Exploring my publications

Welcome to my publications page! Here you can explore my work and contributions to various fields. This page is designed for everyone interested in learning more about my research and projects.

Afghanistan human development report 2020

This publication focuses on the Afghanistan Human Development Report 2020, specifically concerning the extractive industry. It's a comprehensive study that aims to provide insights and analysis on this critical sector.

You can download the full report here: https://www.undp.org/afghanistan/press-releases/afghanistan-human-development-report-2020 

My role as national coordinator

I had the privilege of serving as the National Coordinator for the Afghanistan Human Development Report 2020 project. In this role, I led the entire project, overseeing its development from conception to completion.

If you're interested in learning more about my role or the project itself, please feel free to contact me.

Explore more research

Drawing on over 15 years of development experience, this PhD thesis, " and Everyday Diplomacy: Navigating the Theory-Practice Gap in Afghan Aid," investigates the complex world of Afghan NGO national workers and their role in implementing foreign-funded development schemes between 2001 and 2021. It argues that while participatory development models were presented as neutral, their implementation occurred in a landscape defined by conflict, militarisation, and shifting power dynamics. By developing (a widely used Afghan term for compromise) as a critical conceptual lens, the research—grounded in extensive qualitative interviews—reveals the often-unacknowledged strategies of "everyday diplomacy" and pragmatic negotiation that local staff employ to move projects forward, often blurring the line between effective compromise and reinforcing unequal power structures. Ultimately, the thesis recenters the agency of these key intermediaries, challenging donor-centric narratives of "apolitical" aid and arguing that understanding their resilience is essential for designing more context-sensitive development interventions in Afghanistan and other conflict-affected settings.