The Afghanistan national cricket team won the 12 nation Asian Twenty20 Cup in Dubai on November 30th after defeating The United Arab Emirates by 84 runs. In the days prior to this victory, Afghanistan defeated China, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Saudi Arabia. This impressive performance has brought pride to the Afghan people in a way that no other sports team has been able to in the past.
In 1995, the Afghanistan Cricket Federations was formed in the capital city of Kabul with a very limited number of players. In 2001, it was promoted to a national team and later became a member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Asian Cricket Council (ACC.) In 2004, the team became more popular among the Afghans both in-country and abroad when they made their first international appearance at the Asian Cricket Council.
Cricket was first played by the British troops in Kabul in 1839, however it never took hold among native Afghans. Almost a century and a half later, the Russian invasion drove many Afghans into Pakistan, where they were not allowed to join domestic Pakistani teams. Still, the younger Afghan refugees were so impressed with the sport that they planned to start a team in Afghanistan. Now, the team has adequate facilities to play and a receptive audience to cheer them on!
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Abdul Raouf Reshtin
Allied Media Corp.
Account Manager
reshtin@allied-media.com
In early October 2009, the 5th Annual US-Afghanistan Business Matchmaking Conference hosted by the Afghan Chamber of Commerce was held in Washington D.C. The conference on business related issues focused on Afghan market strategy and optimal ways of developing and expanding the business networks.
Afghan Cabinet Officials, the Overseas Private Investment Corp.; U.S. Department of Defense; U.S. Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Agency for International Development were just some of the organizations and agencies present. Some newly created companies from Afghanistan had representatives in attendance – hoping to gain marketing knowledge from American companies.
In the current competitive global economic environment, Afghan companies must ask themselves: how do we become effective and memorable? In my opinion, developing a media strategy and sticking with a course of action will create memorable business experiences for clients. In attending conferences like this one, companies can learn to think differently and possibly even develop a fresh approach to their business.
All of this comes after three decades of war in Afghanistan. All Afghans in-country and abroad hold hope for both the Afghan government, the U.S. and NATO efforts there along with many other national and international NGOs and companies that are serving in the reconstruction and rebuilding of Afghanistan. Economic success in Afghanistan will take a steady approach by all parties and varied media effort to engage the Afghans in-country as well as those abroad.
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Abdul R. Reshtin
Allied Media Corp.
Account Manager
reshtin@allied-media.com
The work of translators and interpreters in Afghanistan is critical to the mission. The art of translation is a bridge, a link, a path – but also a mirror between two individuals, groups, communities, and governments. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the important mission of the U.S. Army was to destroy the Al-Qaeda network, eliminate terrorist elements, and create an atmosphere conducive to peace and democracy. Translators and interpreters aide the U.S. Army: it is an attempt to bring opportunity to the Afghan people and pave the way for a better future for the war-stricken nation.
The U.S. Army and NATO allies have had to work close with the Afghan Government and the people of Afghanistan. Thus, there has been a stated need to recruit Afghans for different positions. Some of the contracted companies have recruited people unable to communicate with the Afghan locals in their own language and have had trouble relaying culturally sensitive issues to the U.S. Army.
Many contracted companies have not distributed important messages to proper community members on the various levels. Increased cultural knowledge, including important events and holidays is needed. This has been my experience in Afghanistan. Here in the U.S., I have attempted to distinguish some of the cultural nuance and the language of the community of Afghanistan in order to reinforce the mission of the U.S. military. In my current work at Allied Media Corporation, I emphasize this same message of cooperation and understanding with the different cultures, languages and people of Afghanistan.
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Abdul R Reshtin was born in Afghanistan. He has worked as both a cultural advisor and a Pashto/Dari instructor here in the United States. Abdul spent six years in Afghanistan working with the Afghan government and the Coalition forces in rebuilding and improving security efforts. Abdul Reshtin is fluent in Pashto, Dari, Farsi, Urdu, and English. His email address is reshtin@allied-media.com
