Atlantic council includes former First Lady Laura Bush and afghanistans first lady. Good morning to the viewers in the United States and good evening to our viewers in afghanistan. Thank you all for joining us today for the addition of the Atlantic Council front page partnership with the george w. Bush institute. I am on the board of the Atlantic Council and also vice chair of the scowcroft centers for strategy and security. Todays conversation comes at a crucial time for afghanistan. Afghanistan is at a key Inflection Point with peace negotiations currently ongoing between the television and the Afghan Government in. These talks give hope for the end of two decades of war in afghanistan they also raise certain concerns. Its truly vital that we remain vigilant in protecting the games that have been made on behalf of women and girls rights in afghanistan as well as those marginalized voices more generally. In the last two decades particularly as the negotiations have been underway the peace talks represent a major opportunity to ensure they are cemented. Back in september when the talks began and got underway, at the time initiated by the former secretary of state, madeleine albright, the Atlantic Councils member of the International Advisory board, she initiated a statement. And over 100 and former heads of state, prime ministers, Foreign Ministers among many others issued a statement on the role of women in the Peace Process. And i would like to just share with you a few words from that statement. It went on to say that we called upon all relevant, national and International Actors to pursue a peaceful, stable afghanistan by ensuring womens full participation in the process. After 40 years of conflict, these may finally be an opportunity. The International Community has an obligation to assist with ensuring that the peace is durable and there is opportunity that isnt squandered. Very significantly, the statement goes on to say that with the Peace Process underway and the International Community should prioritize womens meaningful inclusion in order to help obtain the longterm security goals we have been working towards for decades. We have seen meaningful progress in afghanistan since being integrated into society as equal citizens. The statement says given the role of women and ensuring a durable peace that the following measures are absolutely necessary. Women need to be part of the negotiation and not just an issue to be discussed. Women must be involved throughout every step of the process and that also the perspective must be reflected in any agreement and that this is a key issue that has to be part of this process going forward. Clearly the discussions that we will hold today are very key that you will be hearing very soon. But they represent only the beginning of a long road we must support afghan as drivers of their own future. The war may indeed involve and it has had many actors engaged in it. But the future of afghanistan is undoubtedly afghan. I am delighted now to be able to introduce our very own former first lady of the United States missus laura bush. First Lady Laura Bush has championed the cause of women and girls rights in afghanistan and through her very longstanding involvement and dedication in the u. S. Afghan Womens Council of which she is an Honorary Council member and also through her dedication and involvement in leadership in the George W Bush president ial center, missucenter, missus busd to provide education for afghan women. She also delivered a remarkable, at the time she was first lady, a remarkable radio interview in which she called attention to all americans about the rights of afghan women. We will have the executive director of the george w. Bush institute who will moderate the discussion. Shes worked closely with the family in these efforts as executive director at the george w. Bush institute and senior vicseniorvice president of the h center. I will also introduce our second featured and honorary guests. The first lady of the Islamic Republic of afghanistan, her excellency. If you would like to engage in the discussion, please use the hashtag ac front page. I would like to now give the floor to First Lady Laura Bush and the moderator over to you. Good morning. Its good to see you and be with our friends. We are appreciative of them putting on the event. Thank you to the Atlantic Council and for hosting this. She and i are good friends and have been for all these years. Thank you for wanting to talk about this because i think what is happening is very important right now. Missus bush, you have been an advocate for the rights of afghan women for all of 20 years now. Tell us why this is personal for you. When the spotlight turned what we saw was a failed country because half of the population was left out. I remember what it was like. Women couldnt leave without being covered and without a male escort. Because of the years of the war already, many were widows. They didnt have someone to be able to leave their house. And remember the other part. They couldnt be educated. They couldnt go to school. The idea of a country that leaves half of the population out is a failed country and that is what afghanistan was. And you knew you could use that platform to be an advocate for them as well. I brought some who started school in the province. Television had blown up those sixth century buddhists that were a site. I brought her to the g8 so the other first ladies could meet her as well. In this chance to go there and see her and i did see the remnants of those buddhists lying on the ground there in her district where she was and of course i became good friends with missus connie. I would always see the troops while we were there and usually have dinner something with them before i flew out. Lets talk about that in its role. The United States has a history of the founding american universities. We had one in beirut and several others around the world so we were able to establish the American University in afghanistan, which continues today. The recent valedictorian was a woman which i think is really terrific. I think its a really Important Role the United States played over many countries and that is founding these different universities that takes women and men and i think there are more right now than there are men. This of course has been the country that not that long ago women were not able to be educated at all. A little context, in 2006 there were 50 students and today there are 1700 and more than half are women. Isnt that great. And over a hundred fulbright scholars is so many of them women. In 20 years that is pretty remarkable. Also i think it shows how hungry afghan women are to be educated. Before the television, and educated country. Women and men were educated. They pretty much destroyed afghanistan. So, weve talked a little bit about education. Youve highlighted that and thereve been so many other areas of progress of course. What do you think the people of afghanistan stand to lose if the gains are reversed . Everything. They would lose everything. Im not that happy about negotiating with afghanistan. I think we should be negotiating with a legitimate government in afghanistan. We forget that america gives people a certain prestige if we negotiate with the taliban, then in some ways we are saying they are more important than the elected government. Do we want peace, absolutely. What we like the troops to come home, of course but we still have troops in berlin. Many years after world war ii. Weve kept troops in various places and not that im suggesting we have to do that in afghanistan, but they are a very fragile democracy and there are a lot of people, the television obviously, that would rather take over and have it be like it was before. A failed country. And theyve made a lot of progress so i hope we can continue to support the government of afghanistan. Weve also seen gains for women with access to healthcare and more women being entrepreneurs and growing the economy. To contribute to the government, all those things. My mother was born to women achieve the right to vote in the United States which is Pretty Amazing on amazing until she was almost 100 years old but the idea that even we are not that many generations ago that women were not allowed to vote. I think its important for us to use what we know and building a democracy where it is important and now with black lives matter and those other communities that could have been left out in our history even though it is all people are created equal actually all men are created equal. But we know how important it is to have everyone, every race, men and women included in a democracy. Thats where the use of all different people. Studies have shown having women involved brings more peace and stability for the country so there is research to show how important it is ever been involved. So Many Americans are skeptical about where we are so involved when we support the people of afghanistan and the women. What word you say . If we have a moral obligation to continue to support the people of afghanistan. We went in early on to support them. They made great strides. Sadly the tele band has the opportunity to come back in some ways. But i just feel that it is a moral obligation to continue to support them. Afghanistan was a thriving country at one time. We know what happened to it after the tele band came in it we dont want that to happen again. Thats why there is a moral obligation to continue to support the people there were there are many people do that the us afghan womens cancel on counsel on this was shocked at the way women were treated there and figured out ways they could help. Think of Connie Duckworth who immediately started to help women become entrepreneurs and make many and all the other Great Projects american women have founded in afghanistan. American women would say. What message do you have are policymakers what they can or should be doing . They should still be doing what we need to already which is some financial support, a lot actually to the government not the tele band there dependent on the disabled the economy because everyone can participate. Not just a man and we give aid to countries for many many years and it is in our moral interest and security interest to continue to try to send money to afghanistan for a legitimate government and legitimate projects going on. And me have the ability to condition that aid with the government and thats important. Mrs. Bush and he was for the women of afghanistan . This will be live streamed he may have women in afghanistan paying attention to what you are saying. The women know that i am standing with them and i have planned for all these years. President bush i would also say that he is standing with you all and we hope for the very best and we also want you to know how much i admire the women of afghan afghanistan to be for contributing members to their economy and society in every wa way. Thank you for your leadershi leadership. We will send it back to the ambassador. Thank you for a great interview and mrs. Bush thank you so much again not only for being with us here today but also your longstanding dedication to afghan women it gives me great pleasure to go to the featured guest i like to mention here in washington dc we are very very fortunate to have afghanistan ambassador to the United States were money who has been a great partner with the Atlantic Council supporting the causes of afghanistan and we are particularly grateful for afghanistans first lady and making it possible thank you so much ambassador we are appreciative of all of your efforts and i would also like to mention we are also joined today by one of the great members on afghanistan Stephen Hunter rockefeller brother foundation. Thank you for your support we are grateful and the importance of the afghan task force. We are grateful to be partnering with you and glad you to be with us as well here today. Thank you very much. Thank you. Now turning to her excellency the first lady of afghanistan. And whose director of the enabled Children Initiative maturity to advocate for afghan children and disabilities have been abandoned census some of the office of the first lady in 2014 the first lady has worked very closely with afghan women to create a fair and just society. This has been and her excellency has been a vocal advocate to make sure women are represented at the highest levels of the peace talks and the heart and to ensure womens rights and participation are preserved and elevated throughout the process. We are thrilled to have you with us today and with that we like to give the floor over to you. Welcome. Thank you you are giving me too much credit. But i agree with you we have made incredible strides to her own fruition and her own hard work. I wish i could say and then to speak to the fellow members. So in this program with this very important discussion. So i consider myself and then to bear witness and then to speak about the things that they know. And and with the soldiers and citizens. I want to assure them i will try my best. So with the Peace Process during the conversation and in the us today. And for the past six years and with those issues and corridors so as to give us the perspective through society and politics. I had to do my annual report. And then women everywhere. Its also been active and effective. And go back to my schedule of those women that i met the first time. So then to think about that ensuring that she had Breast Cancer and her sister had died from Breast Cancer. And that they could be informed and then for treatment. So lets have the second picture. And then the foundation and very interested in meeting her she started as a schoolteacher and then soon after became a mentor and had to be three years and interestingly enough and with the national coalition. And then at the age of 12 but she founded an organization for women and children. [inaudible] she has been very effective with the attacks from a couple of months ago. One for creating a social situation and the other four children that have lost their mothers. The next picture, this is the last picture and then she did work with unicef. And also known. [inaudible] and then coming to visit me as we get to know each other. So for these different philosophies and then to be able to be effective. And continuing to access education. We have a large proportion of women who cannot read or write. And we tried to do something about it. And that we had a program from peace and and then institution of the government what they think about peace or the article of peace and for these obstacles and with then there are 15000 and women and then to have wonderful piece and then very much from what is happening. Into the Peace Process. And to ask you to stop taking on in the Peace Process in the february 29th agreement. And then rising across with the al qaeda commander with the most wanted list and then with the african leaders. So as they watch this unfold have a feeling of those prospects . Ever since because unfortunately with the parents and clearly they activated with europe and the us. We all want peace. And in the situation and security for violence at every corner. We have some very clear ideas we achieve that peace. With over six are immense. And then to have problems that are coming back. The nothing that says they have on their foreheads. But then to understand and with that for the rest of the population is 36 Million People or 300,000 . For what they believe in. So there is an amount of confusion for what is happening. It is what is said its who they want to negotiate with. And up until now but then they were trying to set it up so that when they said they have grievances. Also the payments. So that is the basis and so that has been published that has been made public but for some reason something must be very appealing to them and also and with that freedom of expression. And in that transition of roundtables. [inaudible] but it has not change. And then it shows that strategy the fear and individualism. And with that Peace Process. And those rumors and with those benefits that the expectations and the desire for Peace Agreement is an obstacle peace. So what would be your response . But then they say no this protest is from the start and you should be able to speak up. And what is very interesting and they are try to find the argument so then to have discussions every week and then to organize and what has happened and then to think through will be are cared for them with a constitution and the democracy. And with the constitution so they are all taken care of. So men and women. But then this institution that allows to come together with the constitution. And there is an expression to say she really loves it and it is true they all of the constitution. And with the regime and government. Production with the regime so with that opportunity for that is part of the same movement. We really have managed. So in the interest of time i will come by in the last two questions. What do you believe is the way forward from afghanistan so they need to issue peace . And then to be optimistic and it will take time. And with that agreement that we have. And covid19 but enough for them with those that have it on the table. [inaudible] but it is also a government that has managed that we have opened up to asia and central asia. And with those experts so to support for government but then to go forward. From 2024 and then and that would be difficult so basically. And then to try to help us. So with those issues but we have all the research. Issues but we have all the research. Because i see more and more research and in the Peace Process. We hear so many voices. So this is a conversation occurred continue so thank you for this discussion today now i will hand it back over. I am so thankful to see people who are interested. Thank you for your interest. Thank you so much for the super moderation and your excellency. Thank you so much so we are very grateful for everything that you said the clarity of your comments, and also your courage and dedication. Thank you we are most appreciative. And those conversations the insight provided by a former First Lady Laura Bush and also her excellency the first lady donnie is a model to all who seek a more fair and just society. Thank you both for your inspiring insight thank you both. And then to express the dead the gratitude to the Atlantic Council south asia center and the institute for hosting thes discussions it has been not only an honor but the conversations that we have heard today about the peace negotiations and peace talks and also the future of afghan women in society. And it should not be an issue that has to be part of the process. So to conclude, let me just emphasize in not only afghanistan but everywhere in the world where turbulence and instability prevail there is no peace without justice and no Justice Without a quality. Thank you