Society should focus on cultivating understanding and empathy, not peace.


Morwari Zafar is an international security consultant and a PhD candidate in anthropology at the University of Oxford.
Society should focus on cultivating understanding and empathy, not peace.

Understanding the demand for extremist propaganda or why some people buy it should be the right approach.
![Patches on the sleeve of a militiaman is seen at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns, Oregon [REUTERS]](https://www.aljazeera.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/48d8248388a94c078b797f0e2816da57_18.jpeg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
Violence in northern Afghanistan threatens the country’s vulnerable populations and jeopardises nationwide stability.
