LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Rebuilding Afghanistan will take years and billions of dollars in international aid. But in Kandahar, the spiritual homeland of the Taliban, there are already small, but encouraging signs of change. CNN's Ben Wedeman is there.</s>BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Through the ruins of Kandahar, schoolboys head toward a political rally, where the face of a new Afghanistan was on display. Albeit segregated from the rest of the crowd, for the first time in years, women were allowed to take part in a public event. "We have always dreamed we could be here, sitting altogether," says Afifon Maarouf. "Finally, our dream has come true." Women at a public meeting wouldn't raise an eyebrow in most places, but it is a dramatic change for the women of this conservative city. Another change: participants can clap. The Taliban banned clapping as impious. (on camera): This rally, the first of its kind held in Kandahar since the fall of the Taliban, is intended to underscore the unity of the Afghan people. But already, there have been clashes between rival factions, so Afghan unity is clearly tenuous, at best. (voice-over): Ayub Rafiqi moved to California 20 years ago. Now he has returned to help heal his country's wounds.</s>AYUB RAFIQI: We would like to bring peace among all the different factions, and we would like to support all the involved parties, especially right now in Kandahar.</s>WEDEMAN: Also on display, tribal warriors in their new uniforms. These fighters could eventually become the nucleus of a regular Afghan army. Their new footwear, however, has yet to arrive. The black, green and red flag of the new Afghanistan has replaced the banner of the Taliban -- many small changes that add up to a world of difference for the people of Afghanistan. Ben Wedeman, CNN, Kandahar.
In Kandahar, Already Small Signs of Change