Program Length:  1/2 hour
Produced: 2002

The following questions and activities are based on the order in which information is presented in the video.  The activities included here cover three different types of questions and assignments: basic review questions on information that is presented in the video; questions which deal with issues or events requiring further research; and assignments which require personal reflection on the issues being explored.  You may wish to view the program, or sections of it, more than once. 

The activities included here are only suggestions.  You may wish to adapt these for the students in your class.  Some of the questions might be best addressed in small group discussions or in a form of classroom debate; you may wish to extend others to include a specific action or participation in a campaign.  Obviously, it is important to use those activities that best suit the students and the curriculum. 

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BACKGROUND:  In the 1980s, the United States provided billions of dollars in aid to groups resisting the Russians in Afghanistan.  In 1989, the Russians withdrew from Afghanistan, and the US withdrew from active involvement in Afghan affairs.

The result was a vacuum into which warring factions of rebel forces flew.  The strongest and most aggressive group, the Taliban, gained supremacy.  Moving steadily through the country, they established rule by force and by suppression, particularly of women. 

They claim to rule by fundamentalist Islam, but no form of Islam sanctions the ways in which they deny the most fundamental rights to 50% of their population, based on gender alone, and certainly not such brutality. 
(from Amnesty International)

In this MuchMusic special, Jennifer Hollett takes us on a visit to Afghanistan, a country that has been destroyed by war.  She speaks to Afghanistan youth about their new rights and freedoms since the fall of the Taliban, such as the ability to watch movies or listen to music.  She also learns about improvements that have been made to women’s rights and about two initiatives undertaken by the charitable organization CARE. 

THE TALIBAN

1.  What do you know about the Taliban?  Where have your received your  information? Were you aware of the Taliban or Osama Bin Laden prior to September 11th?  Why or why not?

2.  When did the Taliban take control of Afghanistan?

3.  What law did the Taliban institute from 1996-2001?  What was the impact of this law on women?  What impact did the Taliban have on the rest of the population?

4.  What provoked the U.S. coalition forces and Afghan Northern Alliance to battle the Taliban after September 11th? 

NEWS REPORTING

5.  Media critics have suggested that we received only “fragmentary” coverage of Afghanistan prior to the events of September 11th, even though the Taliban were in power and were violating the rights of Afghan civilians.    Critics suggest that this fragmentary coverage is due to “compassion fatigue”:

“Compassion Fatigue is the unacknowledged cause of much of the failure of international reporting today.  What does compassion fatigue do?  It acts as a prior restraint on the media.  Editors and producers don’t assign stories and correspondents don’t cover events that they believe will not appeal to their readers and viewers.  Compassion fatigue abets Americans’ self-interest.  If conventional wisdom says that Americans are only interested in their own backyard, the media will prioritize stories where American political, cultural, or commercial connections are evident.” Susan D. Mieller
(from “Re:constructions”: http://web.mit.edu/cms/reconstructions/interpretations/compassion.html

     a)  Critics suggest that compassion fatigue can influence the kinds of stories that make the news, as journalists attempt to reach and maintain their audiences.   Do you think compassion fatigue might have contributed to the “fragmentary coverage” of the events leading up to September 11th?

     b) Is this statement an accurate comment on the kinds of stories making the news today?  Do you think it accurately reflects what audiences are looking for in news reports?  What are the consequences of "compassion fatigue" for us as global citizens?  What are the consequences for those in need?

     c)  Is there any kind of reporting that can combat compassion fatigue?  For example, do the personal stories of Afghan youth in this program affect you differently than stories about the general population?  Why or why not?

LIFE IN AFGHANISTAN

6.  We meet Nadia Hashimi who returned to Kabul in February, 2002 after living in Pakistan during the time of the Taliban.  

     a) Nadia chose to live in Pakistan because of the Taliban and their treatment of women.  Describe what this treatment was like, and the kind of restrictions that were placed on women.

7.  During the reign of the Taliban, women were forced to wear a Burqa, a long veil covering a woman from head to foot.   Why did the Taliban enforce this?  What were the consequences for those women who refused to wear a Burqa?

8.  What are some of the things that Nadia and her friends are now able to do?  What priorities have they established for themselves?  How do these priorities compare with your own, or those of your peers? 

9.  We visit a university that young women are now able to attend.  What are some of the challenges facing those who work at the university?  Describe the condition of the school.  How does it compare to post-secondary institutions in Canada? 

10. Under Taliban rule, listening to music would have resulted in jail   sentences.  Now young people can freely listen to a wide variety of music.  There are several examples of Western music and movies mentioned in this program.  Based on these examples, what impression do you think the Afghan youth have of life in the “West”?

Do you think this is an accurate impression?  Why or why not?

11.  We meet Malaiz Daud, a young man who moved to Pakistan in 1992   and returned to Afghanistan in July, 1999 while the Taliban were still in power. 

     a) What was life like for men in Afghanistan at the time Malaiz returned? 

     b) What memories of life under the Taliban are the strongest for him? 

12.  We learn a bit about the music collection Malaiz has developed.  List several of the Western artists he enjoys.  What are some of the reasons why these artists might be popular in Afghanistan?  What would an artist need to do to become well known in this part of the world?  Consult magazines or websites for Rolling Stone, Spin or Billboard to obtain information about the global marketing and promotion of some of  today's major artists.  

13.  Malaiz mentions that he watches a lot of films from Bollywood, the   name given to the Indian film industry, which is one of the largest in the world.  Research this industry using the internet.  What films and directors are popular?  What directors have gained prominence in North America?  Deepa Mehta’s Bollywood/Hollywood premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival this fall.  If possible, watch this film and write a review of it.  What elements do you think would attract North American audiences today? 

14.  Can you offer any reasons to explain why the Taliban banned movies and music when they were in power?  How did people obtain movies during this time?

15.  Bootleg copies of the movie Titanic were distributed during the ban and resulted in a national obsession.  What were the signs of the film's  popularity with the Afghan people?  How does its popularity in Afghanistan compare with the kind of response the movie received in North America?

16.  Movie theatres finally re-opened in January, 2002.  How long had they been closed?  What has people's response been to their re-opening?

17.  On August 27th, Afghan authorities announced a disturbing ban. What did the authorities announce?  What does this ban suggest about people's rights and freedoms today? 

WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND CARE AFGHANISTAN

18.  Jennifer speaks with Awadia Mohamed, the Women's Coordinator of the CARE Afghanistan program. 

     a) How many women are served by the Women's Feeding Program?  Why are these programs necessary?

     b) What do the programs provide for women?  How do the women feel about the support they receive?

    c) What are some of the difficulties facing these women in post-Taliban Afghanistan?

    d) What are the long-term goals for the program and the women it serves?

19.  Jennifer meets with workers involved in COPE, the Community Organization for Primary Education.  We learn that teachers and students are returning to classes for the first time since 1996. 

     a)  What has CARE's involvement been in education?

     b)  What are the biggest changes people have seen in education over the last few years?

     c)  Describe the conditions in these schools.  How do they compare with the school you are attending? 

     d)  What are the students’ attitudes toward going to school?  How do their attitudes compare with your own?

     e)  How have the lives of the young people changed since the fall of the Taliban? What changes would they still like to see?

20.  Jennifer meets with Habiba Sorahi, the Minister of Women's Affairs.    How does she feel about the changes she has seen in rights for women?  What problems are women still facing?

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

21.  "This is our challenge:  to reach for our rights...The future is a little bit complicated for us, but we never stop.  We struggle and we go ahead."
Habiba Sorahi

     a)  Visit the website for CARE International at www.care.org  to learn more about the campaigns that are underway to support the people of Afghanistan.  What are you prepared to do?  Outline several campaigns that people can become involved in to support the struggle for human rights in this country. 

     b)  Visit the website for RAWA, the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan at www.rawa.org.  RAWA's objective is to "involve an increasing number of Afghan women in social and political activities aimed at acquiring women's human rights and contributing to the struggle for the establishment of a government based on democratic and secular values in Afghanistan."

What kinds of activities or campaigns has RAWA been involved in?

What goals have they achieved thus far?  What can you do to support the work of RAWA in their fight for women's rights?

22.  The Canadian International Development Agency, or CIDA, has made significant contributions to development projects in Afghanistan.  They support “sustainable development in order to reduce poverty and contribute to a more secure, equitable and prosperous world.” (CIDA website)   Visit CIDA’s website at www.cida.ca to learn more about their work.  Identify their major projects and investigate the work being done in Afghanistan today.

MEDIA ANALYSIS

23.     a)  Using periodicals, websites and relevant CD Roms, research the mainstream media coverage that was given to the war against Afghanistan.   What kinds of stories and images made the news?  What kinds of stories are making the news today?

     b)   How do the images and information from this program compare with what we have received, and continue to receive, from mainstream news sources?  

     c)  Summarize your findings.  What reasons can you offer for the  coverage that we have and have not received?  What effect do you think mainstream news coverage has had on Western perceptions of the situation in Afghanistan?

     d)  Explore a number of websites such as www.indymedia.org; www.fair.org,  www.znet.org, www.hrw.org, www.amnesty.org.  What can you learn from alternative media sources about what has taken place in Afghanistan that you do not learn from mainstream media coverage?  Comment on the topics covered, the experts consulted, the issues addressed, background information provided, and the alternatives that are put forth here.  You may wish to look at the Amnesty International site and the section titled “Justice Not Revenge”, and the Human Rights Watch site for the section titled “September 11th: The Aftermath of the Attacks”.  Compare your findings with the information you gathered from the mainstream media.

     e)  Summarize the insights you have gained from your research.  What  advice would you give to people who want to become more informed about what has happened, and is happening, in Afghanistan?  Prepare a report in which you outline your recommendations for becoming media literate about these events.

THE DOCUMENTARY

24.  a)  This video is based on the conventions of documentary filmmaking.  How do the conventions of the documentary convey a sense of reality?  (Consider the use of on-camera testimonial footage, unscripted dialogue, use of real people, etc.)

b)  Describe the use of digital effects, music and editing in this program.  What impression is conveyed to you through these technical components?

25.  Interview several of your own classmates about their priorities and goals.  If you were to produce a documentary about the youth in your school, or your community, what would you include?  Consider both the video and audio components.  What would this documentary “say” about Canadian youth?

REFLECTIONS

26.  Write a letter to one of the people interviewed in this program.  What other questions do you have for them?  What else would you like to know about their lives?  What would you tell them about your own?  What would you tell them about the media coverage of Afghanistan before and since September 11th?

27.  This program first aired on the anniversary of September 11th.  "On a day when all the networks were running 24 hours of programming about firefighters and North Americans, it was great to see a program showing that Afghans are normal people who are suffering too." A. John Watson, President and CEO, CARE Canada

“The more we know about one another, the more we come to realize we are not so different after all.”  Jordan’s King Hussein

a)  Record your responses to this program.  How do you feel after watching it?  Why do you feel this way?  What scenes and images stand out after viewing it?  Why are these scenes and images especially powerful? 

b) Discuss the ways in which the above statements apply to what we learn from this program.   Consider the new perspective that is provided by meeting the Afghan people and learning about their situation from them (rather than from a news report).  What do these statements tell us about the importance of looking at things from a new perspective?  Write a reflection in which you explore the lessons you can take away from this program. 

Biography:

Carolyn Wilson is a teacher, author, consultant and President of the Association for Media Literacy in Ontario, Canada.  Co-author of the best selling textbook, Mass Media and Popular Culture, Version 2, she has given presentations across Canada, and in Austria, Brazil, Costa Rica, Greece and the United States. 

In 1998, on behalf of the Association for Media Literacy, she accepted an award for “The Most Influential Media Organization in North America” from the World Council on Media Education.  Carolyn teaches Media Literacy, World Development and English at St. Michael Secondary School in Stratford, Ontario.  She is also the CHUM media education consultant for the London Public Library, which houses the first Media Literacy Centre of its kind in North America.


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