Afghan Coalition Announcements

Barack Obama Inauguration Celebration on 1/15/09 at Diamond Palace in Fremont

January 4th, 2009

President-elect Barack Obama

Please join the Afghan Coalition and other community-based organizations for a celebration called “Unity for the Sake of Change” at the Diamond Palace (formerly Flamingo Palace) on January 15, 2009 from 6pm to 9pm. Admission is $5.

As the United States prepares for the historic inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama, many community members are looking forward to celebrating and working together to build positive change and make our nation and neighborhoods stronger and more unified.

The event is one in a series of events during the 10 days before the Jan. 20 inauguration co-organized by Alameda County’s Board of Supervisors to motivate everyone to renew their commitment to provide service in our communities. To affect change, all community members will need to reach out to each other in new ways.

Please join the Afghan Coalition, other community partners, and emerging youth leaders active in the community to hear presentations about becoming more engaged in volunteering to improve the quality of life in our communities. The event will begin with a recitation of the Qur’an and a “Call to Purpose” including inspirational speeches by local leaders and cultural traditions. Everyone in the community is welcome. Please contact Rahil Daud at (925) 435-7764 for more information. You can also contact the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, District 5, Keith Carson’s office, for more information about this event and other community events at (510) 272-6695. The program will be presented in English.

The week will conclude Jan. 20 with a live viewing of the Obama inauguration and acceptance speech at the Oakland/Alameda County Arena on large screens. Doors open at 7:00am. Group ticket information contact (510) 272-6695.

Posted in Afghan Coalition event, civic participation, community event, education program, women's issues | No Comments »

Happy New Year from the Afghan Coalition

December 30th, 2008

As 2008 comes to a close, the Afghan Coalition would like to wish you a very happy new year and many successes for 2009.

We would also like to announce that our fiscal year 2007-2008 Annual Report is now available for downloading on our home page. The past fiscal year was another rewarding year for the Afghan Coalition. Through new partnerships and a continuation of the Afghan Health Partnership Project, we have improved and expanded our programs. We could not have made such great progress without the generous support of volunteers, in-kind support from partnering agencies, our dedicated staff, and funders. We are proud to share the accomplishments with our supporters.

With fiscal year 2008-2009 already underway, the Afghan Coalition is excited about making new community connections and enhancing community services.

Early in 2009 we will be updating our Web site and this blog, so please visit often to learn more about the Afghan Youth Soccer Club and other projects.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any comments or suggestions for programs and activities. We also welcome and greatly appreciate your participation and support.

Posted in Afghan Coalition publication | No Comments »

Rona Popal to speak in San Francisco panel on December 10: ‘Afghanistan A Human Rights Focus’

December 10th, 2008

Rona Popal

With a new Administration coming on board, what should be the basis of U.S. - Afghanistan relations?

Afghan Coalition Executive Director Rona Popal, author and lecturer Tamim Ansary, author and journalist William T. Vollmann and professor Dr. Zaher Wahab will present.

Details are on the attached flyer.

Afghanistan A Human Rights Focus - Panel Discussion
When: December 10th 6:30–8pm
Where: Koret Auditorium in the Main Library – San Francisco (next to Civic Center BART)

Link to Rona Popal’s Speech

Posted in , Afghan, Afghanistan, Rona Popal, education program, human rights, women's issues | No Comments »

Afghan Coalition hosts a special visit to the San Francisco Asian Art Museum

December 2nd, 2008

Courtesy of the Asian Art Museum

This Saturday, December 6, the Afghan Coalition is hosting a special visit to the San Francisco Asian Art Museum to tour the exhibit titled, “Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul.” The exhibit presents 228 artifacts and artworks from the National Museum in Kabul, illuminating the multicultural heritage of Afghanistan. Please join us and other community members for the only showing of this exhibit on the West Coast.

When: Saturday, Dec. 6, 2008

Bus Pickup/Drop-off Times and Locations:

Fremont

10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Meet & return at Afghan Coalition office
39155 Liberty Street, Suite D-460

Concord

12:00 noon – 5:30 p.m.
Meet & return at Afghan Market
1500 Monument Blvd. F 12
Concord, CA 94520

Tracy

12:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Meet & return at Afghan Market
3258 North Tracy Blvd.
Tracy, CA 95376

Cost: $10 per family covers the cost of transportation and entry to the museum.
For Information Call Bruce Green, Afghan Coalition Board Member, at (510) 828-4561

For Tickets and Reservations call:
Afghan Coalition’s Fremont office at (510) 745-1680 or visit the Afghan Market in Concord or Tracy.

The Afghan Coalition is grateful to Bruce Green and the Asian Art Museum for supporting this special event.

For more information on the exhibit:

Visit the Asian Art Museum website:
http://www.asianart.org/afghanistan.htm

National Geographic is also presenting historical and cultural information Afghanistan and Silk Road cultures as well as stories about how the artifacts in the Asian Art Museum exhibition were hidden for 25 years.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/mission/afghanistan-treasures/index.html

The Asian Art Museum exhibit runs through January 25, 2009.

“A nation stays alive when its culture stays alive.”
—Inscription on the National Museum, Kabul

Goblet depicting figures harvesting dates (Begram, Room 10), 1–200 CE glass and paint National Museum of Afghanistan ©Thierry Ollivier / Musée Guimet

Male or female head (Aï Khanum, Temple with niches, Courtyard), 200–100 BCE unfired clay National Museum of Afghanistan ©Thierry Ollivier / Musée Guimet

Crown (Tillya Tepe, Tomb VI), 100 BCE–100 CE gold and imitation turquoise National Museum of Afghanistan ©Thierry Ollivier / Musée Guimet

Posted in Afghan Coalition event, Afghan art and culture, Afghanistan | No Comments »

Afghan Coalition to participate in East Bay Community Foundation Holiday Fair on October 24

October 15th, 2008

On Friday, October 24, 2008 the Afghan Coalition will proudly participate in a holiday fair hosted by the East Bay Community Foundation. The event will take place before and after the Alameda County Funders’ Forum in the foundation’s conference center in downtown Oakland. Guests to the forum will have the opportunity to shop for the holidays and meet micro-enterprise entrepreneurs from local nonprofit programs including the Afghan Coalition’s Jewelry Making Program. Other participants include Anew America Community Corporation, Creating Economic Opportunities for Women, West Contra Costa Business Development Center, and Women’s Initiative for Self-Employment.

About the Afghan Coalition Jewelry Making Program
With the support of a seed grant from Wells Fargo, in spring of 2007 the Afghan Coalition established a successful jewelry making program to teach refugee and other immigrant women entrepreneurial skills with the objective of increasing self-sufficiency in a supportive environment. The Jewelry Making Program is an extension of the Afghan Coalition’s ongoing support programs for women - safe arenas where women learn new skills, receive health education and provide mutual social support while working on jewelry making and other craft projects.

The Jewelry Making Program trains participants in a handicraft skill they can carry out in their own time – beading and jewelry making. Many participants come to the program with experience in beading and jewelry making from their time spent in Pakistan’s refugee camps. Women who have been isolated have experienced opportunities to socialize with each other and share ideas and experience. The program involves a weekly three-hour workshop, which includes training in the handicraft skills as well as skills of money management, budgeting, marketing and other entrepreneurial skills. The Afghan Coalition’s vision is to develop the program so that participants in turn become trainers who empower other members of the community.

Holiday Fair: The Wares of Local Entrepreneurs
Friday, October 24, 2008, Noon – 2:30 pm.
East Bay Community Foundation Conference Center,
353 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Oakland.

No registration necessary.

Tags: Add new tag
Posted in Afghan, Afghan art and culture, Jewelry Making Training, microenterprise | No Comments »

Fremont Main Library to host immigration information event on September 27, 2008

August 12th, 2008

In September the Fremont Main Library will host an educational program on citizenship, and the Afghan Coalition will participate by staffing an information table on the day of the program. The program is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 27, 2008, 1:00-4:30 p.m. The main speaker will focus on the citizenship process, with an emphasis on changes to the citizenship test. The speaker is Lucee Rosemarie Fan, Community Relations Officer of the San Francisco District of the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services. She will speak and answer questions. She has presented other successful programs at the San Francisco Public Library as well.

The program will be held in the library’s Fukaya Room. In addition to the Afghan Coalition, other representatives of East Bay community groups working in the area of immigration and citizenship will be available to provide information about their services to attendees.

The program is a joint venture between the Fremont Main Library and the Alameda County Library Write to Read Program.

The program:

Citizenship: An Introduction

Introduction to the naturalization process
Update on the new citizenship test
Representatives from local community organizations involved with naturalization

1:00 - 2:30 p.m. Speaker: Lucee Rosemarie Fan, Community Relations Officer, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

2:30-4:30 p.m. Speak with local community organization representatives involved with naturalization.

In partnership with:
Alameda County Bar Assocation
Afghan Coalition
Catholic Charities
Centro de Servicios
Filipinos for Affirmative Action
Tri-City Elder Coalition

For more information on the program contact: Fremont Main Library Information Desk (510) 745-1401
Directions are available on the Fremont Main Library’s Web site.

Posted in Afghan, Fremont, community event, immigration | No Comments »

State Assembly Member Alberto Torrico to honor Rona Popal with Unity Award in October 25th ceremony

October 21st, 2007

This Thursday, State Assembly Member Alberto Torrico will honor Rona Popal, the executive director of the Afghan Coalition, with the 20th District Unity Award. As part of Torrico’s State of the 20th Assembly District address, the award ceremony will be held at the Newark Hilton, 39900 Balentine Drive in Newark. The event runs from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Torrico will also honor other “local heroes” from Fremont, Newark, Union City, Hayward, Milpitas, Pleasanton, including SAVE and Promotoras de Salud.

Complimentary hors d’oeuvres will be served. The event is free and open to the public. Reservations are required. For more information, call 510-440-9030.

“Rona Popal is a strong advocate for women’s rights and a great humanitarian,” Assembly Member Torrico said. “Her drive and commitment have improved the lives of many in the Afghan community both here and abroad.”

Press coverage: Torrico to honor ‘local heroes’ at event

Posted in Rona Popal, community event | No Comments »

The Library of Congress visits the Afghan Coalition on September 24, 2007

September 19th, 2007

Mr. Hirad Dinavari from the United States Library of Congress will be visiting on September 24th, 2007 at 10am in the Afghan Coalition office to meet with individuals and representatives of organizations who produce or publish arts, media, and literature in the Afghan Diaspora communities of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Mr. Dinavari is a reference librarian for the Afghan, Central Asian and Iranian collections at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. The library is sending him to California, to meet with Afghan and Iranian Diaspora communities in the South Bay Area of San Francisco and in the greater Los Angles area. He is interested meeting with individuals and outlets that publish print materials, newspapers, periodicals, posters, books, music, film and broadcast shows.

Rona Popal, executive director of the Afghan coalition, will host the meeting and discussion focused on publications and productions of the Fremont based Afghan community. The Library of Congress would like to begin collecting and archiving Afghan-American arts and cultural traditions in the United States. In addition to materials in English, he is interested in publications and productions in Dari, Pakhtu/Pashto, Uzbek, Turkmen, Hazaragi and all other regional languages.

If possible, please bring samples materials or gifts to the Library of Congress for him to take back with him to Washington D.C.

Afghan Coalition
39155 Liberty St., Suite D-460
Fremont, Ca. 94538
510-574-2180

Posted in Afghan, Afghan Coalition event, Afghan art and culture | No Comments »

Afghan Coalition Jewelry Making Training Program a Success

September 12th, 2007

With the support of a grant from Wells Fargo, in spring of this year the Afghan Coalition established a successful jewelry making program to to teach Afghan women entrepreneurial skills with the objective of increasing self-sufficiency for refugee women.

The Afghan Coalition organized a culturally appropriate training program for women that will train them in a handicraft skill they can carry out in their own time – beading and jewelry making. The intent of our program is to help Afghan and other immigrant women work towards economic empowerment in a safe environment. The program also gives women who have been isolated a great opportunity to socialize with each other and share ideas and experience. Beading and jewelry making was chosen as many women who come to us gained experience with this handicraft from their time spent in Pakistan’s refugee camps.The program involves a weekly three-hour workshop, where women are trained in the relevant skills by professionals; not only the handicraft skills but also skills of money management, budgeting and marketing. Our longer-term objective is that the women involved in this initial program will go on to train other members of the community.

The Afghan Coalition is grateful to our supporters and volunteers!

Posted in Afghan Coalition Program, Jewelry Making Training | No Comments »

Afghan Freedom Quilt display opening July 17, 2007 at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles

July 6th, 2007

photo by Kasturi Rangam

On July 17, the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles will open a new exhibit called “Woven Witness: Afghan War Rugs and Afghan Freedom Quilt.” The exhibit will feature a project of Afghan Women’s Association International and the Afghan Coalition called the “Afghan Freedom Quilt” display.

To view photos of the quilts, the Foundation for Self Reliance, prepared a slide show.

In the Main Gallery:

July 17 – September 23, 2007
Woven Witness: Afghan War Rugs and Afghan Freedom Quilt
http://www.sjquiltmuseum.org/exhibitions_upcoming.html

“Further exploring the impact of war on traditional textile arts, this exhibition takes a closer look at the influence of war on the evolution of traditional Afghan rug design, from the Russian invasion through the current U.S.–Taliban war.

Whether individual rugs were woven as political statements, personal reflections, or as souvenirs for soldiers, only the weavers could reveal for certain. Regardless of intent, these examples are a powerful testament to the relevancy of the rug form, its expressive capacity, and the ability of a people to adapt to the ravages of war.

Accompanying this exhibition, the Museum will also display the Afghan Freedom Quilt, a collaborative project sponsored by the Foundation for Self-Reliance. The quilt is a collection of blocks made by war widows in Afghanistan and assembled in the San Francisco Bay Area. Pieces sewn for this quilt are symbolic interpretations of what human rights, empowerment, equality, peace, hardship, sisterhood and freedom meant to each individual contributor. The Foundation for Self-Reliance conducts life-skills training and economic empowerment programs for Afghan women immigrants.”

This exhibit is co-presented by the Armenian Rugs Society, The International Museum of Women, the Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies, the San Francisco Bay Area Rug Society, and the San Jose Center. Woven Witness is presented in collaboration with the Foundation for Self Reliance.

Woven Witness would not have been possible without the generous support of the Compton Foundation, The Christensen Fund, the Alliance for California Traditional Arts, and Bonhams & Butterfield.

Posted in Afghan art and culture, community event | No Comments »