2007/07/05 New York
Sewing coöperative
Garbage disposal
Jon Lee Anderson wrote an excellent article in The New Yorker about Uruzgan: ‘Soona Niloofar, a member of parliament from Uruzgan, found the debate over development versus forceful eradication somewhat abstract; she didn’t think much had been accomplished on either front. “Before the Dutch arrived, I told them, ‘You must do reconstruction and help the farmers.’ And the Ministry of Agriculture also spoke about helping them with alternative livelihoods. But nothing happened,” she said. “They have done little reconstruction. There is a big gap between them and the people.” The Dutch presence was felt only around Tirin Kot, she said, and, as far as she knew, the only significant things they had done were to repair a damaged bridge and set up a women’s sewing coöperative. (A spokesman for the Dutch government said that there had been other projects, including one called Cleaning Up Tirin Kot, which involved painting storefronts and helping with garbage disposal.) At the same time, security had deteriorated. “The Dutch policy is a very weak one, and it makes the enemy stronger,” she said.’
Repairing a damaged bridge, setting up a sewing coöperative and helping with garbage disposal -- it’s something I guess.
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15 comments 
je bent leuk!
Yawn
Rather ignorant article if you'd ask me but than again I'm used to that. The international and our own press in the Netherlands doesn't even know half of what's going on over there. It's pretty depressing.Arnon
I am very sad, I noticed that you deleted me as one of your hyves "friends". Is there a special reason for this ?Love
Amita
Don’t you feel ashamed to bother me with this? I don’t use Hyves. Somebody else used my name on Hyves to impress young and innocent homosexual men. I guess it was you who used my name to lure others into conversations with you and your non-existing husband. As I stated before this is not yet a dating site, and even if this endeavor develops into a dating site I’m note sure if I would be happy with predators like you filling the comments.Go to church and ask for forgiveness. And don’t come back on this site before September 1, 2007.
The Dutch wanted to stand out, and they succeeded. That's how it always goes.
Now look, I had to use the subject for the real message, and this commentspace to say 'Foei Amita!'About half a year ago I was watching TV, and probably drinking beer in my own safe environment. As I understand now, I was becoming a better person, but I digress. The news showed a dutch soldier in Uruzgan supplying a kind of primary school with color pencils.
It was touching. I thought about all the children who must love that. Who knows, maybe they're used to charcoal?
But I agree with the point being made. You don't win a war with color pencils. In the end, ignorance may turn such a lovely gesture into pure evil.
Speaking about ignorance: Arnon, I believe that you're too harsh on Amita. The internet age can be confusing to some. She truly didn't know that the Hyves Arnon wasn't the real one. I believe this instance of ignorance is of the good kind.
And speaking about the internet age: I think the act of putting your commenters on "probation" is a first. I'm not sure what to think of that yet. It's more humane than banning, I guess.
It was touching. I thought about all the children who must love that. Who knows, maybe they're used to charcoal?
But I agree with the point being made. You don't win a war with color pencils. In the end, ignorance may turn such a lovely gesture into pure evil.
Speaking about ignorance: Arnon, I believe that you're too harsh on Amita. The internet age can be confusing to some. She truly didn't know that the Hyves Arnon wasn't the real one. I believe this instance of ignorance is of the good kind.
And speaking about the internet age: I think the act of putting your commenters on "probation" is a first. I'm not sure what to think of that yet. It's more humane than banning, I guess.
Tjitze
Officially the Dutch aren’t in Afghanistan to wage war.As to Amita, I agree I didn’t show much compassion, and the internet can be confusing to the les fortunate.
So herewith I allow Amita to return to this site on August 1. As you know August 1 is a national holiday in Switzerland and I admire the Swiss for many reasons. (By the way do you know Amita personally? Do you think she exists?)
As to you offer, please contact Timme directly at tiemhos@gmail.com -- I’m sure he will be happy with your offer.
Our analphabetic general has become a moslim
In his mesmerizing short essay 'What is a camp?' Giorgio Agamben, the Italian philosopher, stated long before Guantánamo Bay (the paper was published in 1994) that, as a consequence of a general crises in the nation-state, 'the camp is the new biopolitical nomos of the planet'. Agamben defiens the camp as 'the space that opens up when the state of exception starts to become the rule'. Kamp Holland is not Gitmo, but as the name designates dutch territory on foreign ground. It is slightly ironic that in this case the state of exception is outside the camp. In such circumstances we has to be modest and we can be proud on setting up a sewing coöperative. For instance, the minister of Education of Uruzgan is said to be analphabetic. But there is always hope; a month ago a mosque was opened in Kamp Holland, in spite of a fierce protest from the ‘Partij voor de Vrijheid’ in the dutch parlement. Open for all believers? For that we have to wait while, just as on the first dutch general, having forgotten how to read, converting to Mohammedism. About, 30 or 40 years.Development in southern Afghanistan
An interesting article. I am working in the neighbouring provinces of Helmand and Kandahar where we witness the same development problem: not enough development projects and and not enough development organizations and NGOs to implement them. Politicians often state that development and reconstruction is in full swing, but on the ground you wonder what they are actually talking about. The Canadians in Kandahar province are very proud of the bright yellow painted garbage cans in Kandahar City that they donated. The Afghan citizens are less impressed, do not use these garbage cans and would prefer to finally have a well-equiped and effective hospital after almost six years of international presence in the country. Development remains an empty shell when we are still spending roughly ten times more on military and security projects. The impoverished farming communities depend more and more on illegal poppy cultivation and often do not need the bridges and roads that we are constructing. At the moment, the needs of the population of southern Afghanistan are much more basic: clean drinking water, shelter, medicines and food to feed their families.Jorrit Kamminga
Johan Schokker
I 've never read anything by Agambe, although my good friend Jan Ritsema once recommended him. Where can I find the essay you mentioned?In general I think it is good to be careful with the idea of "camp" as a metaphor but let me not judge Agambe before I have read him.
Jorrit Kamminga
This week six Canadians died not far from Kandahar Air Field, as you probably know I’m not sure if the yellow garbage cans are enough to justify their deaths.What exactly are you doing in Helmand and Kandahar? Or is this classified information? Are you in Afghanistan under the umbrella of ISAF?
Bob D
Well Bob, enlighten us, what's really going on there and how do you know?Reading Agamben
I have a weakness for Agamben, for me he is one of the good guys (perhaps I should not mention that Agamben declined every invitation to lecture in the States out of protest against the war in Iraq). He wrote a nice book on fantasy, which as a poet or a poetical writer Arnon, should interest you, but I am not sure if it is translated into English. His main theoretical references are Foucault and Benjamin, and Carl Schmitt in his most recent work. The short essay that I mentioned can be found in a no less short book titled 'Means without end’. But perhaps ‘State of emergency’ is a better suggestion.I agree that the notion of ‘camp’ should be used cautiously. There are things which are better not touched. (I liked though Agamben’s book on the concentration-camps (‘Remnants of Auschwitz: The Witness and the Archive’), although it was critized severly). The point I wanted to make is simply that we live in times of growing segregation.
@arnon:
I have contacted Timme. Thank you.
I don't know Amita. But unless someone proves otherwise, I will believe that she exists. Why do you doubt her existence?
Regarding the problem of ineffective development projects in Afghanistan (or anywhere else):
Could there be a hidden motive of self-satisfaction in these efforts? Could this be a reason that the efforts are not as effective as they should be? Does this turn the seemingly good intentions into bad ones? What do people here think about that?
I have contacted Timme. Thank you.
I don't know Amita. But unless someone proves otherwise, I will believe that she exists. Why do you doubt her existence?
Regarding the problem of ineffective development projects in Afghanistan (or anywhere else):
Could there be a hidden motive of self-satisfaction in these efforts? Could this be a reason that the efforts are not as effective as they should be? Does this turn the seemingly good intentions into bad ones? What do people here think about that?
Johan S
Thanks. I ordered Means without End.Not lecturing in the US nog a very effective protest, but well we are entitled to the follies of youth even when we are not so young anymore.
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