Welcome to the latest episode of Lydia Talks to... where I’ll be interviewing people from all walks of life to help me in my quest to talk about politics and current affairs in a way that cuts through the noise, brings in the context and makes it meaningful.

This week’s guest is Afghan political activist and researcher Qais Alamdar.

Qais talks about Afghanistan’s seismic power shifts across the last 50 years and explains how the Taliban’s current regime differs from their previous reign in the 1990s.

Qais also explains how the Taliban have dramatically restricted education for Afghan girls, as well as constricting rights for women. Qais also looks at what the future may hold for those who remain in the country.

He also speaks candidly about his own family’s quest to flee the country and explains how they were forced to embark upon an arduous journey in order to finally be reunited with him in Germany.

A full transcript of my interview with Qais is available at lovelylydia.co.uk/transcripts. If you’d like to get in touch with me you can email me at writetolovelylydia@outlook.com. I’d love to hear your feedback.

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