Afghans Empowered

Afghans Empowered speaks with Dr. Waheed Momand, President of the Executive Committee of the Grand National Movement of Afghanistan. GNMA is a grassroot movement that unites a number of  political parties, tribal councils, socio-cultural organizations, civil societies, women's and youth organizations, national, religious and tribal leaders, scientists, cultural and other independent figures, to advocate for the voice of all Afghan people. Through this movement, these groups have drafted and created the Afghan Road Map for Peace, a plan that has been decades in the making. Dr. Momand takes us through an oracle journey of GNMA’s history and its gradual inception since 2001. GNMA envisions a future republic where the voice of the people, not the strongmen, drive change for the democracy. GNMA will be releasing the Afghan Road Map to Peace shortly, and invites the international community to support the work of GNMA, and to become actively engaged in supporting a peaceful future of reconciliation in Afghanistan. Support the show

Afghans Empowered is back with its first Q+A episode in a while! We chat with Maryam, admin of Humans of Afghanistan, who talks to us about the incredible mission of this online community space. Humans of Afghanistan was inspired by the “Humans of…” movement that seeks to highlight the stories of everyday people from different communities. Launched in 2015, Humans of Afghanistan highlights the diversity of the Afghan people by sharing the stories of their struggles and triumphs through trying times. Maryam talks to us about the power of story telling, and its ability to address and debunk stereotypes and stigmas.  Using the Afghan heritage as the common denominator, Humans of Afghanistan creates dialogue around pressing issues within the global Afghan community, by capturing the image of daily life in Afghanistan and the life of Afghans abroad with stories that transcend generations. Each story is unique in its own way, and inspires us to learn more about the diverse experiences of Afghans worldwide. We thank the entire team of Humans of Afghanistan for their dedication to represent and uplift voices, and look forward to new stories!Support the show

On behalf of Afghans Empowered, we wish you all a blessed Eid! Thank you for continuing to support our podcast platform and organization, as we work to empower our communities. In this episode, we give an update on what we’re working on, and ask our followers to check out our ongoing fundraising campaign. Help us send essential aid and care packages to refugees in North Western Turkey. These refugees faced extreme hardship, neglect, and abuse at the hands of European officials and police. They’ve been forcibly pushed back to the Turkish border, and during their deportation, their personal belongings have been confiscated. Our fundraiser will restore personal hygiene products, clothing, and food to support the push-backs who struggle to find resources in North Western Turkey. For full details on the fundraiser, please visit www.afghansempowered.org . We also want to take a moment to express our condolences to the families and communities affected by the senseless attack in Dashte-Barchi. We call on our Afghan community to advocate for Hazara rights. We also extend our condolences to our Palestinian brothers and sisters who’ve faced extreme hardship in the face of Israeli aggression, occupation, apartheid, and oppression. Our solidarity within our community, and extended across other communities, is vital to our growth as individuals and societies. We have the power to demand a better future, one where we all live in peaceful coexistence. During this blessed Eid, please take care of yourself and your families, and extend your love and support to all those who need our support, worldwide. Support the show

In this special episode, Afghans Empowered sits with Natalia, cofounder of Josoor International Solidarity. Josoor is a non profit organization that currently operates in Turkey. We discuss some of the many operations the organization manages, including their advocacy initiatives to document abuses and violations of human rights. This conversation is pretty topic heavy; we talk about the systemic issues that perpetuate the conditions of migrants who are now residing in Turkey. We also discuss how “pushbacks”- individuals and families who’ve been sent back to Turkey from Greece- face extreme challenges caused by the unlawful and negligent treatment by Greek authorities. As the conversation uncovers, I remember thinking to myself: “this is why we’ve embarked on this campaign”. Our current campaign “It’s Personal: Reframing the ‘EU’ Refugee Crisis” has been inspired by the likes of Josoor. These organizations work tirelessly to gather evidence of human rights abuses in order to present it to national governments and the EU. Josoor’s work is a prime example of why we need to continue speaking about the policies and actions of EU member states. Afghans Empowered x Full Potential has launched a joint fundraising campaign with Josoor International to provide basic care packages for refugees in Turkey.  To learn about our fundraiser, visit our GoFundMe: gf.me/u/zmk5v6Support the show

Afghans Empowered chats with Gulmakai Saleh, a children’s book author, educator, and mentor, based in the USA. Born in Kandahar, and raised in the US, Gulmakai draws from her own unique stories of upbringing as inspiration for her work as an author. In her books, she portrays stories of children that address a wide variety of themes and topics such as fairness, equality, diversity, tolerance, and respect. She takes her message further through her wide variety of educational mentorship courses that she offers. Through these courses, Gulmakai teaches the core messages of her books to both adults and children, in order to facilitate a space for conversations about the kinds of values children can learn through leadership and example. Her latest book, “The Broken Smile” is currently out now! Gulmakai has teamed up with a plethora of resources for her awareness initiative on the condition of cleft lip and palate. “The Broken Smile” is inspired by her own personal life, and seeks to bring power to the act of smiling, an action that so many of us sometimes forget to do. She is currently working on a project to make her books accessible in Dari and Pashto for children in Afghanistan. Tune in as we discuss additional projects that Gulmakai is working on, and learn about ways to support her work!Support the show

Afghans Empowered chats with Jamil Sherzad, founder and pioneer of Afghanistan’s first parkour team. We explore the history of Jamil’s discovery for his love of parkour, and from there, discuss the visions Jamil has for the growth of the sport. As Jamil explains, his journey has met many challenges: environmental, social, and financial challenges that he views as part of the obstacles in life that parkour prepares one for. For him, parkour is not only a sport; it’s an art, and a mirror of real life. He sets out to expand the accessibility of the sport to a diverse audience, and now has a team of over 50 parkour athletes. Training on the principles of discipline, inclusion, tolerance, and diversity, Jamil’s team learns skills that are applicable beyond the training course. With the recent national and international recognitions for the team, Jamil hopes to continue expanding awareness and acceptance of the sport, while seeking to open a permanent gym that will allow for athletes, students, adults, and children, to practice parkour. We’re committed to helping out Jamil through a connection of resources that will provide funding to support the team in the country. We look forward to working with Kabul Boys Parkour as they continue to grow!Support the show

Afghans Empowered chats with Meena Nezami, president and founder of the Girl Up Afghanistan chapter. After her experiences with Girl Up India, Meena set out to appeal to the international Girl Up Campaign to support the opening of a chapter in Afghanistan. From there, she embarked on a mission to promoting the ideals and visions of Girl Up. This organization provides young women and girls with life-long skills in organizing, fundraising, campaigning,  advocacy, education, and more. Though Covid-19 has impacted much of the physical operations for the chapter, Girl Up continues to promote gender equality, and women’s rights through its presence on social media, and usage of digital tools. Girl Up invites students from all grade levels to join the club, and provides resources for the social and political participation for young women in society. As we discuss the current Afghan-Taliban peace process, we analyze the potential impacts that these discussions may have on the future of women in the country. Meena emphasizes the progress that’s been made in the recent decade, and reassures the work thats been done by the Afghan government to account for women’s participation and consideration in the negotiations. We transition over to the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, an internationally recognized event that ended on Human Rights Day, December 10th. For more information on the campaign, and to read more about Girl Up, visit GirlUp.org!Support the show

According to various outlets and election officials, Joe Biden will be the next President of the United States. Afghans Empowered reflects upon this news and shares what we believe will be some of the most important political, economic, and social developments in the next administration. We talk about the country’s pandemic response, immigration reform, civil rights, and healthcare. The conversation itself is definitely incomplete. There’s so much going on in the US that we could be speaking on it for hours on end. But we hope that a brief reflection on atleast some of the issues will remind our followers to keep pushing to make their votes count. Election campaigns and promises have to turn into real results. We expect for all our votes to count in a meaningful manner because we envision a future in this country that includes civil liberties, economic prosperity and opportunity, and social welfare. We know the results wont happen over night but with such a historical event unfolding in the 2020 election results, Afghans Empowered urges followers to continue using their voices for longterm social change. Join the conversation and share what you think about the recent US elections. Support the show

Afghans Empowered sits down with local licensed therapist, Sara Stanizai, owner and practitioner of Prospect Therapy. We take a tour through her many services, and her specialization in therapy for queer, transgender, and first-generation clients. We talk about the intersectionality between  gender, sexuality, and ethnicity, and the need to acknowledge cultural differences in order to be sensitive to the individual experience of self-identity, and mental health issues. Sara shares with our listeners her method for facilitating a conversation and session about self validation and acceptance, for individuals struggling to accept their true selves. As first generation Afghan Americans, we bond over the buffer life we live, oscillating between two different cultures and learning to accept and love a unique identity that makes up the Afghan-American experience. Sara is offering an Afghan American Women’s group where she will be tackling on “imposter syndrome”, a topic we refer back to several times throughout our conversation. For more information on Prospect Therapy, visit ProspectTherapy.comSupport the show

Afghans Empowered sits down with team members from the award-winning organization, Skateistan. This organization seeks to empower children in underprivileged communities through the power of skateboarding and education. Since its inception, Skateistan has impacted thousands of children in Afghanistan, South Africa, and Cambodia. We journey through the discussion of operations in Afghanistan, with a focus on the programs that help students accelerate their academic skills with the help of Skateistan. Providing life long skills to help students flourish after graduating from their many programs, Skateistan’s community-dependent strategies ensures that solutions are drive and led by Afghan men and women, to promote community self reliance. Support the show

In this episode, join us as we highlight what Afghans Empowered has been up to recently. This episode is to help you stay up to date with all our Q+A’s, and to once again thank all the fantastic guests who’ve come onto our podcast to discuss their projects and organizations. We’ve learned so much from our experiences so far, and can’t wait to continue expanding our community outreach to connect ourselves with our Afghan communities worldwide. Stay tuned for regular updates as we begin preparing to expand our organization to invite more team members! We’ll be updating our followers soon on ways to intern and volunteer with Afghans Empowered. Finally, this episode is just a way for us to thank all our listeners and supporters, because you are the ones that motivate us to continue driving our mission. Support the show

In this episode, we get the chance to chat with the talented Ariana Abawe, or better known as Ariana the Journalist. As a British-Afghan journalist from the UK, Ariana’s work explores the Afghan identity from both the diaspora and in the motherland. She has an extensive journalist portfolio: publishing, collaborating, and co-creating projects that showcase a wide variety of mediums in journalism. Her latest project, the center topic of focus for this conversation, is the release of the first issue of her brand new magazine, Ariana Magazine. The magazine is available in both physical, and digital print. This magazine is filled from page to page, with inspiring, fun, and engaging content that highlights Afghan identity, culture, and excellence in a wide range of industries. Ariana’s mission is to provide a voice for representing the beauty of Afghanistan and the heritages founded from its diverse lands.  Ariana’s careful curation of this issue really shines through and we discuss her journey, inspiration, and methods for creating her first issue. Tune in as we talk all things identity, representation, and magazines! Support the show

In this episode, Afghans Empowered sits down with local freelance artist, Deeva Momand, who’s better known as @TheAfghanDiva. This local artist from Southern California captures the attention of a niche audience with her subjects and themes, and for all the right reasons! Her artwork incorporates pop culture, with Afghan culture. Many of her subjects from her digital media collection showcase Afghan femininity and masculinity. Join us as we sit down and talk about her artwork, her inspirations, and reflect upon the representation of Afghans in the world of art. No matter what path Deeva decides to take, she fully embraces her love for art and understands how her work has struck a chord with her followers, who love to see digital media represent a unique identity, within the modern context. TheAfghanDiva can be found on Instagram, and to purchase her prints, check out her Etsy page! Support the show

In this episode, we sit down with a very special guest who has been wanting to join our podcast for quite some time. We take the conversation through a journey of analyzing how Covid-19 has impacted our access to quality education. As students of various academic levels, we all can agree that those Zoom meetings we are expected to sit through, are just not ideal. The topic of the discussion is simple, but there are so many implications behind remote education. Socio economic status, and social dynamics, will play a major role in the future of students' educations this fall season as remote learning will uncover many issues in accessibility, and exacerbate challenging dynamics within families. We briefly explore how certain groups are more likely to be disadvantaged by remote learning, such as the recently arrived immigrants from Afghanistan, and first generation American students that have to learn how to use the technology by themselves. The education system of the US currently faces many issues, and we hope that as we continue to adhere to current guidelines due to Covid-19, that our institutions will provide adequate support to help us get through these difficult times. Support the show

Generational trauma has become an increasing topic of study as researchers correlate the symptoms of trauma to biology. Early research supports the theory that generational trauma is genetically passed down from parents to children, and so forth. In this episode, we explore the history of trauma in our family, through their journeys as refugees from Afghanistan. Each step in their journey has complied levels of high stress and trauma that has shaped their physiology, and we believe this has impacted us, the children of refugees, in ways beyond the surface level. Second-hand trauma has posed challenges to families dealing with symptoms of mental health issues that seem obscure and whose source are difficult to determine. However we believe that with the understanding of trauma, we can take a step back and re-evaluate our experiences in order to produce adequate conclusions about our mental health so that we can focus on improving our health. Join the conversation about trauma, and help us spread the message as we continue to learn about how this subject can become central to the lives of our diaspora communities. We seek to empower the conversation about mental health in order to destigmatize it, and work in community efforts to find solutions.Support the show

The current Covid-19 pandemic continues to disrupt the lives and health of people around the globe. In the US, cases have increased and a second wave has hit its most populous cities. Research about the impacts of the pandemic in the US have provided evidence that marginalized communities and minorities are disproportionately affected by the pandemic. In this episode, we discuss the research findings from various sources that indicate Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Indigenous, and other minorities are disadvantaged due to systematic inequalities In healthcare, labor force, and housing. These factors have created environments where the marginalized communities have a greater risk of exposure to, and illness from Covid-19. We correlate the findings in disproportionate access, to our evaluation of the current situation in Afghanistan. The pandemic has unveiled many flaws in the social and economic systems in nations around the globe. Countries such as Afghanistan, have had a slim fighting chance from the start. But within the conversation, we highlight the resilience and unity of communities in Afghanistan who have taken public health initiatives in their own hands, in order to educate their communities and prevent the spread of Covid-19. The discussion of Covid-19 will continue for quite some time, and our conversation of the ongoing pandemic isn’t quite overdue.Support the show

How does the term “idealistic” undermine our way of thinking, if its viewed in a negative framework? In this episode, the term idealist is analyzed in relation to the ways in which current events through powerful movements have presented our frame of ideas for a future  of equality for all. To many who try to uphold archaic paradigms and narratives about society, we can seem like absurd dreamers, radicals, and anarchists, for our ways of thinking. Yet our frame of mind is the foundation for our ability as activists to demand social change in our communities. No matter the issue, our understanding of today’s world comes from our fearlessness to answer the biggest questions about inequality, and demand a real concrete answer to these questions. In the strive for global equity and preservation of human rights, we are the crucial players who can demand change at a systemic level. Support the show

Re-introduction to the introduction. A long overdue conversation between two sisters/founders that we're happy to finally share. We take some time to briefly share the background to our upbringing and our worldview; and everything in between the years of our self discovery of a unique identity. Being Afghan-American means quite a bit, and frankly we can't do enough justice to explaining this identity in simply one conversation. But as we grow this organization, we will grow with it too and reflect on our identity through this journey. We're three months in already, and feel like we've hit the ground running. The connections we've made through our community efforts have motivated us to keep making strides in providing representation and advocacy for our people. We have so much currently in the works, and great plans for the future. We are excited to share that we will be forming our community organization and platform into a non-profit organization. This decision has undergone a meticulous and thorough process of research and preparation. Our decision will enable us to start campaign projects and begin fundraising for causes that we hope to provide long term solutions for. In the mean-time we still are collecting funds for our "Build a water well" campaign, and really want to highlight our efforts for this campaign. We also take a moment to promote the upcoming event #stopkillingAfghans happening in LA on Sunday, July 12th. With so much going on, we do our best to keep up with current events, and we sincerely hope we have been able to serve our community well thus far, as this is only the beginning of the fantastic things coming up.Ultimately, getting to sit down together and introduce ourselves feels cathartic. We are learning and growing everyday through our management of our platform, and we are learning more about our heritage through our growth. Because, for each and every one of us, our ultimate goal is to share a level of motivation and self esteem for our identities as we pursue greatness, but also as we face the trials and tribulations that can affect our lives in different ways. Whether we are from the homeland or abroad, we are united by a heritage that we believe can empower us to become motivated in our everyday world. This is Afghans Empowered. Support the show

Recent atrocities faced by Afghan migrants at the hands of foreign governments have sparked a wave of outrage within Afghan communities, worldwide. Protests have been carried out around the world, all with the clear messages and imagery for the central themes of the movement, #stopkillingAfghans, and #IAmBurning.  In this episode, activists and protest organizers Stephanie Hargett and Sara Anas take a moment to sit down with me to promote the upcoming protest event, scheduled to be held on July 12th in Los Angeles, California. Motivated to speak out against oppressive governments, and to raise awareness for the cruelty Afghan migrants face in neighboring countries outside of Afghanistan, these activists have amassed a group of passionate community members and allies to demand accountability by the perpetrators, and declare "Enough is enough". Join us as we dissect the conversation and what the clearly marked message of the protest is. Change begins at the grassroots level, and providing a voice for the voiceless is the first step towards demanding change, and amassing support. What is the long term goal, and how does this group hope to achieve this goal? How can we pressure international government organizations, and nations, to pressure oppressive governments to be held accountable for abuses of human rights? Though the answers to these questions aren't easy, and by no means will the journey to the solution be either, the conversation to be had is: we have to start somewhere. However, what is clear is that we as a community are willing to stand up for the rights of our fellow Afghans, in order to promote visibility surrounding the issues that plague our communities, worldwide. If you are a Southern California resident, show your support of the cause, and join the event on July 12th, from 2pm-5pm. Details of the event will be available on our Instagram, @afghansempowered. Support the show

Afghans Empowered sits down with The Hiatus Foundation, a non profit organization from the UK that is dedicated to supporting young athletes in Kabul and Bamiyan, to discuss the emergence of action-sports teams in Afghanistan. We talk about how these teams maintain a safe, outdoor space: one that is not only free from the violence and dangers of ongoing conflict, but also free from the scrutiny of the community dwellers who disapprove of these athletes' talents and passions. What do action sports mean for these young Afghans, and how can international communities support their needs? We dive into the discussion of the influence of sports as motivation and hope, as these young Afghans dream of a future of safety and security for their beloved country. Sports unite these exceptional individuals and provide a space for learning tolerance and equality, as these athletes put aside the ethnic and religious differences that have torn their country apart, for one common goal: to play sports. We conclude the conversation with our discussion of the narratives played about Afghanistan, and how we hope to empower positive narratives that highlight the successes, talents, and resilience of the Afghan people, from education, the arts, or action sports. Empowering the narrative, and bringing awareness to these communities are part of our goal to support the underrepresented populations of Afghanistan who are otherwise invisible to international government organizations and non profits. The Hiatus Foundation's mission is to continue providing sports equipment to these athletes, and with our help, can share their mission for promoting visibility about action sports in Afghanistan, to empower and enable the future of young Afghans with the help of the international community. The organization looks forward to coordinating a project to help the first Afghan man and woman successfully climb to the summit of Mt. Everest. Support the show