I am pleased to introduce Speak Afghan, a platform dedicated to the preservation and teaching of Afghan languages, including Pashto, Dari and more. Our mission is to support the Afghan diaspora and anyone interested in learning these languages by providing accessible, culturally authentic resources.

What Speak Afghan Provides:

• Crowdsourced Contributions: Community members can submit words, phrases, and meanings, helping us build a comprehensive, culturally relevant resource.
• Dialect-Specific Content: Afghan languages feature diverse regional dialects, and our platform is structured to document these variations, ensuring inclusivity and cultural accuracy.
• Verified Entries: Every contribution is reviewed by native speakers to maintain authenticity and quality.
• Interactive Language Courses: Our evolving dictionary will form the foundation for language courses, quizzes, and learning modules tailored to various proficiency levels and dialects.

How to Get Involved: If you are interested in contributing, we invite you to complete the contributor form on our website (speakafghan.com). Once our contribution system is launched, you will be among the first to receive an invitation to participate. We especially welcome native speakers and those knowledgeable in regional dialects to help us build an inclusive, accurate resource.

Join Our Community: We also invite you to join our Discord community, where you can engage in discussions, provide feedback, and connect with others who are passionate about Afghan languages and cultural preservation.

Thank you for your interest in supporting this important mission. Together, we can ensure that Afghan languages and cultural knowledge are preserved and shared with future generations.

Warm regards,
The SpeakAfghan Team

Wilson Center Fellow Gaisu Yari reflects on the outcomes of the All Women Summit in Albania, examines the various avenues being utilized to hold the Taliban accountable for their violation of women’s human rights, and recommends pathways forward for the global movement to uphold women’s rights in Afghanistan and for UN member states.

https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/what-next-women-afghanistan

Situation of human rights in Afghanistan.

report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett.

The present report, submitted by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, builds on his previous reports, with a focus on developments from January through August 2024.

Excerpts:

Afghans, in particular women, who meet with the Special Rapporteur consistently emphasize that the term “gender apartheid” most accurately describes the totality of the distinct and transgenerational harms committed against them. The Special Rapporteur also considers that the term encapsulates the institutionalized and ideological nature of the Taliban’s abuses. He believes that the situation in Afghanistan should propel discussion on the codification of gender apartheid, defined in a gender-inclusive way, as a crime against humanity.

The Special Rapporteur is extremely disturbed by multiple reports of sexual violence against women in detention. He has documented sexual violence committed against women during the Taliban crackdown in January 2024 on women wearing “inappropriate” or “incorrect” hijabs. Survivors described being taken to police stations where they were beaten and verbally abused and, in some cases, sexually assaulted. One survivor recalled: “They beat me as they asked questions, hitting my head on the wall …. One of them tore my hijab and then touched my private parts.”

Information from other credible sources further indicates that women were raped or sexually assaulted during the crackdown. Some former detainees told the Special Rapporteur that, although they were not subjected to sexual violence in detention, they still suffered stigma and ostracization within their families and communities, who did not believe that they had not been assaulted.

Full report:

https://undocs.org/Home/Mobile?FinalSymbol=A%2F79%2F330&Language=E&DeviceType=Desktop&LangRequested=False

Hi!

I am a native speaker of English who now resides in Norway, with a degree in English literature and linguistics from one of the major universities here, as well as some previous ESL (English as a second language) teaching experience. I also have some further education in psychology and history.

I am looking to do some volunteer tutoring and/or teaching for Afghan girls and women, but I do not speak any of the languages of Afghanistan, so there would have to be some basic English skills present. I would prefer helping folks in-country, but am open to other options.

Does anyone have recommendations for reputable charities involved in such work? I have found several charities of interest in my online search, but I would like any input anyone here might have to make sure I am a part of something that is actually helping women.

I realize this can come with risks for some, so please DM me if you do not feel comfortable posting publicly.

Hello my siblings,

Persian here helping an Afghani refugee in Austin find work. She had to flee when the Taliban made it so could live, work, or be free. SMFH...

I need someone to help me translate so I can get enough info from her so I can create a resume, cover letter, and letter of recommendation from me. My Farsi is ok, but I just couldn't get through the differences and I want to make sure what's on her resume is accurate.

We can do it all virtual.

I'm a first time/new host in G13. About a month ago I received a request on airbnb from someone who was booking on behalf of an Afghan family from the U.S. it was for 34 days. All good. after they confirmed their booking, I asked them to inform the family to not anyone they were coming from Afghanistan, because I was worried there were still issues like last year and it might affect their stay. They agreed. 2 days back before check-in, I reminded them again, and told them to inform anyone that asks they are visiting from the U.S - again purely because I was worried for them. They took that to mean something else though and cancelled the booking without asking me anything. They said it wasn't like that at all at the previous places they rented an AirBnB at. I was aware the situation is much better now, but I still wanted to exercise caution. Still, somehow now I'm at fault for scaring them off. I'm still scheduled to recieve the payment for the booking from airbnb as they weren't refunded. Should I refund in this case, and what percentage? having some guilt because I really don't want to be an a-hole to anyone but this could've been resolved by discussion and they never bothered.

I’m not sure if this is the correct sub-reddit to ask this, but I’ve just read a biography on Ahmad Shah Massoud. The book contains several diary entries of his, which always start with ‘He is God’, what does this mean?

Shooting my shot. I attended a Turkish/Kurdish wedding and since the groom had a bunch of Afghan friends they played two afghan songs. One of them being dokhtar-e afghan, but the other one had the following lyrics:

Azizam sitarem Degar Joon

I remember that azizam was almost emphasised and repeated a few times. I tried shazam and youtube voice and the lyrics didn't offer me much, so i want to try my shot. It was a young singer, dance music and I think quite well known because the Afghans were dancing very enthusiastically to it.

Any ideas?

I’m a U.S. citizen, but my parents and two sisters are stuck in Afghanistan (Kabul). It’s been two years since we applied for humanitarian parole visas for them, but the cases haven’t progressed. We’ve been told they need to relocate to a country with a U.S. embassy to continue the process.

I’m looking for countries where I can apply for an e-visa for them, but so far, my attempts with Turkey and Qatar have failed since they require applicants to be citizens or residents of countries like the US, UK, EU. The problem is, my family has lived in Afghanistan their entire lives.

Which countries offer e-visas specifically for Afghan citizens that I could explore as options?

The leaders of China, Russia and other BRICS countries on Wednesday called on the Taliban to lift the ban on girls' and women's education in a statement at the Kazan summit. In the declaration at the end of its 16th meeting, the BRICS leaders emphasised on the basic rights of Afghan citizens, including the rights of women, girls, and various ethnic groups in the country.

The statement stressed on the need to provide immediate and uninterrupted humanitarian aid to the Afghan people, calling on the Taliban to lift the ban on girls' education in secondary and higher education.

https://www.afintl.com/en/202410240758

Crisis in Afghanistan: What Must the International Community Do to Support and Restore Women's Fundamental Rights - Recording of 17 Sep 2024 event

Two hour recording. From UN Web TV.

This event addressed the severe and escalating women's rights crisis in Afghanistan, marked by the Taliban's systematic oppression of women through restrictive decrees. It aimed to provide a platform for Afghan women's rights activists, international advocates, and UN representatives to discuss how the international community can support and restore women's fundamental rights in Afghanistan. Key topics include establishing human rights-based engagement parameters with the Taliban, exploring the draft Treaty on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity, and devising a coherent international policy approach that prioritizes the rights and protection of Afghan women and girls.

https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1c/k1c1an5bwf