Book Talk: Author Jeff Stern on Afghanistan, Education and Minority Communities

Pulitzer Center grantee Jeffrey E. Stern discusses his newly published book The Last Thousand: One School's Promise in a Nation at War at the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia on Thursday, March 10, 2016.

The Last Thousand focuses on the co-ed Marefat school in Afghanistan, founded in 2002 in the Western slums of Kabul, Afghanistan. The school was created by the Hazara, one of the most vulnerable minority groups in Afghanistan, and is known for being liberal by comparison to surrounding strict Islamic communities. Marefat teaches students to think critically and to question their leaders. Because of this, the school has been a beacon of hope for those who would like to see a more liberated Afghanistan, and a bane for conservative Muslims.

Stern's book looks at the problems the school and its community faced while they tried to maintain their way of life as the last of the American troops pulled out of Afghanistan.

"At its best, Stern's prose can be quite lyrical and poetic, and he goes to great lengths to explore the nuances of religion, education, women's rights, and foreign diplomacy in present-day Afghanistan. This book is a good primer for anyone interested in modern Middle Eastern politics," writes Publishers Weekly.

Jeffrey E. Strong and The Last Thousand: One School's Promise in a Nation at War
Thursday, March 10, 2016
5 PM - Registration
5:30 PM - Program
World Affairs Council of Philadelphia
One South Broad Street, Suite 2M
Philadelphia, PA 19107


For more details on this program visit the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia website.