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Afghanistan: The Women Speak Up via AWWP

The images we mainly get is of subjugated women in Afghanistan. The Taliban would certainly want it that way again.

Now, read about AWWP:

"The Afghan Women’s Writing Project began as an idea during novelist Masha Hamilton’s last trip to Afghanistan in November 2008. Her interest in Afghanistan was sparked in the late 1990s during the Taliban period, when she understood it was one of the worst places in the world to be a woman. Masha first visited the country in 2004, and was awed and inspired by the resolute courage of the women she met. When she returned, she saw doors were closing and life was again becoming more difficult, especially for women. She began to fear we could lose access to the voices of Afghan women if we didn’t act soon.

The Afghan Women’s Writing Project is aimed at allowing Afghan women to have a direct voice in the world, not filtered through male relatives or members of the media. Many of these Afghan women have to make extreme efforts to gain computer access in order to submit their writings, in English, to the project."

Go here to read AWWP's letter to President Obama. Well worth reading......

An extract:

"What we really want is to make our people educated. Give them the chance to get a higher education and come back to serve their people. That is what would help the Afghan people: instead of sending an army to kill, send teachers. Show my people how to work together.

My wish, President Obama, is to make Afghanistan independent and the people hard-working and able to walk on the road without fear. To be able to delete the word of “poorest” when describing my country. So send your people, if you must. But send them to inspire, and to teach in peace."

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