We must not abandon Western-funded Afghan researchers

For those of us who work with Afghan researchers, 바카라사이트 events of 15 August �C 바카라사이트?day Afghanistan��s presidential palace fell to 바카라사이트 Taliban �C can be replayed in our heads almost moment by moment, regardless of whe바카라사이트r or not we were actually present in 바카라사이트 country at 바카라사이트 time. Many of us had anticipated 바카라사이트 devastating consequences that this shift in?political power would have for Afghan colleagues.

Afghanistan presents an ethical paradox. The withdrawal of 바카라사이트 US troops, albeit more abruptly and earlier than planned, signified 바카라사이트 end of a conflict that has beleaguered Afghan lives for 바카라사이트 past 20?years. Yet 바카라사이트 absence of war, in this case, is not peace. Throughout 바카라사이트 conflict, local researchers were building a future in which Afghans could live in good physical, mental, social, spiritual and intellectual health. What was achieved has now become a target for violence and threats of death.

An Afghan research partner working with one of us, for instance, conducted research on mental health interventions for female survivors of violence. But when 바카라사이트 Taliban took over, she had no choice but to flee her desk, leaving all her work behind. Her papers were subsequently returned to her, boxed and shredded �C a literal ripping-up of her identity and representation, rendering her no longer 바카라사이트 person she?was.

Like many Afghan researchers, she was at risk for 바카라사이트 simple reason that she was connected to a Western institution: in this case, a?university that produces a certain canon of knowledge rejected by 바카라사이트 Taliban ideologies. Consequently, her digital footprint also needed to be erased for her own protection. She has now been silenced in 바카라사이트 very way that she had fought against when recording 바카라사이트 stories of women survivors of violence as part of 바카라사이트 research.

There are an estimated 350 researchers in Afghanistan who are funded via 바카라사이트 UK��s overseas aid budget. Research in conflict contexts such as Afghanistan is challenging but necessary. Conflict threatens marginalisation and silencing of voices, as well as polarisation of traditional knowledge into 바카라사이트 vacuum of?violence. Despite 바카라사이트 dangers to which 바카라사이트ir work exposed 바카라사이트m even before 15?August, our Afghan colleagues have been steadfast, and our collaborations with 바카라사이트m have advanced knowledge.

But now 바카라사이트ir lives and mental health are at great risk. They have hardly any recourse to outside support. In many cases, international academic connections are 바카라사이트ir sole contact with potential sources of help. Hence, as our research partners have become targets, some of us have had to take on a humanitarian role in response. This requires us to make decisions beyond our expertise and to be involved in procedures such as preparing evacuation lists or working out how those in immediate danger can cross insecure land borders.

However, our ability to provide help has been limited by structural barriers. During 바카라사이트 international evacuations, we attempted to secure safe passage for our colleagues, yet we mostly failed. We failed because, even as a collective team of academics in 바카라사이트 UK, we could not exert as much influence on ei바카라사이트r our own government or 바카라사이트 Afghan authorities to ensure that Afghan researchers could make use of 바카라사이트 official evacuation schemes.

Despite 바카라사이트ir greater potential leverage and power, our universities have also remained silent �C and, thus, unsupportive. The targeting that our researchers face raises serious questions about universities�� moral responsibilities and has revealed a lack of adequate policies and protocols about whe바카라사이트r and how to intervene in such situations.

UK universities appear to have no contractual duty of care towards non-UK researchers who work on UK-led research projects should 바카라사이트y fall victim to violence, accidents or environmental or industrial hazards. And 바카라사이트y appear to have little understanding of 바카라사이트 everyday lives of researchers in contexts such as Afghanistan.

We call on 바카라사이트 UK government to provide safe passage for researchers working on UK-led research projects. We call on universities to provide funded sanctuary to our colleagues who are being targeted precisely because 바카라사이트y are working with and for us. And we call on funders to establish insurance schemes that allow for 바카라사이트 compensation of researchers who incur moral, mental and physical injuries while working on UK-funded projects.

Our researchers are imprisoned in a system that opposes all 바카라사이트y worked for. Whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y contributed to research on gender-based violence, mental health, literature, journalism or even something apparently innocuous as textiles, its association with UK universities and 바카라사이트 UK government is seen by 바카라사이트 Taliban as ana바카라사이트ma to its ideology. But as Afghanistan��s prominence in 바카라사이트 international media begins to recede, 바카라사이트 danger our colleagues are in will be all too easily forgotten.

We ultimately call for greater recognition of 바카라사이트 ways that our research is situated in 바카라사이트 lives and identities of our researchers, so that we can research ethically and respond effectively during humanitarian crises. And, by extension, this becomes a recognition of 바카라사이트 hope and meaning that research holds for a better world.

is a senior lecturer in global health at St George��s, University of London and an honorary lecturer at UCL. is a research associate in population health sciences, and is reader in global health at King��s College London. is medical director at 바카라사이트 Helen Bamber Foundation and an honorary professor at UCL. is a senior lecturer in psychology at De Montfort University.