'Citizen Diplomacy' in Afghanistan - Wilbraham-Hampden Times

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Page 1 The Wilbraham-Hampden TIMES April 1 , 01 Problems in Afghanistan are complex DIPLOMACY from page 1 One phrase Furst often heard Americans and Afghans say was: “This ain’t going to be Switzerland.” The devastation of nearly 30 years of war is still evident, Furst said. “Kabul is on the mend, but it’s not pretty. At first I thought there were no traffic signals. Then, I saw that they were there, but not working.” On the street, among the automobile traffic were donkey-pulled carts and vendors pushing banana-laden wheelbarrows. Threading through the traffic were children begging. “I saw a thousand possible accidents a day, and none of them happened,” Furst said. Bullet-Proof SUV’s The six World Affairs Council members met with students, women activists, members of the Afghanistan Parliament, business people, and individuals. They stayed in the American Embassy compound and traveled to various spots in Kabul in bullet-proof SUVs with a speciallytrained driver at the wheel. “Our cars were monitored the whole time,” Furst said. “It is a war zone.” The Americans felt safe, however. “I had to believe that Ambassador Crocker would not have us come if he felt we would be in danger,” he said. They traveled to a bazaar, two schools, and five government ministries. Indisputably, a highlight of the trip was a private meeting with President Karzai, something few American civilians have experienced. The 40-minute meet- STOREWIDE ing was in Karzai’s “oval office” inside Arg, the Presidential palace. Karzai answered questions posed by the World Affairs Council representatives and spoke about the economic development of Afghanistan as well as the need for the country’s security to be an Afghan-led initiative, Furst said. Some of Karzai’s words impressed Furst. “He said the Afghan villages are not the source of terrorists. The source of terrorists is Paki- SPRING SALE 30 % OFF IN-STOCK MERCHANDISE ONLY. Excludes Pandora. • Jewelry • Gift Items • Pocketbooks • More Sale Ends 4/30/12 With Integrity & Dedication To Our Customers Williams Place, 807 Williams St., Longmeadow • 413-567-7977 Hours: Mon.-Fri. 10:00am-5:30pm, Thurs. 10:00am-7:00pm Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm TIMES photos submitted Wilbraham’s Ken Furst met with Afghan Health Minister Suraya Dalil on a World Affairs Council trip this month. stan,” Furst said. Karzai said Afghan Taliban leaders in Pakistan are not allowed to return home to negotiate a peace because Pakistan prefers Afghanistan to be weakened, Furst said. “He also said that Afghanistan is traditionally an egalitarian society, and as such, it makes the adoption of democracy more readily viable,” Furst said. One of the mementoes that Furst brought home was a beautiful, lapis inlaid blue metal box. Each American was given one, Furst said. Inside was a card that said it was a gift from President Hamid Karzai. Furst said that the visit showed him that the problems in Afghanistan are complex. “All these different elements touch each other. There’s on singular solution. It’s like trying to solve a Rubik’s cube,” Furst said. Still, he said he is optimistic that, if the international community stays the course, the outcome will be positive and long-lasting. “Our government has some really good people there,” Furst said. NEW ENGLAND ESTATE PICKERS IN THE OLD MONSON BOWLING ALLEY • 64 MAIN ST. Veterans Outreach provides information HOLYOKE – A Veterans’ Outreach will be held on Wednesday, April 18 from 3-7 p.m. at the War Memorial Building, 310 Appleton St in Holyoke. The event will feature a variety of services for veterans in areas such as health care, employment, education, housing and federal and state veterans’ assistance programs. For more information, contact Tim at 1- 413-322-5630, or via e-mail at niejadlikt@ci.ma.holyoke.ma.us. In The Old Monson Bowling Alley Act Now While Prices Are Still High! GOLD SILVER ANTIQUES TOP DOLLAR ON THE SPOT!!! NOT SURE WHAT’S WHAT? Bring In The Whole Jewelry Box! We Will Sort It! Test It! Buy It! Including Old Costume Jewelry! Old Musical Instruments, Miltary Items & Coins OPEN DAILY 413-267-3729 NO APPT. NECESSARY Wine & Beer Tasting Sponsored by THE WILBRAHAM/ HAMPDEN ROTARY CLUB Saturday, April 21 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Country Club of Wilbraham 859 Stony Hill Road, Wilbraham Library alters return policy for media WILBRAHAM - Beginning April 1, Wilbraham Public Library users will be able to return DVDs, music CDs, and audiobooks in the aluminum book drop located on the side of the building. Improvements to media cases have made them sturdier and better able to resist damage than in past years according to Library Director Karen Demers. Additionally, materials returned after hours will be counted as returned on that day. “For example, if a DVD is due back on a Thursday, and you aren’t able to get to the library before we close at 5 p.m., but put it in the book drop before we open on Friday morning, that DVD will be considered returned on time,” said Demers. “Since the library is only open three evenings a week, we hope that this new return policy will be more convenient for our patrons,” she said. Puppets, e- Readers, and other equipment will still need to be returned inside the building. American Red Cross Blood Drives SPRINGFIELD – The American Red Cross will be holding several community blood drives during the month of April nearby. In April all presenting donors will receive a pair socks from New Balance. To make an appointment to donate call 800-733-2767. Local drives will take place Thursday, April 19 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Western New England University, 1215 Wilbraham Road; and at American International College at 999 State St., both in Springfield. Gala Hot Hors d’oeuvres Will Be Served ~ Silent Auction & Selection of fi ne wines presented by Wilbraham Wine Spirits a variety of beers presented by Berkshire Brewing Co. $ 30 per person Hot hors d’oeuvres will be served For ticket information, call 413-221-9122 or 530-5996 or Send Check Payable to: Rotary Fundraising P.O. Box 682 Wilbraham, MA 01095 BOWLING ALLEY • 64 MAIN ST.
April 1 , 01 The Wilbraham-Hampden TIMES Page 1 AUTHOR from page 1 TIMES staff photo by Donald DeAngelo Wilbraham author Christine Moran, shown with her son, says adopted children are searching for pieces of their lives . Author: Adoption is not always a better life, but a different one ways a better life, but a different one,” said Moran She believes the lack of openness, honesty and family connections in adoption is detrimental to the psychological well being of adoptees and that of their descendants. “The Legacies of Trees” is for sale at Xlibris.com and all proceeds will be donated to charity. For more information contact Moran at Christine.Moran@Realliving.com. Families invited to be ‘Courageous’ WILBRAHAM – The Evangel Assembly, located at 348 Stony Hill Road, is inviting families to view a screening of the Sherwood Pictures film “Courageous” on April 13 at 7 p.m. The public is invited. A freewill offering to cover the showing of the film will be accepted. The movie is an action-packed, police drama that focuses on the lives of law enforcement officers Adam Mitchell, Nathan Hayes, David Thomson, and Shane Fuller. The officers are confident and focused, yet at the end of the day, they face a challenge that none of them are truly prepared to tackle, fatherhood. However, when tragedy strikes close to home, the officers struggle with their faith and their roles as husbands and fathers. Together they make a courageous decision that will change the course of their lives and the lives of their children. For more information call 599-1729 or go to the website evangelassembly.org/courageous. E-Reader Workshop covers the basics HAMPDEN - The Hampden Public Library will be offering a free E-Reader Workshop on Saturday, April 14 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Hampden Public Library, 625 Main St., The hands-on program will help readers get acquainted with their e-reader (Nooks and Kindles) or to simply offer an opportunity to try one before you make a purchase. Instructor Shirley Keech will provide demonstrations on a large screen as well as hands-on instruction for your personal e-reader. Bring your own e-reader device or try the devices she has available for class use. Keech will show where to find digital literature online – to borrow or keep. She will also show how to download and transfer content as well as how to digitally manage all downloads. Also, she will cover e-reader basics such as changing fonts, bookmarking and deleting text. Class size is limited to 20 participants. Registration is required. Call the Hampden Public Library at 566-3047 to register or for more information. This program is free and open to the public. The Wilbraham-Hampden Times is now on Facebook. Go to www.facebook.com/wilbrahamhampdentimes and “like” us. 250 Committee looking for Student Ambassadors AMBASSADORS from page 1 The program, said Albano, “Is an involvement, and not a contest” and is open to any high school student who is a resident of Wilbraham or Hampden, including those who are home-schooled. The vision is for students to join in the community spirit and history making by designing, creating, and implementing a town history project that will be presented at one of the town celebration events. “We want the kids to do whatever comes from their passion or talent, and we want them to have ownership,” says O’Connor. For instance, someone who is involved in drama might write a play about the history of the town, or a musician might write a song. Other potential mediums might be print, video/technology, art, live performance or community service. “We don’t know where or when the projects will be showcased – that will be driven by the projects themselves,” said Albano. May 25 Deadline Some of the events planned for the year include the kick-off First Night celebration on New Year’s Eve 2012, as well as a parade, ball, road race, and community picnic with the Air Force Band at Fountain Park. Albano and O’Connor have already made a presentation to the Minnechaug Student Council, have reached out to Wilbraham & Monson Academy, and intend to contact Cathedral High School. The two emphasize that the program is also open to home-schooled students. In order to apply for the program, students must fill out a brief application and submit it by May 25. The applications are available at the Wilbraham Town Hall, the Wilbraham Public Library, Minnechaug, and online at www.hwrsd.org, under the Minnechaug student/parent page or www.wilbraham-ma.gov. The application indicates that “Your project should reflect some facet of Wilbraham history during the last 250 years or the last 50 years since the 1963 Bicentennial celebration.” Students also need to provide brief descriptions of their ideas or projects and what medium they intend to use. In addition, ambassadors must be willing to attend some events during the town celebration. Albano and O’Connor also hope that teachers in town will encourage their students to participate, and they would love to see high school students working on projects with younger students. As part of the celebration, at a date to be determined in June 2013 all schools in town will have a celebratory day. If you are a high school student in Wilbraham or Hampden, consider applying for the ambassador program and participating in the 250 th celebration. It’s your chance to be a part of history in the making, and perhaps you’ll be able to look back during the 300 th year celebration and tell your children and grandchildren, “That was my project!” For questions about the program or application, feel free to call either Roberta Albano at 596-4566 or Pat O’Connor at 596-7236. Correspondent Janet Wise can be reached at j_ mac4@hotmail.com. ��
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'Citizen Diplomacy' in Afghanistan - Wilbraham-Hampden Times

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