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Bruce Green's Afghan trip
1. My Trip to Afghanistan
Bruce Green
March 25 - April 7, 2011
2. Steps to Afghanistan Trip
Step 1: In 2010 PRT (Provisional Reconstruction Team) official Stetson Sanders
assigned to Ghazni Province realizes that Ghazni has a sister city relationship with
Hayward, CA. He contacts the sister city committee in Hayward and begins brainstorming
about an exchange program.
Step 2: I’m elected as the chairman of the Ghazni-Hayward Sister City Committee in
January 2011.
Step 3: Stetson successfully obtains a grant from the US Embassy in Kabul to implement
an exchange program between the sister cities. The grant includes a parallel agenda for
the preservation of archeological sites in Ghazni and Dr. Brian Rose, an archeologist from
the University of Pennsylvania is included along with the Sister City delegation of four.
Step 4: The Asia Foundation is selected to oversee the two-phase project. The first
phase is the trip to Ghazni from March 26 to April 2, the second is the visit of 10 Afghan
delegates to Washington DC and Hayward in June, 2011.
Following is a pictorial account of my participation
in the first phase of this project, the trip to Ghazni.
3. Starting in Kabul, visiting the National Museum
Before and after our trip to Ghazni we spent a few days in Kabul, visiting sites like
the National Museum and Babur’s Gardens. Here is the Ghazni-Hayward Sister
City delegation with some of our hosts. From Left to Right: Dr. Mo Qayoumi,
University President in transition from Cal State University East Bay to San Jose
State University; Humaira Ghilzai, co-founder of the Ghazni-Hayward sister City
Committee (GHSCC); assistant director of the museum; Dr. Brian Rose, University
of Pennsylvania and past president of the American Archeological Association;
Carol Ruth Silver, co-founder of the GHSCC; Kim Hunter of the Asia Foundation;
DA Brown of the US Embassy, Kabul; and Bruce Green, chairman of the GHSCC.
6. We were literally given
the red carpet treatment
in our reception to the
Governor’s compound.
7. The Honor stroll, next to Governor Musa Khan.
Don’t even think about a caption contest.
8. We found out the crowd assembled was not for us (it was to honor the youth
programs of Ghazni--note the athletes in the back). But our hosts graciously
ushered us to the platform and even asked us to help distribute the awards.
10. Co-founders of the Ghazni-
Hayward Sister City, Carol Ruth
Silver (left) and Humaira Ghilzai,
take part in the ribbon cutting
ceremony to open a new
classroom in the Department of
Women’s Affairs.
11. Co-founders of the Ghazni-
Hayward Sister City, Carol Ruth
Silver (left) and Humaira Ghilzai,
take part in the ribbon cutting
ceremony to open a new
classroom in the Department of
Women’s Affairs.
The Director of the Department of
Women’s Affairs, Ghazni.
12. Co-founders of the Ghazni-
Hayward Sister City, Carol Ruth
Silver (left) and Humaira Ghilzai,
take part in the ribbon cutting
ceremony to open a new
classroom in the Department of
Women’s Affairs.
The Director of the Department of
Women’s Affairs, Ghazni.
14. Our gifts were framed posters from
the “Treasures of Afghanistan”
exhibit hosted in 2009 at the Asian
Art Museum in San Francisco.
The artwork displayed is
named “The Dragon Master”
so when presenting the gifts
I commented that this 2000-
year-old-artwork tells the
story of Afghanistan: the
people always master the
dragons surrounding them.
The dragons change, but
Afghanistan remains.
I think they really liked my
comments.
15. Below the “Dragon Master” artwork we added this “Friendship Cities”
message in Dari and English with the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and the
Hayward City Hall Rotunda.
Special thanks to Val Cooley, of Centerville Presbyterian Church for creating this montage.
16. “The Chairman,” as I was
known, was always seated
in the chair of honor, here at
the right hand of Governor
Musa Khan, and next to a
retired senator. I did not
seek these places of honor;
I was just playing a role and
praying I wouldn’t mess up.
17. Honor upon Honor: Here Mayor Basir bestows on the three men the “chapan” cloak of honor.
19. Visiting Abdul Razzaq’s mausoleum in Ghazni,
March 29, 2011, which is being restored as a
Museum.
Photo by U.S.
Air Force
Senior Airman
Courtney Witt,
Ghazni PRT.
23. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry and wife Ching Eikenberry
For our wrap up in Afghanistan they hosted both delegations of this exchange
program with a wonderful banquet. Mrs. Eikenberry uses her Embassy office
as a gift shop to benefit Afghan widows that create the items she sells.
24. Hayward Sister City Committee Delegation (circled, Left to Right) Carol Ruth Silver,
Humaira Ghilzai, Dr. Mo Qayoumi, Chairman Bruce Green.
Also shown in center box, is Dr. Brian Rose, University of Pennsylvania, and past president, American
Association of Archeologists. Dr. Rose accompanied us on the entire visit and also gave lectures and talks
along the way. He is a strong advocate of preserving Afghanistan’s archeological heritage.
25. Ghazni Delegation (L to R) Shah Gul Rezaie, Member of Parliament from Ghazni Province; Fatima
Moshtaq, Director, Afghan Training Service Organization: Musa Khan Ahmadzai, Governor, Ghazni Province;
Abdul Basir Noory, Mayor, Ghazni City; Omar Sultan, Deputy Minister of Information and Culture; Hamidullah
Sarwary, Director, Ghazni Department of Information and Culture
Also coming to USA is PRT official Stetson Sanders (in back) and three Ghazni-based journalists (in box).
