The Central Asia Development Group is an organization working in Afghanistan whose goal is to increase the level of economic and social stability and hopefully decrease the loss of life by reducing people’s motivation to fight. Matthew Goldthwaite posted an article on the group’s blog about one of his recent trips to the Chora District, Urozgan Province, Afghanistan.

The article explains:

“It isn’t every day that you get to begin a meeting with your host telling you, “Thank you for risking your lives to come meet with us today.” These were the words spoken to me today by Gul Agha, governor of Chora district in Urozgan province, as we met with him and other community leaders to discuss the selection process for laborers participating in a CADG implemented development program on behalf of the Australian Government’s Overseas Aid program (AUSAID).”

“When the Governor said this, it was not a new realization to me that that my colleagues and I had risked our lives to get to this meeting. In fact, the danger was ever present in my mind for the duration of the two hour road trip, without armored vehicles or military escorts, across a dirt high-desert road that resembled a lunar landscape, separating Tarin Kowt from Chora. The danger was even more apparent when I was informed that insurgents had attacked Chora the previous evening and the road we were traveling on had claimed over a hundred lives due to insurgent attacks in the past year alone.”

In the article Mr. Goldthwaite explains the work of the Central Asia Development Group and how the group attempts to help build an infrastructure in Afghanistan while providing jobs for people and helping bring unity to the many tribal factions.  Please follow the link above to read the entire article.  This may be one way to bring peace to Afghanistan.