Quote Originally Posted by sapperfitz82 View Post
To heavy-handidly try to enforce the Afghan/Islamic law regarding homosexuality/child abuse would invariably come off wrong. Better would be an information campaign that advocates in the children's favor (think DoS), and turning over hard evidence (we have video of the actual events) to local prosecuter and pressuring action through their system.
Agreed, although given the limits of the Afghan justice system—especially in rural areas—this might be a rather faint hope.

The first step is to engage with significant local actors—ANP, justice officials, imams, community and educational leaders, UNICEF, etc.—and scope out what can and cannot be done locally, by whom, what responses would be productive rather than counterproductive, and what resources are needed where. The solution needs to emerge locally. It probably also needs actors on the international community taking on a quiet role of shepherd and facilitator. I also suspect that one deals with this issue first in urban areas, where there is a degree of governance and legal administration, and worry about the hinterland later.

While the cultural and political context varies markedly, the intersection of the child sex trade and armed conflict is hardly unique to Afghanistan. Almost every place it is dealt with, it involves a host of cultural, religious, political, and COIN/stabilization/PKO sensitivities. While no one would claim a massive success rate, there is very substantial experience to draw upon.

I might also add that where these sorts of issues have been addressed in other contexts, the overwhelming majority of those providing the front-line response are locals, not expats or foreign military forces. Outsiders can provide technical and financial assistance, but any longer-term solution requires community mobilization and engagement.