It has been four years since the fall of the republic in Afghanistan. During this period, a diverse array of political movements, military fronts, and civil resistance groups have emerged—both within the country and beyond its borders.
What unites these forces is their opposition to the Taliban.
Several of these groups have proposed plans and programmes under the banner of “roadmaps,” aimed at breaking the current deadlock and envisioning a new future for Afghanistan. In parallel, efforts have begun to foster coordination and solidarity among anti-Taliban forces.
Among these efforts, certain structures have been established to serve as a common umbrella for the opposition groups. Notable examples include the Vienna Process for a Democratic Afghanistan, the National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan, and more recently, the National Assembly for the Salvation of Afghanistan. Some of these entities have also published their own dedicated roadmaps to address the crises in Afghanistan.
Reviewing the Roadmaps
The Mosaic Global Foundation was the first institution to study and synthesise the roadmaps of Afghanistan’s political and civil movements. The overall objective is to formulate a “Composite Comprehensive Roadmap”—a strategic step towards fostering cohesion and coordination among Afghanistan’s fragmented political and civil opposition.
Although initiatives such as the Vienna Process, the National Resistance Council, and the National Assembly have made strides towards alignment, the absence of a clear vision regarding engagement with the Taliban has hindered meaningful outcomes. One such example is the Afghanistan National Dialogue held in Istanbul, Turkey. However, no effort has yet succeeded in producing a unified roadmap.
During its annual conference at the University of Cambridge in September 2024, the Mosaic Foundation invited Afghanistan’s six political movements to present their plans and roadmaps. Independent experts were also invited to assess these proposals. The participating organisations shared their visions for Afghanistan’s future:
- Vienna Process for a Democratic Afghanistan
- National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan
- National Trust Movement of Afghanistan
- The Federalists Assembly of Afghanistan
- Afghanistan Freedom Front
- Citizens’ Party of Afghanistan
These roadmaps reflected a wide spectrum of political perspectives, each offering distinct strategies for resolving the current crisis. The conference concluded with a shared sense of urgency and responsibility, emphasising the potential of innovative and collaborative solutions. This exchange of ideas laid the groundwork for future dialogue and action.
A review conducted by Mr David Loyn revealed that over 90% of the content across these roadmaps overlapped—underscoring the need to develop a “Composite Comprehensive Roadmap.”
Towards a Composite Comprehensive Roadmap
Following the findings of the 2024 conference, a Working Group was formed comprising representatives from some of the six roadmap-presenting movements and independent experts. Their task was to gather additional proposals and extract common themes. The Mosaic Foundation facilitated this process.
Representatives from the National Trust Movement and the Vienna Process are part of this working group. Leadership of the group was entrusted to Mehr, an organisation dedicated to fostering coordination among anti-Taliban forces. To strengthen representation from civil society, women, and journalists, the New Afghanistan Democratic Forum (NAD-Forum)—an inclusive, diverse and democratic civil society platform—was also invited to join.
Common Themes Across Proposals
The working group reviewed a total of 12 roadmaps and 8 proposals submitted by various organisations. Their analysis revealed that approximately 90% of the visions and objectives were aligned. A fundamental commonality across all proposals was deep dissatisfaction with the current situation and a commitment to change.
Most organisations agreed that Afghanistan’s future political system should be based on the people’s right to self-determination, ideally through a nationwide referendum. All movements prioritised values such as democracy, human rights, and civil liberties.
Points of Difference
Despite extensive common ground, notable differences remain. Chief among them is the varied interpretation of ethnic injustice—a key point of contention. There are also divergent views on methods of resistance and pathways to change. Some groups’ strategy for realistion of change is support all forms of legitimate struggle, including armed resistance, while others shun mean of violence, advocating for peaceful approaches such as “engagement” with the Taliban.
In addition, opinions differ on the role of foreign actors and international institutions. Some emphasise their importance, while others place primary responsibility on domestic political and civil movements.
Moreover, political currents have a difference of view on he preferred political system—whether centralised, federal, or decentralised parliamentary—remains a subject of debate.
Each option requires serious and expert dialogue. Nonetheless, some movements view the recognition of cultural diversity and the re-examination of national identities and symbols as essential to the legitimacy of governance.
Hence, ongoing dialogue among these movements is deemed crucial, and the Mosaic Foundation is committed to providing the necessary platform for such engagement.
The 2025 Conference and Presentation of the Composite Roadmap
The “Composite Comprehensive Roadmap,” developed from the reviewed proposals, is set to be unveiled and discussed at the Mosaic Foundation’s fourth annual conference—known as both Cambridge Afghanistan Series (CAS) and Cambridge Massoud Conference (CMC). CAS-IV is scheduled for 19–20 September 2025 at Jesus College, University of Cambridge.
Mosaic intends to create space—particularly around points of divergence—for open debate and candid dialogue among conference participants. This conversation will include political representatives, civil society activists, women, scholars, including religious scholars (ulema), students, and youth, with the aim of reaching consensus on the final roadmap.
About the Mosaic Global Foundation
The Mosaic Global Foundation is a UK-based charity committed to the values of diversity and pluralism in multicultural societies. It works to promote peace and cooperation across Central Asia.
Hosting its annual conference at the University of Cambridge is one of the Foundation’s key activities. Mosaic also runs numerous projects in education, civil society dialogue, human rights advocacy—particularly supporting campaigns against gender apartheid—intergenerational, including youth dialogue, and intercultural dialogue, and migrant integration in the UK.
Afghanistan International initially published the piece in Persian here.
