Afghan Women's Writing Project

So since this is a blog primarily about reading we should encourage writers of all sorts (sorry, this rule doesn't apply to Sarah Palin). But there are others who deserve encouragement and kudos -- like this website shows http://www.awwproject.org/-- women writers in Afghanistan writing to tell their stories despite the odds they face. Not only is this inspiring, but also revolutionary!

The project started in 2008 by Masha Hamilton and it allows women some very basic rights. Rights that we in the western world take for granted. Often times, the women writing their stories have to travel very far simply to gain access to a computer and be able to submit their writings. Some of them participate secretly from their parents and family due to fear of backlash.

To quote the project on how they operate: "The project reaches out to talented and generous women author/teachers here in the United States and engages them, on a volunteer, rotating basis, to teach Afghan women online from Afghanistan. We use women teachers due to cultural sensitivities in Afghanistan. The writing workshops are taught in three secure online classrooms."

The featured article of the day (Running for Parliament, Afghan-Style) is by a woman who is running for Parliament -- remember in the past few years lot of women who were running for Parliament or were members were shot dead by the Taliban and their rudimentary beliefs -- and is working nonstop on her campaign. E, as she is named in the article, tells us so much about her country where despite of billions and trillions of dollars spent, women still cannot travel to all provinces where they are running due to security problems. Women are still not allowed to drive and have to depend on a man to take them around. The poor are so poor that they do not even have the resources to buy themselves a tent and have to sleep out in the open in the blazing heat or bone chilling cold weather. And elections are won and lost for a few dollars. "As I understand, the rate for one vote is the equivalent of two and a half dollars. For example, if I need 10,000 votes, then I have to give them at least $25,000. Impossible! First of all, I will not buy votes because it is fraud."

But she also tells us that inspite of everything the Afghanis have been through in the past bazillion years, they are still hopeful. They still work for change and stories like her's make us believe it will come. "Yes we can" is not simply a punchline for them but a way of life without which there is only darkness.