Episode 29: Afghanistan 2.0: What happens to Civil Society and Afghan women after NATO forces leave? (Part One)

On May 27th, Common Ground and The German Marshall Fund of the United States co-hosted a special town hall with Afghan women, aid workers and analysts on three continents to talk about the future of the Central Asian Country after two decades of military and humanitarian intervention. This episode includes excerpts and interviews from that event.

Host Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson talks with: 

• Atia Abawi, Award-winning foreign correspondent and children’s author.
• Kathy Gannon, Award-winning News Director for Afghanistan and Pakistan at the Associated Press and author.
• Marina Kielpinski LeGree, Founder and CEO of “Ascend,” an NGO that trains Afghan girls and women to be leaders through community service and mountain climbing.
• Metra Mehran, Fulbright Scholar who co-founded the Feminine Perspectives Movement, which provides a platform for women across Afghanistan to raise their voices and ensure their perspectives are reflected in the peace talks.
• Almut Wieland-Karimi, Executive Director of the Center for International Peace Operations.
• Ellinor Zeino, Afghanistan Country Director of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

Also featuring GMF Editorial Director Rachel Tausendfreund and Ascend Program Assistant Shogufa Bayat. 

Common Ground