From Sports Illustrated:
A World of Difference
Soccer a Means for Social Change from Sea to Sea
Wednesday June 14, 2006 4:48PM
"One of the girls scored. Her teammates didn't cheer. Then, when one did, the other girls shot her a nasty look, and Awista Ayub realized this had nothing to do with tribal affiliations.
It had been 23 years since Awista's parents packed up and fled Afghanistan, and while she was growing up in Connecticut, the Taliban had gone from banning girls from school to forbidding women from working..."
http://www.afghansports.org/
Awista is one of my human catalysts for change & a phenomenal person with a Joseph Campbell-esque story of a hero's journey! I learned about Awista's work this past summer watching ESPN's ESPY awards and was mesemerized by the story that was told of her work in Afghanistan.
I wanted to be certain to reach out to her at some point and found a way to connect with her while I was in the DC area this fall. At our lunch, I found her to be delightful, insightful and genuine. Listening to her share tales of her work with the young ladies, I realized that she has a great deal of "social tension" inside of her just like an artist has a level of creative tension once the artist truly commits to her creative calling and decides to follow her bliss.
We talked about how much work needs to be done to shift the opportunities for young girls in her place of birth but she is not deterred by the enormity of the task. She shared that she is more inspired by the possibility of change that can be created through soccer and that's what keeps her invested.
She chose sports to be the vehicle to potentially affect change in that country but, I think it will be her personal commitment, courage and cleverness that will truly allow her diabolical plan of hope to succeed.
"One of the girls scored. Her teammates didn't cheer. Then, when one did, the other girls shot her a nasty look, and Awista Ayub realized this had nothing to do with tribal affiliations.
It had been 23 years since Awista's parents packed up and fled Afghanistan, and while she was growing up in Connecticut, the Taliban had gone from banning girls from school to forbidding women from working..."
http://www.afghansports.org/
Awista is one of my human catalysts for change & a phenomenal person with a Joseph Campbell-esque story of a hero's journey! I learned about Awista's work this past summer watching ESPN's ESPY awards and was mesemerized by the story that was told of her work in Afghanistan.
I wanted to be certain to reach out to her at some point and found a way to connect with her while I was in the DC area this fall. At our lunch, I found her to be delightful, insightful and genuine. Listening to her share tales of her work with the young ladies, I realized that she has a great deal of "social tension" inside of her just like an artist has a level of creative tension once the artist truly commits to her creative calling and decides to follow her bliss.
We talked about how much work needs to be done to shift the opportunities for young girls in her place of birth but she is not deterred by the enormity of the task. She shared that she is more inspired by the possibility of change that can be created through soccer and that's what keeps her invested.
She chose sports to be the vehicle to potentially affect change in that country but, I think it will be her personal commitment, courage and cleverness that will truly allow her diabolical plan of hope to succeed.
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