afghanistan

Crown Royal Sending Special Camo Gift Bags to Troops Overseas

Crown Royal's iconic purple velour bags have become a symbol unto themselves, but they're getting a dose of the camouflage treatment this year to honor our troops stationed overseas. The initiative will see the Canadian rye whisky distillers sending as many as 10,000 gift packages to American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq (amongst other global positions).

The packages include such personal items such as a toothbrush, razor and sunscreen, snacks and phone cards, all packed inside specially-designed purple camo versions of the iconic pouches. We're guessing that military procedures precluded them from sending actual bottles of whisky, which would undoubtedly be more thoroughly enjoyed, but the public can take part in the campaign – spearheaded by football coach and brand spokesman Jimmy Johnson – by buying bottles of the rye whisky packaged in the special purple-camo bags from their local liquor stores across the United States.

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Tags: afghanistan, canadian whisky, crown royal, gift package, iraq, military, purple bag, rye whiskey, rye whisky, soldiers, support our troops, troops, whisky

Afghan Refugees to Benefit from 25CPW Art Auction

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art, Charity, Video

The action at 25CPW has been nonstop. Following its successful show last week, featuring the artwork of guards from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the temporary art gallery on Manhattan's Upper West Side hosted a silent auction featuring the original creations of Afghan women and children. Several thousand dollars were raised at the event, which was organized by 25CPW guru Bess Greenberg and Brianne Leary, the driving force behind Saving Afghanistan and journalist who covered the Soviet/Afghan conflict through the 1980s. The financial result, says Leary, addresses an immediate need for specific refugees in transition.

The prices at the one-night auction were purposefully kept accessible, given the prevailing economic climate, says Leary, and the event was well-attended. Get the full story directly from Leary in the video below.

Gallery: Afghan Art Auction: A night of art, food and music @ 25CPW

Tags: 25cpw, afghanistan, art galleries, Art Gallery, artist, Artists, artwork, charity auction, manhattan, new york, new york city, Upper West Side

McTeigue & McClelland Designs Necklace to Help Afghan Children

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Charity

A necklace may be the key to a child's future in war-torn Afghanistan.

Indeed, McTeigue & McClelland, a New York-based jeweler with roots dating back to 1895, has designed a necklace, called "The Ariana Necklace," with all of the proceeds donated to the Rebuilding Afghanistan Foundation. The foundation is a U.S.-based 501 (c) 3 non-profit dedicated to bringing education to Afghan children by building schools and developing educational programs in Afghanistan. The proceeds from each necklace will provide enough funds to educate three Afghan children for one year at the foundation's Mayor Elementary School in the province of Wardak, Afghanistan.

The butterfly design was inspired by the Micropsyche Ariana species, which is the smallest butterfly in the world. The butterfly is unique to Afghanistan while its name translates to "tiny souls of Afghanistan." The pendant measures 1.5" in length and 1" in width and comes with an 18" sterling silver chain.

McTeigue & McClelland handcrafted the necklace in sterling silver. It will retail for $250 and is available by placing an order at http://www.rebuildafghanistan.org. The necklace is available for a limited time only.

Tags: afghanistan, afghanistan relief organization, afghanistan war, AfghanistanReliefOrganization, AfghanistanWar, charity, jewelry, McTeigue McClelland, McteigueMcclelland, non-profit

Afghani Treasures at the Met: Gold, Gold, Gold

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Art

On June 23, a new exhibit opened at the Met: Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul. My friend and I were able to go a few days before the opening, thanks to a members-only preview, courtesy of my mother.

History and fascinating story of the treasures' discovery aside (read here if you'd like even more background), I was wowed by the gold. Much of what's on display was discovered either in archeological digs or in a vault in the presidential palace, where citizens with foresight hid the treasures to protect them from war: jewelry, a belt, an amazing crown (shown here; it breaks down into six pieces for easy transport), a dagger sheath, clasps, anklets, rings, pendants, bowls ... the list goes on.

My favorite item, just for the sheer excess of it all -- and proving that showing your status via footwear is not a new thing -- was the pair of gold shoe soles designed to be placed with a body when buried. I guess mere sandals wouldn't do in the afterlife.

My friend and I really enjoyed the exhibit, which features many more items, gold and non-gold, such as glass, ivory and gemstones. But the gold alone is worth seeing if you are in NYC or planning a visit this summer. The exhibit will be at the Met until September 20 and is included in the price of admission to the museum.

(BTW, I also saw the Francis Bacon exhibit while there. He scared me a little, but viewing his work, you can see it's from the mind of a tortured genius.)

Gallery: Afghani Treasures at the Met: Gold, Gold, Gold

Ribbed bowl (Greek phiale), 1st century A.D.

Bracelets in the shape of antelopes, 1st century A.D.

One of a pair of clasps with Dionysos and Ariadne, 1st century A.D.

Fragment of a bowl depicting bearded bulls, ca. 2200-1900 B.C.

Tags: afghanistan, art, artifacts, gold, Met Museum, MetMuseum, museum, New York, New York City, NewYork, NewYorkCity, treasures

Thankful Troops Smoke 7,000 Cigars

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars

While we are constantly reminded of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we often lose site of the people serving. Sure, we support the troops and lament the fact that some are separated from their families for a year or longer ... with unfortunate regularity. But, these concepts remain abstract from those who don't don the uniform every day. Many have a friend or family member serving, but the vast majority is another step removed from the sacrifice. Chuck Ley, founder of the organization Cigars for Soldiers, is bridging the gap. His effort has added a personal and genuine touch to a "support the troops" message that the mainstream media has forced into cliché too soon.

Ley, like me, was a soldier. While my service entailed comfy pencil-pushing positions in Uijongbu, South Korea and Fort Gordon, Georga, he was an infantryman – the real deal – wounded in action in Mogadishu, Somalia. It wasn't the event immortalized in Mark Bowden's Black Hawk Down, but few realize that we fought more than once over there. Though back in civilian life for more than a decade, Ley has not forgotten his time in uniform, and many of his friends continue to serve.

From time to time, Ley would get a phone call or e-mail from overseas, a friend in some far-flung place. The tone varied from casual inquiry to begging to near-demand: send cigars. How could a cigar-smoking former soldier refuse?

Gallery: Cigars for Soldiers

Soldiers smoke Pepin Garcia cigars in Iraq

Don Pepin Garcia addresses the crowd at De La Concha

The cigars donated to Cigars for Soldiers by Don Pepin Garcia

Tags: afghanistan, black hawk down, BlackHawkDown, charity, cigar, cigar accessories, cigar cutter, CigarAccessories, CigarCutter, cigars, donate, donation, donations, foundation, georgia, iraq, iraq war, IraqWar, lighter, lighters, marine, marines, mark bowden, MarkBowden, mogadishu, relax, soldier, soldiers, somali, somalia, south korea, SouthKorea, support the troops, SupportTheTroops

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International Rescue Committee, Charity of the Day

by Tracy Chait (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Charity of the Day

The International Rescue Committee is one of the prominent non-profits advocating for refugee rights in the U.S. where newcomers often feel displaced and lonely. The IRC has responded to humanitarian emergencies and has fought against human trafficking and gender-based violence. Four of IRC's workers were killed in an August 13th ambush in Afghanistan; yet the organization continues to strive for peace all over the world, in war-torn Lebanon and rescue efforts in post-earthquake Pakistan. Above all, the organization founded in 1933 at Albert Einstein's behest has aimed to reorient displaced refugees and fight for refugee rights in multiple environments.

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Tags: afghanistan, crisis, international rescue committee, InternationalRescueCommittee, irc, lebanon, refugee

Fairmont Golden Treasures of Afghanistan Package

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Ever since I read about it in this month's Archaeology, I've been obsessed with the Hidden Treasure of Afghanistan story. In 1988, Omara Khan Massoudi, director of Afghanistan's National Museum in Kabul and a team of museum workers hid over 20,000 precious artifacts dating from 2000 B.C. to A.D. 100 to keep them from the Taliban and others who would seek to destroy them when civil war erupted. For a long time the collection was believed destroyed or sold but in 2002, Massoudi revealed that he had hidden the items. Now 228 of the artifacts are part of an exhibit which has been exhibited throughout Europe and came to the U.S. this May. It will appear in just four cities, staying in Washington, D.C. until September 7 then San Francisco October 24–January 25, 2009, followed by Houston February 22–May 17, 2009, and finally New York June 23–September 20, 2009. The exhibit features golden bowls, bronze sculptures, ivories, glassware and more. Some pieces which had been imported from around the world and excavated from ancient storerooms discovered in the 1930s and 1940s others are gold ornaments from the "Bactrian Hoard," found in 1978 in Tillya Tepe.

It's not coming to my town so I'll have head to the nearest city near me that has it San Francisco. The Fairmont has partnered with the National Geographic Society on special packages at their hotels in Washington, San Francisco and New York in conjunction with the National Geographic exhibition, "Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul."Starting October 24, 2008, when the exhibition opens at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, guests will be able to stay at The Fairmont San Francisco with the Golden Treasures of Afghanistan package. The package includes a one-night stay, two entry tickets to the museum, a traditional Afghan treat of baklava and Turkish coffee for two and a set of note cards commemorating the exhibition. Rates start from $299 USD per night, and the package is available through January 25, 2009.

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Tags: afghanistan, fairmont, kabul, national geographic

The Kite Runner Auction, Charity of the Day

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Celebrity Shopping, Charity, Charity of the Day

The Kite Runner hits movie theaters this Friday, and through an auction on eBay you can not only have your own little piece of the film but also help support the Afghanistan Relief Organization. Bid on kites with celebrity signatures on the tails like Reese Witherspoon, Angelina Jolie, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Will Ferrell, and bid on once-in-a-lifetime experiences like a trip to the set of James Bond, dinner with the author of The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini), and the naming of a character in one of his future works. The auction only runs through the 15th, which is this Saturday, so you better get a move on if you want to participate.

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Tags: Afghanistan, Afghanistan relief organization, AfghanistanReliefOrganization, auction, ebay, Khaled Hosseini, KhaledHosseini, kite, kites, The Kite Runner, TheKiteRunner

Luxury Condo Building To Rise In Kandahar

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Picture this: luxury condo apartments with marble floors, coffered ceilings and underground parking selling for $45,000 to $65,000. It sounds like a deal except for the fact that in real estate it all comes down to location. The Al-Jadeed building is in the city of Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban and still not the safest place to live. Developer Ahmed Khan says the seven-story building is the first luxury building in the area and he believes that private business can rise again in Kandahar. He says the building will have electricity and wireless Internet access 24 hours a day which are luxuries in the area. Even though Kandahar is Afghanistan's second-biggest city by population, this building will only be the second one in the city with an elevator.Three security guards posted at each of the two entrances at all times. Rents for the suites in the building are estimated to be in the $250 to $400 a month range which is far above the usual rent in the city. Many of the buyers and renters are Afghans living in the West who still want a pied a terre in their homeland.

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Tags: afghanistan, ahmed khan, al-jadeed, expire-images:2008-11-16, kandahar, taliban

Arzu Rugs

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Charity

If you are in the market for a woven rug from Afghanistan, consider Arzu Rugs. The company supports the enterprise of Afghan women helping talented weavers obtain materials for their rugs and create patterns which will appeal to consumers and then sell them in the West. The company also offers literacy classes and health care for the families of the women. The rugs, which generally sell in the $1,000 to $10,000 range are handcrafted masterpieces which have the power to help those in need. Arzu also has a design team which will help you find the perfect match for your home. You can read more about Connie Duckworth, the charismatic founder of the company, in a Forbes article about the rugs.

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Tags: afghanistan, do no evil, rugs, weaving