Peace is not simply the lack of violence. In pre-civil rights America, there was a certain level of order. But there was not really peace because African-Americans were oppressed by racist laws. It was only through the process of the civil rights era that genuine peace began to emerge. The Taliban have maintained a certain order in the territory they have administered, but because of oppressive laws there has never really been peace. One of the premises of the United Nations Charter is that the protection of human rights forms the basis of genuine peace in the world. Peace in Afghanistan will not come from just a stable government. It will need the formation of a democratic and human rights-based government.

There have been many doubts expressed in the media about the Northern Alliance, the Taliban's opposition, and key the player in the formation of a new government. The leaders of the Northern Alliance have been portrayed as "war lords" from smaller ethnic groups that do not represent Afghanistan, but who want to form the next government. And as "war criminals" that brought the country into civil war before the Taliban, and will do so again after the Taliban. These doubts arise from a serious misunderstanding of Afghanistan's politics and history.

I spent many months with the Northern Alliance in 1998 negotiating a common policy of national reconciliation. The "Northern Alliance" is a name given by the west. They call themselves the "United Front." This name portrays their underlying policy of uniting all of the diverse ethnic, religious and political groups. It is essentially an inclusive group.

The four major ethnic groups in Afghanistan are Pashtun, Tajik, Uzbek and Hazara. The Northern Alliance is composed of all these groups, but with a limited involvement of the Pashtuns, which make up the Taliban leadership. However, two of the nine leaders that signed the agreement I negotiated were Pashtun, and I met a number of Pashtun soldiers and advisers during my stay. One reason why they have not had a larger Pashtun involvement is that the territory they control has been mostly in non-Pashtun areas.

It has always been a policy of the Northern Alliance to increase the involvement of the Pashtuns. The leaders of the Northern Alliance understand that Tajik, Uzbek or Hazara soldiers cannot be used to control Pashtun areas. One ethnic group dominating other ethnic groups is a chief cause of civil war in Afghanistan. Therefore, for the Northern Alliance to be successful in bringing peace to Afghanistan, it must work with the Pashtuns. Their recent alliance with the former king, Zahir Shah (a Pashtun), is designed to accomplish this, as is the recent call for amnesty to all Taliban soldiers who defect to the alliance.

To say that the leaders of the Northern Alliance are merely "war-lords" obscures the fact that each commander heads a military council, and each military council has a corresponding political council. Their military councils are subject to the scrutiny of their political councils. The military and political councils of the various groups unite to form a "supreme council" that makes up the Northern Alliance. The leaders of the Northern Alliance do not always get along, but they use their councils to resolve differences. The supreme council has now been reorganized to include the former King Zahir Shah.

Clearly, we should not idealize the Northern Alliance. They have seen nothing but war for twenty-two years. Life in a war zone is cruel. And no doubt, many atrocities have been committed. But atrocities are not a matter of policy for the Northern Alliance. When I visited the military headquarters in Panshir Valley, I met with prisoners of war and found them to be well treated. And at the request of President Rabbani, I advised a woman official on how to form a human rights commission after the war was over. The important thing is that the leaders of the Northern Alliance are committed to building a democratic and human rights-based government for Afghanistan.

The current civil war is mainly the result of Pakistan's support for a Pashtun dominated government, recently in the form of the Taliban. The only way to prevent a civil war after the Taliban are removed from power is to support a political process of reconciliation that is purely Afghan, and includes all of the ethnic groups. As President Bush has said, a "Marshall plan" of aid is needed for Afghanistan to rebuild itself, but neither the U. S. nor Pakistan should impose its idea of who should govern.

In the world of Islam, councils are the way in which problems are resolved. The greatest of all councils in Afghanistan is the Loya Jirga. The prime purpose of a Loya Jirga is to resolve the issue of a new national government. It is traditionally composed of tribal leaders, which can number into the thousands. Unlike a western style parliament, such a gathering is very informal, with Afghans sitting together in small groupings deliberating. Somehow a consensus is formed, and a new government is elected.

The king and the Northern Alliance are now in the process of appointing one hundred and twenty people to form a council. This council will decide on the composition of a Loya Jirga, which will most likely be composed of over a thousand Afghans, representing the many ethnic, religious and political interests. The large number will ensure that no one group or interest will dominate the formation of the new government. The Loya Jirga will then elect a new government. As the king and the leaders of the Northern Alliance have affirmed, the new government of Afghanistan will be a broad-based government representing all the ethnic groups. Only such a government, formed by the collective will of the Afghan people, can ensure lasting peace in Afghanistan.

The Loya Jirga process, the formation of a new government, and the establishment of real peace in Afghanistan will have its problems. Members of the Northern Alliance do not always see eye to eye. There are many Afghan political groups inside and outside of Afghanistan that are not part of the former king's associations or part of the Northern Alliance. These groups must also have a voice in any formation of the new government. There are also various interest groups, such as woman's rights, that must become incorporated into the institutions and laws of any new government.

For this reason, the Northern Alliance has invited me to contribute to the peace process by mediating between these various groups. If I return to Afghanistan, I will be one small force in a larger effort to get these groups working together. After twenty-two years of war, there are strong hatreds, jealousies, and suspicions that must be overcome. Although difficult, it will not be impossible. The tremendous suffering they have experienced during the war has awakened within them a deep desire for peace. They want peace, and as long as the desire is there, it can be achieved.

To win the peace in Afghanistan, the formation of a democratic and human rights-based government is just a first step. Also essential is a massive Marshall Plan that Bush has promised. Sixty-seven percent of all adults are illiterate, twenty-five percent of all children die before the age of five, and millions face starvation with the comming winter. The war in Afghanistan has destroyed its infrastructure. Water, electricity, telecommunications, and roads - all things we take for granted - are in shambles. And the institutions of law, education, medicine and civil service are barely present. All of this has to be built up, much of it from the bottom up.

After World War II, America infused Germany and Japan with needed aid and expertise, lifting both countries from its ashes and establishing the foundations for democracy to flourish. Some have argued that America did this for selfish reasons. However, the better argument is that it was an act of wisdom and compassion. The people in those countries were transformed from enemies to friends. Clearly, the more friends America has in the world, the less enemies it will have. America needs to win the war and put an end to bin Laden's global network of terror. But America also has to win the peace to ensure that such people do not have a place to arise again.

Roger L. Plunk is an international mediator and author of The Wandering Peacemaker.