LAST TO EAT, LAST TO LEARN

Pashtana Durrani is an Afghan education activist, founder of the NGO LEARN, a Malala’s Fund Education Champion, a laureate of the United Nations Youth Activist Summit, and Amnesty International Global Youth Collective representative. After the fall of Kandahar, and later the rest of the country, Pashtana became a face of the disappearing rights of women in Afghanistan, appearing regularly in national press and on all major US networks. Currently, she is a visiting fellow at the Wellesley Centers for Women and continues her work to support the education and health of Afghan women and girls. Learn more at LearnAfghan.org.

Tamara Bralo is an award-winning journalist who worked for BBC, CNN and Al Jazeera English, and spent years covering war zones around the world; including Iraq, Libya and Syria. An advocate for safety of journalists, and a first woman in charge of High-Risk Deployments for any major network; she currently works as a media consultant for safety and investigative reporting; and for Undivided, an NGO promoting women’s perspectives and narratives of war. Tamara spent an inordinate amount of time covering Afghanistan over the years. She holds an MA from Syracuse University in International Relations, and lives in Washington DC.

“Pashtana’s story highlights the resourcefulness and bravery of young women in Afghanistan. I hope readers will be inspired by her mission to give every girl the education she deserves and the opportunity to pursue her dreams.” —Malala Yousafzai

“Pashtana’s voice is once-in-a-generation. A born leader who took her own dreams and broke them into a thousand pieces to share with others. Her story is an inspiration. Her work, a mission—more necessary now than ever. Pashtana Durrani came to live out loud. And we should all be listening.” —Amna Nawaz, co-anchor PBS NewsHour
 
“As an American, I meet many who know little and feel no likeness to the land where so many of our sons and daughters gave their lives. Idealistic yet logical, Pashtana serves as a portal between two seemingly divergent worlds, illuminating the shared human values that connect us. The relevance of her story has no bounds. It belongs in the hands of the politician as much as the soldier, the parent, or the child. While we may characterize Pashtana as an activist, or educator, let us first characterize her as a leader.” —Major Jessica Yahn, Cultural Support Team, U.S. Army Special Operations Command

“Riveting . . . .[Pashtana] is an exceptional role model for girls around the world, exemplifying the power of determination and passion in achieving the nearly impossible.” —Mursel Sabir, Founder, Afghans Empowered

“Uplifting and optimistic . . . [Pashtana’s] story is testimony to how one determined leader, with irrational passion and a deep commitment to educating young girls, can make a lasting difference.” —Alan Stoga, Chairman, Tällberg Foundation

“Pashtana’s story is not only one of gender empowerment, it is one of communal pragmatism and realization that together, men and women in Afghanistan, for the sake of their community, can transcend barriers and transform their society for long-term prosperity and peace.” —Dr. Victoria C. Fontan, Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies and Vice President of Academic Affairs at the American University of Afghanistan.

1. Many women mentioned in Last to Eat, Last to Learn experience domestic violence at least once in their lives. What do you think are the root causes of such wide-spread domestic violence against women in Afghanistan? What, if anything, could be done to improve the situation? Do you think Pashtana’s idea of fostering a sense of solidarity among those who fall victims to domestic abuse is a viable one?

2. Pashtana says her activism was a product of her circumstances rather than a choice. At the same time, strong-willed and utterly unwilling to accept her role as a woman as dictated by the Afghan norms, she is anything but defined by her circumstances. What else do you think contributed to Pashtana’s path to activism? How does this make you think about your freedoms and how you have been defined by your own circumstances?

3. Tribalism usually has negative connotations in Western societies, but Pashtana’s story is a love letter not only to her own tribe, but to the system itself. She defends the structure of tribalism and finds it not only redeemable, but valuable. Do you agree with her assessment? Do you think tribal structures could be compatible with the modern world?

4. Pashtana’s incredible relationship with her father is a cornerstone of her memoir. From the moment Pashtana was born, he contravenes the traditional Afghan views on daughters: he celebrates her and he insists she shouldn’t be called ‘the girl’ but rather his ‘child’. How much influence do you think her father’s insistence on Pashtana’s equality influenced her own thinking and how she came to see herself? How much did it equip her to attempt her fight the system? Who in your own life has been instrumental in transforming your identity, and why?

5. Pashtana talks about access to education being weaponized, especially in rural areas. Is education the catalyst of societal change? Do you agree with Pashtana’s notion that denying access to education is ultimately a political act? If so, what needs to change to make it more accessible?