Image detail from the “Verbatim” segment of the Tricycle Theatre’s "The Great Game." Image credit: John Haynes.

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Afghanistan Beyond the Headlines

In September 2010 the British Council partnered with the Shakespeare Theatre Company for a half-day symposium event that illuminated ideas and issues emerging from The Great Game: Afghanistan. Three unique panel conversations between experts from government, media, academia and the arts allowed Washington DC audiences to debate how culture can enrich our understanding of history, causality and contemporary conflict.

Sunday, September 19, 2010
1:00-5:00 p.m.
Shakespeare Theatre, Sidney Harman Hall, Forum

1:00 p.m. Opening presentation

1:15-2:30 p.m.
Afghanistan in the World

Afghanistan is the site of America’s most important foreign policy decisions for the foreseeable future.  What are some of the challenges and opportunities of foreign engagement in Afghanistan today? What does The Great Game illustrate about why culture connected to current events matters?

Dr. Benjamin Hopkins, Assistant Professor of History and International Affairs, George Washington University (moderator)
Joseph A. Mussomeli, Ambassador to the Republic of Slovenia, US Department of State
Cynthia Schneider, Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University

2:45-3:45 p.m.
Women in Afghanistan

How do the lives, roles and ambitions of women in Afghanistan today compare to recent history?  What stories do foreign female visitors bring back about their counterparts to the rest of the world?  How is female ingenuity and perseverance expressed in Afghan culture?

Christina Lamb, Washington Bureau Chief, The Sunday Times (moderator)
Nushin Arbabzadah, Research Scholar, UCLA Center for the Study of Women
Spozhmai Maiwandi, Afghanistan Program Coordinator, South and Central Asia Division, Voice of America
Azita Ranjbar, Program Specialist for Afghanistan and Pakistan, U.S. Institute of Peace

4:00-5:00 p.m.
Afghanistan in Perspective

How do we represent a culture, whether it’s our own or someone else’s? Afghanistan is a fascinating, complex nation which resists easy understanding or analysis; what role do the arts, media and other forms of representation and learning play in engaging audiences with new perspectives?

Mariam Atash Nawabi, Anchor, America Abroad Media (moderator)
Ed Grazda, Phototographer
Nicolas Kent, Artistic Director, Tricycle Theatre

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