The delegation included columnist Steve Kelley, actor Sir Ben Kingsley with documentary filmmaker Chip Duncan, and Jim Losi, formerly President of the Charles Schwab Foundation. From Save we had Donovan Cook, Lucienne Maas, and Leslie Wilson. Although I'm not worthy to carry any of their bags, I was able to (once or twice) get away with it.
I've tried to gather some (that would be - too many) pictures and give some impressions of this trip, although the situation is so complex and multifaceted that I know I can't do it justice. I can make the following statements with certainty:
- Afghanistan is a remarkable, beautiful country, full of interesting people.
- The world cannot ignore this country; we must listen to their needs and help them to maintain stability and improve their economy.
- Save the Children has been doing incredible work in Afghanistan.
I've ordered my pictures in rough chronological order. Use the links at the top or bottom of each page to navigate.
Donovan Cook (pictured here with his trademark smile, posing with a rug merchant in Andkhoy, Afghanistan) was the leader of our trip to Afghanistan. Upon our return, we learned that Donovan had been unceremoniously fired from Save the Children.
Save claims a simple restructuring of their Major Gifts group, but whatever the reason, the result on our group was devastating. We had all planned post trip fund raising efforts, especially Steve, Sir Ben, and Chip, the latter who invested significant funds in filming. With Donovan no longer with Save, our plans disintegrated.
I'll post any updates I receive on this issue.