THE AFGHANISTAN SOCIETY |
Image: Mother and child on roof Topdara Parwan (Farhad Soroush, 2017) |
The Afghanistan Society was set up in 2019 by like-minded British and Afghan individuals with long experience of living and working in the country. We want to demonstrate our pride in its culture and people by providing opportunities to share the wonderful music, craftsmanship, film, and histories - among much else - from ancient times to the present day.
The Afghanistan Society is the formal working name of the Afghan Refugee Information Network (ARIN), a charity registered in England and Wales no 327194.
The Afghanistan Society is a non-political, non-partisan charity which aims to celebrate and enjoy the richness of Afghan life and culture. The Society organises a variety of in-person and online events, from lectures and music to films and food in London and has a lively library of online cultural resources and podcasts. |
Mission Statement
The Afghanistan Society is an independent, a-political and nonpartisan group, open to all, which aims to showcase the richness of Afghan life and culture. It aims to raise awareness and promote dialogue by arranging and supporting events in the UK that bring together those with an interest in or experience of ongoing development and cultural matters in the country.
It is coordinated by a voluntary Steering Group who are also the Trustees of the Charity:
Elizabeth Winter, Chair Elizabeth, a social scientist and researcher, has been involved with Afghanistan since travelling there in the late '70s and with aid programmes since the early '80s. She has set up and run a number of NGOs and coordinating bodies in the UK, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan and travels to Afghanistan regularly. She specialises in civil society development. | Shirazuddin Siddiqi Shiraz is an independent consultant with experience in devising and managing developmental and informative programmes for radio and television. In 1994, he fled the civil war in Kabul to join BBC AEP in Peshawar. He was BBC Media Action’s Country Director for Afghanistan until June 2017. He has contributed to the news journalism of BBC News online and the Afghan Service of the BBC World Service. He retains a keen interest in the media, both in Afghanistan and internationally, with a particular focus on the development of sustainable strategies for socially-oriented media projects. |
Mark Bowden Mark is a retired UN Assistant Secretary General. He developed his strong interest and affection for Afghanistan from his time spent as the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator (2012 -2017). In his UN role, he was able to travel across much of the country, engage with civil society and support humanitarian, development and cultural activities. Mark remains deeply engaged in Humanitarian and development issues as a Senior Research Associate with the Overseas Development Institute and as a Senior Adviser to the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue. | Leslie Knott Leslie is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and photographer working in Afghanistan since 2004. For two years she lived in rural Faryab province, setting up a women-managed radio station. She spent many years following the Afghan cricket team on their extraordinary journey from refugee camp to the World Cup for her multiple award-winning BBC Storyville film, Out of the Ashes. She has made films about Afghan women in prison, the hunt for Mullah Omar, and the closure of Camp Bastion. In 2010, Leslie set up the Afghan Film Project which trained Afghan filmmakers. Their first film, Buzkashi Boys, was nominated for an Academy Award. Leslie’s films can be seen on Netflix, BBC, ABC, Channel 4, PBS and CNN. |
Kudsia Kaker Kudsia is president of the Afghan Professional Network, a social enterprise committed to connecting and supporting the Afghan diaspora. She is also the director of an international corporate events company, Qatalyst Global, where she predominantly works within the cyber security and digital innovation space. She works closely with all departments to ensure efficiency, compliance and strategic structure of the day to day activities, ensuring they are aligned with the company’s vision and mission. Her background in sales coupled with her interest in research has led her to develop a successful B2B community platform that drives content that is both original and commercially appealing. Marissa Quie Marissa is a Fellow at Lucy Cavendish, and College Lecturer in Politics at Magdalene College Cambridge. She is an Affiliated Lecturer in the Department of Sociology. Marissa is Convenor of the Afghanistan Desk at the Centre for the Study of Global Human Movement where she leads projects on education and women’s empowerment, conflict resolution, inclusive governance and rethinking approaches to migration. She has worked as a consultant to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and as an advisor to the Government of Afghanistan. Her current research engages with critical security studies and the motifs of participation and protection that characterise debates about women, youth and marginalised groups in Afghanistan, and in the migration pathway. | Mirwais Wardak Mirwais is the founder of the Peace Training and Research Organization (PTRO) based in Kabul. He has 20 years experience managing peace building, community development, human rights, advocacy and peace education programmes across Afghanistan. Robert Arguile, Treasurer Robert's interest in Afghanistan started over 30 years ago when he met his now wife. He retired after a career in multinational organisation where he worked on global project implementation. He is a trustee of two charities. Jolyon Leslie, Cultural Adviser An architect by training, Jolyon Leslie has managed a range of development and cultural programmes for NGOs and the UN in the Middle East and central Asia. He has lived and worked in Afghanistan for the past three decades, and currently advises the Afghan Cultural Heritage Consulting Organisation (ACHCO) on conservation and cultural issues, while researching the history of Kabul. Heidi Wagner, Secretary |