This morning’s edition of the New York Times carries on it’s front page an enligthening article by Alissa Rubin on the Taliban’s public relations campaign in Afhganistan, casting a well informed and brilliantly reported portrait of how the Taliban’s are increasing in their effort to gain the support of the people.
In reading the description of the policy paper (code of conduct) and particularly in the sentence ‘Creating a code of behavior is one thing, enforcing it another’, I was instantly reminded by how many times we public relators involved with professional associations around the world have echoed a similar thought.
Very interesting and excellent food for thought.
Here’s a recent report that does have some insight worth considering, and which, in my view, the full text is worth downloading and reading:
http://news.parliament.uk/2009/08/global-security-afghanistan-and-pakistan-report/
Toni, this discussion started with a post from you about a news item from the NYT that claimed to have got hold of a ground-breaking rule book with PR implications from a Taliban source on a recent trip to Afghanistan. A copy of the said rule book, however, had been on my laptop for many months translated into English (old story, no news, no scoop, no new insight; had the writer asked me for a copy the cost of the trip could have been saved).
Moreover, the London conference is not the first of its kind. None of what was said or offered there was new either. Meanwhile, 5000 German troops are on their way to Kabul.
I don’t have a clue what is going on in Afghanistan, and I doubt that you do either. Neither of us is qualified to offer PR advice on the basis of such ignorance, I say.
Maybe some, in reading reports on the very recent London conference, may have thought of this post and its comments.
The more attentive have also probably registered that the Talibans officially and publicly rejected the London opening.
Had I been consulting the Talibans I would have suggested that they do exactly that Had I been consulting the London conference organizers, I would have suggested they reach out to the their ‘informal’ Taliban sources before the conference to solicit that very statement.
It is clear now that there is a diplomatic chess game and this is encouraging.
If this goes forward may I suggest we thank also Fareed Zakaria, the conductor of GPS at CNN.
He has been hammering on this concept for months and months and raising many eyebrows (some even said he was a traitor..).
I admire individuals who show their face and express their opinions. Better if on CNN and GPS..of course.
Absolutely true. We can find great PR examples in the most unlikely places.
Toni, your comment is disconcertingly insightful.
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates is reported today (saturday Jan 23) to have said that the Talebans are ‘part of the Agfghan political scenario’ and that a reconciliation will be possible when they will stop killing local authorities, destrying families and will participate to the nation’s political process.
The language is certainly different and vaguely echoes the positions of many analysts and commentators who have till today been considered as ‘sell-outs’ to Al Quaida because the differentiate between Talibans and terrorists.
If I had been asked by the Talibans to select and evaluate the kpi’s of their campaign, I would certainly have included this one….
Toni, this is not a new story but it is a useful and instructive one. The best source to get the full monty is the NEFA Foundation, which has published a translation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (Taliban’s) new Book of Rules. If readers want to look in depth at these issues, I recommend the following website as being highly credible and very well informed:
http://circlingthelionsden.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html