The Other Afghanistan

[aaronexoticaaron]

especial thanks to both the maker and up loader of this vid

[Leon612]

seems great...but expensive as well.

[sskkyysaf1]

برادران عزیز به خدا شرم است که دیگران (خارجی ها) از مردم و کشور ما تعریف و تمجید می کنند . ما و شما یکدیگر را محکوم کرده و ناسازا می دیم. بخدا شرم است. بیایید از یک جایی بلاخره شروع کنیم به برادری و همدوستی و از گپ هایی که دشمنان ملت افغانستان را خوشحال می کند بپرهیزیم.

[shamsra]

@sskkyysaf1 دست دوستی توخوش!!

[sskkyysaf1]

Yeahh, this is the real Afghans and Afghanistan, without interfering Pakistani agents.

[MrTawalo]

султон ишкашим

[MrPanjsheriPigsheri]

@israelitepashtun Khwareta sare Qabre Ahmaq Shash Masoud kos konum.Bad az kose kadane khwaret haw e kere khoda da dane khware corderitodedios69 betum lol

Wa ma kose khwareta choshe da boromm.. Akh Akh ZindaBad Kos Kos kose

PIGSHERI=PANJSHERI Lol

[afghanmsn]

Nice video! Tanks for opplaoding this videio i wish i could be There now and felling turist

[9018393]

words can not express how I am feeling right now. THANK YOU!!!

[MissNanik]

Thank you for thats job you have done!

[Aviator411]

I think visiting Israel is a LOT more dangerous than visiting Afghanistan. Yet we continue to see these BS messages about visiting Israel for tourism.

[israelitepashtun]

Making this area a major tourist destination just makes pashtun thugs want to control it and that means hell for the locals. Just look at the locals, they pretty much have nothing! America on the other hand is considered the pig of the world because they have the most stuff and consume the most. Do you really want to go and freeload on a bunch of poor people just so you can tell your friends ooo look at me I'm adventurous and socially desirable? don't you people have any shame left? disgusting!

[mountunity]

@israelitepashtun The Wakhi people are some of the poorest in the world. The area suffers the highest recorded maternal mortality rate in the world and 1 in 3 children die before the age of 5. Extreme poverty and lack of development is the major factor in both these shocking statistics. Tourism has been recognised as the only chance these people have to improve their lives. It is they who are driving the tourism industry. No one wants a major tourism destination just to give some hope.

[israelitepashtun]

@mountunity I know you have good intentions brother. Normally tourism=income but over there they don't have tourism industry at all. Sending a bunch of spoiled tourists down there just places burden on the people. First you'll need a business model of how these people will get paid. Perhaps you can go set up a travel agency yourself. That's a million dollar idea for you right there. Also once they get currency how will they convert it into goods and services from this remote location?

[noster88]

@israelitepashtun I don't see any warlords rushing to control the Wakhan corridor because of tourism dollars. There are like 4 companies that run tours and treks in there. I'm pretty sure opium is still a safer bet. What other burdons to the people of Wakhan exist? As to your last question, you would (apparently) be surprised where you can find coke bottles and 1985 MLB all-star hats.

[israelitepashtun]

@noster88 again how do the wakhi people get paid? you can easily run a tour by yourself without any local help. dude above is talking about preventing maternal mortality rate so we are talking about maternity services, child care, maybe even a full-blown hospital. Not some friggin coke bottles and souvenirs. offering the best you've got (when you haven't got much) everytime someone comes by, I'd call that a huge burden. so it sounds like you've been there and freeloaded. what else have you seen?

[noster88]

@israelitepashtun You can easily run a tour of the Wakhan Valley in Afghanistan by yourself... maybe your Dari is better than mine, but for me it would be pretty fuckin difficult. Wakhi people are getting paid because tourists buy things - rugs, wool hats, food, etc; I'm not going to explain a tourist economy to you. And I doubt the Wakhi people are giving away their stoves and livestock to any white guy that prances by. On tours where people stop for more than tea, you can bet the host is paid

[israelitepashtun]

@noster88 I'm sure a lot of people here are happy to hear that. I would much appreciate it if you also back it up with a video, seeing that you make detailed footage of your trip to kurdistan.

[noster88]

@israelitepashtun I have not been to Afghanistan, but I'm not sure a video would offer conclusive proof of anything. I understand your concerns, but through my reasoning I see no way that Afghans are harmed by tourism unless there are negative externalities of their travels or (if you are correct) their immense generosity causes them harm. People who travel to Afghanistan are likely far richer than I am and will likely want souvenirs of their 'adventure.' This provides a valuable sales window.

[mountunity]

@israelitepashtun This year we had 110 tourists coming through us, each bought services in the local economy with an average spend of around $500 each. That's $55,000 in the pockets of the people of Wakhan and Ishkashim. This means they now can now pay for the things they need and want rather than relying on charity.

There are also 110 people back home telling all their friends about how friendly and hospitable the Afghan people are and that there really is some hope for this great country.

[israelitepashtun]

@mountunity that's more money than I've got in the bank. now I'm jealous

[mountunity]

@israelitepashtun Certainly more than we've got in the bank too! About 30% of it gets spent on transport the rest goes into the villages were people rent rooms for the night, pack animals and guides.

[israelitepashtun]

@mountunity Thanks for making these videos. you were right about the tourism thing. I've looked around it seems like on every side of the border they make money the same way: herding, farming (some areas), bottling mineral water, tourism, performances, and handicrafts. There's not much natural resources to exploit and people really don't have much choices. I wonder why agakhan don't come in to takeover wahan. I guess even as a very long term investment this place won't yield returns. Allah hafiz

[mountunity]

@israelitepashtun Hi thanks for staying interested in this and doing some research. if we knew of any other way for the local people to make a better living we'd investigate it. This is not about tourism, this is about giving people a way to improve their lives. The Aga Khan foundation have been supporting the tourism sector in the Wakhan which has really helped. No one is going to get rich of this and it's never going to be a big destination which we probably all agree is a good thing.

[israelitepashtun]

@mountunity I see a lot of people in these videos travelling in their own motorcycles or cars. any idea how they managed to ship it there from home? If I knew how I'd go myself

[mountunity]

@israelitepashtun There were some journalists who were working in Kabul who bought cheap Chinese motorbikes and rode them up there. The Polish and eastern European bikers orginally road over land from Europe. Most people rent 4x4 from the local transport office which is what puts a lot of the money into the economy.

[corderitodedios69]

@israelitepashtun PASHTUN=ANIMALS.

[israelitepashtun]

@corderitodedios69 ho wrora dera manana. we escaped from the zoo!

[corderitodedios69]

@israelitepashtun hahahaha, youre right. pigtoons escaped from the zoo of kabul where they were imprisoned... and now kundahar is full of kunzais! LOL

[arbimd]

@corderitodedios69 U DIckhole

[kolkrabe19]

This is Afghanistan.

[afghan007london]

beatifull video.....i love de peoples of america,,,buh i hate their politics.

[AKafghan08]

If you want to help Afghanistan. Please visit it.

[AFGHANVIEW]

more like if you want to help afghanistan invade it and steal all of its naural resources and have a pro occupation governement. :)

[OoAryAnAoO]

Im an afghan, and i will inshalla move to afg in 2 years once im done with uni to shoot some ducomentries, and if i get the funding hopefully also movies in future. cant wait to visit afg.. i was 9 months old when i left afg.. so it will definitely be a great experience to see my country after decades.

[TADAO22]

I wish I could travel in Afganistan!

[qari0aryana]

i miss our beautifull afghanistan,,,,,

but all beauty of afghanistan had gone with wind becoz of wars and politics and circumstances

[pamir30]

This is absolutely true about the people of Badakhshan (Wakhan Corridor)!! They're friendly and genuine, and I'm glad somebody is finally trying to tell the world about the beauty that province has to offer. They're non-violent people, and i hope The extremism never reach there! PROUDLY Badakhshan is a province that Taliban never were able to capture!