Endangered Scholars Worldwide (ESW) stands by the students and scholars of Afghanistan whose academic and personal lives have been at risk since the Taliban takeover. We condemn the Taliban’s most recent decision to refuse women and girls above the sixth grade an opportunity to go to school. In order to support Afghan scholars, students, and civilians around the world, we have compiled a list of resources available through the New University in Exile Consortium and the larger academic and activist communities.
The Artistic Freedom Initiative (AFI) is an organization that facilitates pro bono immigration representation and resettlement assistance for international artists at risk. They have recently launched the Afghan Artists Protection Project (AAPP), which is a holistic legal and resettlement initiative developed in response to the crisis in Afghanistan. The project will safely resettle 18 Afghan artists and their families in the United States, and enable them to preserve their livelihoods as artists.
A free ongoing seminar, “Decades of the Republic in Afghanistan,” is being hosted by the New University in Exile Consortium and open to new registrants until May 17th, 2022. The online course is designed to “introduce Afghanistan and shed light on the complex domestic, regional and international political scene in the country.” Recordings of the weekly sessions are available to all registered participants.
Linked here is a critical resource kit for universities and institutions interested in and able to host Afghan scholars and students assembled by The American Council on Education, the Institute of International Education, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, and the Association of American Universities.
The Scholars at Risk network has mobilized resources and opportunities, as well. Afghan scholars in need of the organization’s assistance can learn more about the requirements here. Their appeal of action can be read and signed here. Finally, if you are an institution interested in partnering with Scholars at Risk to host an endangered Afghan scholar, you can indicate that in the form linked here.
Fellowship opportunities are available for endangered Afghan scholars through the Threatened Scholars Integration Initiative. The fellowships are facilitated by the Open Society University Network and include “teaching, research, writing and other creative activities, and participating in the scholarly and cultural life of host institutions and the broader OSUN community.”
To read more about endangered scholars and students in Afghanistan, please see the following ESW blog posts:
Please follow ESW on Twitter @ESWNEWSCHOOL for additional updates.