Transforming a culture of violence into a culture of peace: Pashtunwali as the basis for peace and stability in Afghanistan and Pakistan

The Pashtun population that straddles the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan has endured a history of conflict that continues to this day and has affected politics and governance in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Amid complex tribal relations, the Pashtuns abide by a very strict cultural code of Pashtunwali that espouses underlying themes of independence, egalitarianism and honor -- themes which are apparent in both Pashtun and rival ethnic tribe's methods of dispute resolution -- and that promotes the respect of individual and tribal autonomy. Harnessing the aforementioned themes by promoting respect through positive interactions through focusing on commonalities in dispute resolution may aid the establishment of a culture of peace to combat the cycles of violence in Pashtun conflicts.