bruce green's afghan trip
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A timeline of Bruce Green's Afghan TripTRANSCRIPT
My Trip to AfghanistanBruce GreenMarch 25 - April 7, 2011
Steps to Afghanistan Trip
Step 1: In 2010 PRT (Provisional Reconstruction Team) official Stetson Sandersassigned to Ghazni Province realizes that Ghazni has a sister city relationship withHayward, CA. He contacts the sister city committee in Hayward and begins brainstormingabout an exchange program.Step 2: I’m elected as the chairman of the Ghazni-Hayward Sister City Committee inJanuary 2011.Step 3: Stetson successfully obtains a grant from the US Embassy in Kabul to implementan exchange program between the sister cities. The grant includes a parallel agenda forthe preservation of archeological sites in Ghazni and Dr. Brian Rose, an archeologist fromthe University of Pennsylvania is included along with the Sister City delegation of four.Step 4: The Asia Foundation is selected to oversee the two-phase project. The firstphase is the trip to Ghazni from March 26 to April 2, the second is the visit of 10 Afghandelegates to Washington DC and Hayward in June, 2011.Following is a pictorial account of my participationin the first phase of this project, the trip to Ghazni.
Starting in Kabul, visiting the National MuseumBefore and after our trip to Ghazni we spent a few days in Kabul, visiting sites likethe National Museum and Babur’s Gardens. Here is the Ghazni-Hayward SisterCity delegation with some of our hosts. From Left to Right: Dr. Mo Qayoumi,University President in transition from Cal State University East Bay to San JoseState University; Humaira Ghilzai, co-founder of the Ghazni-Hayward sister CityCommittee (GHSCC); assistant director of the museum; Dr. Brian Rose, Universityof Pennsylvania and past president of the American Archeological Association;Carol Ruth Silver, co-founder of the GHSCC; Kim Hunter of the Asia Foundation;DA Brown of the US Embassy, Kabul; and Bruce Green, chairman of the GHSCC.
Stetson SandersProvincial Reconstruction Team
We were literally giventhe red carpet treatmentin our reception to theGovernor’s compound.
The Honor stroll, next to Governor Musa Khan.Don’t even think about a caption contest.
We found out the crowd assembled was not for us (it was to honor the youthprograms of Ghazni--note the athletes in the back). But our hosts graciouslyushered us to the platform and even asked us to help distribute the awards.
Dr. Mo Qayoumi was aninstant media magnet.
Co-founders of the Ghazni-Hayward Sister City, Carol RuthSilver (left) and Humaira Ghilzai,take part in the ribbon cuttingceremony to open a newclassroom in the Department ofWomen’s Affairs.
Co-founders of the Ghazni-Hayward Sister City, Carol RuthSilver (left) and Humaira Ghilzai,take part in the ribbon cuttingceremony to open a newclassroom in the Department ofWomen’s Affairs.
The Director of the Department ofWomen’s Affairs, Ghazni.
Co-founders of the Ghazni-Hayward Sister City, Carol RuthSilver (left) and Humaira Ghilzai,take part in the ribbon cuttingceremony to open a newclassroom in the Department ofWomen’s Affairs.
The Director of the Department ofWomen’s Affairs, Ghazni.
Presenting our gifts to the Governor, Mayor, and Senator(Right to Left)
Our gifts were framed posters fromthe “Treasures of Afghanistan”exhibit hosted in 2009 at the AsianArt Museum in San Francisco.
The artwork displayed isnamed “The Dragon Master”so when presenting the giftsI commented that this 2000-year-old-artwork tells thestory of Afghanistan: thepeople always master thedragons surrounding them.The dragons change, butAfghanistan remains.I think they really liked mycomments.
Below the “Dragon Master” artwork we added this “Friendship Cities”message in Dari and English with the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and the
Hayward City Hall Rotunda.
Special thanks to Val Cooley, of Centerville Presbyterian Church for creating this montage.
“The Chairman,” as I wasknown, was always seatedin the chair of honor, here atthe right hand of GovernorMusa Khan, and next to aretired senator. I did notseek these places of honor;I was just playing a role andpraying I wouldn’t mess up.
Honor upon Honor: Here Mayor Basir bestows on the three men the “chapan” cloak of honor.
Visiting Archeological Sitesrequired extra security, wearingprotective gear and traveling inarmored vehicles. But it wasworth it.
Photo by U.S.Air ForceSenior AirmanCourtney Witt,Ghazni PRT.
Visiting Abdul Razzaq’s mausoleum in Ghazni,March 29, 2011, which is being restored as a
Museum.
Photo by U.S.Air ForceSenior AirmanCourtney Witt,Ghazni PRT.
Ambassador Karl Eikenberry and wife Ching EikenberryFor our wrap up in Afghanistan they hosted both delegations of this exchangeprogram with a wonderful banquet. Mrs. Eikenberry uses her Embassy officeas a gift shop to benefit Afghan widows that create the items she sells.
Hayward Sister City Committee Delegation (circled, Left to Right) Carol Ruth Silver,Humaira Ghilzai, Dr. Mo Qayoumi, Chairman Bruce Green.
Also shown in center box, is Dr. Brian Rose, University of Pennsylvania, and past president, AmericanAssociation of Archeologists. Dr. Rose accompanied us on the entire visit and also gave lectures and talksalong the way. He is a strong advocate of preserving Afghanistan’s archeological heritage.
Ghazni Delegation (L to R) Shah Gul Rezaie, Member of Parliament from Ghazni Province; FatimaMoshtaq, Director, Afghan Training Service Organization: Musa Khan Ahmadzai, Governor, Ghazni Province;Abdul Basir Noory, Mayor, Ghazni City; Omar Sultan, Deputy Minister of Information and Culture; HamidullahSarwary, Director, Ghazni Department of Information and CultureAlso coming to USA is PRT official Stetson Sanders (in back) and three Ghazni-based journalists (in box).