News Article

Afghanistan’s Ambassador to the United States Said T. Jawad will discuss “ Afghanistan: Investing in Security” at 6 p.m., Thursday, March 1 in the Barbieri Courtroom at the Gonzaga University School of Law. The event is open to the public.

The event is sponsored by the GU Law School and the World Affairs Council of Spokane. Attendees may register for the event at the WAC Web site www.wacspokane.org or buy tickets at the door. Admission is free for students with student identification; $5 for WAC members; and $10 for the public.

Ambassador Jawad will share information and insights on the redevelopment of Afghanistan and explore what he believes the future may hold for that country. He was appointed Afghanistan’s Ambassador to the United States by President Hamid Karzai in 2003. Prior to that, he served as the president’s press secretary, chief of staff and as director of the office of international relations at the Presidential Palace. Jawad has been instrumental in formulating strategies, implementing policies, building national institutions and prioritizing reforms in Afghanistan. Also, he has worked with U.S. and Afghan military experts to help reform the Ministry of Defense and rebuild the Afghan National Army.

Jawad also was influential in drafting Afghanistan’s foreign investment laws and served as President Karzai’s top liaison with the constitutional commission during the process of drafting Afghanistan’s new constitution. He was educated at the Afghan French Lycée Istiklal and School of Law and Political Sciences at Kabul University. In 1986 he settled in the United States, where he earned an MBA from Golden Gate University in San Francisco, and worked with several law firms.

WAC is a membership-based organization that creates forums to discuss critical world issues. The Spokane branch seeks to cultivate an informed international worldview in the Inland Northwest, to encourage people of all ages to participate in the international community, and to build friendship, understanding, and peace worldwide.

For more information, contact Gonzaga School of Law Associate Professor Upendra Acharya at uacharya@lawschool.gonzaga.edu or (509) 323-3719.