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. 

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. 

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!

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!

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. 

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. 

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/zmk5v6

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/zmk5v6

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!

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!