“How come history takes such a long, long time?” The lament of Canadian songwriter Bruce Cockburn could have been written for Afghanistan. In the hot, dry, dusty terrain of Afghanistan, history used to take for ever, but today it is in fast-forward. After long years of conflict followed by tyrannical Taliban rule, the country is now marching at the double towards elections this Autumn.

The world at large will witness a potent symbol of the country’s progress when the young athletes of their Olympic team lead out competitors in the opening ceremony in Athens in August, its national flag carried by a woman. Afghanistan will be seen to be back among the community of nations.

But the country needs more than symbols and, in a series of reports in this special edition, we ask Afghans themselves what they make of their country’s recent journey - and whether peace and democracy can overcome historic animosities to create a new future.

As Developments goes to press, more than 5 million people are registered to vote, new political parties are being formed and democracy is promised. But, as we also report, the opium trade is taking a dangerous hold on the economy, while the security situation provides a constant threat to progress. History here is finely balanced and people are realistic. “Rome was not built in a day,” as the former judge Marzia Barcel puts it. “Afghanistan was destroyed over 25 years and it will take us decades to rebuild it.” The nation is used to people writing it off, but the courageous people we met are determined to prove their detractors wrong. To paraphrase another songwriter, Sam Cooke, it’s a long time coming, but change is going to come.

Change is a long time coming in other developing countries, but there are signs of hope too, as revealed by our report from Ghana - another country gearing up for elections. In India, meanwhile, the photo-journalist Jason Taylor has recorded the remarkable - and terrifying - way in which HIV/AIDS virus races silently across the country carried by thousands of truck drivers.

Our last issue of Developments was our most popular yet - we had to reprint. If you appreciate what you find here, please continue to tell others about the magazine - and check out www.developments.org.uk for updates in between publication.

Martin Wroe, Malcolm Doney
Editors