TOWARDS the LIGHT

It all starts with feeling for Afghanistan

2012-01-16T15:58:00.002+04:30

I asked a colleague to fix a broken window, without a second thought he grabbed a very delicate meeting chair to climb on, I stopped him before be broke that chair. This reminded me of the public buses which has damaged passenger seats because people who sit in these seats start pulling out the cover of the seat. This also reminded me of the plenty of garbage that are lying out of every

An Opportunity in Afghanistan: PBS and Huffington Post

2011-10-02T16:43:00.003+04:30

Today was the first of the official three-day period of national mourning following the death of the Burhanuddin Rabbani, the former President of Afghanistan and, until meeting his untimely end, chairman of the country’s High Peace Council. While there was no war or fighting going on the streets, there was nothing that could be described as peace either.Leaving my home in Kabul this morning, the

VIEW: There is no endgame in Afghanistan, yet- Daily Times

2011-09-15T15:50:00.003+04:30

Afghanistan still needs to prove that it is capable enough to choose its strategic partners and at the same time not be harmful to its neighbours. Just as Pakistan is free to choose its friends and enemies, Afghanistan too should have the right and opportunity to do soRecently, the Jinnah Institute and the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) launched their joint research called ‘Pakistan, the

9/11 Decade in Afghanistan- Aljazeera English

2011-09-11T08:55:00.002+04:30

At the time, I was working with an international humanitarian aid organisation in Peshawar, Pakistan, that was supporting Afghan refugees. The organisation also carried out emergency support projects for Afghans inside the country. Occasionally, I came to Kabul and visited some provinces, but of course I had to show it as a completely private visit and I had to be accompanied by male family

Who is setting the agenda for another International Conference on Afghanistan in Bonn?

2011-08-21T10:12:00.003+04:30

Bonn II Paper Series One: ToloNewsThese days the hot topic in the ‘elite and expatriate bubble' of Kabul is the Bonn II Conference. Analysts, experts and diplomats come up with different perspectives and predictions about whether this event will change Afghanistan's roadmap or just be one more international conference on Afghanistan.However, the recent news is that the conference is no more Bonn

Interview on PBS newshour : Afghan Women and Peace Talks

2011-07-08T21:35:00.001+04:30

Amid Push for Talks With Taliban, Where Do Rights of Afghan Women Fit In?SUMMARYhttp://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/world/jan-june11/afghanwomen_06-20.htmlThree Afghan women, influential figures in politics, business and non-governmental organizations, were in Washington last week meeting with senior members of the Obama administration and Congress on the topic of negotiating peace with the Taliban.

Who Should Define Afghanistan's National Security?- ToloNews

2011-07-08T21:32:00.001+04:30

The key to lasting peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan is not in encouraging the culture of rewarding the insurgency through political deals, but in providing justice to the common Afghan and so winning public support.Gone are the days that government's strength was manifested in its political and military powers. Today the concept of ‘national security' is not about world wars or invasions

An Afghan Reflection on OBL Saga

2011-05-10T07:52:00.000+04:30

As an Afghan who grew up and lived a whole life in armed conflict and violence inflicted on my country and people, the OBL saga is just another indication on how external forces and powers have played with our lives. This is also because Afghanistan always lacked a strong goverment with a clear definition and defence policy, but the infiltration of terror from outside also became a reason that

The Word on Women - Does the threat to the women of Afghanistan only come from the Taliban’s insurgency? Not, exactly.

2011-04-09T08:21:00.000+04:30

For the past two years, the Afghan government has been making repeated statements that no reconciliation or negotiations aimed at bringing peace through talks with the Taliban will impact women’s rights and other civil rights guaranteed in the Afghan Constitution. But, does the threat to the women of Afghanistan only come from the Taliban’s insurgency? Not, exactly.The failure of governance—with

Who is America talking to on Afghanistan?

2011-04-03T17:18:00.000+04:30

Sunday, 03 April 2011 12:49 The talks on the abilities of transition and transfer of security responsibilities on Afghan forces is a long time dream for every sensible Afghan who want their government and its institutions to realise and take on their own responsibilities. But with the purpose of protection and safety of its citizens, not for the sake of a political cover up for deals with the

Why not Incentive for Peace in Daikundi?

2011-03-14T10:42:00.004+04:30

"It would be the luckiest days of the week, if we have our boiled potatoes, and each of us getting one of them" Amina, 9 year old living in Nilli, Centre of Daikundi. I have been following Daikundi since 2008 after the deployment of Afghanistan's first female mayor in Nilli. Many of us in civil society and women groups struggled hard to get her required resources to prove her as the right choice,

Be the Insurgent to Fight Insurgency

2011-03-03T09:48:00.000+04:30

Every time some of us Afghans become a bit hopeful about the plight of this country, a series of suicide attacks on civilian centers packed with people, change our hopes to despair. Around six suicide attacks in the past 5 weeks in Kabul, Khost, Jalalabad ,Kunduz and Faryab have taken around 200 lives of ordinary Afghans fighting for survival on daily basis. While these are the official numbers

Sorry...We misunderstood you!

2011-03-01T08:10:00.002+04:30

The recent study entitled ‘Separating The Taliban from Al-Qaida’ of the Center on International Cooperation, New York University, authored by the two editors of “My Life with the Taliban” a memoir of an ex-diplomat of the Taliban government, is apparently an ‘academic /field research’ project. But in essence, this study comes across as propaganda to influence international perceptions (mainly

Iran's diplomatic hypocrisy towards Afghanistan

2011-01-04T15:10:00.004+04:30

While millions of people cheered the firecrackers around the capitals of the world to mark 2011, a panic broke out in Afghan homes as the national television aired the video that showed bullet-dotched bodies of Afghan men lying on the ground at the border areas with Iran. Many families who have sons disappeared, or those planning to go to Iran for work became more paranoid, scared and

The Myths of Peace Building in Afghanistan

2010-12-09T09:54:00.001+04:30

So how are you going to achieve peace through this Council? ... " Well, one has to understand that Afghans are tired of the ongoing war for the past 30 years and want to come to terms with the armed opposition of their government and therefore, this Council is established to achieve that agreement between government and its oppositionsWe will seek support from the King of Saudi Arabia and the

2010-10-24T14:42:00.001+04:30

Back in KabulTuesday, 17 August 2010After a year of study, I am back in Kabul. Although, I never felt I was away from Afghanistan and its issues and was following up every news very closely, distance impacts relationshipsIt is originally cliché to claim that the current circumstances are critical in Afghanistan because our past 10 years have been consistently critical and troubled. Every year

Kabul Conference (3): More plans and programs, but what has happened to the earlier ones?

2010-07-22T22:09:00.004+04:30

posted: 20-07-2010 / by: Wazhma FroghThere are mixed feelings among Afghans on the eve of Kabul International Conference. Many people who are involved in convening the Conference, are extremely excited and proud that it's the FIRST international event being hosted and planned by the Afghan government during the past ten years. However, there are some other critics who continue with their cynicism

The Progress of Women is the Progress of Afghanistan

2010-07-20T21:34:00.003+04:30

TOLONews Monday, 19 July 2010There is no doubt that the current war in Afghanistan needs a political non-military solution. Therefore, a reconciliation process that is built on national consensus is needed to gauge the support of an expanding insurgency. Likewise, the members of the NATO and international community, Afghans too are desperate for an end to the ongoing violence in their home.

Afghanistan's Politics should be local

2010-07-14T23:15:00.002+04:30

Published by Foreign Policy/Afpak Channel ( A special project of Foreign Policy and the New American Foundation) on July 14, 2010Despite only having recently taken over the U.S. war effort in Afghanistan, Gen. David Petraeus has already come into conflict with Afghan President Hamid Karzai over the U.S. military program to equip and train local militias against the Taliban. While Karzai objects

Sacrificing women's rights to secure peace will leave us back where we were 10 years ago

2010-06-24T01:39:00.000+04:30

"If the conflict is to be wound down, real compromises will have to be made on the constitution, women's rights and civil liberties." These are the words of an editorial comment in Afghan Scene, a magazine written by and mainly for the international community in Afghanistan.After years of fierce fighting and numerous counterinsurgency initiatives, the Afghan government and some of its

Quick Justice: Peace Jirga and political settlements in Afghanistan

2010-06-16T00:28:00.004+04:30

The Afghan Peace Jirga convened a 16-article declaration at the end of the three-days consultation on the Afghanistan's Peace and Re-integration Program Plan. One of the recommendations from the declaration was :“We ask the Afghan state and the international forces present in Afghanistan to, for the purpose of showing goodwill, take immediate and serious action in terms of releasing all those who

The Sun in the Sky

2010-06-14T00:18:00.007+04:30

"The Sun in the Sky" is a discussion paper by Matt Waldman, published by Crisis States Research Center of the London School of Economics. The report is a product of months-long research and interviews with Taliban commanders and intermediaries in the most volatile provinces of Afghanistan, that is often rare for any foreign journalist and researcher. Hence, I also think Waldman should be

Will the Afghan government's reintegration and reconciliation efforts bring peace to Afghanistan?

2010-06-11T17:38:00.002+04:30

http://www.lowyinstitute.org/The West Asia Program is a launching a new series of occasional papers entitled ‘Afghan Voices’. The goal of this series is to inject a range of Afghan views into the discussion of issues surrounding the international community’s intervention in Afghanistan. The series is edited by Dr Susanne Schmeidl, co-founder of TheLiaison Office (TLO) in Afghanistan. She has

What does the resignation of two important men tell us about Afghan government?

2010-06-08T21:27:00.008+04:30

The legacies of the Afghan Peace Jirga didn’t turn out to be peaceful. Just days after the Jirga Declaration, the Afghan government issued an abrupt decree to reopen and review the current Taliban prisoners cases of Taliban prisoners and its Minister of Interior and Chief of National Directorate of Security announced their resignations within the same day. While both the officials explained the

PEACE JIRGA BLOG 10: The Afghan Peace Jirga, where peace means politics

2010-06-07T00:25:00.000+04:30

Civil society activist Wazhma Frogh reports on the outcome of the jirga and what this means for the men and women of Afghanistan, and for the prospects of peace and justice.If there was a nationwide consultation in Afghanistan, there would not be anyone opposing the concept of Peace. Therefore, the main discussion is not about whether consensus was reached on peace in general, but on how to come

PEACE JIRGA: First day

2010-06-07T00:22:00.001+04:30

PEACE JIRGA (GUEST) BLOG 7: The first day of the peace jirgaChevening Scholar (International Development Law and Human Rights) and civil society activist, Wazhma Frogh, reports on the first day of the Afghanistan Peace Jirga.As expected, hundreds of turbaned and bearded men who have made very critical contributions to the current plight and misery of Afghanistan, arrived in the grand assembly

The first day of the Afghanistan Peace Jirga

2010-06-02T19:36:00.003+04:30

After many delays and rescheduling, finally the Afghan Peace Consultative Jirga convened in Kabul today with around 16oo of representatives from across the country. They included government officials, religious leaders, civil society groups, women activists, the Jihadi faction leaders and members of the diplomatic enclave from neighboring and members of the international community.

Afghan Peace Jirga: Another political drama

2010-06-02T01:11:00.004+04:30

While millions of Afghans are starving of chronic food insecurity, thousands of children sleeping on the streets of Kabul every night, and millions living with the terror of insurgency and corruption, the Peace consultative Jirga will take place this week at the cost of millions of dollars aimed at improving the living conditions of Afghans. Around 1600 delegates arrived in the spacious Grand

Viewpoint: What to expect from the Afghan jirga (From BBC)

2010-06-01T19:07:00.001+04:30

Traditionally, jirgas have served as a mechanism for resolving communal and tribal conflicts in Afghanistan.Afghanistan is preparing to hold a peace jirga - or tribal assembly - at which the government hopes to build national consensus and create a road map towards ending the insurgency and fostering reconciliation. Civil society activist Wazhma Frogh examines the situation.Jirga decisions are

Killing one human is equal to killing of entire humanity!!!!

2010-05-28T23:10:00.011+04:30

I grew up with a simple teaching of my Muslim parents- killing one human being is equal to killing of the whole humanity. However,I have witnessed killings of innocent human beings by those who claim to be the gate-keepers of religion. Why havent they obeyed Islam when they call themselves Muslim?Today around 80 human beings were brutally killed in Lahore because they were Ahmadis, but does that

Where does the thought begin?

2010-05-27T01:16:00.007+04:30

Today I was invited to attend the launch of Amnesty International's Annual Report in London. The report with more than 300 pages, illustrates the expanded human rights violations throughout the globe from Latine America to Burma to Afghanistan to Iraq to China and the list will continue forever. I noticed that this year, the report includes a more comprehensive look at the current challenges for

An Afghans response to Liam Fox

2010-05-24T22:37:00.004+04:30

“We are not in Afghanistan for the sake of the education policy in a broken 13th-century country. We are there so the people of Britain and our global interests are not threatened.”- Liam Fox, Britain's new Defence Secretary. This, in the 21st century, was the thought of Britain’s ConservativeDefense Secretary during his first trip to Afghanistan. I was hoping that his past five years of homework

2010-05-22T21:27:00.001+04:30

VIEW: Internalising impunity in Afghanistan —Wazhma Frogh By Daily TimesThe key to lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan is not in encouraging the culture of rewarding bullies and strongmen, but in providing justice and so winning public supportA woman is yelling in pain but the man continues to beat her on her back with a whip. With every lash, her body jolts, moving up and down while she

Why are we so judgemental?

2010-05-22T04:35:00.004+04:30

Have you come across people who think they actually guard everyone else's behavior and actions, forgetting even their own selves? At times, this is sensible because we then get to know people better. But there are also times when you feel disillusioned with their quick judgements. Yesterday, I received an email from an unknown intellectual questioning my activism and continued struggles for

The gate keepers of religion are making people dance to their tunes....

2010-05-20T18:51:00.002+04:30

You would agree that these days, we are all struggling with the flux of information and news coming our ways. The greed for more is watered by the savvy cyber mania's like facebook, twitter and etc. I woke up this morning to a spark of enraged tweets on the ban of facebook and youtube in Pakistan due to the High Court's decision of banning these websites because of 'objectionable content' that

Afghanistan threats beyond the Taliban

2010-05-18T22:28:00.002+04:30

I have always called for responsive governance and improved security as the necessary pre-conditions for the stability of Afghanistan, but it seems that the political agendas prevail above the needs of the common Afghan and the government chose to rather engage itself in political deals with the militants, who are not the only threats to Afghans. But this lack of strategic vision and planning in

Don't raise hopes for Afghan peace jirga (Guardian)

2010-05-13T18:21:00.003+04:30

A national reintegration plan ignores the fact much of the violence is caused by an exported insurgency from PakistanWazhma Froghguardian.co.uk, Tuesday 11 May 2010 12.00 BSTArticle historyAfghanistan is preparing for a consultative peace jirga through which it aspires to build national consensus on the political approach to the insurgency, and create a roadmap towards ending the perpetual

Afghanistan’s triangular regional dilemma

2010-05-11T16:25:00.001+04:30

We can rewrite history but cannot escape geography. Afghanistan has always been sandwiched between conflicting interests of its neighbors and as Afghanistan is taking a new roadmap to recuperate its fragile security and stability, the neighbors particularly Pakistan , Iran and India are sharpening their teeth to claim their part in all the political processes in Afghanistan . Better to say, a

Where is the governance of the government?

2010-05-11T10:36:00.004+04:30

While millions of Afghans are starving of chronic food insecurity, worsening national security and fragile governance, some parts of the government chose to fight alcohol and foreign restaurants so that at least some Afghans that used to get some benefits and income from those venues, wouldn’t get anymore. And they might have to join criminal gangs and the militants to earn

Does Justice look this monstrous? A perspective on Kasab's verdict and beyond

2010-05-08T22:23:00.001+04:30

Does justice look this monstrous? ( Originally for Legal Drift) Whatever little bit of respect I had for some of the 'mainstream' media, is shrouded in agitation today. Almost every channel from one of the acclaimed 'world-democracy' flashed the news of ' Kasab sentenced to death - justice served'. It is of great misfortune that common brains are being fed with such contaminated views and disdain

The daughters of Eve......

2010-05-05T03:36:00.004+04:30

I receive many questions and comments from readers and friends praising my work but at the same time express their concerns that at times my writings are cynically pessimistic and overly critical of almost everything. Many of whom encourage me to look for positive inspirations in my writing. But I am sorry friends, for disappointing you once again, today as well , I do not have a positive news

PROVOKED!!!! a late review for Afghan women

2010-05-03T02:45:00.004+04:30

Provoked, a real story of a battered woman that changed the British legal system to reconsider the conditions of an an accused woman on the basis of having been provoked. Or in simple words, on the basis of reaction of a 'reasonable' person who commits an act in the dire circumstances where the person has no self control. Kiranjeet Ahluwalia was an Indian origin living in London with her husband

Afghanistan and cricket

2010-04-30T17:11:00.004+04:30

' I am proud to be Afghan' ..says Rayees Ahmadzai. He has not fought any anglo-afghan wars, nor has killed anyone to prove his nationalism. He is playing cricket for Afghanistan in the World Cup, T20. I never liked cricket, because whatever I remember of cricket is the isolation of living as a refugee, 'mahajir' or at times 'gelam jam'. Contrary to Rayees Ahmadzai, India's and Pakistan's cricket

The rest is history- lets celebrate the victory!!!

2010-04-29T00:41:00.005+04:30

This morning I woke up to the national anthem being played on the national televison. As I listened to the national television of Afghanistan, saw special marches of soldiers and army officers and remembered that ' oh, today is 8th of Sawr', the day when Mujahidin, the freedom fighters entered Afghanistan after the last communist president gave up. I noticed that the preparations would have

Shadows of hypocrisy

2010-04-25T19:31:00.005+04:30

These days, the media seems striving to create symmetry in its outlook. While numerous instances of children's sexual abuse by the church bishops anger everyone, a darker side of Muslim societies are questioning the vanity of closed societies.Yesterday, the BBC's report on 'restoration of virginity in Arab communities' outstripped the pathetic plight of young boys exploited as sex-slaves in the

UK Leaders Debate on Afghanistan (Published in Guardian)

2010-04-24T00:11:00.001+04:30

Ironically, when the UK stood by the United States in the ‘War on Terror’ in 2001, they didn’t try to influence or solicit the public opinion on why they went to Afghanistan, but today when leaders are competing for a general elections, Afghanistan becomes a top foreign affairs priority. Sound political leadership is about shaping public opinion. When a crowd of anti-war protests were asking for

Feature : Different faces of prostitution in Afghanistan

2010-04-19T21:52:00.005+04:30

Prostitution is not an easily accepted reality in our society. Most of the time, we are in denial that in Muslim societies women do not sell their bodies for money, even if they do, no one will buy. It is actually the opposite, even if a woman does not want, the societal miseries make her do anything for survival and livelihood of the family. While Prostitution in many other parts of the world

Winning Heads and Bodies!!!!

2010-04-11T23:07:00.008+04:30

These days I have embraced all gamuts of insomnia. There is so much we hear and read about Afghanistan in the media, above all what we go through in Afghanistan.While we happen to be a piece of news for the rest of the world, for us its the epic tale of our realities, that doesnt seem changing.Last night as I was reading the last pages of Ghost War, a genealogy of planted terror in the Afghan

Will you go with me.....

2010-04-02T04:45:00.004+04:30

Today a very courageous Afghan girl dared to talk about the increased prostitution among the women of Afghanistan...while discussing the article, many boys raised their concerns on the validity of the article and that such claims can not hold grounds and etc. While reading their denial of the issue...I remembered a recent experience I had and shared with them. I was head of an organization that

Grey is possible if not acceptable!!!!

2010-03-19T03:41:00.002+04:30

I asked the question of ' Is grey acceptable' from myself a while ago and found the answers repeatedly within myself. Grey is possible if not acceptable. In most of our human societies, there are lines, circles, limits and even imginations quiet well defined and framed, that even thought of moving beyond seems like a great sin for most of the people. While setting limitations for every human

Is grey acceptable?

2010-03-15T00:52:00.002+04:30

I was always astonished knowing and reading about people's changing subjectivities when they move places , especially calling it 'torn between cultures' and I used to challenge the changing subjectivities in conditions as such. However, now I find myself in the very same situation. In societies, where prejudice is called value and wage wars to preserve them...there are no middle grounds. Its

Future Options in Afghanistan: London School of Economics

2010-03-14T20:10:00.001+04:30

Future Options in AfghanistanChair: Lakhdar BrahimiSpeakers: Wazhma Frogh, David Kilcullen, Horia Mosadiq, Michael Semple, Tom TugendhatListen to the mp3Note: We apologise for poor sound quality during the web transmission. This is only a short part of the MP3.http://www.lse.ac.uk/Depts/global/podcasts/BrahimiPanelsFutureOptionsInAfghanistan.mp3

My fight to protect the women in my country

2010-03-14T20:03:00.003+04:30

My fight to protect the women in my countryMar 10 2010 By Catherine VonledeburAdd a commentRecommend1 2 3 4 nextAFGHAN women’s rights defender Wazhma Frogh rubbed shoulders with Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama when she won the 2009 US State Department’s International Women of Courage Award.She has faced prejudice, intimidation and death threats to speak out against domestic violence, marital

Oped: Daily Times, Pakistan March 6, 2010

2010-03-06T21:45:00.002+04:30

VIEW: We do not learn from history —Wazhma FroghWomen’s groups, Afghan civil society organisations and activists have regularly raised alarm because they are concerned that the cooption of the Taliban is likely to amount to a loss of the achievements made over the past nine yearsCould we turn the clock back in Afghanistan and travel through time? If so, then the Bonn Agreement of 2001 would be

Behind the Veil:The untold Stories (1)

2010-02-10T03:09:00.002+04:30

Rabia run breathlessly towards the outside yard to hide behind the fence near the gate of their house. This fence was like a wall that separated the entrance gate to two; one way for women to enter the house and come directly to women’s room and the other directly to the luxurious men’s guest room occupied by men in Rabia’s family. The women of the family were only allowed

Short Stories (Behind the Veil: The untold Stories )

2010-02-10T02:45:00.005+04:30

From now on, We will be writing short stories reflecting the untold stories of our society. Some of them will be known and most unknown. Most of the time, we do not want the hidden realities on to our faces, but unless we do not face the truth, we will not be able to challenge the hypocracies of our lives.These stories are created fictions of young girls and boys from various parts of the world

BBC radio interview on re-integration plan

2010-02-10T02:41:00.001+04:30

Panel discussion in BBC on London Conference, 28 January 2010

2010-02-10T02:33:00.000+04:30

The Afghanistan Project: After the 2009 Presidential Elections

2010-02-10T02:28:00.000+04:30

The Afghanistan Project in the coming five years: Like many Afghans of my generation, I was born during a communist coup d'etat, spent my childhood against the background of an anti- Soviet Mujahidin struggle, and became an adult during a civil war which resulted in the rule of the Taliban. In al three eras the transition of political power in Kabul was accompanied by

The forgotten Perspective: For London Conference

2010-02-10T02:22:00.001+04:30

These days the news about Afghanistan actually starts and ends with the London Conference and its expected outcomes. Around 70 countries of the world, as allies of the Afghan war and mission are going to attend the Conference and seek new or maybe promote the old ways of dealing with the Afghanistan conflict. However, there is another perspective to this conflict. A

Code Pink's misfire on Afghan women by Wazhma Frogh and Lauryn Oate

2009-12-17T16:22:00.002+04:30

Friday, December 11, 2009 In October, the women's antiwar organization, Code Pink, went to Afghanistan. The Christian Science Monitor reported that the pink T-shirted women were surprised to learn the overwhelming majority of women do not support a withdrawal of foreign troops from their country. Expecting their counterparts -- Afghan activists fighting for peace and

The Emerging Afghan Media: Beyond the Stereotyping of Women? Published Originally by Middle East Institute

2009-12-06T22:04:00.001+04:30

The Emerging Afghan Media: Beyond the Stereotyping of Women? Wazhma Frogh For the past 30 or more years, media content in Afghanistan mostly has been con- trolled by the central government and its supporters. During this period, as throughout the 20th century, the most important and widely available forms of media have been national radio and television. However, rural perspectives and the

Written in October 09 on Afghanistan elections second round

2009-12-06T21:19:00.001+04:30

Why a run off? “Going to a second round of elections between the two kings, is like the two chopendaz that run so hardly to get the wounded goat that is terribly injured in the first round of Buzkashi. No matter who makes it to hold the goat, it’s the goat that will completely die, and that goat is Afghanistan.” These are the words of my 80 year old grand mother, who still envies her life during

Why Women Are The Real Architects Of Peace

2009-10-29T03:29:00.000+04:30

TOWARDS the LIGHT

2009-10-29T03:25:00.000+04:30

TOWARDS the LIGHT

2009-10-29T03:23:00.000+04:30

Risking a Rights Disaster : Washington PostBy Wazhma FroghSunday, October 18, 2009As an Afghan woman who for many years lived a life deprived of the most basic human rights, I find unbearable the thought of what will happen to the women of my country if it once again falls under the control of the insurgents and militants who now threaten it.In 2001, when the war in Afghanistan began, the

My article in Guardian, September 2009

2009-10-14T23:59:00.001+04:30

Afghans can't trust anyoneThe challenge in Afghanistan is to hold a serious and consistent political stance on the Taliban. Inconsistency is creating chaosWazhma Froghguardian.co.uk, Tuesday 22 September 2009 22.30 BSTArticle historyNot a day passes without representatives of the international community trying to save Afghanistan without bothering to step out of their fully secured buildings to

We learn to discriminate: Unlearning the Gender Learning

2009-08-10T11:26:00.002+04:30

For the past decade, many development discourses have taken name from the happenings and incidents around the globe and every day we are witness of a new term describing a particular situation. Although there are reasons behind creating a discourse and then using it for self-promoting purposes, we never look into the root causes of those happenings and incidents in our surroundings. The terms as

My Speech during my selection as International Woman of Courage Award

2009-08-10T11:17:00.003+04:30

Wazhma FroghInternational Woman of Courage Award, State Department United States of AmericaMarch 9, 2009.Today is yet another example that the women of Afghanistan want to change their lives and want to raise their voices against inequalities and injustices on them. Yet again we are challenging the stereotypes that the women of Afghanistan are portrayed as “dead and passive and those they can’t

5 Million Women Campaign

2009-08-10T10:59:00.005+04:30

During early May 09, when a number of women leaders gathered to design programs to encourage women for voting, i suggested what if we start a campaign of a bulk of women so that they can be motivated, encouraged and supported to take part in elections. Many thought its very ambitious as women dont come along in bulks. Later on , in a bigger coordination meeting on 17 June, i proposed the 5

Should i just give up?.....continued....

2009-08-10T10:44:00.002+04:30

Very True...."things will get worse before they get better"....similar is a human being's nature. For the past many months i have been thinking of "giving up" because i thought my struggles are not paying off. But as i reach to the peak of frustration, i see the tiny hands of "change" that i guess i have contributed towards, waving towards me that they need to be strenghtened.I dont have to tell

Should I Just Give Up?.............

2009-06-16T22:30:00.002+04:30

I came home this evening around 7 pm and pretending tired, took a shelter in my room. Without even trying to change my clothes or do anything else...I just sat down on the floor and started questioning myself. Isnt it the time to just give up? Why am i putting so much emotions and energy in a work that i dont see the results? ....Yes, these thoughts have been disturbing me for quiet a while, they

Long way to go....

2009-05-13T15:10:00.003+04:30

Wazhma Frogh: The 2009 International Woman of Courage Award recepient by the State Department!!!On Wednesday 11 March 2009, I recieved the 2009 International Woman of Courage Award from United States First Lady, Michelle Obama and the Secretrary of State, Hillary Clinton. I was part of 8 women delegation that came from different parts of the world including Afghanistan, Iraq, Guatemala, Niger,

Another 7 yrs old child raped in the mosque!!!

2009-01-29T13:42:00.002+04:30

Yesterday i heard neighbors replying to a man that was searching for the mosque...while our neighbor asked him where he came from , the man replied from the back street and our neighbor told him , they do have a mosque in that street already so why he is looking for another. The man replied that the mosque was closed because the mullah had raped a child inside the mosque and run away. This

Witnessing the History!!!

2008-11-06T00:20:00.002+04:30

Today 05 November 2008, a new day has risen for the whole world. United States of America ELECTS its first ever Black president, Barack Obama!!! I am not excited because United States of America matters to me alot , however it does since we all live in the same global village and our deeds affect each other, if its technology or global warming BUT i am thrilled because i witnessed a STRUGGLE for

And we are happily fasting!!!

2008-09-11T13:52:00.003+04:30

Today is the tenth day of the holy Ramadan month in which Muslims around the world observe fasting from the dawn to the sunset. We Afghans too, conforming with the religion , observe strict fasting which only means hunger and thirst most of the time during this month. For the past ten days while coming home, i have been questioning the notion of the fast in our context in a way that i guess we

Its ok to beat children in our culture.....

2008-08-26T13:33:00.003+04:30

Today while getting out of my house to come to work, i noticed a middle aged man around 50 or so beating a boy of around 10 or 12 yrs so hardly that the boy was shouting so hard. I looked around and found plenty of people busy in their own work who didnt even notice the voice of the child. A gardener was cutting some plants and was lost in this own world on how to increase his earnings so that he

Increased Child rapes in Afghanistan

2008-08-21T15:37:00.002+04:30

In the past 6 or so months the media outlets in the country are constantly reporting about the various cases of child rapes in different parts of Afghanistan. More than anything else, the current debate among the elites of civil society is whether these cases have increased recently or whether the media is able to report and reflect them much more than ever. However, i dont think that is the main

Can we replace the " Committment"

2008-08-20T15:07:00.003+04:30

After coming back to Afghanistan in 2001, one of the terms that i terribly hate and have to encounter every second is " Committment" or " Tahud" in my beautiful farsi. I wont go back to introducing Afghanistan's war torn history and 30 years of violence and etc but ofcourse that can not be ignored if we want to understand what really committment means in Afghanistan and for Afghans. As i am in

Inside Islam, A Woman's roar

2008-03-30T15:39:00.001+04:30

from the March 05, 2008 edition - http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0305/p13s03-lign.html Wazhma Frogh, an Afghan, uses her religion to press for women's rights – and developmentagencies take note.By Jill Carroll Staff writer of The Christian Science MonitorJust hours after Wazhma Frogh arrived in an isolated, conservative district in northeastern Afghanistan in 2002,the local

The Culture of Violence by wazhma frogh

2008-03-30T15:35:00.000+04:30

“Wow, another punch, hey beat him, wow what a murder!!!!” These are exactly the words heard near by from youngsters when they are watching action movies which stimulate their emotional capacity and they get out of their ways. I am not writing to condemn the makers of the action movies around the world, but here I would like to point out some important facts about the action movies, the negative

نمیدانم......

2008-03-30T12:21:00.002+04:30

بسیار دلم تنگ است ....برای گریه کردن ..برای شنیدن صدای دلم که همیشه در قید زمان در چنگ است...بسیار سخت است که من در اجتماعی زنده گی دارم که باید برای گریه کردن نیز دلیلی در چوکات " فرهنگ و دین" داشته باشم...بسیار پر درد است..اما نشاید این را زنده گی نامید و اگر نه بزم پایه های زنده گی به قول حافظ و فروغ متزلزل خواهد شد... و دیگر هیچ شاعری برای امید های آینده اش لفظ " زنده گی " را نخواهد برد

Afghan Women missed another opportunity this year!

2008-03-09T10:40:00.002+04:30

Its really frustrating to see that we women in Afghanistan havent learned that women's rights for equality and justice can not be attained by partying with elites and gifting each other for being a woman! 8 March 2008, likewise other previous years was celebrated amidsts of empty speeches and flying promises from the president and its all three branches, but when will the women of afghanistan

2008-02-21T14:38:00.006+04:30

Women striving for change in Afghanistan By Beth Hearn , Leadership Council for Human Rights, Washington D.C“In this century where man has reached Mars, Afghan women are still striving to establish ourselves as human beings,” said Wazhma Frogh, who has a lifelong history of social activism and is currently a gender and development specialist for the Canadian International Development Agency. She

2008-01-01T09:38:00.000+04:30

Struggle for Peace.... Universal Peace for everyone ...everywhere

ON THE EVE OF THE GLOBAL CAMPAIGN FOR THE ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN:

2007-12-31T09:30:00.001+04:30

By Wazhma FroghDecember 2007Daily we hear about the millions of dollars that are poured into different development programs to support the women of Afghanistan and yet little improvement in the lives of women can be seen. The country has the second highest mortality rate in the world; 80% of women and girls are subject to severe domestic violence; more than 85% of all marriages are forced and

Politics of Religion

2007-12-31T09:29:00.000+04:30

By Wazhma Frogh, July 2007 Our global village is plagued with perpetual clash of humanity and one humanity is facing millions of threats in most parts of this village. Many of the countries and even regions are in constant crisis and conflict for various political, religious and economical power struggles. We usually hear that “its all political game” that has created tension and chaos among

FRIENDSHIP NEVER ENDS

2007-12-31T09:28:00.000+04:30

By Wazhma Frogh,1999 Life is like an ocean and every sorrow and every happiness is sunk in this ocean. But if life gets along with the loved one’s and you depart, these moments sink in this ocean but memories can never die.Simran a 17 year- old girl, who is a college student of first year, lives away from every one. Every one used to gather with each other but Simran with her Urdu book is used to

GENDER VIOLENCE TO DRUGS

2007-12-31T09:08:00.000+04:30

by Wazhma Frogh 2004I had a long research of the centers where addicted of drugs got treatment, spoke with addicted victims and studied many addiction cases of women, finally I came out with the conclusions that 55% of the women addicted cases are rooted in gender violence. This was the gender based violence which provoked women to go on the way of using drugs.I had a visit to an orphanage

Do something!!!... A message from an 8-year old bride

2007-12-31T09:02:00.000+04:30

By Wazhma Frogh2003 I want to share my insights with all the people around the world. With my growing up, I realized how women are marginalized in most countries, how they have to bear the brunt of being female and how they are considered the fairer but the weaker sex. This realization pained me always but to see little girls who should be playing with dolls pay for being born as girl hurts me

A Woman’s Day in a Man’s Year

2007-12-31T09:01:00.000+04:30

By Wazhma FroghMarch 2007 In a bright busy day in the office, my cell phone rang constantly and after answering the phone, I got that it was a friend of mine excitingly telling me about the plans for the coming 8th March celebrations. “hey you know what the president is going to be there along with other high society officials, lets bring again those three crazy women whom we gave those tailoring

We learn to discriminate: Unlearning the Gender Learning

2007-12-31T09:00:00.000+04:30

By Wazhma Frogh2007 For the past decade, many development discourses have taken name from the happenings and incidents around the globe and every day we are witness of a new term describing a particular situation. Although there are reasons behind creating a discourse and then using it for self-promoting purposes, we never look into the root causes of those happenings and incidents in our

Shame on you! You are a girl!

2007-12-31T08:58:00.000+04:30

Ms.Wazhma Frogh2007This story is about a woman who is a successful mother but to be super mom she had to pay a bitter price… I met her during my struggles for advocating on gender rights.“Pari! Shame on you! You are still playing outside! I will finally complain to your father tonight, you are such an idiot girl. Why don’t you understand that you are a girl and girls don’t play outside the house,