I am reading the article “In the Heart of Afghanistan, Entrepreneurs Innovate for Peace” and my eyes fall on Gayle Tzemach Lemmon's conclusion: “The only certainty in Afghanistan is uncertainty. Almost no one I interviewed has a sound plan for what they would do if full-blown war were to return and extinguish the rickety normalcy upon which they have built their firms. All prefer to talk about their dreams.”
Don't we suffer from the same fears outside of Afghanistan? How much are we investing to keep this nightmare far away while we still have millions of people fighting against anxiety related syndromes?
Don't we all talk about dreams, that only a few become reality, while in Afghanistan, real entrepreneurs are making dreams a reality? Visit Roya Mahboob's Wikipedia page to understand how a 25 year-old Afghan woman's dream became a reality for thousands of Afghan girls and boys.
Afghanistan women like Roya Mahboob are helping me shape my business, not the other way around. Roya Mahboob, along with her partners and competitors, has a sense of entrepreneurship that I have never encountered in any other person, and that no executives working at Google or Apple can ever dream of. She is a thought leader and a fighter. They are worried about the IRA's and stock performance while Roya has established a successful business in high tech and software development without the support of venture capitalists and stock market options.
Afghanistan's wisdom and future didn't start after the Taliban. It started thousands of years ago and grew with the diversity of its people. Greeks, Aramaic, Persian, Russian and many more cultures crossed path in this incredible country of culture and diversity. The women from Afghanistan will lead the next century of technology and development.
Captain Edward Zellem collected 151 Dari proverbs in his great book Zarbul Masalha. Here are lessons for all of us:
Ta jaan batan ast, jaan bekan ast.
While we live, We strive.
As Zellem explains: “Life is full of challenges. People must work hard to overcome them.”
Ze gahwaara taa guhr, daanesh bejoye.
Seek Knowledge from cradle to grave.
As Zellem explains: “Never stop learning, whether you are young or old.”
Toni Maloney for BPeace grasped the potential of the women of Afghanistan and started her program there a few years ago. She traveled several times to Afghanistan where she selected what she defines as the fast runners and gave them the support to improve their skills, establish personal relationships with people in the US, and grow their businesses and opportunities. Toni and I spoke about this and the potential of Afghan entrepreneurs like Roya Mahboob, 25, and Jamshid Sultanzada, 27. Their creativity and the economic power of developed countries is the perfect combination to move forward and diversify the world of high tech and software development.
Google and YouTube have suffered from serious censorship in many parts of the world. Apple is not planning on opening stores and distribution centers everywhere. Ironically, this is a great opportunity for Afghanistan to look beyond what we take for granted and the reason why genuine entrepreneurship and creativity is suffering from incredible setbacks.
Tefl-e khord-e hoosh-yar behtar az kalaan-e jaahel.
A clever little child is better than a fooling adult.
Be aware: Afghanistan's median age is 18. It is 36 in the US and 37 in Europe.
Make your own conclusion on who is leaving in a dream and who is suffering from nightmares.
