Dear Pietro

I enjoyed your careful approach to your wonderful didactic mission in
Afghanistan. One aspect of your statement did puzzle me however: You were
repeatedly referring to your California experience, and despite of your
honesty to acknowledge both your own background and that of your host, I
imagine that you could get more confidence into the culture of Afghanistan
and a larger tradition of urbanism in the Near and Middle East. I think it
should be vital to back up your task objectives by a thourough knowledge of
Islamic urban cultures and the laws and principles on which they are based
and then evaluate from there in how far your California experience might be
relevant and retain more generally its universal lessons and "techné"
aspects, rather than anticipating their appropriateness in a very crucially
different context. Even if your own personal experience will obviously breed
your commitment and foster your operational qualities, I would restrain from
setting it as ostentatively as a kind of working paradigm. Consider yourself
as a teacher who helps to catalyse knowledge and know-how available in the
Afghan cultural traditions and be a moderator, a stimulator, etc. and then
only offer your experience and know-how as a enhancing contribution to a
regenerative process of inventing a New Afghan Urbanism.
Often outsiders can acknowledge benefits of local traditions much better,
particularly in times of crisis, and it is probable that your hosts will
check you on your understanding of their culture and will probably also
define specifically the needs they have and the type of input they expect
from you.

Kind regards
Lucien Steil