Afghanistan, Haiti, and Our Common Humanity
On the global stage, our borders appear opaque. But our worlds are clearly connected.
In the United States especially, current events have never felt so peripheral, yet so relevant. The Biden Administration has announced an end to the War in Afghanistan, our longest running conflict, and Haiti has been struck by a national tragedy in the assassination of its president. When we discuss these countries, we tend to ascribe to them a single pessimistic narrative, and wonder at their day-to-day relevance. The average U.S. citizen can only imagine the concern of our sizable Haitian and Afghan populations at this moment in time.
Chimamanda Adichie Ngozi warns against the danger of a single story; a narrative that defines and condemns a nation. Mark Sappenfield of the Christian Science Monitor gives an answer to the relevance of Haiti and Afghanistan; “Our common humanity is relevant. Progress for every corner of the world is relevant. The values we share and hope to uphold are relevant. Not just for historians or foreign-policy buffs. For everyone. Our global story teaches us, deepens us, enriches us.”
The happenings of those in other countries will affect the U.S in the coming months. As travel opens up for these countries, they will be more relevant to us than ever, and the Network will continue to advocate for our global neighbors and future neighbors in Afghanistan and Haiti.
In partnership,
Your Neighbors at the Network
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