Saturday Forum | A Brief History of Afghanistan — How Did We Get Here? Where Are We Going?

In the “Great Game” as played by Britain and Russia for supremacy in modern Asia, Afghanistan was a vital prize at the crossroads of China, South Asia and Central Asia. This presentation will tackle the complex story of today’s Afghanistan, in all its diversity of culture, ethnicity, and religion, before asking what the stakes are since the rise of the Taliban. We will “de-exoticize” such issues as the role of religion and the status of women — and expose the ways in which the challenges for Afghans, as well as Canadians, are in fact shared by transitional societies elsewhere.

Eva Sajoo holds a Master’s in International Development and Education, and is a member of the Vancouver Chapter of Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan.