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World Affairs Councils Leadership Delegation to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

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World Affairs Councils Leadership Delegation to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan World Affairs Councils Leadership Delegation to The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan March 24 – March 31, 2012 Our Thanks The delegation gratefully acknowledges the generous support of Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker, without whom this trip would not have occurred. He gave very generously of his time, of which, while there, we quickly learned he has precious little. We also would like to thank his Public Affairs team, particularly Eileen O’Connor, Donna Welton, and Antoinette Hurtado, who also were more than generous with their time and expertise, as well as the support of the State Department and its Bureau of International Information Programs. Our delegation is also grateful to President Hamid Karzai, who warmly welcomed us to his Palace. We appreciate his hospitality and candor during our briefing with him. We would also like to acknowledge the many Afghans in the public and private sectors who met us for a very candid exchange of views, accomplishments, challenges and aspirations. Finally, publication of this Trip Report would not have been possible without the generous underwriting of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth and particularly the time and talent of Martha Powell, Director of Administration. The printing of this report was generously donated by Hunt Consolidated, Inc. A Red Sox fan in Kabul. Ambassador Ryan Crocker with Mimi Gregory. Support of this mission was provided by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Information Programs Contents Purpose of Mission ....................................................................................................................................... 1 Delegates ..................................................................................................................................................... 2 Delegation Itinerary ..................................................................................................................................... 3 Overview ...................................................................................................................................................... 4 Overview ...................................................................................................................................................... 5 Meeting with Director of Communications & PuBlic Diplomacy Eileen O’Connor and PuBlic Affairs Counselor Donna Welton ............................................................................................................................. 7 Meeting with AmBassador Ryan C. Crocker ................................................................................................. 8 Meeting with Acting Political Counselor Geoff Odlum ............................................................................... 10 Meeting with USAID Senior Deputy Mission Director Dr. Jeff Ashley ......................................................... 12 Meeting with Aga Khan Trust for Culture CEO Ajmal Maiwandi ............................................................... 14 Meeting with Minister of PuBlic Health Suraya Dalil ................................................................................. 15 Meeting with ABdul Rassoul Sayyaf, MemBer of Parliament and Head of the Wolesi Jirga’s International Affairs Committee ...................................................................................................................................... 17 Meeting with Economic Counselor David Renz .......................................................................................... 19 Meeting with Senior Deputy Coordinating Director for Development and Economic Affairs Greg Burton and Deputy Director Peggy Walker ........................................................................................................... 21 Meeting at the the American University of Afghanistan with the American Chamber of Commerce in Afghanistan ............................................................................................................................................... 24 Meeting with MemBers of Parliament ....................................................................................................... 26 Meeting with Deputy Minister of Finance for Policy Shafiq Qarizada ....................................................... 27 Meeting with Deputy Minister of Agriculture ABdul Ghani Ghuriani ......................................................... 29 Shura with Young Program Alumni hosted By AmBassador Crocker ......................................................... 32 Roundtable Discussion with Afghan Media Owners & Publishers on Freedom of the Press/Development of the Media .................................................................................................................................................. 34 Meeting with United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan Special Representative Ján KuBiš ......... 36 Reception for Women of Courage ............................................................................................................. 37 Meeting with Opposition Leader Hanif Atmar ........................................................................................... 39 Meeting with AmBassador Stephen G. McFarland and Brigadier General Dixie Morrow on Rule of Law . 41 Meeting with Commander of the International Security Assistance Force General John R. Allen ............. 43 Meeting with Minister of Mines Waheedullah Shahrani ........................................................................... 44 Meeting with Minister of Education Ghulam Farooq Wardak ................................................................... 47 Meeting with President Hamid Karzai at the Presidential Palace ............................................................. 49 Farewell ..................................................................................................................................................... 52 APPENDIX ................................................................................................................................................... 54 ACRONYMS and GLOSSARY ........................................................................................................................ 55 Purpose of Mission The first World Affairs Council, the Foreign Policy Association, was founded in New York City in 1918 by a small group of individuals who were concerned that America would choose an isolationist foreign policy over one of engagement. Therefore, they began a process to engage grassroots citizen involvement and education in international affairs. Over time, independent world affairs councils were established in most major American cities. Today there are 92 councils operating in 40 states. The general mission of World Affairs Councils is to educate and engage grassroots Americans on key critical global issues and international affairs in general. All WAC’s are nonprofit and nonpartisan, meaning that they do not endorse any political party or position. LEADERSHIP DELEGATIONS A leadership delegation is an overseas fact-finding visit to a city, country, or international organization by members of representative World Affairs Councils. Six individual councils conducted this leadership delegation to Afghanistan. The purpose of leadership delegations The main purposes are to get to know the people, the issues, and the accomplishments of a particular country on a first-hand basis by meeting with a country’s leaders, citizens, public- and private-sector representatives, as well as to gain an understanding of that country’s cultural heritage. This is best done outside the prism of American media or official reports, by meeting directly with a country’s own citizens and leaders – a true mission of people-to-people diplomacy. The benefits of leadership delegations Each delegation publishes a trip report about its various meetings, reflecting what the council representatives have learned during their visit. This report is disseminated to councils, to the U.S. Department of State, and to the individuals and government of the host country. It is also accessible through the participating councils’ website. Following a leadership visit, members of the delegation hold media events and present programs in their communities to inform their members of their findings. The councils often host guest speakers from the visited country to the United States to continue the process of engagement on various levels, including potential business contacts and networking. The ripple effect of a leadership delegation visit often produces joint projects, conferences, professional exchanges, speakers’ visits to the United States, intern exchanges, and publications, among other outreach activities. 1 Delegates MARIA ZAMMIT Delegation Leader Past President and Board Member World Affairs Council of Greater Hampton Roads Virginia Beach/Norfolk, Virginia LAURA DUPUY Executive Director Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy Salt Lake City, Utah JAMES N. FALK President and CEO World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth Dallas, Texas KEN R. FURST Past President and Board Member World Affairs Council of Western Massachusetts Springfield, Massachusetts MIMI GREGORY Past President and Board Member Naples Council on World Affairs Naples, Florida LJUBOMIR (L.J.) STAMBUK President World Affairs Council of Charlotte Charlotte, North Carolina 2 Delegation Itinerary Sunday, March 25 0830 Head of Delegation Maria Zammit introduction at the Embassy’s Country
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