Five Years Under Taliban Rule: Oppression, Global Silence, and the Resilience of Afghanistan

You are cordially invited to attend the event, “Five Years Under Taliban Rule: Oppression, Global Silence, and the Resilience of Afghanistan,” hosted by a consortium of think tanks and academic institutions at American University in Washington, D.C., on August 14, 2026.

This event will mark five years since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan. It will bring together scholars, policy experts, activists, practitioners, students, and members of the Afghan diaspora to reflect on the political, social, humanitarian, and moral consequences of Taliban rule. The discussion will examine the systematic oppression of women and girls, the shrinking of civic and intellectual life, the persecution of vulnerable communities, and the broader failure of the international community to respond with the urgency and consistency that the situation demands.

At the same time, the event will highlight the resilience of the people of Afghanistan. Despite repression, exile, poverty, displacement, and global silence, Afghans…