 Great, good morning, good afternoon, and good evening, depending from where you're joining us today. My name is Belkis Ahmadi. I'm a Senior Program Officer with the Afghanistan team with USIP. I would like to first thank our distinguished panelists for joining us today, taking time from their busy schedules. We are excited to have many people with us online, especially. I was just saying that now it is that we have the option of both online and virtual and in-person. Many people choose to join us online, which is absolutely fine. For those watching online, you can submit a question using the chat box function located just below the video player on the USIP website or event page. We ask that you please include your name and specify from where you're joining us. And for our in-person guests, I will call on you during the Q&A session, and we will have mics on both sides of the room. You can also engage with us and with each other on Twitter throughout the event using today's hashtag, which is hashtag Afghan women. This event is part of a series highlighting teams from Imagine, Reflection on Peace, a multimedia exhibit from USIP and the Seven Foundation that explores the challenges of peacebuilding to an immersive look at societies that suffered and survived violent conflicts. For those with us today in person, we hope you will take time after this discussion to visit the exhibit, which is just downstairs. As many of you know, USIP was founded by the US Congress over 35 years ago as an independent nonpartisan national institute with the goal of preventing, mitigating and resolving violent conflict. USIP has actively engaged in Afghanistan since 2002, focusing on peacebuilding, conflict resolution, research, training and supporting civil society and dialogue to reduce drivers of conflict. In recent years, one of USIP's biggest priorities was supporting Afghan women leaders and experts involved in the peace process, as well as local level peacebuilders and civil society activists. While the conditions have fundamentally changed in Afghanistan since the fall of Kabul, supporting Afghan women during these challenging times remains our core priority. It has been 10 months since the Taliban took control and the last US forces left Afghanistan. The images and testimonies from the August evacuation will live on forever. The news of Taliban stripping away the most basic rights of Afghan women and girls and vulnerable Afghans are a painful reminder of the unsuccessful efforts to achieve durable peace and stability in Afghanistan. And once again, Afghan women and girls are left with the consequences of this failure. Our incredible panellists today are with us, knowing these challenges and the heartbreak that comes with them. Mujgan and Palwasha were evacuated and resettled in the US last fall and Lema was involved in the evacuation of family, colleagues and friends. We are extremely grateful that you joined us today. I will ask a series of questions before turning to the audience, but first let me introduce our distinguished panellists. In the middle is Mujgan Sardat. Mujgan is a novelist, screenwriter, an artist and poet. She has written and published over 100 poems and articles on different social and cultural topics, including women's rights. Prior to the fall of the country, Mujgan was working as a civil servant. She has a bachelor's degree in economics and a second degree in creative arts. Lema Halima Ahmad is a PhD candidate in the fields of international security and human security at the Fletcher School of Tarfts University. Lema's research focuses on youth and their vulnerabilities to extreme violence. She holds a master's degree in international security from the Fletcher School and an undergraduate degree in women and gender studies from Bucknell University. Pallawasha Hassan at the far end is senior fellow at the Institute for Women, Peace and Security at Georgetown University. She previously served as a fellow at USIP. Ms. Hassan is a dedicated women's rights and peace activist with a special focus on girls' education. Pallawasha has advocated for increasing the political quota for women in the Afghan constitution. She has a master's degree in post-war recovery from the University of York in the UK. And with that, I will turn to the first question. The month of June is the Refugee Awareness Month. It's the month that we acknowledge the hardship millions of refugees go through in search for safety. But it's also a reminder and acknowledgement that the courage, resilience and perseverance of refugees must not be ignored. Can you start by telling us a bit about your journey to the US and the challenges you face? This will be a specific question to you, Pallawasha and Meshkan, but let me ask the first question of Lema. Lema Jan, I know you were involved in the evacuation of many close family and friends, although I imagine there are many more who remain in Afghanistan in need of safety. As someone already based in the US, can you tell us a bit about your experience assisting those trying to leave Afghanistan and get resettled in other countries? Your perspectives on how the US can continue to support resettled Afghan refugees and those still trying to leave Afghanistan? Thank you. Thank you. And good morning, everyone. And thank you so much for being here. Although during the pandemic, even now, we are used to attend these programs and our PJs from our computers, but thank you so much for being here this morning. Dr. Ahmadidhi, this question, if even I speak for entire day, is like something like every one of us should write a book, how it was. But I could only say that the few days of August 2021 was a really good example of how Afghanistan development for the last 20 years was managed. It will be in a worst statement, but I think I will still say it. It was the most mismanaged crisis that human history might have seen. And the one thing that I could name like a common thing was the agency that Afghans overall did not have were all in the entire process, the one that were getting evacuated, the one who were involved like myself as a volunteer and anyone of Afghans. We never knew what was happening with us, although we believe there was an intention of help, but in that help we did not had any say how that help should be achieved. I remember that after a few hours, like 70 hours, my wrist stopped working because I was typing millions and millions of forms, duplication. And here, even in the US, many departments, they were not working together. They were the same duplications happening. And I believe like in so many ways that I volunteer, there were few people that I never knew they were still here in the US. They had never visited Afghanistan and they're mid-20s or early-20s and they were managing almost the entire operation of this crisis. Some of them had never been in Afghanistan, but they were leading Afghans to the airport from different gates. So for me, the biggest thing I feel whenever I'm not having agency or things, I felt Afghans till date, wherever in the world we are refugees. I believe we never knew what is happening to us. And we don't know what is happening, even the people that have arrived here. Here in the US, for example, I have traveled during this last few months to some other European countries also for work. Were there at least the Afghans that they have arrived? They have a status. They know what they stand in those countries, but here in the US, they are poorly, they don't know what will happen to them. Those that are still in refugee camps, wherever in the world, they don't know when they will be brought in here. So regardless of what happened in August, what we can do now, we have to realize that all those Afghans are human beings and they still have the same human rights that in human beings should have according to the United Charter. So I believe agency should be given. We should know what is going to happen to Afghans. I could only say that. Thank you. You touched on the lack of coordination and chaos during evacuation. Having been involved and engaged in the evacuation myself, I think it's also important in addition to how things went wrong, also to point the generosity and hospitality of Americans, young, old, middle-aged, they all came together to welcome Afghan refugees. Thank you for your remarks. Moshkan. I know you documented what you witnessed before Kabul fell. And during the evacuation as well, can you tell us a bit about what you experienced and saw during the evacuation in those difficult and unprecedented situations? Thank you, Ms. Ahmadiyy for inviting me to today's event and to this beautiful building. It is an honor to be here. The events of last summer is vivid in my memories as if it was last week. I have tried to forget these days, but there is no escape from memories. Within the first few days of August last year, one province after another had began failing to the Taliban. My sex seasons keep telling me that the dark era of the Taliban will return. But I was conflicted as the Afghan government, the international community, and the US special envoy, Salman Khalilzad, keep saying that Afghanistan will not fall to the Taliban. And that the Americans had signed an agreement with the Taliban not take power by force. But everything changed on August 15. I had taken the day off to go shopping with my family before arriving at the shopping center. I saw men who I believed were Taliban. They did not look like Kabulis. I convinced myself it was just my imagination. But then as we got closer to the shopping center, my nightmare became a reality. It was indeed the Taliban. People running in every direction. Some were shouting, the Taliban are here. Run the way. Taliban bedakhil-shahr-hamadan, bug-ree-seed. I was in taxi with my sister and sister-in-law. I was in shock. The first time the Taliban took control of country, I was forced to wear clothes and became a man for my sister. The Taliban took my childhood away from me. My phone started ringing. It was my mother telling me to get on fast. When the taxi driver said our pay fees, he tried to comfort us and told us that he would take us where we wanted to go. He answered. His phone rang and he answered on his speaker and the person on the other hardly told the driver to take home quickly as the Taliban were here. It was then he informed us that he was worried about we had to get out of his car. The next day, I received a call from a person. I did not before assuring me that Hai and my immediate family members are on the list for evacuation. On August 18, my family and Hai made the decision to leave for the next two weeks. We spent hours and days going back and forth towards the airport. A few times, we got to close the gate but were always pushed back and unable to enter the airport. The Taliban were firing guns, but so where the American tear gas was realized on people trying to flee the country, I especially feared for my mother, health who far from Hasma. We stayed there lost and crowed with three dead in form of ass, children were crying. Old people were fainting. There was fear in everyone's eyes. We had to go back home and restart to journey the next day. At the time, the Taliban had imposed night curfew in the city. The Taliban imposed night. The city gate, we had no choice to break the curfew or go to the airport and return home when un-successfully. I submit as if all doors were shot in face. I will save more details for a book that I hope to publish one day, my book too. Thank you. Thank you, Mishkan. Thank you. Thank you for reminding us of those haunted images that we all have in our image from the evacuation of August. You talked about your sixth sense how you knew something was going to happen, but then you talked about all the assurances given by the international community and by the Afghan government officials that Kabul will not fall. You also talked about how on August 15, your nightmare became a reality. I'm sure that's the reality for many Afghans there and for us watching from afar. I would like to ask you later on if you could tell us about your experience during the first time the Taliban took control and you were forced to wear boys' clothes in order to become a mahram to your sisters. I can't even imagine what you and other girls went to. And I think it was very powerful when you said the Taliban took my childhood away from me. You said you're going to publish your book? I would like to be the first reader of your book, and I'm sure many others would like to read your book. So please do write. And we want to hear from you. Thank you. Palwasha, you and your family have been forced to leave Afghanistan twice, at least twice. The first time as a child during the Soviets' invasion and last year as an adult, you have dedicated most of your life to educating girls. I can't even imagine what you're going to having worked on girls' education all of your life and to see that girls are not allowed to go to school. What was it like for you to relive the situation, becoming a refugee, and leaving the country after everything you and other women leaders and civil society actors have done in the past 20 years? What was it like? Thank you, Balkees. I think the story of being a refugee and settlement and migration is all stories of pain and too much emotions. I really don't want to go through the story in detail because that makes me very emotional. And then I don't like myself being through that sort of emotions. But I would say I lived even three times because when my first family migrated to Pakistan, I was at my early teens. And of course, the decision was taken by my father and mother and the rest of the family. And they supported me and my sisters and brothers to go and continue education. That is a different story. And it wasn't easy because we were totally entering to a new era of radicalism, extremism, where new code of dressing and everything was introduced and enforced, actually, in refugee environment as well. And too many spaces were taken away from women even then and to forge your way and to find yourself back, to grow in that environment. It was a bitter experience even then. But then in 2002, when I came back to Afghanistan, it was a big hopes and aspiration. And that was the time, the first time I decided to come with a job inside Afghanistan. And I think that was my best experience, but not an easy one. I was starting as a first woman head of an international organization, which was giving grants to women. And I was given this very important job to support, help women grow in a new environment of aspiration and starting their groups and all that. But the environment was not ready for it. The logistics was not like that. We didn't have even a bank inside Afghanistan. Everything was demolished. And I was going each time to Pakistan from a personal account that will bring money. And it was a dangerous exercise. But I was taking too much empowerment. And I don't know. I was taking a lot of strength and happiness because I was in charge of something important for helping other women and then traveling inside Afghanistan and all that. And my third journey, unfortunately, is this one that we were forced in a situation. Until the last moment, we hoped the situation will not be as bad as it turned out to be. That's why I was still sitting in my office in Kabul when my colleagues came to me and said, the Taliban are in Dashti Berchi. And my office was in Kartijar. And the young women who were working with me, they came with tears in their eyes. And suddenly, we were caught by surprise, although we were ready for the situation. And even in that day, we were planning how we work under the difficult circumstances. What are some of the things that we should take home? Because NBB, the operation requires that way. Unfortunately, the second day, my office and my home, both was Taliban came and searched my office and put everything upside down. And when they reached my home, and I think that was a time that I thought it would be difficult, especially my first conversation with this young warrior who entered my home and they told me, we are not speaking to women. And suddenly, that was a big blow. And these young men, some of them were half of my age. And all my life, I worked for young people. And several young men like him were trained in the schools that I was running, benefited from the programs that we were. And today, somebody like that was telling me, I'm not even worth speaking to them. And I think that was a big thing. And especially children in my family, they were so terrified by that entrance of them with guns and the type of wearing and all that they had. The next day, I had to leave the home and then wait it. I think to focus back on the positive, I think the positive side was, Bill Case, your involvement, Hurya's involvement, Leba Johnny involvement, all this generation of Afghan women who migrated before us, they were still so familiar with our situation. All of them, when some of them had the worst memories in the war and the insurgency which happened in Afghanistan, and they were helping us, I think that was very much important. And then it was important like we also had our US allies from a human rights background, from women's rights background, from those women with whom we worked for years. They were not the one who ignored us or isolated us. At the last moment, even they were not in charge, but they used every possibility to help us evacuate. And I think I really feel proud of the way they worked together and helped us all to make it alive with my family or several of the families who were evacuated in that process. That was not easy. We went through a lot of troublesome. And each, I think Mishkan John and others, probably you heard the story, I don't want to go there because that make me emotional, but we are here and that's important. But what is also important that we have to take a lesson, learn from this, women were always giving warning of the situation, the way the US led peace process was not in the track to give the outcome that protects our gains. Most of all, our basic rights. We were so worried even then. So it is not a surprise today that girls are not allowed to go to school. It's not surprise this morning I wake up in very disturbing messages from some of the women from the Afghan ministries who were receiving phone calls from the authorities that they are told, send somebody, a male from your family to get your job, to do your job instead of you. I think that shows that the current authority don't know what skill means. Like a woman is trained all her life, she know how to run her office. And her husband, maybe a shopkeeper or I don't know, carpenter, which is important job. But can he do the job in Ministry of Finance, for instance, as an accountant? That could be the most ridiculous thing. And I think this is a lack of education for all those insurgents who spent years and years just doing one thing, and that was insurgencies. And they are not ready to understand how a government function even runs. What is the rule of, don't take women as a woman. They're also important agencies for getting the scraps back in this country. And that is the biggest strength of Afghan women who have been falling and raising back from many, many times. And they know how to put themselves together. I think my biggest aspiration today is the way the women groups are trying to reemerge and be part of the change, not to just accept the reality that they are stopped from working, they are stripped from every right that they have. But they are thinking how to navigate around all difficult circumstances and find their ways back and forge a way for peace and stability where they are counted as equal human being. Thank you. Thank you, Paoloasha. And I apologize for putting you on the spot. I know the stories are painful. I also came here as a refugee, so I can totally understand what you and millions of other refugees have gone through. You talked about how it was unbelievable. You couldn't believe that Afghanistan will fall and also having gained so much, having worked so hard for progress in Afghanistan, it was unbelievable to you and many others that it will all be lost. But I would like to come back later to that and see, is there still hope? You did talk about women emerging and reemerging and not accepting the stripping of their rights away as a way of life. That's not how life continues to be in Afghanistan and will not. But something that really struck me hard is that how when the Taliban started searching your office and your house and the young probably half your age told you that you are not even worth speaking to and they didn't want to speak to women, that's painful. I have been talking to my friends a lot about the resiliency of Afghan women and to my colleagues and those friends that you hear me saying that over and over, this is what I mean by the resiliency, courage of Afghan women. It's unmatchable. So thank you so much for sharing those stories as hard as it must be. In these days, I also would like to take a minute or a few seconds and offer my condolences to those Afghans who have been affected by the earthquake of last week. As we know, more than 1,000 people have been killed and several thousand have been injured in the earthquake of last week in host and Paktika provinces. But moving forward, what more should the US and the international community do to protect women in Afghanistan? We know that Afghan women are trying their best to navigate the system and to continue working for the younger generation and for their families and to live their lives. But what can the US do and what can the international community do to support those Afghan women who are still in Afghanistan? And also, those such as yourself, leaders who have lived Afghanistan and who can contribute to building peace in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Paul Wesha, I want to start with you. You have also worked as a peace builder. You have supported hundreds of women and girls at a provincial level to be engaged in peace building at community level. Given the challenges and the inherent risks, how can the US and the international community safely engage with women and civil society actors for the promotion and protection of women's rights and girls' rights, but also for the country's prosperity? Absolutely. I think, as I said, a woman has been always an important partner in the reconstruction process with the world. They were the one who positively engaged and made the best of the situation. I don't think many women hold the same baggage of corruption in others, which maybe existed in Afghanistan. Especially women in civil society, they strive very hard. And they made those changes, which are important. Today, a tribal man are making jerk for girls' education and calling on Taliban, asking for girls to study. I don't think these changes just came overnight. Or the Mullahs even are making speeches in favor of girls' education. That means that the work that women have done or civil society in Afghanistan has done, that the changes, which were not bridges or maybe buildings, those were social changes, those people are still inside Afghanistan, and they need to be supported. I think we need to support local groups, especially women groups, that they be able. They know how to navigate around the situation. They know how to work on that. For instance, in the current situation of the earthquake, AWIC is one of the organizations which is working in southeast. And I saw a few reports of international agencies writing about we should have women going to the field and all that. But did you support it, women, to go for that rapid assessment? Because under this condition, for instance, women are obliged to have a mahram or somebody, a male companion. So you have to pay that male to go with this woman. Otherwise, she's not allowed to go to field. And if you're not doing that, that's not enough just to say that women should do this. So I think gender-sensitive programming is very much important, even in the situation of emergency. Try to make best of the use of those organizations which already exist on the ground. That experience of women in CDCs are not diminished. You are still there. You just have to tap on those and work with those women. All those informal institutions through which women were active in Afghanistan, they haven't died. Except you have to give them, we need a serum. That serum is support, resources, encouragement. And I think there is possibility of working with those Afghan women leaders who are now outside of Afghanistan to be bridges of connecting those women inside of Afghanistan. We have to transfer back a lot of our learning to our sisters on the ground. But we need that support to make this possible. We have to start with maybe special grants and funding, but also maybe learning or transferring of lessons from one generation of Afghan women to other. And that should exist, because we cannot change what happened in Afghanistan, but definitely we can change what is going to happen. And by that, we have to give virtue to the strength that women still holds, the resilience that women still holds to help and support that. Thank you. Thank you for reminding us to consider the special needs of women and girls during crisis, such as the one that's happening now because of the earthquake, but overall, the humanitarian crisis, the needs, concerns, and contribution of women cannot be ignored. Mujgaon, let me turn to you. As a young child in the 90s, the first time that Halloween took control of the country, you said that you were forced to wear voice clothes. What should the US government and donor community know about the experience that you went through and millions of other young girls went through and are going to know what would be your advice in the US government? Thank you. Right now, I am safe, and I am in the US. I've been spending three months in military base at Qatar, Germany, and the US. Now I have a roof over my head, my family's ear, and I do not have to fear for my family, but the miseries of Afghans inside Afghanistan are haunting me. I feel guilty that I have left them behind. I feel guilty that I could not do anything, save them, to advocate for girls' schools, to respond to protests and stand with them. That is what is keeping me night after night my message to generous American people and authorities. Afghan women are represent in their homes deprived of basic human rights, such as education, ability to work, to live, and dignified life. For 10 months, the proof women have protest opening that someone in the world, the UN, the powerful countries of the world, but here, dear cries for help and whole Taliban accountable for the crimes they have and continue to come against Afghanistan. I remember 2001 when the US removed the Taliban from power and promised the Afghan pupil branch from tyranny and democracy. The Taliban in power today are more brutal and called the Taliban that ruled Afghanistan for 1,996, 2001. Where is the world? I thank you for the opportunity. Thank you. Thank you, Mujkan. You reminded us that you're safe, but you feel guilty for being unable to do something for the girls and women in Afghanistan. And your message to the international community in the US is to hear the cries of Afghan girls and women for help and also to take Taliban accountable for their actions. Thank you. Lema, today of all days is very emotional for you. And I want to acknowledge your mom who is in the audience, Ms. Halima. Thank you for being here with us. Two years ago today, you lost your sister. That pain has stayed with you. And I read a letter that you wrote to your sister, Natasha, last night. I understand it must be very difficult for you and your family and your maid to be here. And I want to thank you for making time to be with us. What is the perspective for national reconciliation from your perspective, from the perspective of someone who has lost a loved one that is also hopeful for a better future for millions of other Afghans? Yeah. Palwasa Jan before said we are hopeful. I think we don't have any choice but to be hopeful. But hope will not only work until it's not instrumentalized. We have to work for that. And coming back to your question, I think peace, transitional justice, or any kind of process in Afghans society are neat and equal sides on whatever warring sides are. What is happening right now, Taliban for the last 20 years were killing ordinary Afghans, including my sister. And transition would have been possible if they were still the terrorist group Taliban. But now they have become a state. The world that we are living in, state come first and the people. How can people negotiate with the state? Because the punishing power, the law enforcement is the state. So if even I go there and even today I shout out for my sister rights, what happened to her or thousands like her, who is the body that will punish or who is the body that will make a platform where we will negotiate? It would have been possible if Taliban would have remained Taliban. And the Afghan society, whoever have lost the people, they would have sit with them and negotiation or transitional justice or any kind of process that would have been taken. Now it is impossible. And it is not even impossible within Afghanistan, but international reform. Are we ready to do criminal justice? What war crimes happened in Afghanistan for the last 20 years? Is US ready, is NATO ready to face all these consequences? So if the world platform are not ready to talk about these issues, how are Taliban going to sit and talk to Lima about their sister, about her sister, or many like hers? So for me, how we start with the process, the framework is not correct here. And coming back to Afghan society, I believe in Afghanistan our issue is not only with the Taliban. I think our society needed time. And I think we started, and we began doing that. I remember in late 2020, I attended a conference of youth in Afghanistan. I was shocked that there were youth from Afghanistan from Bamiyan that they had never been to Kandahar or Hillman that were their lifetime. And once they were there, they were just shocked that it's a human place. Similarly, young people from Helmand were never been to Mazar or Herat before. So these are something that we would have done it if we would allow time, more time, that we have to heal the societal level, that we have so many cravings that we have to work on. I was really hurt, and I'm still hurting, just to see after August how the ethnic issues are gone, even worse in Afghanistan. I was shocked to my guts that I saw some of our other ethnicities were saying, like in host and Paktika, most people that are dead, they were going to be Taliban or some kind of radicals. So for me, it was like now we don't see each other as a human being. So here, neither US or other countries were involved. We need healing from inside. And talking to the Taliban would be possible if there is a third kind of governing kind of source where we'll sit in between, and then the transition or the transition, this will happen between the people and them. Otherwise, I think hoping that they will come to the table with the normal public is, I think, optimistic. Yeah, a long shot. Thank you. You said the perpetrator is the state now, and the state is the perpetrator and the violator of human rights. You called for transitional justice and for healing at individual level, as well as societal level. And you reminded us again about the ethnic tension in Afghanistan, the hate speech that you just referred to is very troubling that we all see on social media these days. And I think the bottom line is that there is need for peace process. The peace process that failed last year needs to restart because that will lay the foundation and the framework for the healing that Afghans need at individual and societal level. We are at the time now, so I'm going to save one other question that I had for later. Let me see. We have a question online, and that's from Jeremy saying, can the panel speak about changes to access to health care, especially for women and children after August of last year? Any of you can, if you want to say something? Speak about the recent incident of the earthquake, and I heard public interviewed, and they were calling for female doctors, that there are no doctors for women. And that seems like the emergency teams are mostly male doctors, and perhaps they are not allowed to see the women, and that's how they are asking for female doctors. Well, in the earthquake, the majority of the victim were children and women. So that shows how the policy can have very harsh implication on the real situation that people are facing. On the other hand, you see many of women and men, including doctors and others, who left the country. And already in Afghanistan, we didn't have enough of medical support. So that is taking the situation drastically in a fashion to respond to the needs, whether it's humanitarian and general health situation. There has been a good progress. I think one of the things we can say of the last two decades of international engagement, for instance, maternal mortality rate has decreased a huge level. But that system is all disturbed now. If you have your male family members coming and sitting instead of women who have been efficiently working in this, I don't think you can expect anything. So as much as I know, we are in a dire situation. Maybe Lima, John, want to add? Just a little bit to add on the last point you said. Thank you. A lot of medical professionals have left. And also not to forget, Afghanistan has been now locked towards the world. Like there is no visas. Annually, Afghans were going to India and Pakistan more than 30,000 just for health care. But now, they are not allowed to go anywhere. So a lot of resources have been drowned from the country. And a lot of medical resources, like the private, they have collapsed because the banking system doesn't work. And they don't know how to operate their system. At least I know two of the professionals that they have closed their private hospital in Kabul only. So of course, the situation is not as before. The fact that there are no female doctors, or very few female doctors in the earthquake strike provinces, that's a cause for huge concern. I hope that's also a wake-up call to the Taliban that in a society, there is a need for women to be involved and active in all sectors in the society, including health. If they don't let girls go to school, how are they going to become doctors? And how are they going to treat women and girls and others in a situation that, for now, Paktika and host are faced with? I really hope it's a wake-up call for them. And Palawasha, you are right. The health system, even prior to Taliban taking control, was a weak system. We also have Mike here. Alex, yeah, thank you so much. Let's take one question from the audience, and then we'll go back to online. Please introduce yourselves. Hi, my name is Halima. I'm a public health researcher by training, so my question. And I have a question that has two parts. So first of all, thank you so much for sharing your experiences and really admire your bravery and your courage. My question, number one, is can you give your perspectives on the importance of not just lived experience as Afghan women, but also all the technical expertise that you bring in and how the US and the international community, how can they engage experts and people like you more in thinking about providing resources and helping Afghan women moving forward, hopefully? And then, sorry, I'll just quickly ask my second question. Now that Afghan refugees are here in the US, what do you see what could individuals and communities do to really welcome them better here? You talked about them not knowing, most of them not knowing their statuses. So if you could speak to that as well, thank you so much. Thank you. Any of you? I would just start with your first question about the expertise. I always have a problem with the term Afghan women. Because for the last 20 years, I think that term has put us in a box where we are neither complete human beings or equal women with women around the world. Because that box has some kind of characteristics with it, like women, victim hoods, violence, and stuff. So usually, wherever a platform comes, all of us are expected to be women experts. That's one thing in common. What we envision for our countries or for our carriers, that comes second. So usually, we don't get a chance to speak as a subject area expert, but as a woman expert. So that is where I personally feel that we are usually remembered at platforms here where there is something about Afghan women. But Afghan women, I think I remember from the start of 2020, I was not in any platform where Afghan women were not predicting everything that happened, that they knew they wanted to express what is going to happen, what are the political solutions. They were saying everything, but everybody was just interested to see what's going to happen to Afghan women next. They have been telling you what's going to happen, but they have been telling you what's going to happen to the economy, what's going to happen to the education system, and everything. So I think what the international community can do is break that box for Afghan women and consider them Afghans. They consider them the population of the country where they have a say about their country to how the future should be, how it should be led. Because our lives are affected as Afghans, not as Afghan women only. We have families that are affected by them. Our future are affected by them. So yeah, I would just say that we need to be looked at as a subject expert rather than just woman experts. Palashallah, Mishka. I want to speak regarding Afghanistan Adjustment Act. That was an important document or maybe legal bill that could have changed the situation of thousands of Afghan who recently came to US. We are kind of like living in a limbo here, legally. We have a parole visa. Our SIV status are unknown for some who has it. It is stuck somewhere. We don't know what's going on with that. For many others who are not in SIV, they came through a humanitarian parole. They need also a status to consider this country. And I think they can contribute a lot. They work under one of the most difficult circumstances in Afghanistan. I think they can contribute to any other society where they are embraced with open arms. We know that American society, our neighbors, so many people has welcomed us. But we want the same thing from the authorities or from the Congress, maybe Senate, to support the bill for the status that Afghan deserve. We worked alongside with you for years inside Afghanistan. As Lima John said, there is a lot of expertise in these countries. In this country, these refugees are bringing in. And it is not confined. This experience cannot be confined only to the situation of Afghanistan. I think simply looking to the emergency evacuation, many Afghans was able or capable to handle it in much easier and different way where the loss of money, resources, and also the human misery which happened would have been half of what happened. So their capacity how to deal with the emergency helped them to be part of this society so that they can contribute for anything no less than any other Americans in this country or maybe no less than any other human being or maybe refugees from other country like Ukraine and others who are bringing also coming from a very harsh and difficult experience. But I think nobody has the experience of 40 years of conflict, extremism, and poverty, so many other difficulties under which we have survived, we have built our skills, and we try to move forward in our life. And we can contribute to this society as we did in our own society in Afghanistan. Thank you. We're going to take one more question. Thank you, Paul. Thank you. My name is Gays Yaryas. Good to see you, Parvasha, John, and everybody. It's good to see you, too, Belkhys John. I lived in the United States for eight and a half years, and I returned back to Afghanistan, and I became a refugee again because I was evacuated. I traveled to Poland, to France. I traveled to Florida, to Sacramento, to Canada, to Kansas. I collected more than 200 stories of Afghans who were evacuated from Afghanistan. I think I do have an issue with this that people are saying that we shouldn't talk about what we went through. I think that's the problem when it starts. I talk to the young generation. I talk to a soldier. I talk to, I have a variety of stories, and I think I'm full of stories. And there are so much to share, and there is nothing wrong with it. In the United States, we are lacking in terms of providing support to the mental health issues and what Afghan women are going through in these communities. I talk to the IRC. I talk to Lutheran. And we are not giving enough services for people to heal and take a step back. Because we are pushing Afghans in the United States to go to work three months right after they arrived in the United States. And that is not an integration process, a refugee integration process in other countries such as the United States. So my question is, from those people who are Afghanistan, we are from Afghanistan, what should be a mechanism, Lima John, from your point of view, to connect the Afghan diasporas to know their issues and then go advocate for some sort of solutions? Because right now, we are giving them food stamps. We are giving them some, I don't know, send their children to school. But we don't support them in what they went through. For instance, there is a huge masculinity crisis in Afghan men right now. That masculinity crisis, what happens if their wives will just go work and have some sort of income and then that masculinity crisis will create violence within the families, right? What should we do about, this is like a slow change that we are expecting, and what should we do? How should we ask Afghans, how should we connect these diasporas together to know their issues and then come to the authorities and ask them for help for at least, I don't know, for the next two years or three years or until they integrated the society. Thanks. Thank you so much. Very important question or questions. And also, thank you for sharing your observation from meeting with Afghan refugees. The issue of mental health requires an event of its own. It's such an important issue. Psychosocial counseling is much needed for better and proper integration of Afghans in American society. And the masculinity crisis, it's not an Afghan issue. It's an issue that many of us have observed and seen, which requires specific attention, especially for those Afghans who have come here. And they bring with them the baggage from Afghanistan, and that is men's superiority over women and the fact that they believe that women must always be controlled and guided by men. We are out of time, but if you can just take one minute and tell us your response to those very important questions. I think you and I, we have to talk in person, too. But I think what I would say that with Afghanistan, as Palawesha John said, a lot of local organization, head of organization, have came here. And there are still, like, an Afghan community diaspora that they have an organization. I believe they should be given the leadership of how the integration process should happen. Lutron means well, but they have been doing it while it's on the paper. That doesn't work with Afghan society. So my recommendation will be to give a lead to the local organization, like Afghan-led local organizations. Thank you. Murugan, then do you want to say something? Feel free to speak in English if you want. I think we have a lot of people here who have not come here. And for some of the problems that I even mentioned, they don't know about the system. They are going to be very busy everywhere. And there are a lot of other problems. And I would like to add one more thing, because I myself have a very strong experience of the Taliban's rule. When the Taliban came here, I was a man before the regime, and it was very difficult for me. And the people who are here today, I myself would like to be one of those people who are for all the girls. I am more of a friend to the girls who are in Afghanistan. And I understand that they don't have the ability to work, they don't have the ability to work. And not only women, but also people. People can't work. The situation is very... I mean, the situation is very bad there. We can look at it from both sides, because the Afghans who came here can come here, people who have come here before, they work a lot, because every time they come here, they come with a spirit. They have spent a lot of hard time. And because the people who are there, they have more attention for the Afghans who have come to Afghanistan. Thank you. I am so grateful to be here. Even navigating a transportation system is a challenge here. And just getting a few months of support from the settlement agencies, not integration as our friends said. And she has also talked about how difficult it was in Afghanistan when she was with the first era of Taliban. So she feels what is still happening there. And the Afghans that are there, they should still be constantly thinking about them finding ways how we can support them. And also support us, each other here. The ones that are more used to the system here, we should be supporting each other. Thank you. Thank you so much. The last word is like consult Afghan women on their situation here. They know what they are facing and they can share how they could be held. But also consult them for thousands of other women, millions of other women who are inside Afghanistan. How they could be held. There is a lot of knowledge that needs to be shifted or transferred through these programs or any sort of engagement. Whether it's political or developmental or humanitarian, I think the engagement of Afghan diaspora is very much important. Or maybe recently we have a lot of young people the most. Thank you. Thank you so much. You have given us a lot to think about. I hope that our USG colleagues who are listening or have joined us online can also note some of the very important recommendations and I hope that what you said talked to us, to women and not only about us. With that I would like to conclude our event today and would like to thank our panel for the very informative discussion. Thank you so much for sharing your stories and also your wisdom about including women, recognizing their agency and making them in decisions not only as beneficiaries. For those of you here in person and also distinguished panelists please to the imagine exhibition that's downstairs it's not only about Afghanistan about other conflict countries who have come out of conflict. Thank you so much for joining us in person and online time as well because you have given us a lot to think. Thank you so much.