AN INTERVIEW WITH REZA DEGHATI

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Born in Iran, Reza Deghati is co-founder of the Aina Afghan Media and Culture Center in Kabul.  Aina is a non-profit organization that provides free training in film, photography, and journalism to Afghan women.

“There is an absolute need for countries like Afghanistan for an independent media,” says Mr. Deghati, himself an award-winning photographer. He says, “You cannot have democracy and freedom of expression without an independent media.” The main reason the Aina foundation was created, he says, was “to train young people, especially young Afghan women, to become journalists and camerawomen so they can go out and document the situation of women in Afghanistan.”

In addition to providing media training, Aina has established programs to inform Afghan women about such issues as health, labor rights, and the democratic process. Its bi-monthly magazine, Parvaz, serves as a window on the world for Afghan children.

One of the documentaries the foundation has produced is Shadows, a film that explores the challenges facing Afghan women, especially those living in rural areas. The film can be seen on this week’s edition of “A Woman’s World.”

Julie Vahdati, host of “A Woman’s World,” caught up with Reza Deghati on one of his visits to Washington, D.C. She talked with him about the Aina Foundation, the film Shadows, and his hopes for Afghanistan.

For more information about Reza Deghati and the Aina Afghan Media and Culture Center, visit the Aina website:
www.ainaworld.org