Nancy Hatch Dupree and the ACKU staff visit the provincial council in Parwin Province to speak with local officials about the pilot ACKU library to have a library.
Afghanistan Centre at Kabul University: Parwan Provincial Council Gets a Library
Afghanistan Centre at Kabul University: Democracy
Nancy Hatch Dupree visits the Afghanistan Election Commission and brings representatives ABLE-published books on democracy.
Afghan Chronicles: Day One & Two, Newark to Kabul
After an uneventful 14-hour flight, leaving Newark Thursday night around 11 p.m., I arrive at the New Delhi Airport on Friday around 8 p.m.
When I pass the throngs of people waiting for their loved ones, I am so excited to finally arrive in India, I smile at everyone and say, “Hi India!” Some laugh, probably thinking “great, another American dork.” I meet my driver Akosh, and my buzz kill is quickly extinguished. After a perfunctory welcome, he immediately tells me how his knees hurt because he has been standing for so many hours waiting for my plane. He talks about how he is supporting his entire family, parents, in-laws on a few rupees a month. We are still five minutes from the car.
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Afghan Chronicles: Day Three, Wrong Car?
It’s freezing. I can’t believe I didn’t bring a coat. I thought it was going to be hot, especially lugging 60 pounds of camera gear. I buy a black patu or shawl. It works wonders. I am having my first night out in Kabul. Continue reading “Afghan Chronicles: Day Three, Wrong Car?”
Afghan Chronicles: Day Four, Navigating a War Zone
2:30 a.m. I am jolted awake with a muscle spasm in my calve. I am off my exercise routine of daily running and weight lifting. Like a packed mule, I lug over 60 pounds of camera equipment, but the exercise is not the same. I move between cramped car to a shoot, scrambling to capture the story, and then settle back into a cramped car for an hour and then pounce again.
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Afghan Chronicles: Day Six, Charikar
We drive to Charikar today in Parwan Province. It’s about a 90-minute drive outside Kabul. I promised my family I would never leave Kabul, oops. Continue reading “Afghan Chronicles: Day Six, Charikar”
Afghan Chronicles: Day Seven, The Palace
I am told to empty the contents of my camera bags on the ground for the German Shepard to sniff. Leila, Nazir and I are ushered to another room. We are searched and walk through a metal detector. They tell us to go outside where the dog sniffs us for explosives.
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Afghan Chronicles: Day Nine, Delhi in Less Than 10 Hours
I’m on the plane, heading to Dehli. N’Shallah.
At the airport, within 10 yards of each other, I pass three checkpoints where I am told to open my luggage.
One police officer would not let me advance to the ticket counter until I showed him “my International I.D.” International I.D.?! I never heard of one. He said everyone had one and I needed to call someone at ACKU to bring me one. If I didn’t produce one I couldn’t leave the country. Continue reading “Afghan Chronicles: Day Nine, Delhi in Less Than 10 Hours”
Hackathon: TechCrunch Disrupt
Over 300 hackers vie for the chance to pitch their great idea in front of 1000 VC/tech industry insiders. Add to the mix a 20-hour time limit and you get a recipe for creative madness.
TechCrunch Disrupt: Hackathon Day 2
More than 40 groups of hackers spent 20 hours working their tails off to come up with next “big” idea. Each of the groups were given 90 seconds to pitch before a panel of industry experts. Three winners were chosen: Toronto-based Twitter Demographics, Future Mario and Worst Phone Ever. Continue reading “TechCrunch Disrupt: Hackathon Day 2”