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Afghanistan
At the Crossroads of the World

By Bill Rankin, Communications Officer, Communications and Consultation Sector
(August 2004)

Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) manager Drury Allen is presently in Afghanistan, seconded to the United Nations for one year. His mission is to advise to the Afghanistan government concerning the rebuilding and reform of their prison system. The secondment is funded by the Canadian International Development Program and is part of Canada's ongoing effort to promote global security by projecting Canadian values abroad.

After two days of numbing air travel and a brief stopover in Pakistan, Dru Allen's aircraft finally reached Afghanistan and started its descent into Kabul. Peering through the tiny passenger window, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) manager got his first glimpse of the city - a dusty airstrip littered with the rusting hulks of war-damaged vehicles: a tank flipped over on its back, an airplane with a gaping hole in the fuselage and its wings snapped off. To one side were a few bare and broken concrete buildings and not a tree in sight. In the distance, the jagged peaks of the Hindu Kush dwarfed the city's grim, Soviet-style apartment blocks and dominated the horizon like the walls of a giant stone fortress.

Prior to his departure from Canada, Allen had been briefed extensively about his mission. Dave Connor, Acting Director, Intergovernmental Relations, helped him to prepare mentally for the challenge but the reality that first confronted him was a little daunting. "What have I got myself into?" was the first question that popped into his mind as the plane's wheels hit the runway.

Weaving through the chaotic streets, clogged with dilapidated yellow taxis, United Nation 4X4s and military vehicles, Allen was confronted by sights and sounds he'd never before encountered.

"Everything was so different - the clothes, the smells, the cars, the buildings - everything. Skinny little men hauling carts weighed down with enormous loads; a man with his entire family riding on his motorcycle, the baby on the handlebars; nearly every man in the street armed - mostly battered AK-47s slung over their shoulders, held together with black electrical tape. One fellow was standing casually on a corner with a rocket launcher and two rockets stuffed in a backpack!"

The city had been devastated during the factional wars fought amongst rival guerrilla groups between 1992 and 1996 and now, eight years later, the downtown core was still mostly rubble interspersed with hastily erected merchant shops and cramped family dwellings made of mud.

"When I got to the guesthouse that was to be my home, I lay down and tried to sleep but military planes and helicopters were passing over so low they rattled the windowpanes. Finally I dozed off and some time later woke up disoriented, thinking that someone was screaming at me. It was the early morning Islamic call to prayer, broadcast over a loudspeaker from a nearby mosque. That was the start of my first day in Afghanistan."

New Challenges
In the days that followed, Allen saw with his own eyes the challenges that had been described to him by Special Advisor Monty Bourke (now District Director, Eastern Parole), who had carried out a preliminary assessment of corrections in Afghanistan in 2002. The system was quite simply in shambles, everybody and nobody seemed to be in charge. And only one correctional advisor for the entire country. Where on earth should he start?

Allen started with the basics, working with the recently established prison administration and various UN agencies, rebuilding the prisons and detention centres throughout the country (of the 32 prisons only six are in acceptable working condition), separating the juveniles from the adults, the accused from the convicted, and men from women.

His work involved discussions with the recently established Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission on abuses and with local and international nongovernmental organizations concerning basic programs and services for prisoners. Convincing the prison officers to give up their weapons and limit the use of primitive restraint equipment such as leg irons was one of the early successes. Ensuring that the prisoners were fed and staff received pay was another goal of Allen's initial work.

In collaboration with the Italian government and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, new cellblocks have been erected on the site of the largely destroyed central prison. The Kabul detention centre and the women's prison/detention centre are being renovated as well. A new facility for women and one for high-risk juveniles is being designed and the land secured for construction. Under the leadership of UNICEF, a residential facility for lower-risk juveniles will also be built.

New Friends
Two people that would prove invaluable to the mission were Allen's driver (by law, UN staff are forbidden from driving in Afghanistan) and interpreter. These two men would teach the Westerner many things about this ancient and, by North American standards, extremely conservative society and try to ensure that Allen made no blunders that would cause embarrassment or place him in danger.

"If I ask an awkward question or I inadvertently breach the local etiquette, they know how to reword the question so that I don't offend anyone."

"Daud has a heart of gold; I trust him with my life." Allen said. "Same with my interpreter, Rafiq. If I ask an awkward question or I inadvertently breach the local etiquette, he knows how to reword the question so that I don't offend anyone."

Quickly Allen learned that in a country turned upside down by decades of war, he could make no assumptions about even the most ordinary details of everyday life. Afghanistan opened his eyes and his heart to a world that stands in sharp contrast to the safe harbour we call Canada. He was compelled to leave many of his certainties behind as he witnessed the struggle for existence that most Afghans face every day.

A Country Divided
Once reforms were underway in Kabul, Allen focused on planning and assessment missions outside the capital in co-operation with a number of aid agencies. Their goal was to promote justice and the rule of law, respect for human rights, identify problem areas and help advocate for improvements and access resources.

On forays to the city of Gardez, the capital of Paktia province, and to the southern province of Kandahar, the challenges of governing Afghanistan became obvious. The influence of the internationally-supported central government in Kabul extends barely to the city limits. Beyond this, many local governors, police chiefs and army commanders still hold sway as they have for centuries over various ethnic groups.

The great divide between Kabul and the rest of country is one of the major obstacles to creating a cohesive prison system or, for that matter, any other arm of government. How to develop an administration capable of working with such a diverse and geographically isolated population while maintaining peace remains an unanswered question. Progress is measured one small step at a time.

Hardship Everywhere
In his travels Allen was exposed to the country's many social ills: enormous poverty, a decaying infrastructure, and millions of active land mines sewn across the countryside - the lingering curse of Afghanistan's wars. In addition, unsafe drinking water and overloaded sewage systems cause outbreaks of cholera and dysentery; harvests have failed for five years running and the city's water reservoirs have shrunk to little more than knee-deep puddles due to drought; roads are cratered with potholes; many bridges are in a state of almost total disrepair. And security remains a dire issue for foreigners, and in many cases, for normal Afghan families.

Against this chaotic backdrop, Allen and his two Afghan assistants pushed ahead. He inspected various lockups and prisons, meeting with local officials - police, administrators, and tribal leaders - to discuss policies and practices, human rights and international standards and the importance of knowing each of the offender's backgrounds and behaviour. They ensured that staff were paid (as of yet there are no banks for ordinary citizens) and that resources went to feeding prisoners.

"Hopefully, these are concerns of the past," said Allen, "now that essential funds have been secured in these fundamental area."

East Meets West
Inside the prisons, Allen encountered situations that challenged his way of thinking. For example, in a detention centre for women he met inmates that were serving time for "morals crimes." One woman had been locked up for the offence of leaving her husband - "escaping home" is the way the Afghans describe it - despite the fact that he had badly abused her.

"I've encouraged women's groups to get access to the prisons and to set up programs but my real wish is to see the majority of these women dealt with through community measures. But it may be a long time before equal rights for women, promised in the new constitution, take hold. In the meantime, you have to respect the values of the country."

At times Allen found himself trying to explain his own values to his Islamic workmates, who were curious about life in North America. For Muslims in traditional societies, North American pop culture may seem like a cult that worships the gods of luxury and money. Such impressions of the West have been derived mainly from viewing a few Hollywood movies dubbed in Pashtu or Dari.

Security Tightens
In the early months after Allen arrived, security measures were not as strict as they were soon to become. In his rare spare moments, he was free to join an international running group called the Hash House Harriers, composed of Westerners both male and female. They jogged through the city, legs and arms modestly covered, drawing incredulous looks from local bystanders. However, UN members had to stop this activity after attacks on peacekeepers made it too risky for foreigners to wander the streets.

"Loss of freedom is the biggest drawback here," Allen commented. "No matter how many hours I work, when it comes time to take a short break, there is next to nothing to do. I miss being able to go for a simple walk or a run, explore parts of the city or just sit outside in the sunshine. Movement is severely restricted and for good reason. We don't want to lose any Canadians and give anti-government forces a chance to de-stabilize the situation here."

Hope for the Future
Despite the restrictions, Allen is upbeat when he talks about the potential for improvements in the prison and justice systems. He believes that Canadian correctional personnel are well suited to working in a country like Afghanistan.

"This is a place that is consistent with our professional orientation and expertise. One of our most valuable attributes is that we are trained to be nonjudgmental. Second, it's long-haul work; we don't expect miracles. We slog away and we are encouraged when we see small signs of progress."

When asked about his personal motivation, Allen says he accepted the job because he felt he could make a worthwhile contribution, was ready for a fresh challenge, wanted to grow both as a person and as a professional.

"An experience like this makes you a stronger person. Coming over here makes me realize that we don't really know much about other parts of the world. There's so much to learn about other people. After living in an Islamic culture for almost a year now, I understand a lot more about why people here do the things they do."

Allen believes that respect for the rule of law and increasing attention for human rights will be keys to the country's evolution. He has come to understand that the great majority of Afghans desperately want peace and stability, but the big question remains: can they attain it and make it last or will the country collapse once more into turmoil? Hopefully, through their own efforts and those of concerned citizens around the world, the Afghans will succeed.