To mark their 40th anniversary, the British humanitarian and development organisation Afghanaid are hosting a panel discussion, ‘Afghanaid at 40: Resilience Through Adversity’ on Tuesday 21st November at 6:30pm at the Royal Geographical Society, London.

The panel discussion will revolve around the extraordinary resilience that Afghan men, women and children have demonstrated on a daily basis amidst the unfolding of several protracted crises over the past 40 years. The panel discussion presents an opportunity to hear from experts and journalists as they reflect on these crises, as well as how Afghanaid’s national and provincial staff have been navigating severe operational challenges in the two years since the Taliban takeover, and safeguarded the organisation’s long standing presence in remote and rural areas of Afghanistan, continuing to devise solutions to help Afghan families build a better future.

From different viewpoints, the event’s panellists will reveal various insights into people's resilience amidst adversity in Afghanistan. The panel consists of Sana Safi (Broadcast Journalist, BBC), Hameed Hakimi (Associate Fellow, Chatham House), Catherine Philp (Diplomatic Correspondent, The Times) and Charles Davy (Managing Director, Afghanaid). The discussion will be chaired by Lyse Doucet OBE (Chief International Correspondent, BBC).

Attendees are welcome to join the event virtually or in person. With the Lecture & Reception ticket option, attendees can continue engaging in conversations with the panellists during the drinks and canapé reception, which will take place after the panel discussion. 

Find out more about the event and secure an in-person or virtual ticket: www.afghanaid.org.uk/event/resilience-through-adversity

ENDS

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For more information, please contact:

• Kate Arthur, Head of Communications and Giving [email protected];
• Call +44 (0) 207 916 9883 or email [email protected]

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Notes to editors:

About the "Afghanaid at 40: Resilience Through Adversity" event

Location:

Royal Geographical Society
1 Kensington Gore
South Kensington
London, SW7 2AR

Times:

6:30pm   Doors open
7:00pm   Talks and panel discussion begin, moderated by Lyse Doucet
8:30pm   Virtual event ends / Drinks and canapé reception starts
10:00 pm   Doors close

Tickets:

The event is ticketed and there is limited capacity at the venue. Book a virtual or in-person ticket in advance to secure your place: www.afghanaid.org.uk/event/resilience-through-adversity

About the panellists

Lyse Doucet OBE CM is the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent and has been at the forefront of BBC reporting from some of the toughest war zones of the world. She witnessed the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan and has been frequently deployed to Afghanistan since the late 1980s. During August 2021, Doucet reported extensively on the fall of Kabul to the Taliban from Kabul Airport.

Sana Safi is an Afghan broadcast journalist, currently working for the Pashto-language station of the BBC World Service. In 2021, Safi released the radio documentary, “Afghanistan and Me” where she shares how her life has been intertwined with the fate of her country. 

Hameed Hakimi is an associate fellow at the Asia-Pacific Programme and Europe Programme at Chatham House. His research specialises on the politics and society in Afghanistan and the regional connectivity between Central Asia and South Asia among others. Hakimi is also a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center.

Catherine Philp is a World Affairs Editor at The Times and one of Britain’s most experienced foreign correspondents, having covered five continents in nearly 20 years. She has been based in overseas bureaus and reported on conflicts from Afghanistan to Colombia, winning several international press awards.

Charles Davy has been the Managing Director at Afghanaid since 2013. With over 40 years of experience in relief and development, Davy developed particular expertise in management of emergency humanitarian responses in humanitarian and complex disasters; microfinance and livelihoods development as well as programme design and management.

Where will donations made at the event go?

Donations will go towards supporting Afghanaid's general work across Afghanistan, such as delivering basic services, improving livelihoods, strengthening women's rights, helping communities adapt to climate change and responding to humanitarian emergencies. Donations from the event represent a reliable stream of funds that grant Afghanaid maximum flexibility to direct funds to where needs and the potential to transform the lives of vulnerable Afghans and their communities for the better are the greatest. The loyal support from our wonderful giving community has enabled us to do this for 40 years and the proceeds from this event ensure this is the case for many more years to come.

About Afghanaid

Afghanaid is a British humanitarian and development organisation. Since 1983, our dedicated staff have worked with millions of families in some of the poorest and most remote communities in Afghanistan. We build basic services, improve livelihoods, strengthen the rights of women and children, help communities protect against natural disasters and adapt to climate change, and respond to humanitarian emergencies in pursuit of a peaceful and thriving Afghanistan.

For more information about our work, visit our website www.afghanaid.org.uk, or follow us on Twitter @Afghanaid or find us on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin and TikTok.