Two weeks before the United States was set to complete its troop withdrawal after a costly two-decade war, the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, leaving people with a fear of its consequences. With this, the Berkeley community has launched a fundraising program to help Afghans flee the country.
A team of UC Berkeley students, staffers, scholars, and faculty has initiated this campaign to extend their support to academics, journalists, and lawyers to leave the country as it falls to the Taliban.
Key Takeaways:
- The UC Berkeley community launched a fundraising campaign for Afghans desperate to flee the country.
- The organizers aim to raise a total of $100,000; UC Berkeley’s research office plans to match this with another $100,000 if the goal is reached.
- The organizers also worked with different affiliations to help Afghan citizens especially in fighting for human rights and academic freedom.
By Aug. 27, the team is expecting to raise a total of $100,000 to get an additional donation of $100,000 from UC Berkeley’s research office should they meet their goal.
With many citizens fearing that the Taliban will reimpose the unjust interpretation of Islamic law that then barred women from attending school or working outside their homes, the group said that they prioritize giving immediate support for a leading women’s rights activist and journalist with five small children.
According to the group, they are working closely with Scholars at Risk to secure placement for a law school dean and bring others to Berkeley. Scholars at Risk is an international network that advocates for academic freedom in educational institutions.
The organizers have also partnered with the UC Berkeley Afghan Student Association, UC Berkeley’s Human Rights Center, and San Jose State’s Human Rights Institute to intensify the campaign.
For Eric Stover, the faculty director of UC Berkeley’s Human Rights Center and a staunch supporter of refugees, this initiative is the genuine sense of Berkeley as a beacon. He added that they value human rights and academic freedom, so when they see injustices in different parts of the world, they step up to do something immediately.
The organizers have also enjoined other institutions to take part in helping women, children, and men facing risks in Afghanistan.
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