Humanizing “The Man”
Humanizing "The Man:"
Strengthening Psychological and Information Operations in Afghanistan
by A. Lawrence Chickering
Download the Full Article: Humanizing the "Man"
In a recent issue of Small Wars Journal, Oleg Svet revisits the issue of the battle of perceptions, which he calls "crucial" to COIN's long-run success in Afghanistan. Svet argues that information and psychological operations (IO and PSYOP) have largely failed either to promote support for the U.S.-led coalition or for the Afghan Government; and he explores new "narratives" to strengthen the effects of these operations.
In this paper, I will argue there are three great challenges the coalition forces need to overcome in their search for narratives that resonate with Afghans and that ultimately will promote support for the coalition and for the government. First is the traditional and tribal Afghan antagonism to outsiders. Second is the lack of a stake that ordinary Afghans have in the larger system. And the third involves a conflict in impact of major activities in the country, a conflict between programs that empower Afghans and programs that disempower them.
Download the Full Article: Humanizing the "Man"
A. Lawrence Chickering is a social entrepreneur who designs and implements civil society strategies in public policy. He is founder and President of Educate Girls Globally (EGG), which has developed a powerful program for promoting girls' education and empowering traditional communities by reforming government schools, partnering with the government of the very tribal state of Rajasthan in India. He is coauthor of Strategic Foreign Assistance: Civil Society in International Security (2006). This is his first article on counterinsurgency strategy.
