New series gives voice to Afghan leaders

News: New series gives voice to Afghan leaders

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Haji Ahmad Shah, a block elder for the Marjah district, speaks about the changes he has seen in Marjah in his video interview for a series titled “In their voices.” The series provides personal accounts of the areas prior to coalition forces arriving, as well as current conditions, and allows the public to hear directly from Afghan community leaders, security officials and local government officials.

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Helmand province, Afghanistan – A new series called “In their voices” kicks off today to give local Afghan leaders a means to tell the world about their successes and challenges in Helmand.

The series is a compilation of video interviews with key leaders in several areas of Helmand, to include Sangin and Marjah, and provides personal accounts of the areas prior to coalition forces arriving, as well as current conditions.

The Afghan people have long been embroiled in the battleground that is their home. Their history is filled with invasions from foreign nations, internal strife, and Taliban insurgents bent on domination of the population. However, the people of Helmand are working to build a brighter future, one of security and peace.

“We want to build Afghanistan into a stable, democratic and prosperous country, a country that is the peaceful home of all Afghans, and that enjoys friendly, mutually rewarding relations with all its near and extended neighbors and beyond,” said President Hamid Karzai, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, during the December International Afghanistan Conference in Bonn, Germany.

The “In their voices” series allows the public to hear directly from Afghan community leaders, security officials and local government officials. This unprecedented effort is being provided to inform the public on the key issues of security and development in the province.

In addition to sharing their experiences with the world, these interviews also serve as historical accounts of this very challenging time for the people of Afghanistan. The Helmand provincial governor’s office announced last week NATO-led forces have transitioned security responsibility of Nad Ali, Nawa and Marjah to Afghan forces, made possible through the hard work and dedication of Afghan forces. The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is also working toward its goal of creating a stable, self-reliant and democratic Afghanistan, with the assistance of coalition forces and international support. The security, development and progress these people have witnessed is tremendous, and their interviews help capture the significance of this time in Helmand’s history.

For more information on efforts and progress in southwest Afghanistan, visit http://www.dvidshub.net/units/2MARDIV.

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