of conflict and extreme poverty. As the international community led by the USA announced the drawdown of their troops and a subsequent decrease in aid money, the fear of deteriorating security and a weakening economy started to creep into the minds of Afghans. The international community's security involvement in Afghanistan started in the form of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The twin challenges of a military drawdown and a concomitant cut-back in foreign aid pose significant security concerns as well as economic constraints for the National Unity Government. Despite severe hardships, it is clear from the past decade and a half that the youth of the country have demonstrated excellence in the services industry, civil society, in education and in general trading.