DOCSLIB.ORG

Narratives of Motherwork, Agency, and Resilience: an Oral History of Afghan Immigrant Mothers in the Pacific Northwest Diaspora

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Narratives of Motherwork, Agency, and Resilience: an Oral History of Afghan Immigrant Mothers in the Pacific Northwest Diaspora AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Fatima Rezai for the degree of Masters of Arts in Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies presented on March 18, 2020 Title: Narratives of Motherwork, Agency, and Resilience: An Oral History of Afghan Immigrant Mothers in the Pacific Northwest Diaspora Abstract Approved: ____________________________________ Cari S. Maes Using intersectional, matricentric feminist of color approaches, this study interrogates the particularities of Afghan immigrants' mothering experiences—as one of the hidden facets of their lived experience—in the United States from a life-course perspective. Using a combination of feminist oral historical approaches, semi-structured interviews, and participant observation, this thesis explores the textures of maternal experiences to gain insight on how these mothers navigate through two overlapping contexts that frame their lives. The first context comprises women’s recollections of mothering in the midst of oppression and war in Afghanistan. These narratives specifically reveal the ways in which gender and, in some cases, ethnicity shape women’s experiences of conflict at home in Afghanistan. As will be explored, the stories they share help rupture dominant Western characterizations of mothers as “passive victims” in the protracted wars waged in the country spanning the last four decades. The second key context focuses on life in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States and reveals how Afghan mothers experience the twin processes of cultural alienation and adaptation. This work ultimately provides a unique window into the intimate space of mothering, home, and family for a small group of Afghan mothers living outside the traditional diasporic hubs of the United States. Copyright by Fatima Rezai March 18, 2020 All Rights Reserved Narratives of Motherwork, Agency, and Resilience: An Oral History of Afghan Immigrant Mothers in the Pacific Northwest Diaspora by Fatima Rezai A THESIS Submitted to Oregon State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Presented March 18, 2020 Commencement June 2020 Master of Arts thesis of Fatima Rezai presented on March 18, 2020 APPROVED: Major Professor, representing Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Director of the School of Language, Culture, and Society Dean of the Graduate School I understand that my thesis will become a part of the permanent collection of Oregon State University libraries. My signature below authorizes release of my thesis to any reader upon request. Fatima Rezai, Author ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my incredible supervisor, Dr. Cari Maes, for her mentorship and guidance through each stage of the process. This thesis would have not been possible without her generous support, invaluable insights, and enthusiasm. I wish to express my sincere appreciation to each of the member of my committee members, Dr. Melissa Cheyney, Dr. Liddy Detar, and Dr. Kelly Chandler, who have generously provided me with extensive support in the pursuit of this project. I also gratefully acknowledge the grant received from Fulbright Foreign Student Program for completion of this Master program. I dedicate this thesis to the Afghan women at the center of this study who welcomed me warmly to their homes, opened up their lives, and offered illuminating insights. I am also indebted to their families for their friendship, trust, and kindness throughout the life of this project. The last but not least, for their inspiration, love, and emotional support, I am profoundly grateful to my family, in particular my mother, whose life story and resilience in the face of adversity inspired this work. INDIGENOUS LANDS STATEMENT Let it be acknowledged that Oregon State University in Corvallis, OR is located within the traditional homelands of the Mary's River or Ampinefu Band of Kalapuya. Following the Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855 (Kalapuya etc. Treaty), Kalapuya people were forcibly removed to reservations in Western Oregon. Today, living descendants of these people are a part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon (https://www.grandronde.org) and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians (https://ctsi.nsn.us) TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Introduction …….....…………..………………………………………………………..……1 Background……………..………………..…………………………………………………… 14 Methodology……....……………………………...………………………………………...… 25 Narratives………………...………........…………………………………………......……….. 37 Mina……………………………………………………………………………………..37 Mahtab………………………………………………………………..…………………47 Habiba ………………………………………………………………..…………………60 Tahera …………………………………………………………………..………………69 Discussion...…………………………………………………………………….………………82 Conclusion.……………………………………………………………………….……………94 Bibliography………………………………………………………………..…….…………....98 Appendices……………………………………………………………………………………110 Appendix A: Overview of Afghan Displacement Numbers……………………. …..……….110 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page Figure I and II: Map of Hazarajat Region and Regional Map of Afghanistan…………..15 Figure III: Map of Jaghori District location within Ghazni Province……………………39 Figure IV: Kakrak Valley Location within Ghazni Province...………………………….48 Figure V: City of Ghazni……..………………………………………………………….50 Figure VI: Photograph of Traditional Attire……………………………………………..78 Figure VII: Phonograph of Henna Patterns………………………………………………81 1 Narratives of Motherwork, Agency, and Resilience: An Oral History of Afghan Immigrant Mothers in the Pacific Northwest Introduction Can anyone teach me how to make a homeland? Heartfelt thanks if you can, heartiest thanks… -from “Lament for Syria,” Amineh Abou Kerech (2017) Habiba slowly laid on her handmade Afghan sitting mattress closed to the window, a small piece of embroidered napkin in her hand, watched the last trace of the sun's light vanished in gloomy winter of West coast. “At this time of the year at 'home,’ I would sit and chat with the rest of the elder women by the wall, under the sun, watching our little grandchildren playing around us… but days are shorter here,” she said, sighing deeply in despair. After a short pause, she continued retelling her story of wartime starting with these words: “everyone looted our land in turn. We have gone through many hardship. Thank God, my children are not seeing those days anymore, they are now safe here.” -Habiba, interview with the author (2018) This study aims to interrogate the particularities of Afghan immigrants' mothering experiences — as one of the hidden facets of their lived experience — in the United States from a life-course perspective. Using a combination of feminist oral historical approaches, semi- structured interviews, and participant observation, this thesis explores the textures of maternal experiences to gain insight on how these mothers navigate through two overlapping contexts that frame their lives. The first context comprises women’s recollections of mothering in the midst of oppression and war in Afghanistan. These narratives specifically reveal the ways in which gender and, in some cases, ethnicity shape women’s experiences of conflict at home in Afghanistan. As will be explored, the stories they share help rupture dominant Western characterizations of mothers as “passive victims” in the protracted wars waged in the country spanning the last four decades. The second key context, the crux of this thesis, focuses on women’s experiences of alienation and adaptation in the Pacific Northwest region of the United 2 Narratives of Motherwork, Agency, and Resilience: An Oral History of Afghan Immigrant Mothers in the Pacific Northwest States.1 What makes the position of Afghan women unique in the United States is that they took refuge in the very country that has waged war against their homeland in the name of eradicating global terrorism. As Saskia Witteborn’s work on Iraqi refugees living in the Pacific Northwest during the War in Iraq shows, the complex dynamics between warring nation-states deeply influence how diasporic subjects define their identity and belonging in their new home (2008: 202-204). Similarly, for Afghan women, acts of living and mothering in this context are further complicated by post- 9/11 hostilities, stereotypes, and Islamophobia against Muslims and Afghans in particular, leading to their marginalized status in the host country (Ahmed-Ghosh 2015: 123). Hence, this study reveals how diasporic Afghan women navigate an increasingly inhospitable social climate in the United States and how they deploy various “motherwork” strategies (Hill Collins 1994) to protect their families and build a sense of home in the Pacific Northwest. In recent years, the plight of Afghan women has come to the attention of global feminist movements. Humanitarian efforts sponsored by a number of local and international NGOs have brought women, particularly mothers, to the forefront of the country’s reconstruction and reconciliation processes. As of 2006, there were 1600 NGO and United Nations offices across Afghanistan working on a range of campaigns to rebuild civil society and infrastructure (Langary 2010: xii). These campaigns have disseminated images and stories of women’s experiences in the post-conflict era, while sometimes reinforcing reductive stereotypes about how Afghanistan is “the worst place in the world to be a woman.”2 As these organizations have moved to focus on 1This study (#8573) was categorized by the Oregon State University Institutional Review Board as “not research” on April 27, 2018. Due to increased precarity and threats to Muslim communities in the United
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Safeguarding Women's Rights in Afghanistan
    153 Oxfam Briefing Paper 3 October 2011 A place at the table Safeguarding women‟s rights in Afghanistan www.oxfam.org Participants from the Women for Women programme, Afghanistan. © Women for Women International. Women in Afghanistan have achieved real progress in areas such as political participation, the rule of law, and education since 2001, but these hard-won gains remain fragile. With the imminent withdrawal of international forces, there is a risk that the government may sacrifice women’s rights in order to secure a political deal with the Taliban and other armed opposition groups. The government and its international partners must do much more to support Afghan women’s efforts and uphold their rights while ensuring that women have a strong voice in any future negotiations and political settlements. Summary ‘Women want peace but not at the cost of losing our freedom again.’ Noorjahan Akbar, co-founder of Young Women for Change.1 Ten years on from the start of the Western intervention in Afghani- stan, Afghan women are facing an uncertain future. Women have strived for and made important gains since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, including in political participation and access to education, but these gains are fragile and reversible. The precarious situation for Afghan women is set against a backdrop of spreading insecurity across Afghanistan. Civilian casualties are in- creasing, with May 2011 the deadliest month of the war for civilians since 2007.2 As security deteriorates across the country, violence against women is also on the rise. Both the Afghan and US governments are attempting to engage in parallel talks with the Taliban to reach a political solution to the con- flict before international military forces withdraw by the end of 2014.
    [Show full text]
  • Gennaio 2021 Numero Miscellaneo Issue 45
    Numero 45 – Gennaio 2021 Numero miscellaneo Issue 45 – January 2021 Miscellaneous Issue ISSN: 1824-4483 DEP n. 45 Indice Ricerche Parte monografica La violenza domestica in Asia orientale e sud-orientale Sara D’Attoma, Introduzione p. I Sara D’Attoma, 百年好(不)合! Cento anni di (in)felicità coniugale! Aspetti normativi del divorzio per violenza domestica nella Repubblica popolare cinese p. 1 Hsiaowei Kuan, The Law on Domestic Violence and Its Practice in Taiwan, (Taiwan) p. 24 Sumiko Honda, Reiko Ogawa, Domestic Violence in Japan: An Invisible Problem in the “Safest Country in the World” p. 35 Elodie Voisin, “As husband I must be violent”. Continuum of violence in forced migration and militarized policies. Ethnography among Rohingya Refugees in Malaysia p. 60 Parte miscellanea Corina Costea, The Evolution of Romanian Law and Mechanism in the Fight against Trafficking in Human Beings. A Focus on the Situation of Women p. 80 Doreen Perl-Valentina Srbuljevic, The Importance of the Inclusion of Women’s Rights in the US – Taliban Peace Treaty p. 98 Documenti Claire Goll, La mano di cera (1917), traduzione di Serena Tiepolato p. 122 Kathleen Lonsdale, Security and Responsibility (1954), traduzione e cura di Maria Grazia Suriano p. 127 Recensioni, interventi, resoconti Annalisa Zabonati, “Bringing peace home”. I corpi delle donne e degli animali nonumani nell’analisi ecofemminista critica di Carol J. Adams p. 151 Arianna Ceschin, “La degradazione è la dea del momento”: natura e società nella scrittura di Anna Maria Ortese p. 158 Claire Tomalin, Jane Austen, la vita (Bianca Tarozzi) p. 169 Vandana Shiva, Reclaiming the Commons, Biodiversity, Indigenous Knowledge and the Rights of Mother Earth (Sara Dal Monico) p.
    [Show full text]
  • Afghan-Americans and the Aftermath of the Twin Towers Tragedy Dr
    Journal of Diversity Management – Fourth Quarter 2009 Volume 4, Number 4 Managing Diversity: Afghan-Americans And The Aftermath Of The Twin Towers Tragedy Dr. Belal A. Kaifi, Franklin University, USA Wajma Aslami, Saint Mary‟s College, USA ABSTRACT Ethnic and religious diversity is part of each society in the modern world and being an Afghan is another dimension of these differences in the United States. The research question for this study was to see if Afghan-Americans are experiencing more discriminatory practices as a result of the 9/11 events. The results of 502 Afghan-Americans demonstrated that they do report more discrimination in the post-9/11 era. Specifically, Afghan men have experienced more discrimination in the workplace and Afghan women have experienced more discrimination in public. Implications and recommendations are offered for effective diversity management. Keywords: Afghan-Americans, Afghanistan, 9/11, discrimination, USA, leadership INTRODUCTION n the years after September 11, 2001, there have been many reported incidents of discrimination, hostility, and even extreme violence towards Muslims and people who look Muslim. “Nearly three out of four Muslims knew someone who had experienced religious prejudice since 9/11 or had suffered abuse Ithemselves. Many American Muslims have doubts about whether they are accepted as real Americans” (Barrett, 2006, p. 6). Findley (2001) reports, “In recent years, mosques were the target of arsonist in Yuba City, California, Springfield, Illinois, Greenville, South Carolina, and Minneapolis, and vandalism has occurred at mosques in Michigan, Indiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Georgia” (p. 61). Muslims have dealt with arson, intimidation, and the media spreading inaccurate reports about Islam.
    [Show full text]
  • Afghan Muslim Male Interpreters and Translators
    Nova Southeastern University NSUWorks Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses CAHSS Theses and Dissertations and Dissertations 1-1-2015 Afghan Muslim Male Interpreters and Translators: An Examination of Their deI ntity Changes and Lived Experiences During Pre and Post- Immigration to the United States During the Afghanistan War (2003-2012) Michael Tyrone Solomon Nova Southeastern University, [email protected] This document is a product of extensive research conducted at the Nova Southeastern University College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. For more information on research and degree programs at the NSU College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, please click here. Follow this and additional works at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/shss_dcar_etd Part of the Peace and Conflict Studies Commons Share Feedback About This Item NSUWorks Citation Michael Tyrone Solomon. 2015. Afghan Muslim Male Interpreters and Translators: An Examination of Their Identity Changes and Lived Experiences During Pre and Post-Immigration to the United States During the Afghanistan War (2003-2012). Doctoral dissertation. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences – Department of Conflict Resolution Studies. (31) https://nsuworks.nova.edu/shss_dcar_etd/31. This Dissertation is brought to you by the CAHSS Theses and Dissertations at NSUWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of NSUWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. AFGHAN MUSLIM MALE INTERPRETERS AND TRANSLATORS: AN EXAMINATION OF THEIR IDENTITY CHANGES AND LIVED EXPERIENCES DURING PRE- AND POST- IMMIGRATION TO THE UNITED STATES DURING THE AFGHANISTAN WAR (2003– 2012) by Michael T.
    [Show full text]
  • Humanitarian and Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan, 2001
    A Joint Evaluation Evaluation A Joint A Joint Evaluation Afghanistan was a troubled country in 2001. Not only is Afghanistan one of the poorest HUMANITARIAN 2001-05 AFGHANISTAN, ANDTO RECONSTRUCTION ASSISTANCE countries in the world, but protracted armed confl ict since 1978 had forced 6 million HUMANITARIAN AND out of a population of some 25 million people to fl ee to neighbouring countries, caused massive destruction of infrastructure and paved the way for warlords to rule over large RECONSTRUCTION ASSISTANCE parts of the country. The 2001 11 September attack by Al Qaeda placed Afghanistan at the centre of international politics and provoked the US-led ‘Coalition of the Willing’s attack on 7 October on Al Qaeda bases in Afghanistan in collaboration with a loose alliance of TO AFGHANISTAN, 2001-05 Northern Afghan groups and the subsequent overthrow of the Taliban regime. After the international military operation and up to mid-2004 Afghanistan received close FROM DENMARK, IRELAND, THE NETHERLANDS, SWEDEN to Euro 3.2 billion in total of humanitarian and development aid to rebuild the country. Of this, 25 % - Euro 791 billion came from fi ve bilateral donors: the United Kingdom, AND THE UNITED KINGDOM the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark and Ireland. In 2004 the fi ve donors decided to commission a joint evaluation of their aid programmes 2001-2005. The evaluation was carried out by a consortium led by Chr. Michelsen Institute, Bergen, Norway, contracted by Danida’s Evaluation Department on behalf of the fi ve donors. The donors’ support to Afghanistan was not just another humanitarian operation. It was a multi-dimensional intervention combining the objectives of development co-operation with broad foreign and domestic policy objectives, where the donors – of whom some had taken an active part in ousting the old regime – also aimed at supporting Afghanistan’s new start through putting into place a new and democratically elected government and market economy.
    [Show full text]
  • Brunori Eliana Tesis Maestría.Pdf (1.068Mb)
    UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE CÓRDOBA FACULTAD DE LENGUAS MAESTRÍA EN CULTURAS Y LITERATURAS COMPARADAS LA REPRESENTACIÓN DEL SOMETIMIENTO DE LA MUJER AFGANA EN NARRACIONES POST 11/9 TRABAJO DE TESIS DE ELIANA MARÍA BRUNORI DIRECTORA: MGTER. MARÍA JOSÉ BUTELER CÓRDOBA, DICIEMBRE DE 2013 2 RESUMEN Este trabajo de investigación examina la representación del sometimiento de la mujer afgana en tres obras: A Thousand Splendid Suns (2007) de Khaled Hosseini, Les hirondelles de Kaboul (2002) de Yasmina Khadra y Behind the Burqa: Our Life in Afghanistan and How We Escaped to Freedom (2002) de Batya Swift Yasgur. Los objetivos de este trabajo han sido: identificar la manera en que se representa a la mujer afgana, su sometimiento y a la cultura musulmana; examinar el rol asignado al Islam y a las coyunturas históricas, políticas y socio-culturales para explicar dicha opresión e identificar en las obras valoraciones positivas de la cultura occidental en detrimento de la correspondiente valoración de la cultura musulmana que actúan como potenciales justificaciones de la invasión de Afganistán. Se realizó un análisis de contenido desde una perspectiva comparatista ya que las tres obras comparten el mismo eje temático: el padecimiento del pueblo afgano, especialmente de la mujer, antes del ascenso al poder de los talibán y durante dicho régimen. Se efectuó una lectura situada en el nuevo orientalismo, tratando de observar la presencia de prejuicios esencializadores y simplistas que reducen la situación de la mujer y una cultura compleja a generalizaciones. Además, se identificaron los estereotipos presentes en la configuración de los personajes femeninos teniendo en cuenta la teoría feminista postcolonial y su análisis de la mujer del Tercer Mundo.
    [Show full text]
  • Ethnic Groups and Library of Congress Subject Headings
    Ethnic Groups and Library of Congress Subject Headings Jeffre INTRODUCTION tricks for success in doing African studies research3. One of the challenges of studying ethnic Several sections of the article touch on subject head- groups is the abundant and changing terminology as- ings related to African studies. sociated with these groups and their study. This arti- Sanford Berman authored at least two works cle explains the Library of Congress subject headings about Library of Congress subject headings for ethnic (LCSH) that relate to ethnic groups, ethnology, and groups. His contentious 1991 article Things are ethnic diversity and how they are used in libraries. A seldom what they seem: Finding multicultural materi- database that uses a controlled vocabulary, such as als in library catalogs4 describes what he viewed as LCSH, can be invaluable when doing research on LCSH shortcomings at that time that related to ethnic ethnic groups, because it can help searchers conduct groups and to other aspects of multiculturalism. searches that are precise and comprehensive. Interestingly, this article notes an inequity in the use Keyword searching is an ineffective way of of the term God in subject headings. When referring conducting ethnic studies research because so many to the Christian God, there was no qualification by individual ethnic groups are known by so many differ- religion after the term. but for other religions there ent names. Take the Mohawk lndians for example. was. For example the heading God-History of They are also known as the Canienga Indians, the doctrines is a heading for Christian works, and God Caughnawaga Indians, the Kaniakehaka Indians, (Judaism)-History of doctrines for works on Juda- the Mohaqu Indians, the Saint Regis Indians, and ism.
    [Show full text]
  • Electrical Event Cause of Mount Vernon House Fire
    Mount Vernon’s Hometown Newspaper • A Connection Newspaper September 2, 2021 Electrical Event Cause of Mount Vernon House Fire n Wednesday, Aug. 25, at approximately 6:39 p.m., units from Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department and the Fort Belvoir Fire and Emer- Ogency Services responded to a house fire in the 8100 block of Orville Street in the Mount Vernon area of Fair- fax County. Units arrived on the scene of a two-story, single-family home with thick, black smoke showing from all sides of the house. Crews worked quickly to control, and eventually ex- tinguish, the fire. There were no reported civilian or firefight- er injuries. Two occupants were home at the time of the fire. The oc- cupants discovered the fire and evacuated. 9-1-1 was called. Smoke alarms were present and sounded after the occupants discovered the fire. Fire Investigators determined that the fire was accidental in nature and started in the living room. The fire was caused by an unspecified electrical event involving the wiring for a table lamp. Two occupants have been displaced because of the fire. Red Cross assistance was offered and declined. Damages as a result of the fire are approximately $208,412. Photos contributed Fire in Mount Vernon last week displaces family. Lorton Fire Station Gets a Makeover Station just off Lorton Road is upgraded to meet the expanding population in the area. By Mike Salmon The Connection he Lorton Volunteer Fire Department is getting an expanded fire house Twith modern accommodations in a $14,790,000 makeover to bring firefighting capabilities in the eastern Lorton area up to meet the needs of a growing population.
    [Show full text]
  • Beyond Guernica and the Guggenheim
    Beyond Guernica and the Guggenheim Beyond Art and Politics from a Comparative Perspective a Comparative from Art and Politics Beyond Guernica and the Guggenheim This book brings together experts from different fields of study, including sociology, anthropology, art history Art and Politics from a Comparative Perspective and art criticism to share their research and direct experience on the topic of art and politics. How art and politics relate with each other can be studied from numerous perspectives and standpoints. The book is structured according to three main themes: Part 1, on Valuing Art, broadly concerns the question of who, how and what value is given to art, and how this may change over time and circumstance, depending on the social and political situation and motivation of different interest groups. Part 2, on Artistic Political Engagement, reflects on another dimension of art and politics, that of how artists may be intentionally engaged with politics, either via their social and political status and/or through the kind of art they produce and how they frame it in terms of meaning. Part 3, on Exhibitions and Curating, focuses on yet another aspect of the relationship between art and politics: what gets exhibited, why, how, and with what political significance or consequence. A main focus is on the politics of art in the Basque Country, complemented by case studies and reflections from other parts of the world, both in the past and today. This book is unique by gathering a rich variety of different viewpoints and experiences, with artists, curators, art historians, sociologists and anthropologists talking to each other with sometimes quite different epistemological bases and methodological approaches.
    [Show full text]
  • Interaction Member Activity Report Afghanistan a Guide to Humanitarian and Development Efforts of Interaction Member Agencies in Afghanistan
    InterAction Member Activity Report Afghanistan A Guide to Humanitarian and Development Efforts of InterAction Member Agencies in Afghanistan May 2002 Photo by Pieternella Pieterse, courtesy of Concern Worldwide US Produced by Yoko Satomi With the Disaster Response Unit of 1717 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Suite 701, Washington DC 20036 Phone (202) 667-8227 Fax (202) 667-8236 Website: http://www.interaction.org Table of Contents Map of Afghanistan 3 Background Summary 4 Report Summary 6 Organizations by Sector Activity 7 Glossary of Acronyms 9 InterAction Member Activity Report Action Against Hunger USA 11 Air Serv International 13 American Jewish World Service 14 American Refugee Committee 16 AmeriCares 17 America’s Development Foundation 18 Catholic Medical Mission Board 19 Catholic Relief Services 20 Childreach/Plan 21 Christian Children’s Fund 23 Church World Service 25 Concern Worldwide 28 Direct Relief International 30 Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières 31 HALO Trust 33 International Aid 34 International Rescue Committee 35 Jesuit Refugee Service/USA 38 Lutheran World Relief 39 InterAction Member Activity Report for Afghanistan 1 May 2002 Mercy Corps 40 Northwest Medical Teams 44 Oxfam America 46 Refugees International 48 Relief International 49 Save the Children 52 United Methodist Committee on Relief 54 USA for UNHCR 55 U.S. Fund for UNICEF 57 World Concern 60 World Vision 61 InterAction Member Activity Report for Afghanistan 2 May 2002 Map of Afghanistan Map courtesy of Central Intelligence Agency / World Fact Book InterAction Member Activity Report for Afghanistan 3 May 2002 Background Summary After twenty years of war, including a decade of Soviet occupation and ensuing civil strife, Afghanistan is in shambles.
    [Show full text]
  • Prospects for Women: Gender and Social Justice
    1 The following chapter is from Pt IV of “The Afghanistan Conflict and Australia's Role” Edited by Prof Amin Saikal (Published by MUP June 2011) Prospects for Women: Gender and Social Justice Virginia Haussegger “Women in my country are like shoes – they have no value.” – Mahboba Rawi, founder of Mahboba’s Promise Preamble Television journalist Jamila Mujahid will never forget the day she broke the biggest story of her life. And she did it wearing her bedroom slippers! The city of Kabul had been under heavy fire for days, and the Taliban were weakening. Finally on the 13th of November 2001 they succumbed, and before dawn truckloads of Taliban fled the capital. 2 Later that morning a fierce gun battle with the remaining hardliners ended in a bloodbath, with Taliban bodies splayed on the street. When the shooting stopped Jamila ran out of her home and raced through the streets in her Burqa and slippers. She made it to the studio just in time to become the first woman on-air to announce the fall of the Taliban and “freedom to the people of Afghanistan”. For the women of Afghanistan it was a stunning moment, ripe with promise. Later, the prize winning journalist told writer Sally Armstrong, “I never thought a time would come when I would be reading the news again”.[i] The US flag was raised with much fanfare outside the Embassy in Kabul and George W Bush claimed “Today women are free!” World leaders, including Australia’s then Prime Minister, John Howard, quickly joined the chorus, declaring the liberation of Afghanistan’s women.
    [Show full text]
  • Current and Future Worldwide Threats to the National Security of the United States
    S. HRG. 111–254 CURRENT AND FUTURE WORLDWIDE THREATS TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY OF THE UNITED STATES HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED ELEVENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION MARCH 10, 2009 Printed for the use of the Committee on Armed Services ( U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 54–639 PDF WASHINGTON : 2010 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate Nov 24 2008 10:28 Jan 29, 2010 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 Y:\BORAWSKI\DOCS\54639.TXT JUNE PsN: JUNEB COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES CARL LEVIN, Michigan, Chairman EDWARD M. KENNEDY, Massachusetts JOHN MCCAIN, Arizona ROBERT C. BYRD, West Virginia JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, Connecticut JEFF SESSIONS, Alabama JACK REED, Rhode Island SAXBY CHAMBLISS, Georgia DANIEL K. AKAKA, Hawaii LINDSEY GRAHAM, South Carolina BILL NELSON, Florida JOHN THUNE, South Dakota E. BENJAMIN NELSON, Nebraska MEL MARTINEZ, Florida EVAN BAYH, Indiana ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi JIM WEBB, Virginia RICHARD BURR, North Carolina CLAIRE McCASKILL, Missouri DAVID VITTER, Louisiana MARK UDALL, Colorado SUSAN M. COLLINS, Maine KAY R. HAGAN, North Carolina MARK BEGICH, Alaska ROLAND W. BURRIS, Illinois RICHARD D. DEBOBES, Staff Director JOSEPH W. BOWAB, Republican Staff Director (II) VerDate Nov 24 2008 10:28 Jan 29, 2010 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 0486 Sfmt 0486 Y:\BORAWSKI\DOCS\54639.TXT JUNE PsN: JUNEB C O N T E N T S CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF WITNESSES CURRENT AND FUTURE WORLDWIDE THREATS TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY OF THE UNITED STATES MARCH 10, 2009 Page Blair, Hon.
    [Show full text]