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Jen Brick Murtazashvili Profile picture
Jen Brick Murtazashvili
@jmurtazashvili
Founding Dir @CGMPitt | Assoc Prof @GSPIA | Nonres Scholar @CarnegieEndow | President @CESS_News | Governance, Security, Development—from the bottom-up #yinzer
Aug 27 • 13 tweets • 3 min read
1/ Donald T. Campbell championed the idea of an "experimenting society," where social experiments and interventions solve pressing issues.

In Afghanistan, however, this ideal became something more troubling—an "experimented society." Image 2/ Over the past two decades, Afghanistan became a prominent site for policy experiments and social science research, with many studies landing in top journals. I did my share of experiments.
Jul 3, 2022 • 25 tweets • 8 min read
Violence in Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan is shocking, but protests against the government should shock no one.

Poverty in Karakalpakstan is heartbreaking. This about more than poverty.

As we wait to piece together events, we can explore the broader political economy. 🇺🇿 Protests broke out when government shared proposed constitutional changes to the status of Karakalpakstan--an ostensibly autonomous republic in Uzbekistan. According to the draft reforms, it would lose its republican status and become a province.

eurasianet.org/uzbekistans-ne…
Apr 9, 2022 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
💡Decentralization in Ukraine seems to be vital source of unity & gov't legitimacy. Before war, @brik_t and I were to embark on survey work exploring decentralization in 🇺🇦.

In Afg 🇦🇫 opposite dynamics emerged: authoritarian/centralized govt undermined unity & legitimacy. Centralization/decentralization discussions in social sciences focus on efficiency effects but too little on legitimacy.

In Afg. army didn't collapse for technical reasons, it collapsed for political reasons. Undermined by central authorities. Soldiers did not believe in govt.
Mar 17, 2022 • 10 tweets • 3 min read
🚨Uzbekistan 🇺🇿 foreign minister calls for:

Immediate cessation of violence in Ukraine

Asks Russia 🇷🇺 and Ukraine 🇺🇦 to come to a peaceful resolution

Refuses to acknowledge independence of Luhansk and Donetsk

Recognizes Ukraine’s territorial integrity gazeta.uz/ru/2022/03/17/… Foreign Minister Kamilov reaffirms to his parliament that Uzbekistan does not get involved in foreign military blocs or war efforts. gazeta.uz/ru/2021/01/19/…
Mar 15, 2022 • 9 tweets • 3 min read
YouTube star and one of Uzbekistan’s 🇺🇿most popular preachers, Abror Muxtor Aliy, says that if Putin loses in Ukraine he will attack Central Asia next.
🇰🇬 🇰🇿 🇹🇲 🇹🇯 Why would Putin attack Central Asia?
Dec 3, 2021 • 4 tweets • 3 min read
Fantastic reporting by @Tmgneff and Yaqoob Akbary on land conflicts and forced displacement in Afghanistan.

@IMurtazashvili and I focus on precisely this issue in our new book: Land, the State, and War: Property Institutions and Political Order in Afg.

nytimes.com/2021/12/03/wor… This article shows deep history of these disputes. Soviet-backed regime of the 1970s sought to redistribute land in a violent manner.

We trace the roots of conflicts to the reign of 19th century ruler Abdul Rahman Khan who ruthlessly confiscated lands, esp. from minorities.
Aug 15, 2021 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
This is exactly why the US mission could not succeed. It did not have good partner.

Ghani was enabled by so many in Washington who fawned over his Ivy league decree and his bad book on failed states.

He ran the state into the ground and discredited the democratic project. His patrons in Washington were in denial or deeply ignorant about the divisive way he governed.

Everyone was happy to keep pretending. Lots of mutual benefit. Afghan people paid the price.

His think tank, Institute for State Effectiveness receives contracts from donors.
Aug 15, 2021 • 6 tweets • 1 min read
Much attention on the hasty US withdrawal, but this is a collapse of political institutions. The state lost its remaining legitimacy. This had been eroding for years. US aid fed the state but undermined its connection to people. Domestic politics is the primary driver. Taliban gained momentum by pointing out the grotesque corruption and rentier nature of the Afghan state. They could draw a contrast. They called the Aghan government puppets.
Aug 14, 2021 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
This is the famous Friendship Bridge that links Afghanistan to Uzbekistan. Soviet occupation ended when last tanks crossed this bridge. Bridge now a landmark for the collapse of the Ghani government. Been here many times. Will never forget going there in the days after 9/11 when I worked for USAID in Tashkent. Brought throngs of foreign journalists there as eyes turned on Afghanistan. Felt such hope for the future. Much was gained. Much was lost.
Aug 5, 2021 • 5 tweets • 1 min read
🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨
🇦🇫Friends in Afghanistan🇦🇫: We at @CGMPitt will help you connect with organizations you worked for in the US to help you apply for the P-2 program.
state.gov/u-s-refugee-ad… ✍️Please send us an email at cgm@pitt.edu
Tell us:
1) Your full name and other relevant personal information
2) Name of the US-supported organization you worked for in Afghanistan
3) Name of project
4) Dates of employment