In October I had the opportunity to travel to Albania and visit with the group of 121 Afghan evacuees that Spirit of America was supporting. As I entered the hotel compound in Shëngjin where the evacuees are staying – an area that had essentially become an impromptu...
Dr. Payab was at work the Sunday that the Taliban took Kabul for a second time. He told his colleagues to go home and destroy any sensitive documents. What was normally a five-minute drive home took Dr. Payab one hour as he navigated the crowded and chaotic streets,...
Prior to the fall of Kabul, Hasib was a PhD holder and worked as a minister of agriculture in Afghanistan. His wife was starting her last year of medical school. Hasib could remember when the Taliban first invaded Afghanistan 20 years ago and he was forced to flee his...
Greetings, Over the past month, Spirit of America helped with the evacuation of 121 Afghans from Kabul to Albania, and is now supporting them in Albania while they navigate the long and complex resettlement process. On August 26, I received a call from Congresswoman...
To experience the environmental legacy of the Soviet Union, you can travel to Central Asia and take a walk across the windswept desolation where the Aral Sea used to exist before Soviet planners turned it into a desert. Billions of shells cover what is now a dried...
Zack Bazzi is the Regional Director of the Middle East and Central Asia for Spirit of America. Since joining the organization in 2014, Zack has worked on more than 200 initiatives from Egypt to Tajikistan, including efforts to promote good governance, prevent violent...
On August 15, 2021, Kabul — Afghanistan's fabled capital — fell to the Taliban, unceremoniously bringing America's 20-year tenure to a violent and chaotic end. The news, like a thunderbolt, reverberated across the globe with shocking images that stunned audiences. For...
After the Taliban retook Afghanistan, Spirit of America acted quickly to help our loyal Afghan partners who were in danger because of their connections to the United States. Working closely with Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin and the US Embassy Tirana, our team...
Happy Veterans Day, All of us at Spirit of America would like to express our profound gratitude to all the men and women who have served – and continue to serve – this great country. Thank you. Like all of Spirit of America’s field team, I am a veteran. I served in...
