Solution No. 24 (Phase in of Constitutional changes)

Constitutionally imposed changes should be phased in over time with the support of tribal leaders; moving from the least conservative to the most conservative provinces (like stepping stones).  Why?  Because, Twenty First (21^st) Century democratic values cannot easily replace centuries old Afghan beliefs, religious practices, and cultural  norms.  The Afghan constitution should in some way reflect this truth, especially where controversial change is called for.  However, in matters of governance, a nation cannot survive if their constitution is a matter of choice where citizens can pick and choose the rules they will follow; that would be a one way ticket to anarchy.  With a literacy rate of only 22% (78% illiteracy) in Afghanistan, where the majority of the population gets their information by word of mouth, notions of compulsory laws imposed outside of traditional tribal grand councils appear threatening.  Under such conditions, it is very easy for the Afghan population to receive the wrong message that the “West” is imposing their values upon them whenever traditional governing methods are not seen as the bearer of new rules for people to follow.  If Afghanistan is to benefit its people because of its new prominence in the world, certain new rules and regulations are required, just as nations have to change their laws to be allowed to join NATO, the WTO, the European Union, etc.  Afghanistan is going through a balancing act to benefit its people; the people who can lead Afghanistan through this period of change are the tribal elders.  We believe that our Solution No 19 is the key to solving this problem.  By gathering a select group of tribal elders and elevating their understanding and sophistication about the new world that Afghanistan finds itself navigating; they can integrate this new knowledge into an Afghan frame of mind then pass it on to their people.  This way, the voices of extremist cannot put their negative spin on changes that evolve through traditional means.  It will still take some time for change to be received, but change can be managed and measured through the tribal elders.