World is small. I spent a winter there, working with the Synergy Strike Force. One thing led to another and I ended up coaching the regional basketball team:
Directly taking funding from an occupying army to manipulate popular behaviour in to a centralized intelligence gathering system, then claiming some form of moral outcome for the greater good? Somehow I missed the connection.
Loved the "Beer for data" approach. It could work in a lot of other settings. Very novel idea to mine data from otherwise hostile environments. Does he publish this data online?
It really wasn't about ego on the part of the people I encountered, so much as frustration and genuinely wanting to see things happen.
They actually had a hard time raising money because they needed/wanted to stay under the radar. After Mehrab's death as far as I can tell things shut down.
[+] [-] drpp|11 years ago|reply
https://nplusonemag.com/basketball-diaries-afghanistan/
Here are some photos of home base:
https://www.flickr.com/search?user_id=68877611%40N00&text=ta...
One of my best basketball players, an Afghan, and SSF member, is now a Fulbright in the US:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ifl/13007763495
@rdl don't believe we've met but nods to you.
[+] [-] rurounijones|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] contingencies|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jakeogh|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] chaz81|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] sreejithr|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] breakingcups|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jedanbik|11 years ago|reply
[+] [-] rdl|11 years ago|reply
It really wasn't about ego on the part of the people I encountered, so much as frustration and genuinely wanting to see things happen.
They actually had a hard time raising money because they needed/wanted to stay under the radar. After Mehrab's death as far as I can tell things shut down.
[+] [-] unknown|11 years ago|reply
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