April 2005

Afghan Ambassador Said Tayeb Jawad Speaks at UMUC

By Chip Cassano

His Excellency Said Tayeb Jawad

His Excellency Said Tayeb Jawad, Afghanistan’s ambassador to the United States, spoke as part of UMUC’s “Meet the Ambassador” series, April 6, 2005, in the University’s Inn and Conference Center auditorium. Jawad discussed Afghanistan’s history, its relationship to the United States, and the challenges that face its new leaders as they seek to establish a nation-state. In the process, Jawad painted a picture that was, at once, optimistic and sobering.

“Afghanistan’s greatest asset . . . is the Afghan people,” Jawad said, “who have survived [some of] the most tragic circumstances that the modern world has witnessed. The spirit of resilience, hard work, and hospitality that kept Afghans and Afghanistan alive, against all odds, through the past 30 years is today leading us forward to a new era of cooperation, appreciation, and prosperity.”

Jawad warned of the dangers posed by poverty, the drug trade, and Afghanistan’s vulnerability to violence and terrorism—the bitter legacy of 30 years of war; at the same time, he pointed with justifiable pride to the country’s economic growth rate of 16 percent, it’s increasing demand for consumer goods, its youthful population, and its recent democratic elections.

“We have put our trust in the benefits of democracy in partnership with the United States and the international community,” said Jawad, “and thanks to your assistance, ladies and gentlemen here, every one of you, Afghanistan is emerging from a painful past and moving toward a better and brighter future, a future that sparkles with hope and promise, a future of peace and prosperity.”

Jawad left Afghanistan shortly after the Soviet invasion in 1980. After studying and practicing law abroad, he returned in March 2002 to assist with the rebuilding effort. Prior to his appointment as ambassador, he served as Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s press secretary, chief of staff, and director of the Office of International Relations in the presidential palace. He has worked with the U.S. and Afghan militaries to help reform the country’s Ministry of Defense and rebuild the Afghan National Army. He was also instrumental in drafting Afghanistan’s foreign investment laws and served as a presidential liaison to the constitutional commission that drafted Afghanistan’s new constitution.

The “Meet the Ambassador” series of colloquia is sponsored by UMUC’s Master of International Management chapter of the Alumni Association, in conjunction with the Office of Diversity Initiatives. Past speakers have included ambassadors from India, Mexico, Nigeria, Argentina, Singapore, and the Netherlands.