Shawn VanDiver from AfghanEvac joined me today for one of the most no-bullshit conversations I’ve had on this Substack about Congress’s failure to keep America’s promise to our allies—a failure that spans presidential administrations and political parties. Regardless of how you feel about the war in Afghanistan, the fact is, many people put their lives on the line to support America’s armed forces, not just by serving as interpreters (the main group that comes up in this discussion), but by serving in frontline missions, base operations, and other support positions that put them and their families in danger.
The reasonable thing to do is to make sure that those allies are safe. Instead, they’ve been largely displaced, ignored, and abandoned by our government with only a few elected representatives still interested in addressing this issue. But that’s where #AfghanEvac comes in. Shawn and their international network continue to advocate relentlessly both at home and abroad. Through the Battle Buddies program, volunteers attend immigration court hearings and ICE check-ins with Afghans to ensure that they have access to their due process. Shawn amplifies key stories, like the ICE detained death of Afghan ally Nazir Paktiawal, through the media to make sure Americans are aware of these ongoing failures. And through ongoing relationship-building and honest call-outs of people in Congress, #AfghanEvac refuses to let our allies be forgotten.
As Shawn said of elected representatives, especially Republicans right now, who used to speak out about the issue, “they seem to have lost their microphones now. So we're going to help them find their microphones again.”
Shawn said one thing to me that stuck with me as exactly how I feel about so much immigration and refugee advocacy. It’s not just about immigrants and refugees, that framing often misses the broader point. It’s just as much about doing the right thing as a country. Shawn said it best: “AfghanEvac is not about Afghans. AfghanEvac is about American promises.” That’s true for Afghans, and it’s true for so many other groups, too: spouses of U.S. citizens, a group that American Families United fights for; people who came to the country as children who still don’t have a pathway to citizenship; women who are being separated from their children through deportation.
Relatedly, Shawn described #AfghanEvac as much of a civic engagement organization as anything, a way for people to understand how to speak out, leverage their connections, and tell elected officials what we need from them. I didn’t know he would say that, but this is exactly in line with what I wanted this week to be about. Veterans like Shawn continue to serve our country out of uniform and it’s important to me that we recognize this work. To add Shawn’s words, though, it’s not just about whether you wear, or wore, a uniform. Lots of people serve our country through their actions (what we sometimes call “active citizenship”), and it deserves honor and recognition, too.
Do you know about other stories of veterans leading important social change work? If so, leave a comment with a link or a name so I can learn more.
A huge thanks to Shawn for joining me today. Listen to the whole discussion. Shawn has much more to say than I can capture here. Worth every second, I promise! As long as you don’t mind a few F-bombs—but as Shawn said, Americans are tired of people sugarcoating things, and Shawn is definitely not someone who wastes time getting to the point.
What can you do?
As promised, here is a list of things you can do to support our Afghan allies and the work of #AfghanEvac. Do one of these today!
Sign up to be a Battle Buddy. If you are a veteran, a frontline civilian, or simply someone willing to show up, this is the most direct action available to you right now. As Shawn puts it, “showing up is the love language of advocacy.” afghanevac.org/battle-buddies
Subscribe to Afghan Evac’s Substack. Shawn’s emails are some of the most substantive and direct advocacy communications I receive. No fluff, just lots of great actionable information. afghanevac.substack.com
Follow Afghan Evac on Instagram. Their social content is genuinely some of the best in the advocacy space: clear, urgent, and made for people who don’t have time to read long reports. @afghan_evac
Call your member of Congress. Ask them what legislation they are personally supporting to protect Afghan wartime allies. Find your representative at house.gov and find your senators at senate.gov.
Donate to Afghan Evac. This work does not happen without sustained financial support, and Afghan Evac is doing some of the most consequential advocacy on this issue with a lean team. afghanevac.org/donate
Check in with the Afghan community in your area. Go to a resettlement agency, a mosque, an Afghan restaurant. Put on one of the #AfghanEvac shirts and see who comes up to you. Community presence matters more than most people realize.
I did what I promised on the call: I bought an #AfghanEvac T-shirt right after our call and I look forward to joining Shawn and their network next time they're in DC.
Thank you Matt Kinnemore, Mary Boudreau, Lione, and many others for tuning into my live video with AfghanEvac.
Events like this are possible thanks to the support of paid subscribers. If you can pitch in on a monthly or annual basis, it would help enormously. Pick a tier that fits your budget at austinkocher.substack.com/subscribe.
