Opinion Pieces, Research, and Publications
Explore evidence-based research, policy briefs, and thought leadership on peace, security, youth leadership, Afghanistan, and geopolitics.
Research • July 9, 2026
Building the Alternative
By: Yahya Qanie and Saji Prelis Published: ConnexUS
Building the Alternative begins with an urgent question: young people are reshaping politics across the world, but why does so much of that energy struggle to become lasting change? Drawing on more than half a million protest records across 200 countries and territories, 400+ sources, 32 interviews across 10 countries, a 20-movement global assessment, and deliberative conversations with young people from 22 countries, the study looks beyond protest visibility to what changed afterward. Its central finding is architectural: movements can generate legitimacy, urgency, and public pressure, but durable reform requires credible pathways into negotiation, policy design, implementation, accountability, and measurable change. The report argues that the Youth, Peace & Security agenda can help build that bridge without absorbing movements into institutions or reducing youth participation to consultation.
Opinion Piece • October 2, 2025
Afghanistan’s Empty Throne and Trump’s Crossroads Temptations
By: Yahya Qanie Published: Substack
Without a legitimate, all-inclusive Kabul government, the allure of Bagram is a mirage of strategy masking mere distraction.
Opinion Piece • July 7, 2021
Afghanistan’s Future: The Next Proxy War?
By: Yahya Qanie Published: TOLO News
Afghanistan’s tumultuous peace process came to a halt after President Biden’s announcement of a delayed withdrawal plan for US troops from the country. Indeed, this served as a good excuse for the Taliban to boycott any peace talks, assuming that if they do not negotiate power today, they will have it all after the unconditional withdrawal of the U.S. forces.
Opinion Piece • March 7, 2021
Afghan Youth Reclaiming Their Voices and Reimagining a Better Future
By: Yahya Qanie Published: One Young World
The National Youth Consensus for Peace (NYCP) is a movement of youth-led organizations and young leaders from all the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, advancing the role of youth in the Afghan Peace Process.
Opinion Piece • November 22, 2020
Afghan History Repeats Itself; This Time Jeopardizes US Interests
By: Yahya Qanie Published: TOLO News
If we look back to the past, we find that this is not the first time a foreign country has attempted to end the war in Afghanistan through negotiation with insurgents. In early 1985, when Mikhail Gorbachev came to power, he decided to negotiate with the Mujahidin to facilitate an orderly withdrawal and ensure the stability of its supported government in Kabul, and ultimately end the war which he called “the bleeding wound.”
Opinion Piece • August 19, 2020
The Illusion of Inclusivity in Afghan Peace Process
By: Yahya Qanie Published: Khaama Press
When it comes to the peace process, young Afghans are frequently seen as less experienced, less educated, somehow emotional, and trouble-makers. This is both unfair and dangerous. The Afghan youth can play a positive role in the country’s peace process; both in the impeding intra-Afghan talks and in supporting Afghanistan’s perilous journey to reconciliation.
Research • March 14, 2025
Harnessing Youth Leadership in Peacebuilding to Counter Extremism
By: Yahya Qanie Published: ConnexUs
This policy brief is the outcome of a collaborative conversation conducted using Pol.is, an AI-powered deliberative technology tool, to get a pulse of youth perceptions about the peace and security issues in South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, North America, and Europe. The brief addresses youth-led initiatives, youth engagement in policy and action, and shared challenges youth groups face in peace and security efforts.
Research • January 15, 2024
Counter-Terrorism in Post-U.S. Withdrawal Afghanistan: Assessing the Threat Landscape and Mitigation Measures
By: Yahya Qanie Published: N/A
This thesis studies the terrorism dynamics in Afghanistan following the U.S. military withdrawal, focusing on the resurgence of transnational terrorist organizations, particularly Islamic State-Khorasan and Al-Qaeda, and the extent to which the Taliban’s rule plays a role. The research study employs a multi-faceted approach, including a comprehensive literature review, a detailed analysis of historical and current events, and a series of targeted interviews. The findings indicate that the U.S. withdrawal has created a vacuum, exacerbating the risk of growth and competition between IS-K and Al-Qaeda within the region and abroad.
Contribution • September 14, 2023
Voices over Violence
By: GIJTR fellows Published: GIJTR
Voices Over Violence: Global Perspectives from Youth Activists is a resource toolkit created by the Global Initiative for Justice, Truth and Reconciliation (GIJTR) fellows. It amplifies the strategies and lived experiences of young leaders tackling atrocity prevention, systemic violence, and transitional justice in their local communities.
Contribution • January 19, 2022
We Are in This Together
By: Irena Grizeli & Ali Saleem Published: United Nations
"We Are In This Together" is a strategic publication by the United Nations Office of Youth Envoy, Search for Common Ground, and Network of Young Peacebuilders (UNOY) designed to operationalize the Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) agenda through five core pillars. It provides a roadmap for shifting youth involvement in peace processes from tokenistic participation to structural power-sharing.
Translation • March 31, 2021
مذاکرات صلح به شیوه قدیمی موثر نیست، اما بدیل چیست؟
By: Yahya Qanie Published: 8AM
مذاکرات صلح افغانستان به اولویت جدید اداره بایدن تبدیل شده است تا از این طریق، نیروهای ایالات متحده امریکا را تا قبل از ماه می سال جاری به گونه کامل از افغانستان خارج کند؛ توافقی که تا حدی بعید به نظر میرسد. اما حتا اگر این مذاکرات صلح سرانجام منتج به توافقاتی هم شود، بعید است که به خشونت و بحران ناشی از جنگ خاتمه دهد.
Translation • 2015
هشدار برای بحران اقتصادی روسیه
By: Yahya Qanie Published: Le Monde Diplomatique
هر رژیم شوک خود را دارد. اقتصاد روسیه بعد از الحاق کریمه در بهار گذشته، ازدیاد تحریم ها در تابستان و کاهش شدید قیمت نفت در خزان، سبب سقوط ارزش روبل در ماه نوامبر شد. با تازه شدن زخم های سال های دهه ۱۹۹۰، این بحران پولی آثار خود را به جا خواهد گذاشت زیرا بحران ساختاری ای که قدرت حاکم طولانی مدت آنرا دست کم گرفته بود نمایان می گردد.
Contribution • January 17, 2022
Making Noise and Getting Things Done
By: Helen Berents et al. Published: QUT Center for Justice
To coincide with the High-Level Global Conference on Youth Inclusive Peace Processes, the QUT Centre for Justice hosted an event to present key insights from the report Making Noise and Getting Things Done: Youth Inclusion and Advocacy for Peace. This report drew on stories of young people’s peace work and their proposals for substantive engagement in Afghanistan, South Sudan and Myanmar and offers practical recommendations for how national, regional and international stakeholders can support and amplify the fundamental and vital peace work youth are leading in their communities.
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