Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Bond Street Theatre - Beyond The Mirror


I usually don't promote anything, but I was lucky to meet these brave artist when I was in Afghanistan. If you'd like to help them with their cause, please contact: Joanna Sherman or Anna Zastrow at: 212-254-4614 or anna@bondst.org


Six Afghan theatre troupes, including three all female groups, brought news about voting rights to villages in six provinces in Afghanistan over the last nine months to promote the April 5th elections. Performing for thousands of citizens in a wide range of locations, even in homes, the groups presented entertaining plays that demonstrated the value of every vote.

Many citizens were unaware of voting rights and procedures, especially in rural areas and among young voters and women. The plays provided information about who has the right to vote, how to register, signs of fraud and where to report it, in an engaging format.

Since women are limited in their ability to travel, the three all female troupes played in centers for women, girls's schools, shuras, shelters and women's prisons. They even gathered neighborhood women in private homes to present their play. Women stand to gain or lose the most with the new leadership.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Afghanistan 2014 Will we pull out?

White House Press Briefing

25 February 2014
Following are excerpts of the White House press briefing related to U.S. foreign policy and international engagement. The full transcript of the press briefing is available on the White House website.
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
Washington, D.C.
February 25, 2014
PRESS BRIEFING
BY PRESS SECRETARY JAY CARNEY
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room 
1:11 P.M. EST

Q And I just want to get back to the President’s call to President Karzai. It is a fact that if this bilateral security agreement is not signed that there will be no troops?
MR. CARNEY: Yes, correct.
Q By December 31st, they’ll all be gone?
MR. CARNEY: Absolutely.
Q No wavering on that?
MR. CARNEY: Absent a BSA, there will not be any U.S. troops on the ground beyond the end of the year.


Read more: http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/texttrans/2014/02/20140226294117.html?CP.rss=true#ixzz2uTLD9iXL


However...it appears that there is no deadline for Karzai to sign the BSA.