An innate sense of the essence of their culture sustained Afghans through 24 years of conflict and displacement. Although they continue to cherish the diversity of regional differences, individuals cling tenaciously to their national identity, upholding traditional values and customs that distinguish them from their neighbours. From the beginning of the twentieth century, attempts to foster unity through nation-building activities in mostly urban areas met with mixed success; the latest attempts to cast Afghans in a puritanical Islamic mould met with disaster. Years of discord stretched taut the fabric of the society and national traits once honoured hallmarks of the culture were compromised. Yet the fundamentals of the culture remain strong, changed in some ways but readily recognisable as uniquely Afghan. Current expectations aim to engage various cultural elements as bonding vehicles to hasten reconstruction and strengthen peace.
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Third World Quarterly (TWQ) is the leading journal of scholarship and policy in the field of international studies. For two and a half decades, it has set the agenda on development discourses of the global debate. As the most influential academic journal covering the emerging worlds, TWQ is at the forefront of analysis and commentary on fundamental issues of global concern. TWQ looks beyond strict "development studies," providing an alternative and over-arching reflective analysis of micro-economic and grassroot efforts of development practitioners and planners. It furnishes expert and interdisciplinary insight into crucial issues before they impinge upon media attention, as well as coverage of the very latest publications in its comprehensive book review section. TWQ acts as an almanac linking the academic terrains of the various contemporary area studies - African, Asian, Latin American and Middle Eastern - in an interdisciplinary manner with the publication of informative, innovative and investigative articles.
