6th Conference on Afghanistan - 10-11 July 2026
Afghanistan: Shared struggle, shared future - the need for global solidarity
We warmly invite you to attend and participate in the 6th Conference on Afghanistan at the University of Education Freiburg on 10th to 11th July 2026 - online and onsite.
This conference is grounded in the understanding that the suffering of the Afghans is not only their own problem. It is a human tragedy whose consequences can extend far beyond Afghanistan’s borders. Supporting Afghans inside and outside the country requires an evidence‑based understanding of their challenges and a global solidarity.
It has been nearly five years since the former government of Afghanistan collapsed and the Taliban took power for the second time on August 15, 2021. Since then, life for people inside the country has become a struggle for survival. Afghans are facing deepening poverty, widespread unemployment, and a systematic campaign of discrimination that has turned daily life into a series of closed doors. The most heartbreaking reality is that Afghan women have been deprived of even the most basic right to a normal life. The struggle is not confined to Afghan soil. Over the past years, thousands have been forced to leave, carrying their talents and dreams with them. They are trying to rebuild their lives from scratch, even as their hearts remain in their homeland. Yet amid this hardship, there is a silver lining. Some of the Afghan diaspora have become an invaluable human resource for their country, serving as a powerful bridge between Afghanistan and the actors and organizations supporting Afghans, especially women, inside the country. From online training programs to grassroots advocacy, international organizations and the Afghan diaspora are finding creative ways to keep hope alive for those still living in Afghanistan.
We’ve invited experts, activists, and policymakers to discuss the current challenges Afghans face both inside and outside the country, grounded in research and precise analysis. This conference offers an opportunity to hear from researchers and activists who understand the realities on the ground, to connect activists and international organizations with the Afghan diaspora for clearer insights and more effective cooperation, and to explore new ways to support Afghans, especially the women who are currently being marginalized in Afghanistan.
Keynote speakers
Shaharzad Akbar is the Executive Director of Rawadari, a human rights organization dedicated to Afghanistan. A prominent activist currently in exile, she previously served as the Chairperson of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission and has a diverse professional background spanning human rights advocacy, media, and development issues in Afghanistan. Her leadership experience includes serving as the Country Director for Open Society Afghanistan and holding senior positions in the former Afghan government.
An influential voice on human rights, Shaharzad has briefed the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on multiple occasions and engaged extensively with the UN Human Rights Council to advocate for accountability and a dignified and lasting peace for all Afghans.
Shaharzad is an Honorary Fellow of Wolfson College, University of Oxford, and Academy Faculty with Chatham House. She has been published by Afghan and international outlets including The Washington Post,Foreign Affairs, Just Security and Justice Info.
Torunn Wimpelmann is a Research Director at Chr Michelsen Institute (CMI). Her work has focused on the intersections between gender, law and politics in Afghanistan. She has published extensively on the Afghan women’s movement, Afghan law and legal practices, gender politics and masculinities and NATO warfare and diplomacy in Afghanistan. She is the author of The Pitfalls of Protection: Gender, Violence, and Power in Afghanistan
Thomas Ruttig studierte Afghanistik an der Humboldt Universität zu Berlin und der Universität Kabul. Seither arbeitet er zu Afghanistan, davon 13 Jahre lang im Land: für die DDR- und später die gesamtdeutsche Botschaft; als politischer Mitarbeiter der UN-Missionen UNSMA und UNAMA in Kabul, Islamabad und Gardez; als stellv. EU-Sonderbeauftragter für Afghanistan in Kabul und bei der Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik in Berlin. 2009 begründete er die unabhängige Forschungsorganisation Afghanistan Analysts Network (Kabul/Berlin: www.aan-afghanistan.org) mit, deren Ko-Direktor er bis 2021 war. Seither ist er im aktiven Ruhestand, ist weiter publizistisch tätig und bloggt zu Afghanistan unter https://thruttig.wordpress.com. Er spricht Dari und Pashto.
Keynote: In Afghanistan haben die Taleban ihr Islamisches Emirat militärisch und politisch konsolidiert und bauen den afghanischen Staat systematisch auf der Grundlage (Ihrer Lesart der Scharia) um. Sie errichteten eines der menschenrechtsfeindlichsten Regime weltweit. Das Land befindet sich in einer Situation vertiefter, z.T. chronischer multipler Krisen. Den Taleban gelang es inzwischen zwar, den Verfall der Wirtschaft nach ihrer Machtübernahme und dem Stopp westlicher Transferleistungen zu stoppen, sie konnten die Abwärtsentwicklung aber nicht umkehren. Landesweit nahm die Armut extreme Ausmaße an. Gleichzeitig ist eine organisierte Opposition kaum zu erkennen.
Literatur zur Vorbereitung:
- Thomas Ruttig, “Politisch gefestigt, wirtschaftlich auf wackligen Beinen, humanitär katastrophal“, Asylmagazin 3/2026, Themenschwerpunkt Afghanistan. Online unter: https://thruttig.wordpress.com/2026/04/24/lesehinweis-themenschwerpunkt-afghanistan-im-asylmagazin/
- Susanne Schmeidl, “Continuity and innovation in the Taliban’s state-building project: insights from four years of ruling Afghanistan”, in: Conflict, Security & Development, Volume 25, Issue 6 (2025): https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/ccsd20/25/6
- Blog Afghanistan Zhaghdablai: https://thruttig.wordpress.com.
Panel discussions
Day 1: Between anxiety, empathy, and support: How Afghans in Diaspora could help those inside the country
Panelists – Mahdi Zaki (SAIH), Adrian Ackermann (Afghanistanhilfe, Schweiz), Farchonda Mohsini&/M. Javad Salehi (Working Group Afghanistan), Sadiq Zartila (Refugee Council Baden-Württemberg e.V. tbc) Moderator: Uwe H. Bittlingmayer (UoEF/WGA)
Day 2: The role of education and empowerment in current Afghanistan
Panelists - Thomas Ruttig (Afghanistan Analyst Network), Torunn Wimpelmann (Chr Michelsen Institute) (tbc), Shaharzad Akbar (Rawadari), Richard Bennett (Raoul Wallenberg Institute) (tbc), Moderator: Mahdi Zaki (SAIH)
Workshops
Presenters: Zeynep Islertas (Freiburg), Uwe H. Bittlingmayer (Freiburg), Thomas Geisen (Olten), Maria Jastzebska (Olten)
Presenters: Thomas Loy (Prague, Berlin), Magnus Marsden (Sussex), Mateusz Kladisz (Krakow) & Mona Khademi (Prague)
Presenter: Stefanie Harsch and participants of the research competency course for female Afghan graduates
Further information
Target group Afghans and researchers, lecturers, activists, researchers, politicians and anyone interested in Afghanistan …
Participation fees Free of charge
Location University of Education Freiburg
Kunzenweg 21, 79117 Freiburg
KA 101 (Arrival and Map) & online
Organizers Working Group Afghanistan at the University of Education Freiburg, SAIH, Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz, Orientaini ustav
Contact afghanistan@ph-freiburg.de
Registration Please register for online and onsite participation here