News about Afghanistan often focuses merely on the security effort, reporting on clashes with extremists and listing civilian and military casualties. While this is an important, if difficult part of Afghanistan's current development into a progressive democratic society, it fails to appreciate the depth and richness of Afghanistan's people, history, culture and politics.
More importantly, news that focuses only on military operations misses the many important efforts taking place to establish government institutions, grow the economy and bring peace to Afghanistan. Not all of these efforts are immediately successful, but they do demonstrate the commitment of the Afghan people and the international community in seeing Afghanistan become peaceful and prosperous.
The Embassy of Afghanistan seeks to paint a picture of Afghanistan as a whole, from the ground-level up. As part of that process, we seek to highlight stories that paint a different picture of Afghanistan than what you might often read on a daily basis.
2010
United States of America-Afghanistan trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council Meeting Joint Statement
United States, Afghanistan Conclude Trade and Investment Council Meeting
USAID Gives $150m to Start Farm Credit Says MAIL Minister
Farm Service Center Devoted to Afghan Women's Farming
Two Afghan towns, one success story
USAID Gives $150m to Start Farm Credit Says MAIL Minister
Afghan National Army trains Engineers
New Afghan laws to regulate all construction and engineering work
Afghanistan to ask for $2bn for education, health, women's affairs
Top Afghan Ministers and international community meet ahead of Kabul Conference
Afghan airmen perform Mi-17 sling load
Afghan women swap burqas for police uniforms
US beefs up efforts to secure Kandahar
Sakena Yacoobi honored for her work in education and health
US Discovers Stunning Mineral Reserves in Afghanistan
Afghan women swap burqas for police uniforms
State Department Hosts Roundtable on Afghan Women
Afghan ‘Top Gun’ Aircrews take to UK Skies
One Laptop delivers laptops to Afghanistan
Afghan " Geological Reserves Worth a Trillion Dollars"
A business education program for women business owners in Afghanistan
Seattle woman builds a future for girls amid war in Afghanistan
5th Annual U.S.-Afghanistan Business Matchmaking Conference 2009
World’s best dressed candidates? In Afghan election,
it’s cape versus cravat
Afghanistan and the United States launch new US$92 M Economic Reform Program
Afghanistan's poppy cultivation falls by more than 20%
Afghan Celebrities, Civil Society, UNAMA-
Join together to launch the 2009 peace in Afghanistan campaign
AYNAK COPPER Mine predicted to create 8,000 direct jobs once landmines are cleared
Corker reports no problems in Afghan polling stations he visited
In War and Isolation, a Fighter for Afghan Women (New York Times)
Afghan Midwives Step Up To Save Lives (CNN)
Afghan Mountaineers Make History (BBC)
Teacher, Can We Leave Now? No. (New York Times)
In Afghanistan, A Feel-Good 'Star' Search (Washington Post)
Kabul Theatre Aims to Take Tragedy Back from Reality (Independent)
Kabul Struggles to Get Back on Song (BBC)
Gold, Ivory Treasures Hidden From Taliban Shine at Show (Bloomberg)
Prospects For Environmental Protection In Afghanistan Improve (RFE)
Chinese Group Begins Multi-Billion Afghan Project (Reuters)
Moonlighting as Afghanistan's Musical Hope (BBC)
Afghan Mine Clearers Rescue Artifacts (AP)
Afghanistan - Where Tourists Go To Relax? (AP)
Afghan Election Environment Improving, But Obstacles Remain (RFE)
Dutch Success in Afghan Conflict (BBC)
Ballots, Not Bullets for Afghanistan (Huffington Post)
Afghan Climbers in Maiden Peak Summit (AFP)
Afghan Farmers Ditch Opium for Saffron (Asia Times)
Kung-Fu Kicks Off in Afghanistan (BBC)
Relics of Old Afghanistan Reveal Jewish Past (Reuters)
Singers Rivet a War-Weary Nation in 'Afghan Star' (Reuters)
'Hidden Treasures' Exhibit Seeks To Reveal Another Afghanistan (RFE)
Oasis From the Ruins - Afghanistan Opens First National Park (CNN)
Afghanistan Aims to Put Itself Back on the Tourist Map (LA Times)
Electricity Transforms Kabul Living (BBC)
Electricity Woes a Way of Life in Afghanistan (NPR)
Afghan Government to Use Only Domestic-Made Products (RFE)
Helmand Gets a Lifeline (IWPR)
Bumper Wheat Harvest to Reduce Food Insecurity? (IRIN)
Afghanistan's Real Strongmen (Time)
From Kabul with Love: James Bond to "Take On Afghanistan" (Telegraph)
Looted Treasures Return to Afghanistan (BBC)
Last Call in Kabul (Global Post)
Afghan Airline Resumes Flights to Taliban Heartland (Quqnoos)
The Afghanistan Ring Road is 90 percent Complete (Quqnoos)
Man Recounts Covert Tour in Afghanistan (AP)
Afghan Kowk Fighting: Cherished, But Illegal (ABC)
First Afghan Fiber Optic Cable Connects to Tajikistan (AFP)
Afghanistan Beckons, Be There, an Arranged Marriage Waits (LA Times)
Afghanistan Expects Biggest Wheat Harvest in Years (AFP)
Afghan Body Beautiful Flex to Win Mr. Afghanistan (Reuters)
Afghan Govt. To Preserve the Jungles (Quqnoos)
Afghan Air Force Taking Off -- Again (AFP)
Afghanistan to Get Its First Cricket Board (AP)
Kabul Receives Steady Power Supply From Across Border (Xinhua)
Dynamite Sticks and Gem Stones (BBC)
Banking on Kandahar's Entrepreneurial Spirit (CanWest)
Afghan Police Train for Treacherous Frontlines (AFP)
Madam President in Afghanistan? (AFP)
Afghanistan Opens First Honey Processing Plant (RFE)
Bringing Japanese Hospitality to an Afghan Valley (Reuters)
Next Hot Tourist Destination: Afghanistan? (Reuters)
Afghan Pop Idol a Boost for Democracy: UK Filmmaker (Reuters)
Afghan Private Schools Seen As Sign Of Hope, Optimism (RFE)
UN Estimates 50% Boost in Afghan Agriculture Products (Quqnoos)
Afghan Music School Emerges From Ruins (AFP)
Her Star Shines Bright, Even in Afghanistan (Toronto Sun)
UNU to Help Build Electronic Government in Afghanistan (UN)
Afghan Forces Pitching In With Security (QMI)
Afghan Schoolgirls Say Not Intimidated by "Poisoning" (Reuters)
Direct Flights Between Afghanistan and UK 'to Return' (Telegraph)
04/26/2009 - Afghanistan's Frustrated Singles (IWPR)
04/26/2009 - Tribeca Film Focuses on Beheaded Afghan "Fixer" (Reuters)
04/26/2009 - Afghan Counter-Drug Officials Destroy 6.5 Tons of Drugs (AP)
04/25/2009 - Afghanistan Starts Registration of Presidential Candidates (RIA)
04/24/2009 - Afghanistan Wheat Crop Looks Good (UPI)
04/23/2009 - Afghan Capital Teeters Among Building Boom (USA Today)
04/23/2009 - Afghan Official Says Mosques To Be Used To Fight Illiteracy (RFE)
04/23/2009 - Afghan "Terps" Risk Lives to Work With U.S. Forces (Reuters)
04/22/2009 - Looted Afghan Treasure to Go On Show (The Telegraph)
04/22/2009 - Afghanistan Bets on Peace with First National Park (Reuters)
04/20/2009 - Polish Travel Agency Takes Tourists to Afghanistan (AP)
04/19/2009 - Bring on Australia and Pakistan, Say Proud Afghanistan (AFP)
04/18/2009 - A New Year for Afghanistan's Traditional Carpets (RFE)
04/13/2009 - Afghan Exhibit Brings to Texas Recently Discovered Artifacts (VOA)
04/09/2009 - Afghanistan Coach Insists World Cup Dream Alive (AFP)
04/08/2009 - Hundreds of Afghan Antiquities Repatriated from Britain (Globe and Mail)
04/04/2009 - Afghanistan Opens Giant Iron Ore Deposit to Tender (Reuters)
04/04/2009 - Afghanistan Triumphs Again as Bermuda Falls Short (The News)
04/03/2009 - Afghanistan Announces First Hydrocarbon Bidding Round (Dow Jones)
04/01/2009 - Afghan Cricketers Defy the Odds (BBC)
03/28/2009 - Graveyard Myths (NYT)
03/24/2009 - Young Afghan Rights Activist Selected as 'Person of the Year' (RFE)
03/24/2009 - Afghans 'Embracing Democracy,' Says Report (AKI)
03/23/2009 - Afghan Singer's New Refrain is a Call for Freedom (AFP)
03/23/2009 - One Afghan's Own Private Exit Strategy (NYT)
03/22/2009 - Training Afghan Police a Matter of Incremental Steps (Globe and Mail)
03/22/2009 - Lights on for Some Kabul Residents (AFP)
03/18/2009 - Broadcaster Helps Afghans Stay in the Pink (IWPR)
03/17/2009 - Years Later, Afghan Leader Reburied With Honor (AP)
03/16/2009 - Afghanistan Holds Mineral Treasure (Reuters)
03/13/2009 - Afghan University Teachers Get Pay Raise (RFE)
03/13/2009 - Millions of Afghans Register to Vote in Presidential Election (RFE)
03/09/2009 - Ottawa Man Teaches Trades Skills to Afghan Women (CBC)
03/08/2009 - China's Thirst for Copper Could Hold Key to Afg. Future (McClatchy News)
03/04/2009 - Afghan TV Satires Aim to Fix Problems with a Laugh (Reuters)
03/03/2009 - Afghan Tech Boom: Mullah Embraces iPhone (AP)
03/03/2009 - Afghan Farmers Turn From Drugs to Fish (Reuters)
03/02/2009 - Afghan Women Slowly Gaining Protection (NYT)
03/01/2009 - Saffron Uproots Poppies on Farms in Afghanistan (San Francisco Chron.)
02/28/2009 - Facing Language Gaps and 'Flying Trucks,' U.S. Trains Afghan Pilots (NYT)
02/26/2009 - Afghanistan: A Treasure Trove for Archeologists (Time)
02/26/2009 - Treasured Artifacts from Afghan Museum on Display (Houston Chron.)
02/24/2009 - Afghans Brave Poor Security to Register to Vote (Reuters)
02/23/2009 - Illinois National Guard Couples Serve Together in Afghanistan (Chi. Trib.)
02/23/2009 - U.S. Aid Effort in Afghanistan Requires Diverse Skills (McClatchy News)
02/18/2009 - Perils of an Afghan Bus Journey (BBC)
02/18/2009 - A Terrain's Tragic Shift (Washington Post)
02/18/2009 - New Route Links Afghanistan to Sea, Via Iran (San Francisco Chronicle)
02/17/2009 - Afghan TV Set to Unveil Model Contest (Reuters)
02/15/2009 - Honest Cop a Rarity in Corrupt Force (CanWest)
02/09/2009 - Afghan Dog Finds New Life in Britain (CNN)
02/08/2009 - Afghan National Drink, Tea, Good at All Hours (AP)
02/05/2009 - High Hopes for Afghan Cricket Team (BBC)
02/05/2009 - Afghan Mobile Phone Firm Tops 3 Million Users (Reuters)
02/04/2009 - The Unlikely Rise of Afghanistan (Reuters)
02/04/2009 - U.S. Helping Afghan Farmers Give Up Opium for Wheat (CNN)
02/02/2009 - Ill. National Guard Members Enjoy Pizza During Super Bowl (Chicago Trib.)
02/01/2009 - Opening of Secret Grave Recalls Afghanistan Coup (New York Times)
01/30/2009 - Kandahar School Girls Triumph Over Terrorism (Globe and Mail)
01/30/2009 - Afghanistan to Boost Mobile Coverage in Underserved Areas (MIN)
01/29/2009 - Threats and Tears Fail to Tame Afghan Diva's Dream (AFP)
01/28/2009 - Afghanistan Stay on Course in World Cup Qualifiers (Reuters)
01/28/2009 - Afghans See Kabul in a New Light (The News)
01/26/2009 - 2,500 Kilometers of Road to be Constructed in Rural Areas (Quqnoos)
01/26/2009 - Afghan Voter Registration Continues (UNAMA)
01/25/2009 - As the Lights Come On TV Sales Surge in Kabul (UNAMA)
01/25/2009 - Skateboarding in Afghanistan Provides a Distraction from Desolation (NYT)
01/24/2009 - Afghan Students Back in Class After Acid Attacks (AP)
01/23/2009 - Afghanistan's Chopper Squad Flying High (AFP)
01/22/2009 - India Hands Over Key Highway to Afghanistan (Rediff India Abroad)
01/20/2009 - UN Afghan Envoy Optimistic About Voter Registration (Radio Free Europe)
01/20/2009 - Afghanistan and Hong Kong Dreaming of World Cup (AFP)
01/19/2009 - Railway to be Completed in Next Five Years (Quqnoos)
01/19/2009 - The Most Popular Guys in Afghanistan (Strategy Page)
01/18/2009 - Afghanistan TV Show is Conduit for Cultural Change (Salt Lake Tribune)
01/14/2009 - Afghan Girls, Scarred by Acid, Defy Terror, Embracing School (NYT)
01/13/2009 - Afghanistan Players Nurture Cricket World Cup Hopes (Reuters)
01/12/2009 - English Takes Hold in Afghanistan (BBC)
01/12/2009 - Imams to the Rescue in Curbing Maternal Mortality (IRIN)
01/11/2009 - 'Afghan Star' Seeks Talent, Bridges Gaps (CNN)
01/08/2009 - HIV-Positive Patients to get ARV Therapy for First Time (IRIN)
01/04/2009 - Afghanistan Eyes World Cup Cricket Spot (AP)
01/03/2009 - In Afghan Game, Men on Horses Clash Over a Headless Goat (NYT)
2008
12/28/2008 - Dogfighting Making a Comeback in Afghanistan (New York Times)
12/26/2008 - Promoting Peace in Afghanistan - With a Lighter Touch (CSM)
12/25/2008 - A Foreigner who is Welcome in Afghanistan (New York Times)
12/22/2008 - Afghan Soldiers Getting Lessons in Logistics (Canadian Press)
12/22/2008 - In Afghanistan, Education Under Attack (Washington Post)
12/22/2008 - Total Market Grows to 6.7 Million Customers (Wireless News)
12/13/2008 - Virginia Lawyers Ready to Help in Afghan Legal Effort (AP)
12/13/2008 - NGO Helps Improve Afghan Females' Lives (Japan Times)
12/10/2008 - Ten-Year Carpet Export Strategy Unveiled (Quqnoos)
12/07/2008 - Holy Cow Shopping in Kabul (NPR)
12/06/2008 - 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' Hits Afghanistan (Daily Telegraph)
12/03/2008 - Afghanistan Promotes Crop More Profitable Than Poppy (VOA)
12/02/2008 - War Zone a Reunion for Lost Cousins (BBC)
12/01/2008 - Afghan Basketball has Fremont Flavor (Inside Bay Area)
11/27/2008 - Bring on the Pomegranate (The Economist)
11/27/2008 - Soccer Helps Afghan Girls Reclaim Some Freedom (Reuters)
11/27/2008 - The Soldiers on 'Reassurance' Patrol (BBC)
11/25/2008 - Afghanistan's Stunning Lakes Thirst for Tourism (AFP)
11/20/2008 - Afghanistan Markets its Brand of Pomegranates (AP)
11/19/2008 - Saffron Exports Boom, Ministry Says (Quqnoos)
11/19/2008 - Afghan Air Corps Takes Off, Slowly (Christian Science Monitor)
11/18/2008 - Afghanistan's Barakzai Takes Tour de Pakistan Lead (The News)
11/17/2008 - Afghanistan: Afghans Return Home to Live Under Tents (UNHCR)
11/15/2008 - Afghan Girl Says Acid Attack Won't Stop her Lessons (Reuters)
11/14/2008 - Green Energy Helps to Move Afghanistan Forward (DefenseLink)
11/12/2008 - Afghanistan: Street Kids Turn from Beggars to Beauticians (UNHCR)
11/10/2008 - Fighting the Taliban with Literacy (BBC)
11/10/2008 - Afghan Refugee Awarded French Literary Prize (Independent)
11/09/2008 - Deep in Taliban Territory, a Push for Electricity (New York Times)
11/08/2008 - Once Mighty Afghan Air Force Struggles to Rebuild (Canadian Press)
11/07/2008 - Meet Afghanistan's Motorcycle Police (U.S. News and World Report)
11/06/2008 - Karzai Opens Kabul Air Terminal (BBC)
11/04/2008 - Afghans Find Modest Prosperity in Once-Banned Trade – Milk (CSM)
10/28/2008 - First Afghan Windfarm Holds Promise for Progress (NATO)
10/26/2008 - ICC Rewards Afghanistan's Winning Run With Funding (Yahoo!)
10/25/2008 - Jolie Returns from Afghanistan Visit (Yahoo!)
10/24/2008 - Afghan National Security Forces Show Progress (Newswire)
10/20/2008 - Afghanistan's Emerging Anti-War Movement (Christian Science Monitor)
10/19/2008 - Drew University Soccer Star Leaves Taliban Behind (Daily News)
10/19/2008 - First Railway After Fall of Taliban to be Completed in Afghanistan (Xinhua)
10/19/2008 - Showcasing 'Hidden Treasures' from Afghanistan (San Francisco Chronicle)
10/19/2008 - Official: Afghanistan on Verge of Being Polio-Free (Xinhua)
10/17/2008 - Afghanistan Launches Own Who Wants to be a Millionaire (Telegraph)
10/14/2008 - Heroes' Welcome for Afghan Team (BBC)
10/12/2008 - We Can Reach World Cup, Say Confident Afghanistan (AFP)
10/07/2008 - Afghan Returns in 2008 to Pass Quarter Million Mark (UNHCR)
10/05/2008 - In Poverty and Strife, Women Test Limits (New York Times)
10/04/2008 - Hong Kong and Afghanistan Off to Winning Starts (AFP)
10/01/2008 - Activist Rangina Hamidi Works to Improve Lives of Afghan Women (VOA)
09/29/2008 - City of Screams to be Turned Into Tourist Site (Quqnoos)
09/29/2008 - Afghan Tailors Work Around the Clock for Eid Rush (AFP)
09/27/2008 - Black Widow's Inhospitable Beauty (BBC)
09/26/2008 - Poppy-Free Nangarhar Province Shows Afghanistan Improvements (AFPS)
09/25/2008 - Afghan Army Slowly Pulls Itself Up By Bootstraps (Reuters)
09/24/2008 - Polio Virus Eradicated in North, Virulent in South (IRIN)
09/22/2008 - Afghans Reflect on 'Peace Day' (Al Jazeera)
09/17/2008 - Afghanistan Cricket Team Winning Spree Continue (APP)
09/14/2008 - Women Finish Afghan Channel Swim (BBC)
09/05/2008 - Afghan Women's Strength on Display in Gyms (Washington Times)
09/03/2008 - Karzai Meets British Actor Jude Law (AFP)
09/01/2008 - Reality TV Show Stirs Business Spirit in Afghanistan (Reuters)
08/28/2008 - French-Afghan Team Unearths Buddha's Head (Quqnoos)
08/28/2008 - Soya Beans to Stave Off Malnutrition? (IRIN)
08/28/2008 - Afghanistan's First Ever Olympic Medallist Receives Hero's Welcome (AFP)
08/17/2008 - 50 Couples Tie the Knot in Afghanistan (AFP)
08/17/2008 - Afghan Women Blazing Path in Contemporary Art (Women's eNews)
08/16/2008 - 'Angel' Helping Afghanistan Fight Taliban Bombings (Daily Times)
08/16/2008 - Kabul-Jalalabad Cycle Race Starts (Bakhtar News Agency)
08/15/2008 - Afghans Turning Taboo Into Humor (Chicago Tribune)
08/14/2008 - A-Level Results - Afghan Exile Gets Into Oxford (The Telegraph)
08/13/2008 - Olympic Games Inspire Afghans (Xinhua)
08/13/2008 - Afghan Ceramists Sweeten the Pot in Balochistan (UNHCR)
08/11/2008 - Pop Star Helps Kabul Destitute (BBC)
08/11/2008 - U.S. Troops Train Afghans to Take Their Place (NPR)
08/10/2008 - Afghan Empire's Last Symbols Under Threat (Reuters)
08/07/2008 - Archeologists Find Vast Ancient City in Afghanistan (AP)
08/07/2008 - Afghan Football is Back on its Feet (IANS)
08/03/2008 - Afghan Airport to Help Switch Drugs to Fruit (Reuters)
07/29/2008 - Afghan Judge Discusses Legal Reform in Afghanistan (News Blaze)
07/23/2008 - New Campaign to Tackle Stigma and Misconceptions (IRIN)
07/21/2008 - Afghan Secrets Revealed on Google Earth (Sydney Morning Herald)
07/21/2008 - Pasadena Retiree Fights Malnutrition in Afghanistan (Los Angeles Times)
07/20/2008 - Watching TV in Kabul (New York Times Magazine)
07/19/2008 - Rebuilding Afghanistan, One Book at a Time (New York Times)
07/16/2008 - To Achieve Stability, Kabul has to First Fly the Nest (Globe & Mail)
07/15/2008 - Getting Tourists to Afghanistan's 'Grand Canyon' (BBC)
07/09/2008 - War Memories Fade in Afghan Valley (BBC)
07/07/2008 - Afghan Officials Visit Green Bay (Green Bay Press Gazette)
07/05/2008 - Restoring Past Glory in Old Kabul (Washington Post)
07/03/2008 - My Story - A Moment in Kabul (Jerusalem Post)
07/01/2008 - Afghanistan Strives to Register All Newborns (NPR)
07/01/2008 - Netherlands Work the 'Dutch Touch' in Afghan Conflict (EarthTimes)
06/30/2008 - Spud Farmer Returns to Roots to Help Afghans (AP)
06/29/2008 - Kids Master Tricks as Skateboarding Invades the Streets (The Guardian)
06/26/2008 - Should Buddhas Blasted by the Taliban Be Rebuilt? (Time)
06/23/2008 - Teaching in Kandahar Requires Bravery (Toronto Star)
06/16/2008 - Women Boxers Challenge Afghan Culture (San Francisco Chronicle)
