Non-Violent Resistance and Pathways to Peace: Afghanistan's Struggle for Justice and Reconciliation Conference with Princeton University’s Afghanistan Policy Lab

In August of 2025, Central Asia Institute co-hosted a conference with Princeton’s Afghanistan Policy Lab that examined the role of non-violent resistance in Afghanistan following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. The event highlighted the extraordinary ways Afghans continued to resist authoritarian rule despite severe restrictions on daily life and political freedoms. Scholars and practitioners discussed how their resistance took many forms, from women’s activism and digital campaigns to education initiatives, healthcare networks, and community-based reconciliation efforts.

Speakers included: Ahn Pham, Central Asia Insitute Director of International Programs; Ambassador Adela Raz, Afghanistan Policy Lab Director and Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the United States; Dr. Ches Thurber, Associate Professor of Political Science at Northern Illinois University; Habiba Sarab, Affiliate at the Afghanistan Policy Lab and Former Minister of Women’s Affairs; Munazza Ebtikar, Affiliate at the Afghanistan Policy Lab; Omar Sadr, Affiliate at the Afghanistan Policy Lab; Dr. Mirwais Balkhi, Affiliate at the Afghanistan Policy Lab; Nazeela Elmi, Former Affiliate at the Afghanistan Policy Lab; Maryam Rayed, Affiliate at the Afghanistan Policy Lab; Abdullah Azizi, Affiliate at the Afghanistan Policy Lab; Mariam Meetra, Research Fellow at the Institute for Communication and Media Studies at Leipzig University; Dr. Mujib Abid, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne; and Shoaib Rahim, Founder of Majid Zabuli Center for Economic Research and Policy Analysis.

Speakers emphasized how these acts of peaceful defiance not only challenged Taliban authority but also preserved social cohesion and opened space for dialogue and community resilience. The conference underscored the importance of understanding these grassroots movements, both for their immediate impact and for their potential to lay the groundwork for future peacebuilding and reconciliation processes in Afghanistan.