1. “The Price of Going to Class” (NYT)
In your CE spiral WRITE & answer one of the following 3 questions:
Imagine you are a girl in Afghanistan. What are the potential fears you will have about going to school? How will these feelings impact you on a short-term basis? Long-term?
What do you believe, 20 years down the road, will be the outcome of educating or not educating women on the democratic processes in Afghanistan?
What is your opinion on America’s involvement in the Afghanistan government and actions taken in regards to the Taliban?

2. Afghanistan: People, Places, & Politics
Notes & Photos taken from PBS & ABC-Clio

3. Data Overview Capital: Kabul Size: Slightly smaller than TX
Population: 31 million (2006)
80% Sunni
19% Shi’a
GDP per capita: $800
80% in agriculture

4. Geography Landlocked trade is difficult/ expensive
Mountainous faces earthquakes &
drought
Extreme temps
120°F in summer
-15°F in winter

5. Geography
Limited water land is overgrazed  desertification  even harder to farm
Covered by 5-7 million landmines

6. Ethnicity Pashtun (42%)- Sunni Tajik (27%)- Sunni Hazara (9%)- Shi`a
Uzbek (9%)- Sunni

7. The People
Some of poorest in world try to farm in place faced by drought, famine, & war
Woman is drying dung to use as home insulation
Boy is carrying a melon across mountainous terrain

8. 16 yr old works for $1 a day
US soldiers are very common & often interact with local people
Schools lack resources, desks, etc. Girls were banned from

9. Woman is part of work-for-food program making land suitable for farming
Afghan men at Friday prayer
Women cover themselves to show modesty

10. Opium Supplies 89% of opium in world (illegal- makes heroin)
Makes up 1/3 of GDP
Drug lords make millions
Govn’t trying to eliminate to focus on useful crops

11. Political History 1979: Invaded by USSR 1989: sign treaty with USSR
Guerrilla war backed by US
1989: sign treaty with USSR
1995/6: Taliban takes control of govn’t
Strict Islamic law, no women’s rights
2001: harbored al-Qaida, US bombed & forced Taliban out
2004: Hamid Karzai is 1st elected pres.
2006: Taliban begins resurgence, US fights, one province lost already

12. Osama bin Laden Leads al-Qaida: militant Islamic terrorist group
Takes credit for 9/11
Harbored by Afghanistan/Pakistan Killed 5/1/11

13. The Taliban Ruled Afghanistan prior to 2001
Mullah Mohammad Omar
The Taliban
Ruled Afghanistan prior to 2001
Women had no rights or educ.
No TV, music, games, or sports
When ousted, went to poorest ppl, warlords, al-Qaida & other extremists to gain support & recruits…

14. President Karzai Elected in 2001, 2004, 2009
Democratic Islamic Republic
Multiple assassination attempts
Main Goals:
Improve infrastructure
Keep Taliban out of power
Control drug lords & trade

15. “The Price of Going to Class” (NYT)
On your own paper WRITE & answer on of the following 3 questions:
Imagine you are a girl in Afghanistan. What are the potential fears you will have about going to school? How will these feelings impact you on a short-term basis? Long-term?
What do you believe, 20 years down the road, will be the outcome of educating or not educating women on the democratic processes in Afghanistan?
What is your opinion on America’s involvement in the Afghanistan government and actions taken in regards to the Taliban?