Video Making: Office of Public Affairs of the U.S. Mission to the EU in Brussels.
Part 2 of 4 (Full version duration is 23 minutes).
Reportage on Afghanistan made from videos filmed during the U.S. Mission to the EU - European Policy Centre Joint Conference: "Faces of Afghanistan: Beyond the Headlines" Brussels, 4 May 2010
Tanscript:
Afghanistan today has a new mostly young generation of talented Afghans who not only have the commitment, who not only have the passion for justice, for progress and for democracy in Afghanistan, but who also have the qualifications to take charge of leading the country into a better direction, into a better future. But we need support from the international community because Afghanistan is much more than just about Afghanistan.
I hope this is the first of many discussions, forums, conferences that we have. And this conference is really an effort by us to hear from them. People who are in Afghanistan today who are fighting alongside us because they love their country.
I think there just needs to be a better communication, better presentation of what Afghanistan is and what it's about.
What people like myself are trying to do is to offer at least a glimpse of what we believe as Afghans to be a more accurate picture of Afghanistan, a more wholesome picture of social life, of political life, of the economic life of the country. Also offer a window to some of the hopes and aspirations of the people of Afghanistan as they see them for themselves for the future.
I want Afghan citizens and institutions to be helped so that they can be preventing some of the things that have been happening in Afghanistan.
The most sustainable thing we can leave in Afghanistan is the experience of good civil, experiences we have. We can bring people this experience.
Yes, Afghanistan has very major, very significant problems. But Afghanistan also has a very vibrant society. It's a very young society. It has tremendous potential.
We have to provide them with the skills, employable skills, productive skills, skills that are needed by Afghans for the Afghans once the donors are leaving. Therefore we need to emphasize, and that is one of the reasons that I am participating here, to communicate this. My colleagues, they are all here for sincerity, with honesty, to help Afghanistan.
The aid process itself can be a process of delivery of good civil experience that we have got throughout the history of our development.
Investing in this new generation, in this new alternative for a partner in Afghanistan is worth it. Not only in terms of helping a country that's suffered from war stand on its own two feet, rebuild itself, but also Afghanistan, the repercussions of Afghanistan's instability and insecurity and fall into chaos again for global security and also for the whole idea of fellow human beings helping each other.
We try to improve governments. Certainly in that area because we don't have the specialized expertise in that, If you could invite our managers, directors of universities and managers to receive, or to share your expertise, your experience with them.
For Americans and Europeans who are sacrificing so much in the struggle in Afghanistan. It's important for us to hear from the Afghan people, to hear from the people who are struggling beside us day in and day out, who are taking incredible risks for the love of their country.
For me actually the military is the prerequisite, the precondition for success in Afghanistan. By that I mean the presence of the international community in the military sense.
It's good also to look beyond the security challenges since these are what preoccupy most of the meetings these days that we go to, and I can't do better than quote a prominent Afghan civil society activist who says, "Give us security. We can do the rest."
None of us who have come from Afghanistan will be able to work in Afghanistan without the presence of the military, international community's militaries. So thank you.
After being away for 25 years, practically all my life, I was excited and thrilled to be coming back and helping to develop my nation, my home nation, my mother's nation.
Today's meeting is very important. I think there's a natural inclination to talk about what's not working. But I'm here to talk on behalf of my international NGO organization Pro Literacy, to talk about a model of what is working.
I think there have been improvements to people's lives in Afghanistan. Not as much as we would have wished, certainly not as much as the Afghans would have wished and it's been patchy. But where it's happened people have been very grateful for it and their lives have improved.
TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 3
Loading...
9:55
Afghan Debate ( Marriage ) part 4by discourse99360,505 views
Are we moving ahead or running backwards..
charusri2 1 week ago
DO MUSLIM FEMALES HAVE TIGHT PUSSYHOLES?
LYYSL 3 weeks ago
let me tell you guys why afghanistan has such low illiteracy rate; 1st of those afghans that live outside of afghanistan are relaxing and have no worries of their fellow country men or their afraid of being killed if they come to afg. i think if afghans those who arte fleunt in english and other such language move back and put their hands together and open up schools and much more.
rasoli3254 1 month ago