Hamed Wardak on Building a Successful Afghanistan

Although we don’t necessarily hear about it all that often, Afghanistan sometimes has some great  news.  This has definitely been the case in recent times in the country’s Panjshir Province.  This province is a part of Afghanistan in which those working in the Provincial Reconstruction Team are able to move around without any restrictions.  So despite what might be going on in other parts of Afghanistan, Panjshir can give the whole region immense optimism.  This would make someone like Hamed Wardak, an activist seeking to improve the future for the citizens of Afghanistan, very happy.

Panjshir and Hamed Wardak

Panjshir is actually the newest of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces and if this is what the future of Afghanistan looks like, then it certainly will make its populace happy.  Indeed, a province like Panjshir is probably exactly what Afghan non-violence idealists dream the country will look like.  Someone like Wardak who is one of the founding members of the Campaign for a US-Afghanistan partnership would welcome such a province which also boasts stable governance.  This organization seeks to achieve “sustainable security and prosperity” for the country.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Discusses US-Afghan Relations

Although there have been some tensions, as of late, between President Obama and President Karzai of Afghanistan, they will be continuing talks today, Wednesday May 12^th.  Watch this video, where Secretary of State Hillary Clinton discusses America’s pledge to continue supporting Afghanistan and the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai.  Certainly, this news comes as a relief to those who are committed to Afghan-American relations such as Hamed Wardak and many others.

Creative Fundraising with Hike to Help Refugees

There are certainly many creative ways to raise funds for refugees from Afghanistan and other war-torn countries.  A number of years ago, one creative woman, Margaret Hahn, came up with the idea of having a hike to help refugees.  In conjunction with her Omaha, Nebraska Yoga School, they started a hike to support refugees and to contribute to the UN Refugee Agency.

Hike to Help Refugees, started in May of 2003, has used its funds to purchase all-season tents for Afghan and Darfur refugees, among other causes.  Since 2003, they have raised over $65,000 to support refugees, with more than 300 hikers participating in their programs.

This is one example of the many ways to help the UN Refugee Agency, where people such as Hamed Wardak focus their time and energy to help those in need.