Monday, December 08, 2008

Language & Conflict: A Report from Afghanistan

     Many thanks to WIIIAI, for this link to a discussion of the language issue (Dari (vs Farsi) vs Pashto) in Afghanistan.  Student conflicts have resulted in 100s of injuries.  The Culture Minister is accused of being against all Iranian influence as foreign, and un-Afghan, but the same guy supports the use of English.  One person says that people re using the language issue to divide Afghans, as part of a plot.  If I have done that, I apologize.  My main interest is justice, specifically administrative/legal justice, a requirement for good governance, which requires that the judge, jury, lawyers, witnesses, police and prison guards can all communicate reasonably effectively with the accused.

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